March 2009
"Wax, Flax, & Other Things"
An Exhibition of Encaustic Art by Lynn Whitford

Encaustic Art is a method of producing a picture from coloured waxes melted onto the base of an iron then spread onto a sealed card, finally adding some finer touches with a smaller heated implement.

This is one of the world's most ancient painting mediums dating back some 2,500 years to Greco-Roman Egypt, where coloured wax was burnt into absorbent materials such as plaster, canvas and wood.

Having become virtually a lost art form by the end of the 12th century, encaustic art saw a revival in the 20th century with the advent of easy methods of heating the wax, such as the electric iron.

Lynn has been working with encaustic art now for some 8 years since discovering it while living in England. While many of her early works had a distinct UK influence, her more recent works have started to develop a strong New Zealand feel, especially those featuring New Zealand flax, cabbage trees and pohutukawa, but also her larger landscape works and beach scenes.

Be sure to call in to see Lynn's display at Fibre Spectrum, otherwise click here to visit her website.