Visual Artist

Textured Landscape 1

encaustic on panel

6x8

2008

I have long categorized myself as a "Visual Artist".  The opinion recently changed.  Last week I attended a holiday party for my local encaustic group and we were all encouraged to bring a small work to exchange.  I wrapped up the painting featured above and it was selected by another member of the group.  As the paintings were being selected and unwrapped, we passed them around for all to see.  When the recipient of my painting was asked to pass it around, he said, "the first one to see this painting is my wife.:  Now I should say that his wife is legally blind.  He passed the small 6x8 encaustic panel to her, she took it and ran her fingers lightly across the textured surface.  I've never seen someone viewing my painting in that way before.  It was humbling to see her have a totally different appreciation for my work than I had ever intended.  We all see so much every day that is easily dismissed.  Most people will look at a painting for a few seconds and then move on. This woman touched every centimeter, every bump and crevasse.   I believe that she appreciated the painting on a higher level that most of ever will. It was quite a thing to watch.