Black Sheep

Black sheep

Something new in COLDWAX medium instead of my painting norm;  encaustic medium. Yes I did mix up my paint straight from the beehives-you know me….

Title:  Black Sheep

Medium:  Cold wax with dry pigments

Frame:  Upcycled Shipping Container Lid

Size:  114 x 140cm

Price: $3800

Artist Statement:

This painting responds to the New Zealand landscape as I now experience it when I remove my glasses. Complex scenes become abstracted into simple shapes, and blurred blocks of colour.  Without sharp focus, the hills soften into large, leaning forms. The field becomes a broad expanse of green. The sheep dissolve into pale gestures scattered across the land. Detail gives way to atmosphere. A lone black sheep stands among the flock, an outsider yet unmistakably part of the whole. “Every family has one” explores individuality, belonging and the quiet tension giving a nod to family dynamics. Painted in cold wax, the textured surface reflects the complexity of identity and the layers we carry within us.

Using beeswax collected directly from my home hives,  I blend it with my special recipe to create my own cold wax medium.  The surface holds both texture and softness, echoing the way my vision has shifted in my 50’s. The material carries a quiet connection to land, season and labour.

I chose to used an upcycled shipping container lid as the painting substrate in recognition of New Zealand’s significant global trade in lamb and wool. The industrial surface supports a pastoral image, linking agriculture and export, land and economy.

This piece is not about loss of clarity, but about discovering a new way of seeing and interpreting the world.  It is simplified, grounded, quietly expansive, and without all the noise.