Artist Reception: First Friday March 4th 6-9 p.m.
Studio 2507: 2507 SE Clinton Portland, OR
Encaustic painting
Untitled
48″x12″
“Sometimes I have a plan. I begin with a notion or feeling I wish to express. Other times I choose a color and begin to paint. I see what it looks like after I have done what I’ve done and I choose another color which relates, expressing my mood. Sometimes I involve wispy lines which flow around corralling variants within the color or hard straight lines to connect aspects or sever them. Once I find some overall dynamic presenting itself I utilize various other colors and lines to emphasize or sedate.
With the encaustic medium all this lovely control flies out the window. The layers of wax need to be fused to the layers below to ensure clarity and prevent the layers from separating. This fusing process liquefies the elements and suddenly they are flowing together, running loose and free like some sort of liberated gaggle. All my veeeery important decisions become compromised every time I fuse.
Slowly I realized this medium is more like another will and less like some matter to be pushed around. Like a marriage where my prerogative is not the only one involved, I begin to allow the changes to happen, even become excited at the prospect. This has been hard for me. I like to be in complete control but as in life certain “art making” requires a stark view of oneself and what better way to accomplish this then having all of one’s choices challenged.”
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