Fantastical Blues

This solo exhibition, at Studio 99, Buenaventura Art Association, Ventura, California, from September 6 to October 26, 2024. Paulsen explores the molten medium of encaustic, reflected in the seascapes and landscapes of Southern California and other travels. She focuses on the horizon line to separate the sky from the water. Elements of the land, such as rocky protrusions, are carved in as compositional elements. Layers of the encaustic medium are fused together with a torch, allowing the colors to mix and marble on the panels, creating fantastical effects. The colors are luminescent and sensual as the surface is transformed by layers being added and subtracted to reveal the patterns of nature. Making encaustic paintings forces Paulsen to live in the moment. The medium requires her full attention. It is an alchemical and magical process that is not always predictable.

Secret Places - Hideaway, Encaustic, Shellac, and Pigment Stick on Cradled Panel, 16" x 20"

Scorpion Bay, Encaustic, Shellac, and Pigment Stick on Cradled Panel, 16" x 12"

Santa Cruz Island, Encaustic, Shellac, and Pigment Stick on Cradled Panel, 12" x 16"

View from Santa Cruz Island Encaustic, Shellac, and Pigment Stick on Cradled Panel, 12" x 16"
(Private Collection)

Night Visions, Encaustic, Shellac, and Pigment Stick on Cradled Panel, 4" x 4" (Private Collection)

Walking on the Moon, Encaustic, Shellac, and Pigment Stick on Cradled Panel, 4" x 4" (Private Collection)

Of the Sky and Sea, Encaustic, Shellac, and Pigment Stick on Cradled Panel, 4" x 4" (Private Collection)

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