Nancy Yule - Encaustic in Cambridge, Ont
Posted by Bethany Handfield on
I was thrilled to stumble upon the work of Nancy Yule while visiting family in Cambridge, Ontario last month. My mother and I took a tour of the newly revitalized downtown and came across Gallery M where she was exhibiting. What a treat to walk in and see her installation piece hanging with such powerful impact.
Nancy graciously send me her statement about her work:
"Celebratory Work – my new body of work is a celebration of love, colour, life and connection. Creating this new body of artwork gave me such joy and a deep level of satisfaction which permeates the work. The process began with producing wax mono-prints with a variety of coloured waxes and then incorporating those prints into these encaustic collaged pieces. I am intrigued with layering processes and collage epitomizes the sum of its parts. The addition of red thread in some of the pieces symbolizes the Chinese 'the red thread of fate' belief and our connection to each other.
I am humbled and privileged to work with such a sacred substance: beeswax. The term encaustic means to burn in. Beeswax combined with damar resin, a hardened sap from a tree in Indonesia – encaustic wax is an enduring art medium with unequivocal lustre and richness. I just love the complexity of this organic material and its seduction as I attempt to coax it to alter its state from solid to liquid and back again.
I work intuitively building layers of shape, colour, symbolism and abstract composition. I love the intoxicating sweet aroma of the melting beeswax. And playing with fire. As a Reiki Master, I call upon Reiki energy to flow through me into my artwork, so that those who are in need may receive. Mind. Body. Spirit.
My home studio in Cambridge is my happy place." – Nancy
Nancy was not at the studio when I visited, but we have been in contact and look forward to meeting each other next time I am in Ontario.