Currently my work has been focused mainly around material exploration. This spring semester has started with my continuation in encaustic exploration; the exploration that started at the end of the fall semester and continued on into our winter session. Recently, I have been completing 8×10 inch pieces that involve the incorporation of pan pastels, oil paints, and actually painting with pigmented encaustic. So far, my exploration has resulted in favoring layering Pan Pastels. I want to proceed in this direction with placing a second layer with another image. One image will be a photo transfer and the other will be with the application of more pan pastels. I might also attempt creating transparent layers of encaustic paint over the Pan Pastel. My plan that I worked out over winter might need to be a little altered. The details that will be required for the application of images takes me roughly four hours for one layer with Pan Pastels (not including the second layer that will involve an image transfer or painting). With that said, the numbers of completed final pieces might be hard to accomplish. I am hoping to finish up with material exploration by the 13th of February. Once I complete that, and figure out the method I will be using, I want to collect material images around Rochester.
The images that I will be collecting will pertain to my conceptual focus. I am looking at visual culture within the city of Rochester. The images that I will be utilizing will include two images. Those two images will have some sort of juxtaposition that will in turn hopefully question conceived perceptions the imagery evokes.
Once I have decided on the images that will be used, I still have the intention of removing areas of the encaustic wax to highlight the image below. I will also block out areas on the top layer with cross hatching of layers of colored wax over the encaustic paint. This is intended as a form of beautification to direct the viewers’ eye to areas I perceive to be important to the conceptual theme. This is the more immediate form of encaustic exploration that will take place in the next few weeks.