I paint
using an oil-in-wax medium, a variation of "encaustic"
(the name comes from
the act of
heating
the entire finished painting just hot
enough to meld it into an impermeable sheet of wax.)
Beeswax, next to blood,
may be the
oldest painting medium known to man, and it is one of the most
permanent.
Ancient wax paintings found in Egyptian
tombs appear as fresh
as the day they were painted.
While such permanence is important to artists
I like wax because it lets light right inside
the
paint itself.
Each particle of
pigment is suspended in
translucence which gives the paintings a luminous
quality. The rich
textural effects combined with the clear
colour creates a delight
for the eye.
I sketch using either oils or watercolours - and some of my
happiest paintings
have come from the simplest pencil
scribble. I
try to find the main movement and pattern, always keeping in mind the
feel
of
the light. I don't concentrate too much on the
details, letting the brush suggest it to the viewer, colour and light
are the
critical elements I work at getting right. Although I work mostly with
oils, I also do charcoal
portraits and serigraphs.
Copyright
© 2004
Robert
Hemphill
P.O. Box
2477, Port Hardy, B.C.
Canada, V0N 2P0
