Having grown up in Coney Island, I always knew that life could be fun. And then came painting, the great adventure of my life. Through painting with oil paint and acrylic, through painting figures and landscapes, my painting has always been there.
And then, one day, some wax crossed my path, and the Ancient Art of Encaustic entered my life. At that time little was known about this 2,000-year-old medium, so I had to find my own path. Somehow, I fell in love with the brilliance, with the fluidity, with all that can be done with it. With the speed with which things can be done as well. How quickly things dry.
Then, after a while, I started pouring on paper, and it was fun, it was exciting, and the paintings were very well received. This show goes one step further, to pouring on panels. It has been exciting getting ready for it. There is an unpredictability about it that intrigues me. Each time you put a color down, pour a color down, you have something in your mind, and each time it is a little bit different from what you expected, and you have to react to that. Each time you do that you come closer to what it will be. You are working with the painting, the idea of what it will be. And to telling your story. The painting is telling its story. The artist and painting tell their story together.
- Ellen Koment
