Barbara Weiss
I paint in encaustic and oil & cold wax mediums, on prepared cradled panels or, in the case of oil & cold wax, sometimes on paper. Although I don't have a "plan" when I begin to work I always have a specific concept -- often aligned with various series I'm exploring -- or, simply a feeling, emotion, or sometimes a sound I want to express visually.
I begin with a large abstract gesture or by drawing a shape, followed by the first layers of color. As I build layers of wax or oil and cold wax shapes emerge that inspire me to incise lines and textures using dental and ceramic tools, or the round end of a paint brush, the sharp teeth of a metal comb, etc. Slowly the painting begins to reveal its story. I often create visual texture using handmade stencils, and powdered pigments I brush over found objects from the built world, e.g. chicken wire, transfers from paper to panel, pressing shapes from the natural world, such as nutshells, bark, rough stone, etc.
Always there's a moment when it's clear that it's time to move from an additive process to a subtractive one. This is where the real depth of a piece begins to emerge. My subtractive processes include scraping away wax, applying various solvents to reveal earlier layers, and using wire brushes, steel wool, sandpaper, and cooking oil to allow earlier elements of the painting to interact with the surface.
Once the painting is nearing completion, I'll bring it into the house to sit with it over several days. I also hold it up to a mirror for a different perspective which helps me see which areas of the painting might be "off." The finishing steps include deciding whether to paint the edges of the panel or not, and cleaning up the rough edges of encaustic wax to ensure they are sealed. After that comes, the truly hard work of naming, archiving, packaging, and selling.
Address: 1615 Southeast 20th Avenue Portland OR 97214
Encaustic|Mixed Media|Painting
Community: Inner SE Portland
Studio Number: 56
Email: barbaraw@hevanet.com
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