| Artist Statement
I am interested in patterns of nature, genetics, and behavior.
That motivated by the unconscious most intrigues me.
I love color, light, line, and form.
With the medium, encaustic, (wax paint), I layer images, paints, and collage papers, painting and scraping back to experience a sense of time and place unknown, where I greet my spiritually.
I begin by freely composing with collage elements, often Japanese papers, and drawing onto the surface. I proceed with applying layers of clear heated molten beeswax mixed with damar resin, and also wax that has been pigmented. This technique dates back to the Ancient Greeks, from the term, encaustikos, “to burn in”. They used this very mixture of beeswax and tree sap to waterproof and caulk their ships. Later they added pigment to the mix and decorated their warships and statues.
Navigating these recent works has presented an excursion with no specific itinerary. I am improvising, integrating shapes and strokes, and composing, as I go. I love the traces of beginning layers that show through, mapping a sequence of time and intuition. Patterns and images emerge, sometimes unexpectedly, sometimes by intent. The images that appear are metaphorical, bridging experiences, thoughts, and feelings.
A trip to Japan in 2006, inspired a series of paintings of tea bowls, and continues to influence the aesthetics of my latest work.
Judith Williams, 2007
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