Great circle route

“Circle Party” (encaustic on panel), by Willa Vennema, a Portland-based painter.

Her Web site notes:

“As teachers, both Vennema and her husband are able to spend the summer with their two children, Oriana, and Casey. They quickly settle in to ‘Island Time,’ on Swan’s Island, a small island off Mt. Desert Island, where Vennema's family has summered for over 53 years. Here, Vennema paints the waters, woods, rocks and trees of Swan's and surrounding islands ‘en plain air’ using acrylic paints. During the winter months, back in her home studio in Portland, Vennema pushes herself to experiment. Her studio works are executed using the hot wax medium known as encaustic, and these works have ranged from semi-abstract landscapes, to fully abstract mixed media works.’’

Burnt Coat Harbor Light, on Swan’s Island.

House walls instead

“The Peaceful Use of Walls” #2 (encaustic on panel), by Willa Vennema. She lives most of the year in Portland but summers with her family on Swan’s Island, south of Mount Desert Island, where most of Acadia National Park is.

She says:

“My most recent series of work is entitled ‘The Peaceful Use of Walls.’ This series was in response to the controversy over President Trump’s desire to build a multibillion-dollar wall on our boarder with Mexico. I do not believe a huge wall is the answer to our immigration problems. This series depicts a hopeful, nurturing and peaceful alternative for the use of walls—houses.’’

She’s a member of New England Wax.

See her video by hitting this link.

But trying to reach the surface

"Layers of Time No. 3" (encaustic and collage on panel),  by Willa Vennema, in the "Beneath the Surface'' show of encaustic works by artists from around New England at the Saco (Maine) Museum through May 28.