Elizabeth “Libby” Roper & Gailene Cowger

A Mixed Media Presentation Featuring Encaustic, Collage, Acrylic, and Watercolor

On View through October 25 | Open Saturdays 1-4pm

Join us for an ARTIST TALK by Gailene Cowger | Saturday, October 11, 130-3:30pm

Gailene will speak about the healing aspect of art-making after having a stroke earlier this year.

Artist Statements

Elizabeth Roper works in encaustic; painting multiple layers of melted beeswax, resin and pigment. Rather than wet and dry, working with encaustic is hot and cold. It’s a hands-on process of building layer upon layer, fusing each layer with a blow torch or heat gun. It’s building texture, imbedding various things and scraping back to reveal what’s underneath. I find it to be meditative and intuitive process full of surprises. What seems like a misstep often evolves into a new idea or direction and that’s part of what keeps me curious. Encaustic is an endless journey.

Gailene Cowger creates art using a combination of watercolor paints and pen-and-ink. She paints mainly house portraits in a loose whimsical way. Gailene recently created a mixed media collage made up of 9 panels representing her thought process as she laid in a hospital bed for 2 months after having a hemorrhagic Stroke. She wondered, “how could I create something meaningful to help explain the trauma I am experiencing?” She discovered the world of collage and how all that finding of materials, plus tearing, gluing, and layering was very meaningful, relaxing and inspiring. “Strokes of Friendship” is a dramatic, colorful, and jubilant collage that showcases Gailene’s journey to recovery and offers encouragement to other Stroke survivors in realizing there is hope and you can and will recover with the help of good friends and family.

All of the art in Elizabeth’s & Gailene’s exhibition is available for purchase.

Text inquiries to 223-388-7948.