angela saxon
i begin all my paintings direct from the landscape, focusing on
expressive movements in nature. i continue to develop the
paintings in my studio until the work appears “finished,” and then
i return to what drew me to the scene in the first place, searching
for aspects of the painting that are most compelling to me.
by dividing the paintings into separate panels i’m emphasizing
the most compelling aspects. i believe that the division process
slows the eye down, making it easier to stay within the painting,
to let one’s vision move through the painting and recognize smaller
details and relationships that are what nature makes so compelling.
this year i have begun to work in encaustic; a mixture of beeswax,
damar and pigment. in this process, the encaustic paint is kept in a
liquid state on a heated palette. each successive layer must be
gently heated so it can fuse with the previous layer of wax. some
layers are more transparent while others melt completely into the
previous, keeping the work fresh and exciting for me and, hopefully,
the viewer as well.
