This solo exhibition, presented by the Buenaventura Art Association, took place at Studio 99 in 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. 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.
Paulsen explores the molten medium of encaustic, reflected in the seascapes and landscapes of Southern California. 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.
Although they are based on land and seascapes, the methods used with encaustic paint create spaces, colors, and textures that are luminescent and sensual as the paint is transformed from a solid to a molten state, layers are added and subtracted, and patterns are revealed.
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, Encasutic, Shellac, and Pigment Stick on Cradled Panel, 16" x 20"
