May 2013

Wells Gallery on Kiawah Island, SC, Offers Works by Curt Butler

The Wells Gallery on Kiawah Island, SC, will present By the Shore, featuring new encaustic paintings by Curt Butler, on view from May 10 - 31, 2013. A reception will be held on May 10, from 5-8pm.

Butler considers himself an artist who teaches and shares his knowledge with other aspiring artists. He has taught at various art schools including Braitman Studio, Gaston Day School, Gaston College, and Gaston School of the Arts. In 2002, he was honored with the Teacher of the Year Award at Gaston Day School for his outstanding teaching abilities.

Butler’s current work is a mixture of oil paint and encaustic painting techniques. These techniques have afforded him the opportunity to experiment within the realm of mixed media. His paintings are often layered with multiple colors combinations that enhance the surface, creating a tactile effect. The textures are rich with both brushstroke and palette knife work. His paintings seem to come together at a distance with his imagery, and yet, work on a purely abstract level as you approach them.

Most of Butler’s work is based in landscape yet it is not rooted in a particular place, but instead speaks to a general mood or feeling he has experienced from being surrounded by nature. His style is contemporary focusing on the flat abstract nature of the picture plane versus the illusion of space; and he skillfully balances both of these ideas into a singular piece. He is well known for his encaustic style.

The word encaustic literally means “to burn in” and involves heating wax and mixing in colored pigments or oil paints. This technique was originally developed by the ancient Greeks and experienced a resurgence in the 20th-century.

For further information check our SC Commercial Gallery listings, call the gallery at 843/576-1290 or visit (www.wellsgallery.com).

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