Encaustic Contemporary Art

Lake Ontario and the 1000 Islands have inspired Liz Rae Dalton’s life and creativity for over thirty years. Today, she lives and works on Howe Island, where she can witness the power of nature in all its beautiful and raw forms. 

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​Early on in her career, Dalton was a contemporary painting artist. At that time, her brightly colored oil paintings were a joyous response to the history and lifestyle of the region. She discovered Howe Island after completing her art degree. The magnificence of the river captivated her.

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​When she began to see the devastating impact of climate change on the island’s environment, her clarity demanded a shift as a contemporary painting artist. The observational paintings that had celebrated the history and lifestyle of the 1000 Islands made way for new work and experimentation with new processes and organic materials. 

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​Encaustic contemporary art uses multiple layers of pigmented wax fused or burned onto a surface such as a wood panel. The result is art with luminous translucence and depth. Dalton’s encaustic contemporary art uses hot palettes, molten paint, and tools that dig deep to convey themes of climate change. While the process is fascinating, the execution of her artwork is even more impressive.

The powerful thing about the organic work that Dalton creates is it brings the outdoors inside- it’s a piece of nature you’re bringing in that can nurture you even in a home or office environment. There’s a greater awareness and appreciation of nature when you own an item that Dalton has curated. A piece of nature has drifted and landed in the new space and nurtured the individuals living in that space.

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​Her new work explores extreme weather and concepts of sustainability using encaustic techniques with found materials. Foraged wood, molten paint from bees and trees, stone-inspired carving all become the voice of the contemporary painting artist, allowing her to sculpt and paint intentionally sensory and tactile pieces.

Dalton has exhibited locally, regionally, and internationally. Her passions, life experiences, and environmental concerns are reflected in her art.

 

Some of her new series include wood carvings from shoreline wood, inspired by threatening storms, encaustic sculpture, and reliefs, inspired by flooding, and carved encaustic reliefs and charred wood sculptures inspired by drought. ​Shop encaustic contemporary art online from this unique contemporary painting artist today.