Chance brought encaustic to
me. After being given a piece
of beeswax, I began drawing
lines between thin layers of clear
wax. Then, I began to incorporate
photography. I loved that
encaustic required me to move
quickly, and to continuously be
present to my work.
The colors, forms, and line I
observe in the natural world never
fail to amaze, delight and inspire
me. Everything I do in encaustic
is an outgrowth of what I did in oil
and acrylic earlier in my career.
From my first exhibited painting
at the San Francisco Museum of
Modern Art in 1967 thru today,
I revel in exploring color, the
power of line, and the impact of
layering. Beginning with what I
see, my intuition and knowledge
filter the developing image so
that what occurs on the paper, or
panel, is a dialogue between me
and the emerging painting.
Making art has been part
of my life since childhood.
When I was seven, my family
moved from the cocoon of my
extended family living a block
from the Coney Island beach
and boardwalk to Philadelphia.
Suddenly dependent upon my
own inner resources and imagination,
I thrived in the children’s
art classes at the Tyler Art School
in Philadelphia. Moving again, we
went to Ohio. It was there, when I
was eleven, that my mother died.
Coming back to New York City, I
went to the High School of Music
and Art and then to the Cooper
Union Art School. Thrilled with
the access to great art, I went
to the Museum of Modern Art
almost weekly, getting to know
the paintings very well.
Ellen Koment
Portfolio
The Females, 60”x40”, 1966, oil on canvas, collection of Jack Leissring.
21
Summer
www.EAINM.com