See the Depth and Poetry of Six Encaustic Painters
As we continue our year of education-focused exhibits, we are delighted to introduce our community to one of the oldest (and longest-surviving) mediums: encaustics. POETIC FUSION, an invitational exhibit showcasing the work of six encaustic artists from around the region, opens on Saturday, June 4th.
Encaustic artists add mineral pigments to a heated mixture of beeswax and damar resin, one carefully fused layer at a time. The finished pieces consist of sometimes dozens of layers of encaustic paint, beautifully detailed texture and imagery that ranges from the representational to the abstract. Some of the oldest surviving examples of encaustic art were made during the second and third century in Egypt.
Save the date – Saturday June 4 – for an Educational Opening of Poetic Fusion
Three of our gallery artists, Kris Larson of Helena and Erika James of Portland and Eureka, California artist Darla Myers will share brief presentations about their practice from 1:30 to 3pm during Saturday’s Open House. Other opportunities to interact with the artists are planned throughout the exhibit. Helena artist Carol Montgomery, Kathy Fisher of Golden, Colorado, and Joyce Watts Coolidge of Anchorage, Alaska, are also participating in the show.
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What’s With the Title for this Exhibit?
Hmm. Hum. Honey bees. Bumblebees. Carpenter bees. Solitary bees and social bees. I saw a question while researching bees: What should I do if a bee lands on me? My answer? Be thankful. ~Maureen
So how did the title, Poetic Fusion, come about? Well, I dreamed it. In the days of thinking about the encaustic theme, my dream-mind made up a poem of sorts. I woke myself up enough to scribble it in my journal and realized I had thought of a way to a describe an encaustic painting. Poetic Fusion. The poem is to be read from the bottom up, like an encaustic artist would construct her painting. Try reading it out loud. With a pause at every gap. Go ahead – try it. Remember to start at the bottom:
SUNLIGHT
_____ layer _____
beeswax
joy
carve
hands
HEAT
_____ layer _____
fragrance
love
pollinate
honeybees
BURN
_____ layer _____
depth
shining
veils
transluscent
FUSION
_____ layer _____
nectar
memories
life
dancing
LIGHT
_____ layer _____
honeycomb
bees
color
flowers
SUN
_____ layer _____
softening
tree
rooted
earth
Find Out More and Get an Invitation
If you’d like to receive a postcard invitation to our exhibition openings, please call us with your mailing address (406.431.9931) and we’ll make sure to get you on our mailing list. Or, get an email invitation by subscribing to our Love Notes here.
Artist Profiles for Poetic Fusion
Video interviews and profiles on our featured artists in POETIC FUSION can be viewed here. Click one of the artists’ photos to jump to their page and video profile!