Making Color Connections This group of four encaustic paintings titled Cross Lands 1 - 4 (24 in. x 24 in.) explores relationships between colors. Cross Lands is part of my continuing Common Ground series. Soon after starting this series I realized this was as much about diplomacy as painting. Diplomacy took the form of painterly negotiations. Seen separately they appear abstract, when the four pieces are shown together the hues coexist to suggest land and river forms seen from above. Every space where the colors meet creates a boundary. These boundaries create tension and strength. During my painterly negotiations balance was found in viewing each painting as part of one entity.