Lake Country artist Angela Hansen’s new abstract series, Bloom, is the culmination of 10 years of pondering, self reflection and inspiration.
The show, opening in Ex Nihilo Vineyards’ small tasting room, Creatio Gallery, Sunday, features Hansen’s encaustic painting, also known as hot wax painting, a medium the artist describes as mysterious, seductive and luminous.
“Encaustic paint’s warmth, depth, richness of colour and transitory personalities has drawn me into its spell. My work is a reflection of explorations with this intriguing medium and the bonus is it also smells good,” said Hansen, an Emily Carr graduate and a B.C. native.
Hansen is currently an art instructor and the head of the fine arts department at George Elliot Secondary School. She has been a teacher in the Central Okanagan school district for the past 11 years.
“I believe being able to think and solve problems creatively is an important life-long skill for young people to have. It is that skill I hope they learn in my classroom,” she said.
The works in Bloom, really capture this philosophy of growth, the potential and truth in transparency, added Hansen.
“The Sanguinea Melancholia paintings are my favourite because they represent a very emotional time in my life this past year of the extensions and growth,” she said. “There is a push-pull action going on in the works that I feel many people can relate to in their own lives, and while there may have been discomfort during that time, I recognize now that my current awareness of life’s experiences could not have been achieved without that journey.”
Hansen also attributes her greater appreciation of encaustic and abstract form after the birth of her son in 2008. As a mother she can see/relate to the layers of encaustic and painting to the growth of a new human being. The tools for her works include a small (crème brulee) torch, an old pancake griddle, a heat gun, a small iron, a crock pot and then assorted dental tools and brushes and her results are beautiful and ethereal.
The opening for Bloom is Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m. Hansen will be in attendance, along with a few fellow Creatio Gallery artists including Julia Trops and Angela Bonten.
Regular hours for viewing the artworks is from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. seven days a week. Ex Nihilo Vineyards is located at 1525 Camp Rd. in Lake Country. Call 250-766-5522 or visit exnihilovineyards.com for info.
