Zita Cousens of the Cousen Rose Gallery has always made it a mission to diversify the subjects and media that she shows in the gallery (which, it’s worth noting, will now be hosting the popular weekly openings on Thursdays instead of Saturdays, throughout the month of July). The latest addition to the gallery’s selection of artwork is a series of encaustic paintings by Robert Fitzgerald.
“Along with paintings and photography, I show mosaics, collages with handmade paper, and items made from abaca [a traditional woven fabric with historical significance in the Philippines]. I love anything with texture, and I wanted to add something new,” Cousens says.
Encaustics are created by using pigmented wax rather than paint to build up very textural images, usually on wood panels.
While many encaustic artists purchase a premade mixture, Fitzgerald prefers to prepare his own by combining beeswax with damar crystals, a type of resin that adds a glazed effect. Fitzgerald melts the wax and crystals in an electric griddle, and then adds powdered pigments.
“When the encaustic mixture is hot, it’s fluid, and you can paint with it just as you would with oils,” says the artist. “It dries almost instantly.” For that reason, he uses a heat gun while he’s working.
Fitzgerald has been working in watercolors for decades — showing his work at the Cousen Rose Gallery and elsewhere. Cousens has been showing his watercolor work for almost two decades, and his charming print of a row of Campground cottages has been a perennial bestseller for years. It’s only recently that Fitzgerald decided to experiment with a different media.
“I was very representational with watercolors,” says the artist. “Encaustics loosened me up a lot.”
Not one to gingerly dip his toes into new territory, Fitzgerald kicked off his new venture by purchasing 50 pounds of beeswax. He has since gone through hundreds of pounds of wax, mainly because he prefers to work on a very large scale.
By departing from detailed work, Fitzgerald has been able to focus on mood and the subtle blending of colors found in nature. The large-scale landscapes and seascapes that Cousens is currently showing at the gallery have a wonderful impressionist feel and a strong impact. The work tends to feature dramatic skies, featuring bursts of purples and oranges, which are often reflected in the water.
Fitzgerald has also created a few very interesting abstracts that combine defined, loosely rendered geometric shapes with muted colors and loose brushstrokes. The most appealing quality of all of the artist’s work is the amount of texture found in both the representational and abstract pieces. Fitzgerald not only allows people to get up close and touch his work, he actually encourages it.
“I like traditional work — lighthouses and seagulls and other Vineyard scenes,” says Cousens. “But I’ve always been particularly drawn to impressionistic work. With Robert’s work, there’s an initial impact when viewed from a distance, and then as you get closer you can really appreciate the variety of colors and the wonderful texture.”
Fitzgerald’s latest contribution to the Cousen Rose Gallery clearly shows Cousens’ commitment to stretching boundaries and always providing something fresh and surprising.
“Painting with Beeswax” by Robert Fitzgerald will hang at the Cousen Rose Gallery throughout the summer season with a reception on Thursday, July 11, from 6 to 8 pm. The reception will feature music by young jazz musicians — high schoolers and recent MVRHS grads.
All receptions during July and the first week of August will be held on Thursday evenings.
