Barbara Bouman Jay:
Encaustic is a painting process that uses pigmented beeswax and damar resin in a hot wax mixture that are applied to a rigid support. Heat is required to manipulate the wax emulsion on the support and to fuse the painted layers onto the surface.

Encaustic pieces begin by applying a layer of molten beeswax emulsion to grounds of wood panels, paper or unique monotypes, then worked directly by hand with pigment sticks and pigmented or clear encaustic mediums. An assortment of brushes and knives is used to apply the pigmented wax. Sections of paper scraps, textured materials or fabric may be added in the building up of surfaces. With every layer, the beeswax emulsion is added and heat fused to the previous layers in the exploration of personal marks, forms and surface qualities. Throughout the process the work is always changing with both additive and subtractive techniques to cover up or expose previous layers of actions and marks.

I create non-representational abstract works that combine organization and abstract mark making while building up color and form. The compositions are brought about by an intuitive process and occasional random acts that arise out of my desire to give structure and meaning to color, non-representational shapes and personal environment. My work further addresses proportion and balance with gestures that punctuate the other compositional elements, resulting in works of luscious surfaces and aesthetic arrangement.

Blue Space I	Blue Space II
Window of Time 18	Window of Time 17