“TRANSITIONS”
Inaugural Opening Exhibition and Artist Reception
May 7th, 2016 From 7-10pm
Featuring Artists :
Rebecca Molayem
Michael Hayden
Kandy Lozano
Our inaugural show, entitled “Transitions” is a show about Change . A change in location, a visible transition through time, a change from trash to treasure. Our premiere exhibit features three artists exploring the concept of change in their lives and their art, all in one unique medium – Encaustic – that changes form through applied heat. Encaustic painting is an uncommon technique, dating back to Ancient Greece. This unusual method of melting beeswax with pigment gets its name from the Greek word “enkaustikos,” meaning “to heat or to burn.”
Rebecca Molayem, Painter, Sculptor and Gallery Owner, is shifting direction after her relocation , and begins a new series of Encaustic portraits. Still maintaining her unique and whimsical style, the addition of hot wax to the paintings gives a new feeling of softness and approachability to her already expressive paintings. In her new expansive gallery/studio she creates a new body of work that is both captivating and seductive.
Michael Hayden is a master at Encaustic Mixed Media work. Michael incorporates found objects into his work, turning such diverse items as discarded metal, beach glass, weathered wood or antique hinges into fascinating sculptural wall pieces that inspire the viewer to find an emotional connection to the piece. The recycled items give the piece its soul, while adding high-gloss resin to some pieces makes the wax durable, and highlights his fine sense of color blending. His work has been featured multiple times on HGTV Celebrity Homes and “Selling LA.“
Kandy Lozano is another artist whose encaustic works go through many transitions before they are complete. The geometry of architecture and the slow force of nature are her two main inspirations, but the medium itself allows for so much structural nuance. Her technique of applying many layers of color and then scraping away portions of what she has just applied gives the painting a kind of history while still in it’s formation.