Opening Reception: Thursday, June 1, 5 – 8pm
Waxing Rhapsodic is a celebration of wax as a medium and the versatility of encaustic painting. Each of the three artists in the exhibition has developed a method of working with wax that results in a style entirely her own. In different ways, they have all pushed this ancient technique into the contemporary realm. Pigment suspended in wax-based mediums lends itself to the creation of lush surfaces and luminous layers. Each approach will give viewers a glimpse into the boundless realm of possibilities that these artists have explored.
When Judith Kohin is in her Telluride studio preparing to start a new piece, she has no expectations. She stands in front of a blank, white canvas, cloth, or sheet of paper, without a specific idea of color, shape, or finished image, and lets the imagery unfold spontaneously. Her work is directly related to the natural world, and through her paintings, she aims to convey the exuberance and vitality that she feels when engrossed in nature. She also enjoys the challenge and excitement of juxtaposing colors in her work. The surprise and mystery of color as it unfolds through the process is not always predictable and often very thrilling.
Shawna Moore is an artist from Whitefish, MT, who considers the nature of mind, the experience of being alive, and the patterns of movement around us as insight into reality. The spin of the globe, the movement of the stars, and the changing of the seasons helps us bear witness to the nature of change. Not doing and slowing down is important, and perhaps not doing or non-movement is of equal value. These paintings are about nature, stillness, and movement.
Amy Van Winkle is a self-taught artist who splits her time between Telluride and Santa Fe, NM, and as such is inspired by the mountains, sunsets, and blue skies of both places. Although she creates quite spontaneously, there’s always a hint of structure and control to her paintings. Space, time, and transition are common themes in her work. Her paintings are a dialog of layers, with both transparent and opaque details, and they act as a visual representation of her own journey and explorations.
