Light, Memory, and Permanence: The Encaustic Worlds of Dale O. Roberts

In this new body of work, contemporary painter Dale O. Roberts invites viewers into luminous landscapes, evocative seascapes, and layered still lifes, all rendered in the ancient medium of encaustic painting. Using beeswax and pigment, Roberts creates surfaces that embody both fragility and permanence—reflecting the cycles of light, memory, and decay that define his subjects. From monumental works like A Life at Sea and The Light Beyond to intimate studies such as Vacant Vessels and Low Hanging Fruit, his panels reveal a deep sensitivity to shifting atmospheres, structural form, and the tactile nature of paint itself

Roberts’s encaustic paintings and works on panel emerge from direct observation and repeated return to place. Whether evoking tidal pools, harbor scenes, Provence skies, or quiet gardens, these works are not static representations but living records of perception—layered, reworked, and insistent. This exhibition reflects a career-long exploration of how painting can hold time, surface, and spirit in a single moment. With a résumé that includes exhibitions in Barcelona, Philadelphia, and Denver, and a teaching practice that has brought encaustic techniques to students across North America, Roberts continues to expand the possibilities of this demanding yet luminous medium.