Encaustic painting popular medium in the Roaring Fork Valley
This encaustic painting, "Change 2009," from Anderson Ranch artist Katalin Domoszlay is among those on display in "None of Your Beeswax!", on exhibit through Jan. 26 at Colorado Mountain College's Glenwood Springs Gallery at 9th and Grand. An opening reception will be held Dec. 10, from 6 to 8 p.m.
By Mike McKibbin
GLENWOOD SPRINGS – Beeswax probably isn’t something most people think of when it comes to artistic creations.
But that’s just what you’ll see in “None of Your Beeswax!”, the current exhibition at Colorado Mountain College’s Glenwood Springs Gallery, 9th Street and Grand Avenue. An opening reception is set for Thursday, Dec. 10, from 6 to 8 p.m. The exhibit runs through Jan. 26.
In “None of Your Beeswax!”, five artists from the Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Snowmass Village display some of their most interesting encaustic creations.
Encaustic painting, also known as hot wax painting, involves the use of heated beeswax with colored pigments. The liquid/paste is applied to a surface, such as prepared wood, canvas or other materials.
Participating artists are Sarabeth Berk, K. Rhynus Cesark, Katalin Domoszlay, Emily Fannon and Jason Schneider.
Domoszlay, in her artist’s statement, recalled a visit to her native home of Budapest, Hungary, as the inspiration for her exhibit paintings.
“Every morning as I did my swim in the foggy cold air of December, all my emotional experiences merged into the water, becoming reflections of light and shadows where time disappeared,” she wrote. “I love the birds. They always seem to fly over regardless what might be happening below in our close-up lives. … I hope to invite the viewer into that place inside where time collapses and everything relaxes.”
Berk taught art at the Island School in the Bahamas, then joined Anderson Ranch as the children’s program and outreach coordinator. She said the use of encaustic painting is a new direction in her art making.
“I chose to work with encaustic because it lends itself to mixed-media techniques, which are a staple of my artistic practice,” Berk wrote in her statement. “The layering effects, changes in opacity and ability to embed papers add subtle qualities that cannot be achieved through other mediums. Overall, my artwork incorporates rich textures, a range of media and child-like qualities that reflect my process of responding to the moment and discovering the outcome.”
Fannon lives and works in Snowmass Village, and received her Bachelor of Arts degree in fine art from St. Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Ind. She explores reflection and environment through video, animation and photography.
Exhibit curator Elizabeth Ferrill said the beeswax “blurs the image and manipulates it.” She explained that all five artists take a different approach to the medium.
“One is a woodworker who also works with cardboard, so you get things that are very dimensional,” she said. “Another one teaches in encaustic and her use of the medium is really unique.”
Ferrill, Anderson Ranch’s studio coordinator, said having artists from the upper Roaring Fork Valley display their work at the CMC Gallery would bring their talents to a broader audience.
“It’s always nice to branch out and go somewhere new,” she said. “The ranch is kind of tucked away up here and you usually get people from Aspen to go to Aspen shows, so this will bring their talents to a new audience.”
Gallery hours are Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. or by appointment. For more information, call the CMC Center for Excellence in the Arts at 947-8367.
