Lake View

By: Sally Hootnick

No Longer Available

Completed

2023

Medium

Oil on Linen

Dimensions

20 x 30"

Cost

SOLD

Description

I’ve long been a landscape painter, and specifically worked en plein air. However, when I work on a larger canvas, I prefer to paint in my studio. By combining outdoor sketching, simplification of shapes, imagination, and past experiences, I try to bring a fresh and contemporary perspective to the landscape genre. Encaustic painting is known for its durability and archival qualities. The beeswax used in the process provides a protective layer that helps preserve the artwork over time. The wax hardens and becomes stable, making it resistant to moisture and decay. This is one of the reasons why encaustic paintings from thousands of years ago have survived to this day. The ability to shape and reveal underlying layers is a distinctive aspect of encaustic painting. By manipulating the heated wax and carving into it, I can create textures, patterns, and forms that add depth and complexity to the work.

About this Artist

Sally Hootnick

Artist Statement: I work in both oil and encaustic, choosing the medium that best suits the painting. I enjoy the directness of oil and the luminous layers of encaustic, and I like that each medium asks something different of me. I usually begin with a direction rather than a detailed plan. As a painting develops, I’m looking for the right balance of light, composition, and surface. Some of my favorite passages are the ones I never intended—a scrape, a brushstroke, or a color relationship that suddenly feels right. Recognizing those moments, and knowing when to leave them alone, is one of the most satisfying parts of painting. My goal isn’t simply to describe a subject, but to make a painting where light, composition, and surface come together in a way that feels resolved. Biography: Working in oil and encaustic, Sally Hootnick has exhibited nationally, and her work is held in…

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