Birthdate: July 19, 1980
Born in LaSalle, Ontario, Jason Amlin received his BFA at the University of Windsor, with a major in drawing/painting. Having worked with both oils and acrylics, Jason became frustrated with both mediums because oils took too long to dry, and it was difficult to build up the desired texture with acrylics. After attending a workshop conducted by visiting artist Don Maynard, Jason was immediately hooked to the encaustic medium.
The word encaustic means to “burn in,” which refers to the process by which each layer of molten beeswax is fused together after completion. Although preparation time for encaustics is much longer than any other medium because you must first melt the wax, the application of the paint itself must be done quickly to avoid having the wax solidify on the brush before it hits the canvas. In Jason’s work, he applies several layers of pure, un-pigmented wax to the canvas to create various textures over which he paints. In some cases, by doing this, the finished canvas can be regarded as being as much a sculptural piece as it is a painting. Layer upon layer, the final image begins to develop. Through scratching, scraping, addition, and subtraction each painting’s surface becomes a struggle between chaos and control. Jason approaches his paintings with unrehearsed vigour creating a balance between sophistication, simplicity and abstraction.
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