Joy!

Joy!  © 1983  Kathryn Mathes   Silkscreen  22x17"

O Christmas Tree

O Christmas Tree © 1978 Kathryn Mathes  Silkscreen 22x17"

Christmas Colors

Christmas Colors ©1981 Kathryn Mathes   Silkscreen  23x19"

A Confession of Sorts

The pursuit of order that I began in my studio in August prompted a different quest... the tidying up of my archives of artwork. Glancing at my inventory...not of supplies, Yikes!, but of artwork, I realized the need for a clean-up there, too. While my organization skills are pretty good, the records for my artwork were haphazardly incomplete. Keeping up with the details of each piece of work for more than 35 years has been quite tedious. I confess that I left out some of those details, like the size of the piece, for instance. So, I am returning to the archives for another look, and likely, a fill-in of the missing blanks. If you would like a shortcut to an inventory form, Harriete Estel Berman has created a masterful inventory and provenance form.

©1982 Kathryn Mathes  A Christmas Get Together Silkscreen 22x17"

After beginning this project, I remembered some Christmas posters that I created many years ago. I thought that I'd share some of them with you in the next few posts. 

Enjoy.

Let Me Count the Reasons...

First, a list of all the rational reasons that I use encaustic:

1. Color: The colors are vividly rich. The suspended pigment in the beeswax allows the brilliant colors to sparkle with energy
2. The colors can be opaque or transparent, and can be applied thinly (glazes) or thickly (impasto)
3. There can be total coverage of one color with another, with no bleeding through
4. Line elements can be as varied as you wish: thin, thick, scraggly or sleek
5. Infinite texture capabilities: Textures are easily created, literally and figuratively speaking. From silky smooth to rough, bumpy textures, from the illusion of texture to the real thing 
6. The surfaces of the work can be textured, smooth, poured, scraped, dipped or incised
7. Forms can be created 2-dimensionally or 3-dimensionally
8. Wax has an adhesive quality that is good for embedding, pasting, or collaging
9. It is quick to "set up" (that is, become a permanent, finished artwork)
10. Reworking possibilities are endless, since the wax is malleable with heat
11. Encaustic readily lends itself to image transfers
12. The layering that is inherent with encaustic gives a sense of space and time
13. Encaustic is one of the cleanest and least messy media for the artist
14. It is non-toxic when properly used
15. It has a sweet smell

Next, a few of the subjective reasons:

1. From the moment I began using wax, I felt an affinity to the medium 
2. I love the feel of the cooled paintings and the lingering beeswax scent
3. Paraphrasing from Reni Gower, curator of the show, The Divas and Iron Chefs of Encaustic, wax/encaustic work has a "seductive surface, luminous color and ethereal image layering"
4. Encaustic informs my work with the hazy, muted quality that is inherent in memory...necessarily out of focus, but nonetheless, genuine in its authenticity
5. Encaustic is a challenge to use. Too much heat, and the image is forever lost...like a fleeting idea that escapes into thin air.

Encaustic Revival

A Tray of Many Colors

Jasper Johns is credited with reviving the use of encaustic paint for contemporary artists. It is said that he wanted something that would help his paintings dry faster, and he remembered hearing about the wax paintings of ancient Greece. So, voila! the old becomes the new again!

After Johns' show at Leo Castelli Gallery in 1958, many other artists were mesmerized by encaustic's spell, including Brice Marden, Lynda Benglis, Nancy Graves, Kay Walkingstick and Arthur Dove. Today many contemporary artists use encaustic.

 I began using encaustic in 1996 when there was little information available about the medium. Trial and error is a great teacher! Today there is plenty of information both on the web and in print. One of the best information resources on the web is R & F Paints, who specialize in encaustic paint and pigment sticks.

When I am asked about my work and I reply that I work in encaustic, many people wonder what encaustic is.  If you click on the Buzz page above, you'll find some historical information.

The real question is why? Why use encaustic instead of oil paint or acrylics or any other paint? That's for the next post....