Encaustic Artist Dolores King

BY DIANE MERCADO; PHOTOS BY SARAH SHIPES

Dolores King (formerly Dolores Lowery) always found inspiration in nature, eventually discovering her niche as an artist in encaustic painting.

Through encaustic painting, the ancient art of painting with molten beeswax, tree resin, pigments, and other natural elements, the artist works mainly with torches, heat guns, and irons. King transforms these natural materials into her interpretation of nature creating what can only be described as “abstract wonders.”

Encaustic painting dates back more than 2,000-years to ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome. Although still somewhat an obscure art form, encaustic medium has seen a slow resurgence over the past two centuries, coinciding with the invention of electric heating implements King said.

Though she had always dreamed of becoming an artist, it wasn’t until 2005 that King started painting on a regular basis. She had always dabbled in art and photography as hobbies. An art workshop sparked something inside she said.

“I became obsessed with my art and made it a goal to become a fulltime artist,” she says.

Her life took on new meaning in 2011 when she lost her brother to cancer at age 52.

“He had just realized his dream as a fine woodworker,” King said. “With that loss, I decided life was too short not to dedicate it to what makes me happy.”

A year later her father passed away. “Losing my father a year later just confirmed this was the right course for the rest of my life.”

During one of her last visits with her father in Seattle, King saw her first photo-encaustic piece, a photograph that was coated with wax and enhanced with oil paint and other media. She became enthralled with the process.

Once home, she became increasingly obsessed with learning everything she could about working with encaustics. King sought teachers locally but there were none to be found within driving distance of home. That led her to the internet where she found many online tutorials, books, books, and more books on the subject. She purchased the necessary supplies and began experimenting, teaching herself through trial and error.

“I instinctively knew this was what I needed to be doing.”

Originally King ventured into creating with the photo-encaustic process but was more intrigued by combining her love of painting to create her own vision. Since then her art has evolved into pure encaustic paintings.

When complete, each finished painting has 30-60 layers of wax fused onto a wood panel. Her primary tools include torches, a heat gun, or an iron . Each layer of a piece becomes fused with the layer below, creating an ethereal depth, in essence becoming one integrated surface.

“I have always been the type of person who, if I don’t know how to do something, I’ll figure it out . I don’t fear failure; I look at it as a learning experience. I love it when mistakes become methods,” she explained.

Her determination to succeed becomes even more evident when entering King’s studio . She started with an empty room. Soon she built shelves and workbenches, installed a sink and bathroom, and brought in odd pieces of repurposed furniture to store supplies or provide working surfaces. The only thing she didn’t do herself was wire the building.

King even installed an old oven so she could heat the wood before applying wax, which she said helps with the fluidity of the medium. Once all the work and storage areas were in place King filled the space with her favorite bits of broken glass, natural stones, seashells, sculptures, chunks of driftwood, and other odds and ends she had collected over the years.

There are always several paintings in various stages of completion scattered about the studio. She also has a large supply of wood and metals for building frames . Most recently she has been creating triptychs, a series of three panels joined together using copper or metal strips.

“I’ve found that I really enjoy working with metals,” she said.

Her daily sojourn in the studio is always accompanied by “good” music and one or more of her rescued dogs or cats.

No matter what time of the year, the doors at either end of the building and windows on either side are left open, constantly circulating the air. On its own, beeswax is a natural, safe substance but, because the wax has to be heated to be applied and fused, toxic fumes can be released. To ensure extra safety she usually wears a respirator when working.

“Encaustic is a beautiful, fluid, and challenging medium and there are many safety issues that come with its use  My paintings are imaginative but rooted in the beauty and fragility of our natural world. Every layer can be scratched and stained or gently heated to create a smooth translucent surface.”

“The medium is so fluid it takes on a life of its own,” she adds.

“As the colors are heated they dance and swirl, sometimes combining, sometimes separating into unpredictable lines and organic shapes. By adding shellac, ink, mica, and other media, I hope to have a painting that is bold yet ethereal, sparking the viewers’ imagination.” Added inspiration comes from photos King has taken during frequent walks on the beach or in the woods . Before printing, she scans the photos into her computer and manipulates them into something abstract. The photos often serve as reference points.

Throughout her adult life, whether working in marketing or owning a gallery in Mexico Beach, King, 58, has worked with many different people and personalities.

Aside from painting, she has ventured into teaching art to children with special needs through the Very Special Arts (VSA). The program, which provides classes about six to eight weeks each year, is administered through the Florida Department of Education.

King raised a son with special needs and brings years of expertise to the VSA classes she teaches in Gulf and Franklin County elementary schools.

“It’s all about the process of creating art, not the end product. It’s about getting kids to participate and providing challenges that they can succeed at” she explains.

Whether teaching or creating art, King continues to grow as an artist and as a person. In the past two-years, her hard work and dedication has earned her some renown in the region. Several of her pieces have won awards and have been featured in juried fine art shows.
In the meantime, her fan base and patron list continues to expand.

Aside from her web site: www .seagrassart. com, King’s encaustic paintings will be featured in solo exhibits: April 30 through June 14 at bin 4eleven in Port St. Joe and “Dancing Color” is scheduled for this fall at Blue Giraffe Gallery in WaterColor, Florida. Ongoing exhibition venues include Blue Giraffe on 30A in WaterColor, Floriopolis in St. Andrews, Bowery Art Gallery in Apalachicola and Oilo Gallery in Marianna.

Contact: dolores@seagrassart.com; seagrassart.com

 

[author image=”https://www.panamacityliving.com/media/2014/07/Diane-Mercado.jpg” ]Diane Mercado Mouskourie worked as a technical illustrator and graphic designer for 15 years before earning a bachelor’s degree in mass communication from the University of South Florida. Before retiring and returning to Panama City in 2011, Diane spent more than 20 years working as a journalist and copy editor for daily newspapers in several places across the U.S. Through the course of her career she has interviewed people from all walks of life and written many personality profiles. Diane spends most of her time writing for various publications including Panama City Living magazine and enjoys painting, drawing and gardening.[/author]