Encaustic & Cold Wax Paintings
ENCAUSTIC PAINTINGS and COLD WAX AND OIL PAINTINGS
In this series of encaustic and cold wax works I use elements from the natural world such as wax from the tiny bee, resin from the mighty tree, pigments from earth’s minerals and the natural element of fire; these elements all come together to create an alchemical process of transformation, turning the colorless, solid, material of bees wax into a liquid that flows across a substrate in a swirling dance. Within this dance there is an undeniable sense of both control and surrender with the artist and the medium alternately taking the lead in the dance.
The surfaces of my encaustic paintings are often carved, etched, and/or embedded with other objects from nature: sand, glass, bark, twigs, stones, handmade papers, silk, wool and more. The subtle scent of molten bees wax fills the air, and the flame of the torch gently warms the studio. The experience is always a very sensory, visceral and intuitive one.
The translucent and luminous layers of wax create an effect that is rich and varied allowing colors laid down previously to shine through. The intriguing effects of layering mirror the many layers of life, both in the human journey and within the natural world. Layers tell countless stories of life.
Encaustic painting is a perfect medium to convey the idea of transformation and rebirth that is a major part of my creative work. Encaustic literally goes through an alchemical change in the process of painting, starting out as solid material, then into a molten liquid and finally transforming itself into a solid hard material once again. In this work it is the "process" more than the "product" that sings of transformation. The abstract works that result suggest cosmology and organic surfaces that call into question the origins, connectedness and the processes of life and death and rebirth and our profound impact on the planet.
An additional medium I work in is COLD WAX AND OIL PAINTING, which is the cousin to encaustic painting, as it also combines wax and pigments. While encaustic painting uses molten (melted) wax, cold wax is not heated or melted, it is a paste-like, translucent medium that is mixed with oil pigments. It also yields a luminous, semi-transparent, lustrous result. These lustrous abstract works explore the same concepts as all of my work: the process of transformation within nature and human existence.
Here I am also emphasizing the impact of climate change and its transformative effects of life on this planet. The question that arises is if there will come a time when renewal and transformation will reach a final stage of being and becoming? What will that look like. What will remain and what will vanish? The ancient history of Earth suggests that even though the planet may change enormously as it has before, the breakneck speed at which change and transformation are taking place today may profoundly impact life of humans on this planet. Something new will likely emerge, and the planet will continue to exist, but will humanity survive such an altered planet? These concerns and questions inform my work and hopefully will stir the viewer to ponder the magnitude of our impact on this planet which Carl Sagan aptly called, "the pale blue dot."
