WINTER WAXING

Kathryn Bevier paints with wax. The process is called encaustic and usually is done by melting beeswax, adding dry pigments to form a “paste” which can then be poured or “iced” over wood - sometimes, canvas - using various tools (i.e. palette knives.)  The process dates from about 1 Century B.C. and was found in Roman excavations and Egytian tombs.

These days, what with heat lamps and all, the waxy colorant can be kept vicuous and therefore, worked longer.  Also, because as it hardens, it develops volumn, it can be used almost as something between paint and sculpture - a depth not unlike tooth paste.

Why go through all this? I’m not a painter but I can guess that 1) it’s the challenge of conquering an ancient art form and 2) the surface is different from straight on paint.  Does that make it better? No…but different. And clearly, 3) the images last centuries, perhaps longer than paint mixed with more contemporary mediums (i.e. linseed oil.)

Kathryn Bevier, encaustic 

Kathryn’s paintings are installed in the second floor downtown Legacy Building,  formerly the Bausch & Lomb World Headquarters. 

(An interesting side-barr story:  Rochester tax payers invested truck loads of money to build that building during the late 1990’s to “keep the world headquarters in our city” but B&L was sold lock, stock and headquarters to … somebody… a few years ago. We tax payers got no repayment when the sale went through. I guess gambling millions on a world headquarters is risky business.)

So bottom line: go see Kathryn’s exhibit and look at encaustic painting.  She also gives classes. But go during business hours Monday through Friday. The building is locked up during the week end. (The trade off for tax $$$ investment was a “winter garden,” to be open all the time for all Rochester.  I guess that part of the contract didn’t make it into the headquarters’ sale either. The fine print….leaves taxpayers holding oh, so many empty bags.)

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Winter finally arrived here in Upstate New York. For gardeners (or dreamers!), now is when we  fantasize SPRING ACTIVITY!  I found two images that I will request from my chief gardener (that would be my husband, Chip.) We already have the stock tank/ bird bath/pond but it doesn’t look as neat as the one in this picture. The secret: the owners replant every year.

We already have trees planted in a “faux orchard” but I like that this one is scoured of any other plant life.  Obviously, the large stone sculpture is gorgeous! I’m not sure we can pull that one off but  I’m planning a way to wood chip the orchard island (Chip calls this my “scorched earth ”  landscape style.)  I’ll post pictures mid-summer.

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A tiny plug for the Rochester Civic Garden Center:  Tom (Keenan), alias The Backroads Traveler, is presenting a photographic tour of the Wall/Therapy mural project on Thursday, March 24, 7 - 8:30 (5 Castle Park).

Many of you know that I truly dislike the mural project and have little good to say about it EXCEPT Tom LOVES the mural project and he’s an  interesting person, an animated speaker and a really good photographer.  I’m sure the hour will be fun and funny and well spent.