HERON PROJECTS
Bonfire
Susan Wallis
Encaustic
30 x 24 in
© Susan Wallis
30 x 24 in
© Susan Wallis
Susan Wallis is a graduate from the University of Toronto with a Bachelors degree in Fine Arts. Wallis was born in Toronto and lived and worked there for many years before moving to the countryside of Prince Edward County. It is there where she can be found in her studio (when not weeding her garden or tending her small flock of chickens). Wallis’ work is showcased and collected throughout Canada and is in private and corporate collections in the United States, China, Australia and Europe.
This encaustic painting showcases a fire roaring to life set against a moonlit forest of birch trees. Wallis’ work draws inspiration from the natural world that surrounds her in Southeastern Ontario. This painting raises questions of fire’s role in our ecosystem. What types of fire do we deem as “good” and which are “bad” in any given biome? Historically, the word bonfire was often misunderstood to be derived from the french “bon”, meaning “good”. imply something benevolent or celebratory, when in fact its origins are more complex and rooted in early pagan/Christian rituals.
In a world increasingly marked by climate change, manmade fires such as this one may begin as controlled, even beautiful gestures, yet can quickly turn disastrous with the slightest change in wind, spiralling into uncontrolled wildfires. This work prompts reflection on our precarious relationship with the land, and the thin line between tamed elements of the natural world vs wild ones.
This encaustic painting showcases a fire roaring to life set against a moonlit forest of birch trees. Wallis’ work draws inspiration from the natural world that surrounds her in Southeastern Ontario. This painting raises questions of fire’s role in our ecosystem. What types of fire do we deem as “good” and which are “bad” in any given biome? Historically, the word bonfire was often misunderstood to be derived from the french “bon”, meaning “good”. imply something benevolent or celebratory, when in fact its origins are more complex and rooted in early pagan/Christian rituals.
In a world increasingly marked by climate change, manmade fires such as this one may begin as controlled, even beautiful gestures, yet can quickly turn disastrous with the slightest change in wind, spiralling into uncontrolled wildfires. This work prompts reflection on our precarious relationship with the land, and the thin line between tamed elements of the natural world vs wild ones.