Ariela Steif is finishing her degree in art history at the University of Michigan, although she has been an artist for many years. She began as an oil painter, which later expanded to include watercolors and works on paper.

Eventually, she left oils and switched to encaustic, an ancient painting medium involving molten wax that is pigmented and applied hot. Each layer of paint is then fused, or burned in, as it is laid down and continually scraped back again to build up a rich surface.

Come visit the gallery, learn more about the encaustic process, read her artist statement, or stop by her blog.