Lake Superior: Where Water Becomes Wild

I just finished this original encaustic painting inspired by the wild beauty and vastness of Lake Superior.

Lake Superior is often described as an inland sea, and it’s easy to understand why. Its enormous size and deep, cold waters can make it feel more like an ocean than a freshwater lake. High winds can create huge, ocean-like waves powerful enough to sink large ships, giving Lake Superior a wild and sometimes unpredictable character.

I wanted to capture that energy in this piece—the movement of the water, the crashing wave, the vibrant turquoise and deep blues, and the incredible power of the lake.

Created with beeswax, damar resin, oil pigments, and layers of expressive texture, this painting has a depth and movement that changes with the light. I also embedded real Petoskey Stones and sand from the Great Lakes into the shoreline, bringing actual pieces of the Great Lakes landscape into the artwork.

Lake Superior is part of a remarkable freshwater system that ultimately connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the Great Lakes, rivers, canals, and locks. Standing along its shoreline, it can be hard to believe you are looking at a freshwater lake.

This painting is my interpretation of that feeling—the vastness, power, movement, and beauty of Lake Superior.

Original encaustic artwork • Lake Superior