Blossom
Encaustic Paintings and Sculpture
Artist Statement
“If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change.” ― Buddha
Flowers vibrate with life energy, opening and unfurling their petals of delicate magnificence. For humankind, florals hold powerful symbolic and spiritual meaning. We gift bouquets to celebrate special occasions and holidays. Blossoms accompany us through every major event in life: birth, love, marriage, graduation, illness and death.
Across time, culture, history and religions, flowers symbolize renewal, tracking the cycle of birth, growth, death and regeneration. These tiny miracles appear like complex microcosms of the universe when observed under a microscope. Looking deeply into a flower also draws attention to the effects of environmental and climate change we are currently witnessing on our planet, making these gentle petals a grave call to action.
Encaustic is the perfect medium to depict the natural subject matter of flowers: a combination of molten beeswax and damar tree resin, encaustic literally imbues paintings with the pulse of living energy.
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ABOUT ENCAUSTIC
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*The word "encaustic" comes from the Greek word “enkaustikos,” meaning to "burn in". Encaustic is made from a combination of molten beeswax, tree resin and pigment, and is one of the most long-lasting art mediums. Encaustic paintings date back to the Egyptian Fayum mummy portraits (c 100-300 CE); Greeks and Romans used encaustic on sculpture and panels in the 5th-7th centuries.