Welcome to SYNC GALLERY

In "Luminescence," the transformative properties of encaustic and cold wax techniques emerge
as a vehicle for Lois Lupica and Dagmar Nickerson to explore the elusive nature of light. This
collection investigates the delicate interplay between opacity and transparency, where light both
penetrates and reflects from multilayered surfaces.
 

Lupica's encaustic works capture light's journey through translucent beeswax layers, creating a
luminous depth impossible to achieve in other mediums. The abstracted imagery investigates
the paradox of permanence and impermanence—the way wax's ancient durability contrasts with
the ephemeral quality of the effects it creates. The works invite viewers to experience how
changing light conditions transforms each piece throughout the day, revealing new depths and
subtleties with each viewing.
 

Adjacent are cold wax compositions offering a different luminosity—more subdued yet equally
compelling in their soft, diffused glow that seems to emanate from within the painting itself. Cold
wax medium, with its unique matte translucency and dimensional possibilities, allows Lupica to
build surfaces that interact with light. By combining the medium with oil paints and incorporating
various additives, she creates works with depth and subtle luminescence that shifts as viewing
conditions change. Cold wax's distinctive material properties transform ambient light into an
active participant in the artwork.
 

Nickerson, through her abstract encaustic mixed media collages, explores the delicate interplay
between destruction and survival. Working with paper she incorporates organic elements such
as leaves, flowers, reeds, and seeds - materials intrinsically tied to the earth's cycles. The fire
element is integral to her process. Flames scorch and shape the paper, leaving charred edges
and intricate designs layered in the wax.
 

The layers of wax envelope the natural materials, their luminous quality adding depth,
translucency and a sense of preservation. The wax not only bonds the elements together but
also creates a tactile interplay of light and shadow, inviting the viewer to peer into the layers of
meaning within in each piece. Each piece carries the natural beauty of what stands to become
lost through climate change, while simultaneously celebrating the resilience and survival
instincts of all living things.
 

Throughout this exhibition, viewers are invited to witness how these ancient and contemporary
wax techniques can transform pigment and natural elements into luminous fields that shift with
changing light conditions. The works exist in a space between painting and sculpture, where
surface texture, dimensional quality, and embedded elements create an experience that
changes with both light and perspective. Luminescence celebrates the paradox of wax as both
barrier and conduit—trapping light even as it allows its passage—creating works that hover
between revelation and concealment, inviting contemplation beyond what is immediately visible.

Lois R. Lupica - "Hobart"
Cold Wax + Oil Paint on Cradleboard - 20" x 20"

Dagmar Nickerson -- "Memories of Aspen Leaves"  Encaustic on wood panel with handmade paper -- 24” x 36”