I build on contrasts and balances. Opposing colours. Darks vs. lights. Thin balances thick. The two dimensional surface of the painting is attacked with a combination of additive and subtractive processes. The painting is finalized when all the opposing elements co-exist in the picture plane. The painting process is 'automatic'. There is no pre-defined direction established. There is no preestablished statement to trumpet. The materials and the art making method remain the constants. The artwork is the sum of the adventure explored and revealed. Encaustic is wonderfully messy. The medium is quick and the application can be hasty. Even though, every stroke is contemplated as a reactionary move to the one before. The layering and subsequent revealing suggests the past and present. The detail of scraping reveals the patina of something 'made by hand'. The medium is related to a construction, a building of layers and dimension. The two dimensional artwork often can embody three dimensional sculptural elements.

Allow yourself to move closer. Look closer. Engage in a conversation. It's in this conversation that one can explore the artwork on an intimate level. The warmth of the medium shows off the malleable and human qualities of encaustic. A patina of a life, a passing of time, is apparent throughout the surface of the artwork. A past knowledge is alluded to when exploring the texture. In some instances the sculptural surface is tranquil - smooth, clear and fresh. In other areas the uneven surface suggests a carved, scraped and incised battlefield. Layers of meaning are found in the depths of encaustic beeswax. Evidence of forgotten structures lie obscured - to be discovered only by the viewer. The semi-translucent medium reveals a history of old plans and scars of past opposition. The battle is over when an equilibrium is negotiated. A glimpse of the character of the artwork has been revealed to the viewer. It starts with conflict, but now the artwork represents a reconciliation of elements. A balance achieved. Rivals are in harmony. A rhythm established.

Kevin Ghiglione attended the Alberta College of Art and the Ontario College of Art. His training as an artist has led him on a journey of artwork - including printmaking, film, graphic design, and illustration. He was introduced to the encaustic painting process in 1983. He explored other artistic endeavors and, in recent years, has enjoyed an increasing relationship to the encaustic medium. The artist lives in Toronto with his wife and three children.

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