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Ezshwan Winding is a seasoned artist whose career spans more years than many artists have lived. Classically trained, she began her artistic journey mastering photorealistic drawing with pencil and charcoal, later studying anatomy in detail before working with live models and oil paint. Her love for art continued beyond school, leading her to explore various mediums including clay, wood, plaster, and metal, with a particular fondness for welded steel sculpture.
Initially working almost exclusively in figurative art, Ezshwan eventually ventured into abstract art. As the owner and art director of a large gallery in Scottsdale, AZ, she handled art placements in businesses and corporations, creating custom abstract pieces when needed. This journey led her to discover the beauty of encaustic painting, a medium she has embraced for the past 25 years. She now paints with hot wax and resin, though she occasionally revisits oils and cold wax.
In 2004, Ezshwan moved to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, where her interactive encaustic show "Please touch the Paintings" garnered significant attention. This show marked the beginning of her 19-year teaching career, during which she has passionately shared her knowledge of working with layers of pigmented wax. Her workshops have drawn students from various countries, many of whom have become lasting friends and dedicated encaustic artists themselves. Today, while continuing to create new art, Ezshwan finds great joy in teaching and connecting with a diverse community of artists.
Ezshwan, your classical training involved rigorous study of anatomy and photorealistic drawing before you transitioned to working with live models and oil paint. How did this foundational training influence your later work, and how have your techniques and artistic style evolved over the years?
The classical training I received in my first year in art school, taught me to see. Most of us look at things and people, but do not really see the spaces, shapes, shading, contrasts and details of an object, face or nature.
This training influences all my work, if it be figurative or abstract, the shapes against shapes, balance of composition, contrast, and negative space. I intuitively feel the weight of color and pattern.
You initially worked figuratively but began exploring abstract art while owning a gallery in Scottsdale, AZ. What drew you to abstract art, and how did your discovery of encaustic painting 25 years ago transform your artistic approach?
What drew me to the abstract? For many years I was only interested in the human figure. If a painting or a photo did not include a person or face, it did not interest me; however, while working as an art director in our gallery in Scottsdale AZ, I met and was inspired by many of our artists who created fascinating abstract and non-objective paintings.
Part of my job was to lease original art to restaurants and businesses and the most asked for artwork was abstract. I soon expanded my creative interests and began to include abstracts in my portfolio.
Then I was captivated with the luminosity, layering and texture of encaustic painting. I saw my first example of that in a gallery in Portland OR. At that time there was little accurate directions on making the paint or how to set up an encaustic studio. I learned by making many mistakes. This medium, once I gained a little mastery, soon added to my excitement of working in the abstract.
Moving to San Miguel de Allende in 2004 brought you into a vibrant art community. Can you share more about your experience exhibiting your first public show 'Please touch the Paintings' and how it led to your long-standing role as a teacher in the community?
Leaving the gallery business, I moved to San Miguel de Allende. Two of the artists I represented had insisted that I must visit this supportive artists’ center. My explorative trip convinced me that this was to be my home.
After closing my home, selling lots of paintings, I moved here with just a few suitcases and some paintings I had shipped.
Teaching encaustic painting has become a significant part of your life. What is your teaching philosophy, and how do you ensure that your students, both beginners and intermediates, gain a comprehensive understanding of art concepts, techniques, and the magic of working with pigmented wax?
The encaustic technique was often misunderstood by may of the Mexican artists I met. They had been taught that any art that had wax in it was encaustic. The word encaustic means to burn in. Heat must be used to fuse each layer of hot wax and resin to create permanency.
During my first exhibition here, “Please Touch The Paintings” an artist told me she was studying encaustic at one of the local schools. I asked about the formula they were using and was dismayed that what she was being taught was toxic. She said, “Why don’t you teach?’
And that’s how I am starting my many years of teaching. My beginning classes focus on safety, studio set up, how to handle the butane torch, creating luminosity, and smooth surfaces. I work individually with each person to create their personal understanding of composition and advanced techniques.
I am happy to share any and all my special techniques to create their own special painting, not a copy of my work.
While you continue to create new art, you have expressed a passion for sharing your knowledge with others. How do you balance your time between creating your own artwork and teaching, and what do you find most rewarding about each aspect of your career?
Balancing my time between teaching and creating. My love of teaching is my treasure. I have so much to share after a life time of being a working artist. Of course, between the wonderful classes and meeting interesting people that I would never have me otherwise, I want to create my own new work. There is still so much to experience.
I work on a series, usually at least 10-12 paintings until there is no more to say. For instance, the “Lightness of Being” series took me 19 months. Then I may I go weeks or more until the excitement of a new series pushes me back in the studio.
Under my high school yearbook picture, some unknown editor wrote,” Artists are always young”. At 17 years old, I had no idea what that meant. Now, I know, it is because we are never finished.
More info:
Website: http://www.ezshwan.com
Online gallery: https://www.jaamzin.com/ezshwan-winding
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