Spotlight: Catherine Keebler

Our profiled artist this month is FUSEDChicago member Catherine Keebler:

How long have you been using encaustic as a medium to express your creativity?

Encaustic monotype has been one of my primary means of creating images since 1992.

What was your path to encaustic?

Upon graduation from the School of the Art Institute in Chicago, I received a notice of an encaustic workshop offered by Paula Roland at the Santa Fe Art Institute. To visit Santa Fe and at the same time attend an art-oriented workshop seemed to me to be a dream “vacation.” An article entitled “The Whole Ball of Wax” written in 1986 by Ann Huffman in Inksmith Artist News first introduced me to encaustic terminology and to the Fayum portraits in Egypt.  A follow-up second article illustrated how the author made encaustic monotypes in her kitchen.

Note: I will attend the Encaustic Conference in Provincetown for the first time and Paula Roland has suggested I seek out Ann Huffman who will also be there.

What about encaustic that intrigues and excites you?

Paula Roland’s encaustic monotype workshop opened up a new way of working for me.  The technique produced immediate results, the colors (handmade by Paula) were delectable, the monotypes dried instantly when removed from the heat and the clean up was quick and easy, and a new image could be developed almost immediately. For me it was a wonderful experience and to this day is still enjoyable.

Full image. Close up shown at top of article.

How would you describe your current work in a few sentences?

Experimentation is often at the heart of what I do: this may derive from my past career as a cytotechnologist and research worker. Currently I am working with a translucent fabric-like material called Hollytex. Space is created within the frame by placing the Hollytex fabric image, infused with pigmented wax, over an initial encaustic monotype image. The fabric is placed between two pieces of museum glass to prevent it from folding or crumpling. The Hollytex image is separated by about an inch from the image behind it creating a three dimensional appearance. A completed work is on display at the Newberry Library until June 24, 2011.

From where do you draw your inspiration?

My work has been influenced by my previous career in a cytopathology laboratory, my around-the-world travels and my childhood memories.  It is of interest to me to try to capture single, fragmentary events. It is my feeling that one rarely is able to comprehend the totality of any one single event as it occurs but with the passage of time one’s memory may become more selective or, occasionally, more clear.

Visit Catherine’s website to see more of her work.