As an encaustic painter, I am drawn to the wax for its sensual texture and mysterious translucent qualities. When working with the wax, I am constantly reminded that it has a mind of its own and I must allow room for creative play and the element of chance. However, over the past 12 years I have been pushing the boundaries of this ancient medium; results thus far, have been…. successful. Success is measured by the way it engages ones senses by the use of color and texture; once the viewer is drawn to the surface of the painting they are able to be captivated by the depth of the subject matter.
My recent series of landscapes have been of no particular place and yet they able to exist in the viewer’s imagination. Shadowed silhouettes of trees, birds and human forms are strategically placed in these vignettes with the intent of initiating a narrative. The generalization of the figures/forms can transport anyone to these ominous surrounding. I intend for the works to be both beautiful and sublime; this should cause a sense of comfort and also fear for the unknown. The factors contributing to these emotions can be due to dramatic lighting, turbulent sky, desolate landscape or the silhouetted forms. Each painting is therefore drawn out a subconscious sense of place.
My work is neither here nor there, but tries to find a balance of binary opposites; dark and light, life and death, man and God, beginning and end. It is all subjective to the perspective of each individual; we all bring our own physical, emotional, and spiritual presuppositions, and it is up to the viewer to cast their judgment.
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