JOANNA
GOULD
encaustic
BIOGRAPHY
Joanna Gould is an American painter working in the ancient wax encaustic technique. Fusing oil pigments and found objects with layers of translucent beeswax and damar resin, she creates works of art which have been described as dreamlike and mystical with a purest light. Highly influenced by place, her paintings are lyrically obtuse. Light and dark dance with seasonal hues and shapes suggesting nature in its most modest form.
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Encaustic literally means: burning in, and any true encaustic painting involves heated wax and a process of fusing the layers. The pigment is suspended in the wax medium, and heat acts as the invisible solvent, much as turpentine acts as an evaporating solvent with oil paints. Once the wax is molten, the colors are mixed on a hot palette and when applied to the substrate are fused with heat to bind and set.
Exploring, experimenting and playing in wax is where Joanna finds true happiness. The influences around her everyday life is what she paints. Genre in landscape, is much more than pretty trees, it is a representation of the human spirt merging with earthly environments. A transcendental picture.
EXHIBITIONS
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01.2024 Luca Studio & Gallery, Invited Artist, Fort Mill, SC
03.2022 White Tulip Gourmet, Invited Artist, Mineral Springs NC
07.2021 White Tulip Gourmet, Invited Artist, Mineral Springs NC
05.2020 Marianne Oberg Foundation for Spiritual Art 2020 Spiritual Artist Grant, Invited Artist, Charlotte, NC
11.2018 Art Party 3rd Annual Juried Exhibition, Rock Hill, SC
08.2018 Spartanburg County Public Libraries’ 6th Annual Juried Exhibition, Headquarters Library, Spartanburg, SC
06.2018 South Carolina Festival of Flowers Juried Art Show, Arts Center of Greenwood, SC
05.2018 Art Space @ Overhead Station, Rock Hill, SC
10.2017 National Juried Exhibition; Wax Poetic, FABulon Center for Art and Education, Charleston, SC
08.2017 Taste of Tidewater 10”x10” Art Exhibition, University of Maine Gardens at Tidewater Farm, Falmouth, ME
05.2017 Once Upon a Time in Maine, The Brick Store Museum, Kennebunk, ME
03.2017 National Juried Exhibition; Freedom of Expression, Cape Cod Museum of Art, Dennis, MA
03.2017 Solo Show; Ethel M. Weymouth Art Gallery, Wells Public Library, Wells, ME
02.2017 Solo Show; Perceptions in Wax, Speers Gallery, Kennebunk Free Library, Kennebunk, ME
01.2017 Nasty Women | Art Exhibition; The Knockdown Center, Maspeth, Queens, NYC
01.2017 Nasty Women Exhibition- AVL; Clayspace Co-Op- Asheville, NC
01.2017 Solo Show; Rochester Public Library, Rochester, NH
12.2016 POP!, Biddeford, ME
11.2016 Pecha Kucha Kennebunkport, The Atlantic Hall, Cape Porpoise, ME
11.2016 Fall Ceilidh & Silent Auction, York County Community Action Corp, Nonantum Resort, Kennebunkport, ME
10.2016 Juried Show: Diversity, awarded BEST IN SHOW, Sanford/Springvale Art Association, Sanford, ME
10.2016 Duo Father/Daughter Show, The Apple and Her Tree, Richmond Memorial Library, Batavia, NY
08.2016 Taste of Tidewater 10”x10” Art Exhibition, University of Maine Gardens at Tidewater Farm, Falmouth, ME
05.2016 Little Pond Gallery, Orr’s Island, ME
03.2016 Baby Jasmine’s Angel Nursery, Adventist Bolingbrook Hospital, Bolingbrook, IL
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EDUCATION
06.2010 The Arnold Arboretum Landscape Institute at Harvard University, Landscape Architecture
05.1999 The Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University, BFA Graphic Design
click image to view painting in full
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CONTACT
CARE
What is it?
Encaustic is a beeswax based paint that consists of beeswax, resin, and pigment. It is kept molten on a heated palette, applied to a surface and reheated to fuse the paint into a uniform enamel-like finish.
Encaustic paintings are extremely durable due to the fact that beeswax is impervious to moisture. Because of this it will not deteriorate, it will not yellow, and it will not darken. Examples of encaustic paintings have survived from the Greek and Roman empires and are still as vibrant and colorful today as they were when they were painted.
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Proper Care of Encaustic Paintings
After completion of an encaustic painting there is a curing process of a few months. During this time moisture will work its way to the surface and cause a slight haze. If your painting looks dull, or gets dirty it can be wiped clean with water and buffed (gently, firmly but not overly vigorously) to a high gloss using a soft lint-free cloth such as cotton. This sheen dulls over time and can be brought back by repeating the process.
Encaustic paintings do not have to be varnished or protected by glass. The painting is stable under normal temperatures. Indirect sunlight is perfectly fine, however, direct sunlight is inadvisable for wax-based paintings. Extreme cold can make the wax more brittle and susceptible to cracking. Other inadvisable locations within your house would be any spot near heat sources (such as fireplaces, over the stove in the kitchen, etc). Direct heat or temperatures in excess of 130 degrees may begin to soften the work. Very hot days can soften the surface very slightly, but will cause no real damage to the painting. If the wax on your painting does soften, and/or dulling occurs, wait until the painting has hardened (by moving it to a cooler location) and buff it with a soft cloth. Always protect the surface and edges of the encaustic painting when moving it. Although the surface is completely dry, encaustic paintings can be easily scratched, gouged, or chipped if handled roughly.
If you have any additional questions on the care of an encaustic painting, please feel free to contact me.