Student Highlight: Lee Anne White

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Meet Lee Anne White.

You know when you’ve been told something over and over that you just blindly believe it? Well, that is exactly what happened as I was first learning and was told that black/dark images are not suitable for encaustic. That the black of the image would become muddled with the addition of medium and just look cloudy. OK. Great. I won’t work with images that have loads of  black.

Then along comes Lee Anne White and she destroyed that theory. I was mesmerized when I first saw her work. What was she doing? She proved “them” wrong (whoever “they” are….). Black images DO work beautifully with encaustic, you just have to know how to treat them.

It was also Lee Anne who introduced me to the beautiful world of pan pastels. It’s one of the reasons I love teaching….sometimes I learn as much from my students as I think they learn from me.

Below you is a short interview I did with Lee Anne. Enjoy. And make sure to check out her web site at www.leeannewhite.com to see more of her work.

 

Tell us a little about your work.

Although I shoot many different subjects, I am principally a landscape and botanical photographer. Right now I’m working on a photo encaustic project called A Bowing Acquaintance With Plants, which is a series of black-and-white portraits exploring the unique characteristics that give plants their personality. I’ve also been playing around with encaustic collage—something I’d love to have more time to explore.

What draws you most to photo encaustic?

I love the depth and texture that encaustic medium adds to a photograph. It makes you want to reach out and touch the piece—to engage with it in a way that you wouldn’t (and couldn’t) a straight print.

How long have you been working in the medium?

I have been experimenting with encaustic for around two years—mostly trying to get a feel for the medium, what I can do with it and what works best with my photography. Just recently, I began work on my first in-depth photo encaustic project.

What are your ‘go to’ materials that you love using?

Pan Pastels and oil sticks top my list. I love printing on Japanese Kozo paper.  And I adore handmade papers, old book pages and random scraps of paper for encaustic collage.

Do you have a manifesto or creed?

I’ve always believed in learning something new every day. In recent years, however, I seem to have adopted a new guiding principle: Look at things another way. I find this is helpful in photography, when experimenting with art, and when tackling everyday challenges.

What are your inspirations?

Creative inspiration can come from almost anywhere—and does. Most often, however, I turn to the natural world for inspiration, and reading never fails to trigger ideas. I am also inspired by great design of any kind and the work of other artists—particularly those who have mastered the art of simplicity.

How do you feel when you create?

It depends upon which phase of the creative process I’m in. I feel excited and energetic when exploring ideas. I often get frustrated and impatient in the planning process—that time between dreaming and doing when I must figure out the “how,”—but know that good things tend to happen when I push on through. Once I hit my stride, it is an odd combination of being both intensely focused and relaxed. I especially love making things with my hands; it just feels right. This is one of the reasons I love working with encaustic.

What music do you listen to as you create?

My play list is pretty eclectic and depends on what I’m doing.  Some days it is acoustic guitar, New Age or soft jazz; other days you’ll find me singing along to oldies or indie rock . I’ve also discovered I like the sounds coming from the woodworking shop adjacent to my new studio. They’re not loud enough to be disturbing, and there is something very calming and satisfying about hearing others working at their craft.

What sustains you?

Quiet time alone, with those who mean the most to me, and in nature. The simple act of creating; it’s as essential as breathing. And knowing that my work has connected with or touched someone in some way.

 

 

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Be well….be creative,