Halpin, Nancy

I find serenity in taking photographs of ordinary moments in my surrounding environment.  Whether it is a crabapple tree in my 
backyard or lily pads on a nearby creek, I am drawn to have a close look. Inspired by lighting, shapes and patterns, I compose
my images.  For many years photography has been the means for capturing these moments, but in recent years, I have been
incorporating another medium with my photographs: encaustics - an ancient technique using burned in layers of pigment mixed
with melted beeswax.  Inspired by impressionist painters, I superimpose this process upon my photographs allowing me to be
more directly involved in my artwork, appeasing my desire to both paint and create.  I apply may layers of melted wax, some
pigmented, onto my photos, each layer burned in with a heat gun and/or iron.  Some sections of wax are scraped away to
emphasize areas of the underlying photo.  Sometimes I add oil colours and/or chalk pastel.  The translucent and luminous
qualities of the wax provide a softened, cloudy effect giving an almost ethereal impression to the images.