Artist Statement

In Meandering, I explore the wandering line and the instinct to see where it leads.

We often think of meandering as aimless, but for me it has become a way of paying attention. Working slowly, I melt and manipulate encaustic paint—lines shift, double back, cross, disappear, and begin again. Along the way, they suggest possible horizons, shorelines, and pathways.

While making this body of work, I started to notice that moment when lines and marks begin to feel like somewhere. The abstract landscapes that emerge are not places I set out to find, but ones I arrive at through the process.

Encaustic on Paper

Encaustic monotype is a printmaking process using pigmented beeswax. I melt and manipulate encaustic paint on a heated metal palette, then lay paper onto the surface to pick up the paint. Each work is a unique print. I often make several lifts, adding and layering marks as the work develops. I may also crop a larger print to find the finished composition.

Ruth Martin Maude (she/her) is a Canadian artist who makes abstract encaustic paintings and monotype prints. Her work is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Encaustic Art, New Mexico, and in private collections in Canada and the United States. Alongside her studio practice, Ruth teaches encaustic workshops and runs the All Things Encaustic blog, where she shares her knowledge of the medium with artists worldwide.