ARTIST STATEMENT
My work is primarily in encaustic- a mixture of beeswax and damar resin mixed with pigments and applied in layers. Each layer is fused with a torch, built up and then scraped back to both obscure and reveal symbols and images. Each piece involves using writing to set an intention and direction for the work. I use mostly illegible script, mark making, and asemic writing as part of an underpainting created with charcoal, graphite and encaustic medium. As I work with the layers in my pieces, I am drawn to the idea of signs and sigils, which are symbols that are thought to have magical value, a power, a spell, a way of connecting to something beyond our concrete understanding, or a prayer of intention. I use these techniques to explore themes such as communication, time, place, and our perception of the way things change, both in the short and long term.
© Kate Santucci