Members Gallery: May 2018

Carol Baker

Art to me is an outward representation of inner expression. I have worked in most media. I love to experiment with mixed media and textures. I travel a lot and am always inspired by visiting galleries in the areas I visit. I do not have a degree in fine art but I have taken classes at Corcoran School of Art in Washington, D.C., from Virginia Commonwealth University and from some pretty amazing artists in Taos, New Mexico, Hawaii and other locations in the lower 48.

I prefer to follow my own drummer. I am not a plein air painter but I love to create imaginary landscapes using many layers of color and texture. Acrylic is my medium of choice because of its fast drying qualities and versatility. Often times there are figures hidden in the completed canvas. My goal as an artist is to create a new point of view.

Spirit Wanderer, work by Carol Baker (MG: May 2018)

Hummingbird in Flight, work by Carol Baker (MG: May 2018)

Ruth Golmant

Rolling Along, work by Ruth Cohen Golmant (MG: May 2018)

Artist's Statement

When I make art, I am inspired by nature, light, form, ideas, text, and even current events. With encaustic paint, I get lost in my ability to manipulate the surface to resemble the strata of the earth, hidden veins of metals, the surface of water and the play of light on surface.

Though I have been making art most of my life, I was only introduced to encaustic painting three years ago. Like many others, I quickly became addicted to the potential it holds for the use of intense color, the creation of fantastic textures and the possibility for three-dimensional work.

The potential health dangers of this medium must be taken seriously. The use of highly heated surfaces (wax must be 180 degrees), the tools of heat gun and propane torch, and the use of toxic shellac and certain surface powders mean that ideally, the artist wears a mask and keeps a chemical fire extinguisher on hand. When I put a shellac coating on my wax and light it on fire, I must do this outdoors.

Despite the challenges of mastering this hot, melting medium, I come back to it over and over again.

Coppertone, work by Ruth Cohen Golmant (MG: May 2018)

Biography

Ruth Cohen Golmant Stafford, VA

Encaustic paint is hot wax mixed with colored pigment. The best thing about painting with wax is that it never dries, it just hardens. It can become malleable again through the application of heat. You can layer, embed, impress, layer, fuse, emboss, carve, layer, fuse, shave, build, layer, fuse, stencil, draw, scrape and fuse. If you love color and texture the way Ruth does, encaustic is a glorious medium. In addition to working as an encaustic painter, Ruth creates collage and mixed media art.

Ruth earned her BA in Studio Art at Mills College in Oakland, CA where she concentrated in Photography. She went on to get her MA in Art Therapy from George Washington University. and worked for several years with adults and children with a history of abuse and trauma. Years later, she earned a certificate in Digital Design from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh’s Online Division and owned Open Arc Designs, a graphic design business.

In between these achievements Ruth married her fabulous husband and then became the mother of two wonderful kids, now in their 20s. At the present time, when not making art Ruth is engaged in multicultural bridge-building and is a Graduate Teaching Assistant for the University of Missouri’s K12 program.

Exhibitions, Solo