Dietlind Vander Schaaf

dietlindvanderschaaf.com

My paintings are made using encaustic – a pigmented beeswax-based paint. It is heated on a palette and fused with a torch. The surface is glazed with oil paint and I also work with 23 karat gold leaf. My work references teachings from Zen Buddhism, Christian mysticism, the poetic traditions, and contemplative practices including yoga and meditation. It is an attempt to render temporary, fleeting moments of beauty, balance, and stillness visible. I describe my paintings as the place where the inner landscape and the outer landscape meet. Through texture, pattern, mark making, and color, I convey an emotional tone of calm-centeredness. There is a strong narrative underpinning present. Each painting is a poem of sorts.