What is the medium Encaustic? Artist Karen Freedman in her own words ...order & repetition
"No matter how many alternate paths my work takes I always seem to return to order and repetition. These twin elements are with me as an underlying touchstone of inspiration. In the “Reclamation” series, I take this concept of order and repetition and introduce a semblance of disarray without ever really abandoning the grid-like structure. The use of colors may seem arbitrary yet they are chosen and arranged to give structure and movement to the randomness I have imposed on the grid. I rely on the symmetry of patterns in the “Abacus” and “Repatterning” series to explore the changes color and light undergo through the use of multiple layers of translucent and opaque colors. These three series are intended to work either as independent of each other or to compliment each other. I design and use multiple stencils to create my patterns and grids. They are painted on a 12" x 12" x 1 ½" wooden substrates. This allows for the possibility of various groupings that have the potential to form yet another grid-like composition.
"I began painting with encaustic in 2005 after viewing an encaustic painting demonstration by an exhibiting artist at a Philadelphia gallery. It is a medium made of beeswax, damar resin, and pigment. Once melted, the encaustic is painted onto a rigid but porous surface, then fused or reheated to bond each layer to the previous layer. By alternating layers of translucent pigment with opaque pigment I can create a sense of depth in my paintings that I find unique to this medium. There has been much discussion among artists as to whether those of us who paint in this medium are making “encaustic paintings” or paintings that happen to use encaustic medium. For my part, I cannot separate the encaustic medium from my artwork itself. The use of encaustic enhances the effects that I can create with texture and color. I am drawn to its warmth, to its tactile quality. I love the physical demands of working with wax and I am challenged by its constraints."
Karen Freedman has exhibited nationally. Her work was included in “Encaustic Works 09” at Castle Gallery, College of New Rochelle, NY, sponsored by R&F Paints, juried by Heather Hutchinson and “On the Edge”, Second National Encaustic Painting Conference at Montserrat College of Art, Beverly, MA, and juried by Laura Moriarty. She is featured as September’s “Artist of the Month” on the R&F Paints website.
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