Through the use of abstraction, my
paintings attempt to convey nature’s infinite variations of color, shape, texture, and
ethereal beauty. Balsam Poplar Series is a new body of work based on an Oregon Western Balsam Poplar tree located on Peter’s Hill in HarvardUniversity’s
Arnold Arboretum. I have been drawing and painting this tree for over two years, placing it
in imaginary landscapes and seascapes. It is my hope that these observations, which have formed the basis of these encaustic paintings, will in some way be conveyed to those viewing them.
Encaustic Painting
The word Encaustic, from ancient Greece, means “to burn" or "to heat". Encaustic painting, also known as hot wax painting, involves the use of heated beeswax to which colored pigments and damar resin are added. Each painted layer is fused to the previous layer in order to create a solid piece that becomes the encaustic painting.
