About
Artist Bio - Marijke Gilchrist
Marijke is experienced across a range of painting mediums, collage and silk dying techniques but after a one day introduction to encaustic in January 2013, Marijke fell in 'love' with this medium and through extensive experimentation in her studio she has made the medium her own. This has led to numerous encaustic exhibitions since 2014.
From the Ancient Greek “enkaustikos” (meaning “to burn in”), encaustic painting is the process of fusing layers of beeswax mixed with natural resin and to this medium pigments are added. Encaustic is the oldest known pigment binder, with its colour remaining intact after centuries. The end product has a soft (yet durable) finish, the medium create works with a deep finish, luminous and ethereal qualities. Impervious to moisture, the wax prevents cracking or fading. (more information under the tab Encaustic Paintings and History)
Working in encaustic is a sensory experience: smelling the beeswax; feeling of the intense heat to fuse the layers; watching works unfolding from a liquid to solid state. Texture can be explored through gouging, scraping and smoothing each layer; tools include chains, dentistry equipment and linocut blades. Other materials can be incorporated, such hand‑dyed silk, teabags, rust, transferred images and found objects (including seashells and dried leaves).
Marijke's studio is in Canberra and is affectionally referred to as "The Hive". This ia a tribute to the bees whose wax makes her work possible and the notion of a hive being a center of creative industry.
Marijke was born in Holland and migrated with her parents in the early 1950s. She has been a resident of the Inner North in Canberra for over 50 years. Marijke has always been interested in painting her environment – locally, across Australia and the Antarctic.
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Past Exhibitions |
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2023 |
Yarralumla Gallery, Canberra |
Wax and Fire A joint exhibition of encaustic paintings with Sue Cook |
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2022 |
The Calyx in the Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney |
from the hive ..swarming to the The Calyx (encaustic paintings) |
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2021 |
Fyre Gallery, Braidwood NSW |
Abundance Impressions of Nature A joint exhibition with Caroline Reid, Lucy Bastecky and Katherine Buchanan |
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2021 |
Propeller Art Gallery, Toronto, Canada. |
Layers of Meaning, an Online International Exhibition showing 100 encaustic works by artist from 12 countries - Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Honduras, Luxembourg, Mexico, Norway, Russia, South Africa, UK, USA
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2021 |
The Calyx in the Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney |
From the hive ..swarming to the The Calyx (encaustic paintings) |
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2019 |
Fyre Gallery, Braidwood NSW |
Time and Space A joint exhibition with Angharad Dean, Simone Doherty and Caroline Reid |
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2019 |
Palm House in the Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney |
From the hive ..swarming to the Palm House (encaustic paintings) |
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2018 |
Yarralumla Gallery Weston Park ACT |
Colouristic (encaustic paintings) A joint exhibition with Sue Cook |
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2018 |
Turntable Gallery, Yack Station, 6 Turntable Lane, Yackandandah Victoria |
From the hive swarming to Yackandandah (encaustic paintings) |
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2018 |
Box Hill Community Arts Centre, Victoria |
Women, Light the Way A joint exhibition with Angharad Dean, Simone Doherty and Lynn Nicholas |
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2017 |
Spiral Gallery Bega NSW |
Free thinking A joint exhibition with Allan Jones, Camelia Smith & Isla Patterson |
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2017 |
Palm House in the Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney |
From the hive.. swarming to the Palm House (encaustic paintings) |
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2017 |
Watson Arts Centre, Canberra |
Women, Light the Way (encaustic painting) A joint exhibition with Angharad Dean, Anita Smith, Ruth Lathlean and Simone Doherty. |
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2016 |
Yarralumla Gallery, Canberra |
From the Hive (encaustic painting) |
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2015 |
Yarralumla Gallery, Canberra |
Wax2 (encaustic painting) A joint exhibition with Sue Cook |
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2014 |
Form Studio and Gallery, Queanbeyan |
The Luminous Landscape (encaustic painting) |
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2012 |
Form Studio and Gallery, Queanbeyan |
Marks of Nature (painting, mixed media) |
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2007 |
Front Gallery, Lyneham Canberra |
Crossing the Convergence – Antarctic Peninsula (painting, mixed media) |
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1986 |
Regatta Point Canberra |
Sunday in the Park (oil painting) |
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1985 |
Canberra Theatre Centre Gallery |
Birds, People and Places (oil painting) |
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1982 |
Norfolk Island |
Oil painting |
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1981 |
Canberra Theatre Centre Gallery |
Oil painting |
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1973 |
Canberra Theatre Centre Gallery |
Oil painting |
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Book Illustration
1990 One Hundred Hints on Designing Home Gardens – Peter Rudge and Tom Cahill
2012 Wahroonga – Brenda Fairbairn