Natural Mirror

Natural Mirror, wax and pigment (encaustic) on birch panel, 24"x24"

$900

“Awe is the feeling of being in the presence of something vast that transcends your understanding of the world.” – Dacher Keltner


The Small Self explores the state of awe and environments or situations that make us feel insignificant in the presence of something powerful: the expanse of the ocean, the vastness of space, intricate patterns in nature, and natural phenomena or disasters. When we’re in awe, we may feel a mixture of wonder and admiration, or confusion and fear. Awe has the ability to minimize our self-importance (a psychological experience called The Small Self) and connect us to our humanity, and to others.


I use encaustic to explore ideas in psychology (previously memory and now awe). Encaustic is a 2000-year old painting technique using melted beeswax mixed with pigment. The coloured wax is heated, applied with a brush or other tool to a surface, and ‘burned in’ (lightly fused) with a torch, heat gun or iron.


Encaustic is a perfect medium to explore ideas in psychology: layers of wax can obscure or illuminate; it preserves but can also be excavated. It can capture something as rare and fleeting as moments of awe. 


Scroll down for gallery

The Gloaming

The Gloaming, wax and pigment (encaustic) on birch panel, 12"x24"

$480

Eagre, wax and pigment (encaustic) on birch panel, 16"x12"

$160

Golden Years

Golden Years, wax and pigment (encaustic) on birch panel, 10"x8"

$140  

Entropy

Entropy, wax and pigment (encaustic) on birch panel, 8"x8"

SOLD

Absolute Magnitude, wax and pigment (encaustic) on birch panel, 8"x8"

$100

Floe

Floe, wax and pigment (encaustic) on birch panel, 10"x8"

$140

Celestial Yield

Celestial Yield, wax and pigment (encaustic) on birch panel, 6"x6"

$80

Blue Forest

Blue Forest, wax and pigment (encaustic) on birch panel, 10"x8"

$140

Glaciem, wax and pigment (encaustic) on birch panel, 8"x8"

$100

Star Home

Star Home, wax and pigment (encaustic) on birch panel, 24"x24"

Copyright © 2023 Diana Bahr
Using Format