Serena Barton

Artist, Portland Oregon

  • Home
  • Classes
    • Online Classes
    • At My Studio
    • Other Locations
  • Galleries
    • Oil & Cold Wax
      • Northern New Mexico Series
        • Peñasco
      • Marking Time Series
        • Pech Merle
        • Paleo Winter
        • Shapes at Helnaes
        • Traces of a Child, Running
        • The Veil is Thin
        • What is Not Seen Can Be Felt
        • Whisper
        • Only Connect
        • La Sagesse
        • Unearthed Fragments
      • Confluence
        • Question
        • Stendhal Syndrome
        • What I Remember
        • Door to the Past
        • Last Sojourn
        • Casting the Runes
      • Nature Series
        • McKenzie River, 1951
        • Helnæs Bay
        • Like an Embrace
        • It’s a Mystery
        • Ohio Fall
        • Crecer
        • Dianthus
      • Internal Landscapes Series
        • Rich and Strange
        • Sometimes They Help
        • La Respuesta
        • Transit
        • Voyage
        • Both/And
        • I Love Your Mind
        • I Thought You Might
        • La Fenice
        • Penelope’s Loom
        • Light in the Dark
      • Richard III Series
        • Hic Jacet Ricardus Rex (Here Lies King Richard) : Bosworth
        • Hic Jacet Ricardus Rex: A Long Slumber
        • Hic Jacet Ricardus Rex: Reclamation
    • Acrylic/Mixed Media
  • Resume
  • Events/In the Media
  • Bio
  • Contact
  • Oil/Cold Wax Resources
  • Books/DVDs
    • Book: Wabi-Sabi Painting with Cold Wax
    • Book: Wabi-Sabi Art Workshop
    • DVDs
    • Events

Artist Statement

I may be an archeologist at heart. I love layers and strata that evoke history and transition. If I create these layers myself and then get to excavate them, my joy is unbounded.

I’m interested in what’s underneath the surface of things. I think of ruins of ancient cities buried under new ones, the remains of Shakespeare’s  Theatre unearthed, even a King of England found buried under a parking lot.

My work in oil and cold wax medium is intuitive and unplanned. I create multiple layers of texture using palette knives, rubber squeegees, and household tools such as rubber jar openers, bowl scrapers, combs, and coffee sleeves. I build up many layers of paint mixed with cold wax, creating a complex and nuanced surface. I reveal some of what came before by incising and scraping back areas of the painting. Years of painting with oil and cold wax allow me to know when to yield to the materials and the process, achieving a delicate balance between spontaneity and mastery of materials.

Painting allows me to share what I can’t say in words, allowing each piece to tell its own story.

Newsletter

Thank you, you've been added to the list!

© 2023 · Serena Barton · Built by Lark Labs