Ann E. Rhinehardt, Vassalboro, ME
I have always loved nature and drawing since I was a young child. With the intention of pursing a career in Biology, I took a drawing class to fulfill a humanities requirement. From that time forward, creating art filled my soul with a joy unlike any other. I earned a B.A. in both Art and Biology from Colby College followed by an M.S. in Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology. Working in cancer research for several years, I nurtured my passion by participating in workshops and classes wherever I was living. Life after Colby took me out of Maine, but my heart remained here and in 1991, I returned with my family to make central Maine my home.
Although I work in a variety of mediums, my recent focus has been primarily working in encaustics (beeswax). Building my paintings layer by layer, I create a visual story guided by my emotional responses to the world around me. Each of these layers is fused to the previous one with either a heat gun or a culinary torch. Exploring organic forms using mostly transparent pigments, allows my viewers to peer through the layers of color, gaining a glimpse into my process. With encaustic paint, I am able to manipulate the surface by building texture, carving into the beeswax, embedding various items or maintaining a glasslike finish. Most of my paintings have 30 or more layers, reflecting the depth and complexity of our humanity and our interactions with the world around us. Through my painting, I try to continuously challenge myself creatively with the intent of making art that expresses my love, awe and respect for our natural world. It is my hope that my viewers are able to feel that connection as well.
