Kevin Ernesto VanWicklin, known in artistic circles as Ernesto, resides in New Mexico and is a pioneer in the revival of encaustic painting.  An avid bird watcher, Ernesto has chosen to combine his love for birds and his passion for painting in a series of works depicting wildlife.

His chosen medium of encaustic painting follows upon many  years of sculptural work.  After exploring various painting media, Ernesto pursued encaustic.  In this ancient technique used by the Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians, color pigments are suspended in heated beeswax resulting in a translucent depth of surface that has no equal.  Colors interact synergistically in luminous fields.  Encaustic painting became a natural progression for the artist allowing for three-dimensional effects while opening the vast dimension of color.  To great advantage, the medium has extreme durability.

The artist has been an ardent advocate of nature since his childhood, influenced greatly by John Muir and others.  He has worked on numberous field conservation projects.  His affiliations include the International Crane Foundation, the National Audubon Society, and the Encaustic Art Institute of New Mexico.

 

Ernesto’s contemporary expressions of wildlife depicted through the ancient encaustic painting technique give voice to the enduring celebration of art and life. 

!Si se puede!