Inside the Hive

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Headwaters Arts Gallery will be a buzz with the opening of “Inside the Hive”, a new exhibition showcasing this region’s best encaustic and cold wax medium artists, Karen Brown and Kim Kool.

The exhibit of over 60 works opens on October 5, 2022 in the Headwaters Arts Gallery in the Alton Mill Arts Centre.

The Hive Encaustic Studio, artists Kim Kool and Karen Brown, who create out of a studio in the Alton Mill Arts Centre, will be showcasing their works of fine art pieces created with organic materials, basic elements, and centuries old techniques. The medium is called encaustic and the beeswax is mixed with pigments in various forms. Artist Karen Brown is a mixed-media artist, who incorporates other items such as substrata to develop her unique and other-worldly images. “Examples of encaustic paintings have survived from the Roman empires and are still as vibrant and colourful today as they were when they were painted”, says Brown. Karen’s connection to her work clearly shows the love she has for the countryside and her nostalgia for yesteryears past and growing up on a farm. Karen says. “It’s not art until it becomes personal. That personal quality of life and art are what I am striving for. I want my life to reflect the best of me and my art to be an expression of who I am.”

Kim Kool’s discovery of encaustic painting was a tangential and serendipitous occurrence while she was delivering a weekly social recreational program inside a women’s prison. Says Kim, “The moment I dipped my paintbrush into that first pot of wax, I knew that my life was about to change. My love for encaustic painting has only grown since then and I am so grateful to have the opportunity to paint and teach throughout the province”. 

Both artists offer workshops in their studio as introductions to this ancient art form. As Brown shared, “The show will also be honouring the bees as our “collaborators” with educational information about the life of honey bees.” Works range from smaller pieces, including keepsake boxes, art cards and beeswax candles, to a range of differently sized fine art works. The show is guaranteed to enchant and intrigue art enthusiasts and visitors to the Headwaters Arts Gallery. Prepare to be amazed with the breadth of creative expression that Brown and Kool have showcased in their collaboration with the industrious bee. 

Opening reception is on Saturday, October 8, 2022 from 1 - 5 pm in the Headwaters Arts Gallery at the Alton Mill Arts Centre. The show runs until November 6, 2022. More information can be found on their websites www.karenbrownencaustics.com and www.edgeofgrey.ca.

The Headwaters Arts Gallery is open Wednesday-Sunday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m
Visit www.headwatersarts.org. Be sure to follow us on IG @headwatersarts and Facebook.
 

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Artist showing their art to two visitors in a bright studio

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