Developing Colors

Hand-poured encaustic paint Enkaustikos

Kathryn Bevier

A couple years after moving to Rochester, NY, I took a parttime job at Rochester Art Supply, a brick and mortar art store in downtown Rochester. Initially, I was on the sales floor helping customers. The owner, Mike Lesczinski, overheard me talking to some people who needed help picking out supplies for an upcoming class they were taking. I was talking to them about how to read a paint label and why they should go with one color versus another. Next thing I knew, he had set up a hot palette at the front of the store and handed me a few cakes of wax-based paint and said “play around with these and let me know what you think.” My response was “what is this?” “Encaustic paint,” was his reply. It turns out Mike and his brother John, also owned Enkaustikos! They bought the company from Ann Hufman in 1996. When she owned it, it was called Mrs. Apple Tree’s Studio.

I found working with the wax paint to be both confusing and intriguing at the same time, but was excited about focusing on the medium for the company. Mike cleared out a space in his building for me to concentrate on learning as much as I could. Soon, I became in charge of managing and provided support to the growing business.

We began to travel for conferences, art expos, and trade shows, and I found myself loving the ability to help people learn the basics of encaustic. In 2007, Mike and John decided to take the company to a new level and prepare it for retail and distributorship. Since then, my involvement with the company has had many shifts.

For the last few years, my main focus has been on expanding our paint line by developing colors for the EnkaustiKolors and PBSeggebruch paint lines, as well as working with Shary Bartlett to create two sets and with Lora Murphy to develop the Micro-series line.

My own color lines are The Power of Gray and The Kathryn Bevier Collection. Most recently, I developed a line of colors for Erin Keane. I have created well over 60 paint colors for Enkaustikos and have to say I am so honored to have this amazing opportunity.

Mike and John have been extremely supportive of me, and when it comes to getting down to business, we always come to a really good decision that is supportive of the artists. This is evident through the various formats our paints are sold in and through working with instructors to support their workshops and, of course, the collaboration with the artists mentioned above.

We have a small number of dedicated staff that truly embrace their position at Enkaustikos and work hard to make the company successful.

The Kathryn Bevier Collection for Enkaustikos

"Paint Sketch for Mendon Meadow 1", Encaustic on paper 8 x 8 in

My working as a paint maker for Enkaustikos has definitely influenced my own art as well as my teaching style. As you can imagine, my forte is on helping people understand the colors they are working with so that they can make the most of their palette.

My own personal art isn’t so much about creating something that will hang on walls, but, rather, about understanding color relationships more fully and building community through education.

Paints just poured into molds Enkaustikos

I am inspired by my surroundings and from memory. Wooded lots, expansive farmlands, and city scenes all generate the same response in me—finding the balance.

I love the way shapes and forms relate to one another and how colors interact. I use color and the handling of the medium to try and capture the essence of what is before me, to capture my experience as it relates to the present moment. These aspects are an expression of me in my art, even more than the subject matter.

I want my art to impart a sense of awareness, to have a sense of place, to communicate a feeling of atmosphere, and to create a palpable presence. I am interested in aspects of unity, of how everything comes together to create a grounded feeling of cohesion.

"Paint Sketch for Winter Trees", Encaustic on paper 8 x 8 in

"9 of Cups", Encaustic on wood 36 x 12 in

"Twelve Thoughts Encaustic", paper, cloth, plaster on wood 6 x 6 x 6 in

About the Author

Since moving to Rochester, NY, in 1998, Kathryn has maintained a working studio, where she offers ongoing encaustic workshops. She travels throughout the U.S., Canada, and Ireland providing enhanced encaustic workshop retreats. Her desire to build community for encaustic artists in the Rochester area has been instrumental in the forming of the Working with Wax Group. Most recently, she accepted the position as director of the Mill Art Center and Gallery, a not-for-profit organization that focuses on quality exhibitions and professional art instruction. While she exhibits regularly, mainly in the western New York region, her main focus is on the interplay between managing education and art outreach for the Mill Art Center and on product development and education for Enkaustikos.

Kathryn received the La Vandéenne Award in 2014 in the media category in part due to her educational outreach and online video contributions. She is also included in the publication Encaustic Revelation: Cutting-Edge Techniques from the Masters of Encausticamp, by author Patricia Baldwin Seggebruch, North Light Books (2014).

You can view Kathryn’s work at www.kathrynbevier.com www.facebook.com/kathrynbevierartworks www.instagram.com/kathrynbevier

To learn more about Enkaustikos go to www.encausticpaints.com

Kathryn Bevier

"Ace of Cups", Encaustic on wood 36 x 12 in

"Nine of Cups", Encaustic on wood 36 x 12 in

All rights reserved by the artist for the art work used in this article.