Kennedy Contemporary on Balboa Island opens a public reception Friday, Sept. 18, for "Chromatic States," a solo exhibition of encaustic paintings by Santa Fe artist Amy Van Winkle.
The reception runs from 5 to 8 p.m. at the gallery, 323 Marine Ave. The exhibition opened Sept. 15 and remains on view through Oct. 17.
Van Winkle's show centers on 12 distinct hues, each tied to a different internal state, according to Stu News Newport. The range spans restlessness to stillness. Each panel is built up through dozens of layers of pigmented beeswax, then scraped back until only traces of color and texture remain beneath the surface.
The show pairs large-scale paintings with an installation of 12 smaller studies, each 12 inches by 12 inches. Arranged together, the studies serve as an index of the full emotional spectrum explored in the larger works.
Van Winkle said in the exhibition announcement that the work is about "what it means to sit inside a feeling long enough to see its color."
Encaustic painting uses layers of colored beeswax melted onto wood panels. Artists heat and scrape each layer to build depth and texture. The technique dates back thousands of years. Van Winkle, born in 1969 in Norwood, Mass., is self-taught. She began working with encaustic in 2010 after a career in advertising and holds a marketing degree from Bowling Green State University.
This is not Van Winkle's first show at the gallery. The Kennedy Contemporary artist page lists prior solo and group exhibitions featuring her work, including "Moments of Joy."
Her influences include Gerhard Richter, Mark Rothko and Richard Diebenkorn, according to her LinkedIn profile. She is represented by galleries in five cities, including Newport Beach.
Victoria Kennedy, a Newport Beach native, founded Kennedy Contemporary in 2021. The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., or by appointment.
Coming up in Newport Beach:
- Friday, Sept. 18: "Chromatic States" opening reception, 5–8 p.m., Kennedy Contemporary, 323 Marine Ave., Balboa Island.
- Thursday, Oct. 15: Newport Beach Film Festival opens with galas and premieres.
