Elemental: Contemporary Encaustic

Debra Claffey, Patricia Gerkin, Donna Hamil Talman, and Charyl Weissbach make up the four artist collective called Elemental. Working in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, the artists of Elemental meld the ancient medium of encaustic, or melted wax, with a modern topic. The pieces in this exhibition explore the human relationship to the natural environment, advocating for a more connected, sustainable approach in the 21st century. The textured surfaces and layered compositions of these pieces sometimes evoke the topography of the earth’s surface, the patterns of plant life, or reinvent the traditional seascape painting.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website.