Delaware County Daily Times , May 12, 2005

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Artists wax poetic about ‘encaustics’
BUZZ MILLER, Special to The Times
05/12/2005

NETHER PROVIDENCE -- Some of the country’s most prominent "encaustic" artists -- who use hot wax to give their art a unique shape -- will gather at the Community Arts Center in Wallingford on Sunday, for a day-long conference that will serve as the formal start of a national exhibit.

The public is invited to join artists from California to Maine in what is billed as the first national conference of encaustic arts.

Encaustics is the combining of hot wax with pigments to simultaneously paint and sculpt a surface. As a technique that can be applied to just about any medium, it has been used to create unique multi-dimensional effects in art since the time of the ancient Greeks, Egyptians and Romans. Encaustics has enjoyed a resurgence as a result of its use by more modern artists such as Jasper Johns and Diego Rivera.

The exhibition, titled "Oil and Wax: Chapter & Verse," opened on May 9 and runs through June 18. An opening reception will follow the May 15 conference. After the exhibition leaves the Community Arts Center, it will travel to other sites from Maine to California. The exhibit will be at Philadelphia’s Ciano Gallery in Old City during July and August.

Alan Soffer, a Wallingford-based encaustic artist who is serving as curator, first conceived the idea of an exhibition/conference about two years ago and led its planning. He envisioned an event that would demonstrate the processes, techniques and results of using encaustics.

"The exhibition is meant to be as much an educational experience as a visual experience," writes Soffer in his Curator’s Statement. He and the other contributing artists are emphasizing the educational nature of their exhibition through the conference, which includes demonstrations and a panel discussion.

"The encaustic look is very special," he said. "It is luminous, highly textured, and translucent. It provides depth to paintings."

Soffer incorporates encaustics into his abstract works, which he exhibits nationally.

The conference will begin at 10 a.m. After introductory remarks by Soffer, there will be a panel discussion moderated by Richard Rosenfeld, owner of Philadelphia’s Rosenfeld Gallery. The panelists will explore the many ways encaustics can be used while inviting audience questions and discussion.

A lecture on safety and health, a unique topic not normally included in art conferences, will follow the panel discussion. Sandi Miot, director of the Novato Arts Center in Mill Valley, Calif., will present the safety issues encountered by artists in handling hot waxes.

Following lunch, there will be a series of demonstrations. The first one will focus on the basics of encaustics for beginners and advanced artists. The presenter will be Michelle Marcuse, a South African-born Philadelphia artist who focuses on teaching encaustic techniques.

The second demonstration will be the relatively unique technique of silk-screen printing using encaustics, presented by Jeff Schaller, the Downingtown artist whose works have been featured on the television show "Friends."

The third demonstration will feature Avondale artist Jacqui Cornette’s techniques for painting with oil and wax. Cornette is a former student of Soffer’s. Her demonstration will focus on how to use hot wax with oil painting.

The fourth demonstration will concentrate on the use of hot wax with sculpture.

The fifth and sixth demonstrations will focus on the materials used in encaustics.

The sixth demonstration will focus on the materials themselves and will be presented by two suppliers, Enkaustikos, an art supplier, and Candlewic, supplier of candle-making products.

The conference will end with a reception, which serves as the opening of the exhibition.

Soffer anticipates that the exhibit will include about 60 pieces that represent the wide diversity of encaustic art. The exhibit includes artists who employ encaustics in painting, sculpture, fabrics and photography.

Encaustic art is one of the oldest art forms, dating to the time of the ancient Egyptians for use in their elaborate burial tombs, whichhave survived for centuries.

An encaustic art surface is very durable because beeswax, the basic ingredient, is impervious to moisture and most environmental changes.

Despite its durability, encaustic art lost favor during the Renaissance due to what was thought to be cumbersome requirements, considering the technology of the time. Modern advances have made using encaustics a lot easier.