Dagmar Nickerson

In this series of work, Dagmar is using encaustics and landscape imagery. The simplicity of the open sky, grasslands, and wetlands has allowed her to create different times of the day, different light throughout the day. The darkness and light of the images asks the question “Is the storm coming? Is the storm over?”

The contrast between the light and the dark embodies, for Dagmar, the contrasting
times she lives in. The simplicity of the grasslands, wetlands, and skies can be expressed through contrasting values, and expressed with heavily colored surfaces.

Encaustic has given Dagmar the ability to layer the surface without losing the intensity of the pigment and the discovery of accidents occurring on the surface. She uses the layers to retain the color, and chooses layers that are translucent. Fusing these layers allows the flexibility to push back some of the surface or allow other areas of the surface to remain forward. This overall effect can give the painting a softening effect.
Dagmar also uses varied textures that can be used throughout the building of layers of fused wax. She can incise into these layers, add color, fuse, or leave the surface. She also adds wax by using a batik heat tool. Again, this process is repeated many times by using the blow torch.

The element of heat by using the torch, and melting the wax with different pressures of the flame, adds the element of surprise. Overall encaustic is the most forgiving of mediums.

Encaustic wax painting is a historical painting technique, where the wax is heated, and painted with. Encaustic paint is a combination of melted beeswax with damar crystals and added color pigment. The paint is solid at room temperature, but when heated and melted it can be applied to a surface. With heat tools, layers of the wax medium, oil pigments, can be added or subtracted to the surface. The painting of melted wax was recorded about 2000 years ago. Because of the ease of electronically heated pallets , hot air guns, and butane torches, crock pots, electronic wood burning tips and tools, electronic batik wax holders, and any other heated tool, encaustic painting has become relevant again.