Andrew Wapinski

imagesMy work depicts fragments, which make up the monumentality of nature. I have discovered a relationship and balance among the process of painting and drawing, nature, spirituality, alchemy, and the progression of time. These ideas are the basis for my abstraction while the simplicity and beauty of a distant view, setting sun, or passing cloud in the sky are my inspirations for painting. My intent for the viewer is to feel a sense of history, time, and emotion through the additive building of marks and color and to reflect upon the magnitude of his natural surroundings. In my own experience, the exploration of nature through painting has become a true investigation of the driving forces and elements that make up the totality of the world around us.These ideas are merely a foundation for discovery. As a painter I am constantly searching within my own process to understand the world around me. In my recent body of work, Coastal Interpretations, the sea is a metaphor for the union of time and space. The sea appears ageless as though untouched by time and serves as the visual equivalent of infinite space. It is the overwhelming presence of space, which first drew me towards the sea. Many works in varied disciplines from Manet and Turner to Robert Louis Stevenson have influenced my vision and understanding of the sea. Because I am drawn to it as a source of sublime inspiration I too feel the need to offer my interpretations.The primary medium for this body of work is Encaustic and Oil paint on canvas-mounted panels. I apply the paint (wax) in a molten liquid state to capture the constant motion of the water and ever-changing coastal atmosphere. My process consists of applying, removing and glazing layers of wax and oil until the appropriate balance is achieved. This results in a hard and sometimes jewel-like surface quality with many transparent layers. I view this process as a parallel to the eternal struggle among natural elements to sustain equilibrium in our surrounding environments.Visually my work may be perceived as abstracted fragments of a greater whole and a literal representation of space. My work is simply an interpretation of my surroundings, inspirations, and influences as I see them and as they affect me at that time.