This week’s blog posts are all by Erin Keane. The past three weeks have seen Crystal Neubauer, Amanda Jolley and starting us off was Michelle Belto introducing our collaborative series; this week Erin! Enjoy and savor the uniqueness of each~

________________________________________________________________________________

Here is the reveal of my finished “Seven Degrees of Connection” panels, titled “On the Horizon”:

The transferred images were saturated with clear encaustic medium, with subtle texture around the edges. I applied the encaustic medium in thin layers to give a soft glow, while keeping the color of the photographs pure with a high degree of clarity.

Each landscape is unique yet connected by a common horizon line, representing our varied backgrounds connected by a shared experience. As I mentioned previously, the horizon line is also a metaphor for the opportunities presented to us… and the opportunities presented for us. Many folks come into their own creativity later in life. They are hungry to learn and explore and create. Yet not everyone has the means to feed that hunger. I hope that my “Seven Degrees of Connection” can provide the means to feed that hunger and connect more people with opportunities to learn and explore and create.

The funds raised by the sale of my panels will go towards scholarships for 310 ART, the art studio where I teach in Asheville, North Carolina. We are the oldest teaching studio in the River Arts District and Fleta Monaghan, the director, has always been generous (and discreet) with extending scholarships to those who need to learn and explore and create. I was one of those scholarship recipients, when I first left my public school teaching position due to health reasons, and now I hope to give back to others… I’d love to see “Seven Degrees of Connection” turn into “Seven to the Nth Degree of Connection”.