Local artist Jean Pechtel returns to the Ruth Wendt Gallery, and this time has brought fellow artists Jane Erlandson and Nancy Guthrie with her. The new collection is a colorful burst of images using the oil and cold wax medium. As Pachtel explained, cold wax is a mixture of beeswax, alkyd resin, and mineral spirits, and has a thick consistency. Mixed with oil paints, it permits a buildup of texture and allows the artist to scrape through to reveal layers beneath. It is also used to make transparent glazes. The artist uses a combination of techniques to produce rich textured paintings with a lot of depth. It is often used in an abstract fashion, but can also be used in other styles of painting.
About the artists:
Jean Johnson Pechtel
I have worked extensively in oils and in soft pastels. My oil and cold wax paintings are more impressionistic. I have been experimenting with the medium to stretch myself as an artist. The buildup of layers gives depth and variation to the colors, and the wax itself provides texture. Contact me at (847) 977-4288, or visit my website: www.jeanjohnsonart.com.
Jane Erlandson
My 2D artwork has been primarily in film photography of late, but in the past I’ve done a fair amount of brushwork. After taking a couple classes in oil painting, I’ve wanted to do more, but haven’t rushed to the brush. Then I did a workshop adding in the cold wax and therein found the freedom to paint in the moment abstractly. While a beginner with this medium, I love it; it’s a very personal and meditative medium. There really are no rules, just advice - take advantage of layers, experiment with tools, use pigments in addition to oils. Contact me at (505) 264-3757, or visit my website: www.janeerlandson.com.
Nancy Guthrie
The Cold Wax medium was my first experience in abstract image. The process is the art and is so alive, adding and removing layers, varying marks and tools. The piece is truly never finished and seems to only improve as worked. Many other mediums are “less is more” and about “knowing when to stop”. Cold wax is very freeing. Contact me at: (847) 997-4101.