8" X 16", "Such greeness"
Encaustic on wood panel
Artist Statement
In this series of work I am using encaustics and landscape imagery. The simplicity of the open sky with grasslands has allowed me to create different moods and feelings. The darkness/ light of the image asks the question “Is the storm coming? Is the storm over?” The contrast between the light and the dark embodies to me the contrasting time I live in. The simplicity of the grasslands/ skies can be expressed either through the contrasting values, or expressed with heavily colored surfaces.
Encaustic has given me the ability to layer the surface, without losing the intensity of the pigment and retain many accidents. I use the layers to retain the color, and choose layers that are translucent.Fusing these layers allows me the flexibility to push back some of the surface or allow other areas of the surface to remain forward. This overall effect can give the painting a soft dreamy effect.
I also use varied textures that can be used through the building of layers of fused wax.I can incise into these layers, add color, fuse, or leave the surface. I also add wax by using a batik heat tool. Again this process is repeated many times with using the blow torch.
The element of heat by using the torch, melting the wax with different pressures of the flame, adds the element of surprise. Overall encaustic is the most forgiving of mediums.
Encaustic wax painting is a historical painting technique, where the wax is heated, and painted with. Encaustic paint is a combination of melted beeswax with damar crystals and added color pigment. The paint is solid at room temp. But when heated and melted it can be applied to a surface. With heat tools, layers of the wax medium, oil pigments, can be added or subtracted to the surface. The painting of melted wax was recorded about 2000 years ago. Because of the ease of electronically heated pallets , hot air guns, and butane torches, crock pots, electronic wood burning tips and tools, electronic batik wax holders, and any other heated tool, encaustic painting has become relevant again.