Virginia Headley Maserang Fine Art

Abstract Encaustic and Mixed Media

What I love as a painter, I play with – color, texture, marks, and symbols. By “play”, I mean that I paint abstractly, beginning each work simply with a few marks and colors to evoke a mood or a thought, and then reacting intuitively, I grow each piece layer upon layer until it speaks of an experience, concept, or mood from my unconscious or memory. I find the “aha” that comes bubbling up delightful and inspiring, and it keeps me coming back for more “play.” My color palette is deeply influenced by my central Texas home – limestone, blue jeans and blue skies, red chili, rusted barbed wire, and spectacular aqua and orange sunrises and sunsets.

I choose to work most often in the medium of encaustic. Why wax? – The layers of wax help tell the story through either revealing or obscuring elements in the work. In addition, it can be worked quickly and yet can stay in process and evolve indefinitely. Plus, there’s fire – painting with fire for sure adds to unpredictability and therefore more play. Recent play has extended to working with watercolor and acrylic for the way the medium type gives a different tone to the work.