Paula McCormick
Lander, WY
Paula McCormick paints in encaustic wax mixed media to explore its expressiveness.
MessageLander Wyoming resident Paula McCormick earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in 1978 from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. With a concentration in graphic design, McCormick put her training into practice for 44 years through her career in advertising and marketing. Most recently, Paula states, “I ‘graduated’ from my professional marketing career by retiring from my own marketing agency and have returned to my original fine arts roots.” Encaustic wax (beeswax) painting and mixed media is Paula’s chosen medium.
McCormick had dabbled in pastels for years, but when Lander’s Magpie Coffee House burned down decades ago, all her pastel artwork, supplies and inspiration burned with it. Trying to start over, she took an encaustic wax workshop for fun. She was hooked on the expressiveness of painting with wax and has been exploring encaustic wax mixed media since then. In 2021 she committed to launching an artistic venture by starting McCormick ArtWorks.
Paula McCormick’s art studio is located above the Alchemy Artists Cooperative in The Studios on the 2nd floor, at 115 North 2nd Street, Suite A, Lander WY. You can contact her at 307-851-1126 for an appointment or to discuss available artworks, or view work at artworkarchive.com/profile/paula-mccormick
Statement
Medium: Encaustic Wax (beeswax) Painting & Mixed Media
What inspires my art and fills my soul is being in nature; seeing how the natural world is mysterious, ever-changing and vibrant. Trying to capture nature in art is challenging but rewarding because I must look deeper at what nature offers to show me. Encaustic Wax Painting is adaptable, spontaneous and freeing…. just like nature. And the effects of melted wax can rarely be replicated a second time. Encaustic artwork can be 2 or 3-dimensional; it can be flat and painterly; it can be stuffed full of found objects; it can have multiple collaged layers and textures. Beeswax functions as the glue to hold everything together as the layers build and reveal stories underneath.
What is Encaustic Painting?
Encaustic painting is an ancient art form using melted beeswax dating back to early Greek civilization. It was used to paint portraits of the deceased on Egyptian mummy sarcophagus, in sculpture, and to seal and adorn ships. Also known as hot wax painting, artists combine the heated beeswax with natural pine resin for hardening and pigments for color. Because of its ability to create depth, multiple collage materials can be added for complex layering. Although difficult to master, contemporary artists are attracted to encaustic painting for its dimensional quality and luminous color. Multiple layers of wax are applied to a hard surface and fused by flame, creating a thick, rich surface. Textures, collage and mark-making are added as the wax layers build, giving the artwork depth and luminosity.
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