Oregon Coast Waves - 2-2

wide array of plant life provided by the
lush landscape of Oregon,” Myer said.
Encaustic paints are pigment, beeswax
and a natural tree resin called damar. To
work with encaustic paints, they must
be melted from a solid wax to a liquid.
Torches, heat guns and carving tools are
then used to render an image.
Myers had always been interested in
encaustic work, but it is a lot more
complicated than what she had been
doing. “It needs cross-ventilation.
There must be a setup. This is not your
dining room table type of art. It’s a
commitment.”
The colored wax is placed on an electric
griddle to keep it warm enough to
remain a liquid. The wax dries almost
as soon as the brush touches canvas,
or in Myer’s art, the cradle board the is
the surface sturdy enough for hot wax.
“Encaustic is not a traditional type of
painting. The torches are actually the
paint brushes because when I put the
wax on a dry surface, it would let go. It
is not enough time to blend. So, I dab
and come back through with the flame
and re-melt the wax to smooth and
blend and swish.”
Though encaustic is her primary
medium, Myer still works with
watercolors. She has a current project of
creating small paintings — about an inch
in size — and leaving them for people to
find. “My hope is that it brings someone
joy. But if it gets thrown away, I’m not
out too much. It makes me happy. I add
my Instagram handle to the back along
with a hashtag #artlefttofind and I hope
that one day someone finds a mini
painting and tags me in a photo. To
me, this is the modern-day version of a
message in a bottle.”
Myer has recently been accepted into
the For Arts Sake Gallery — an artistowned
gallery in Newport’s Nye Beach.
“It’s a huge milestone professionally for
me to be involved,” she said.
After completing a residency with
the Corvallis Art Center focused on
business training, Myer is also working
toward helping other artists think like
business owners.
“If you want to make a career as an
artist, you not only need to create the
art, but you have to market yourself.
You are a salesperson. You have to apply
for grants. You have to sell yourself to
gallery owners.”
She discovered she was really good at
sales and very comfortable talking with
people. “I’m a chatty lady. I’ve been a
communicator this whole time, and
now I get to talk about something I
love.”
Myer is creating a workshop to help
other artists promote and sell their
work. “I see a need. Some people think
if their art is good enough, people will
just buy it without any extra effort on
their part. I think it is something that
people can learn.
“I see the value of how creativity and
being a creative person has enriched
my life,” she added. “People need some
encouragement. Humans are creative. I
want that for everyone.”
Visit jillmyerartist.com to view her
current work and projects.
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