“Waxing On” in Cygnet
The Huon Art Exhibitions Group are excited to present an encaustic art exhibition. This ancient, but lesser known form of wax painting is currently enjoying a revival and in September four Tasmanian encaustic artists will exhibit their distinctive works at Cygnet’s Lovett Gallery.
Encaustic art uses molten beeswax as the base medium which is combined with resin and pigments and applied to the chosen surface. Heating fuses each additional layer of wax. Fibre, paper and other materials are often included along with a range of techniques used to create interesting effects.
‘Encaustic’ is a Greek word meaning ‘to heat or burn in’ (enkaustikos). This technique has been around for centuries – it dates back to the ancient Greeks who used it to decorate their warships. Perhaps the most famous examples to survive today are the Fayum funeral portraits painted in the 1st through 3rd centuries AD by Greek painters in Egypt. A portrait of the deceased was placed over the mummy as a memorial. It is remarkable how fresh the colours have remained throughout the centuries.
Encaustic painting can create striking results but working with liquid wax can also be unpredictable. Sandra … “I usually have something in mind that I want to do, but you can only control it so far. You have to let the painting take you where it wants to go.”
Northern Tasmanian artists Evelyn Antonysen and Sandra Henderson, will join Huon Valley artists Lynne Fellowes and Sadhana Cook in presenting their artworks. Lynne or Sadhana will be at the gallery during the exhibition to explain more about encaustics and answer gallery visitors questions.
“Waxing On” exhibition will run from Friday 21st – Sunday 30th September, 10am to 4pm Fri, Sat and Sun. The artists extend a warm welcome to the public for the exhibition opening at 6 pm on Friday 21stSeptember at the Lovett Gallery Cygnet.
For more information, call Sadhana on 0428 266 770 or Lynne on 0424 675 849.
To whet your appetites, the artists have provided their artist statements and some information about Encaustic Art.