I find encaustic painting provocative and intriguing in three ways . First , because of the history and technique that has developed from the early Greeks to the contemporary work we ’ re seeing now . The medium gives a wonderfully luminous effect on paper or cradled boards .
The second way this medium is exciting and provocative is in the fresh expression of the subject . Using encaustic allowed me to pour several transparent layers on the paper and then come back and paint in on that background . The effect is one of power and gentleness , of movement out of the environment into the future . The luminosity of the medium allows the painting to bring that past with the subject into the here and now . The medium allows me to create a contrast in fire and caress . Even though the paint is applied while very hot and sealed as a unit with the blow torch , the touch of a cooled painting is very gentle , sensual , smooth and tranquil . It is the calming of the beast .
The third way this is exciting and intriguing is because the method lends itself to discovery and ongoing contemplation . Contemporary encaustic art is relatively new to the painting scene of the area . To see what can be accomplished with hot wax and pigment triggers the excitement of discovery and experimentation . I am delighted by the history and process . It takes finesse to work with encaustic and a blow torch to produce the desired mood and image , and not to have either burned the paper or ruined the effect . It is yet another way of speaking about making art that one does not rely on , or may even be able to express through other media . It is not the usual oil or acrylic painting . It is not collage with its more impressionistic , soft marked edges , it ’ s not watercolor . It is more than what each of those media can develop . It has a voice of its own , with its own immediacy and unique painting requirements . It is a dance between media and artist , each challenging the other until the rhythm is set . In this case , I wanted to retain the three dimensional aspect of the medium in some areas , and in others a smoother more sensual effect . Too much fussing with the blow torch may ruin everything .
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Aristotle said , “ The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things , but their inward significance .”