Tamera Abaté specializes in the ancient technique of encaustic painting, a medium that involves "burning in" pigments with molten beeswax and tree resin. Her process is one of patient accumulation, often layering up to 30 translucent veils of wax to create a depth and luminosity unique to this elemental material. Using the heat of a propane torch, Abaté navigates a delicate "push and pull" of energy, allowing organic shapes to emerge from specific fields of color as the pigments merge into a single, vibrant entity.
While her work is decidedly abstract, it is deeply rooted in a lifelong reverence for the natural world. Raised under the vast, open skies of Eastern Washington, Abaté’s visual language is informed by the rhythmic horizon lines and shifting tapestries of the region’s wheat fields. This background creates a bridge between her abstract and landscape impulses, inviting viewers to explore "subterranean" layers that mimic the complexity of earth and atmosphere.
As an explorer and student of her surroundings, Abaté’s work serves as a tangible record of her experiences. Her fascination with the fluidity of the sea and the stark palettes of desert and mountain landscapes—gleaned from her journeys abroad—remains a central theme in her current body of work.
Though she has extensive experience in mixed media, oils, and clay, Abaté currently focuses her practice on the encaustic medium. She works full-time from her studios in Washington and Scottsdale, Arizona. Her work is represented by several fine art galleries, featured in numerous solo and group exhibitions, and held in private collections both nationally and internationally. Her paintings have also been featured in various art publications and books.
The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science.
- Albert Einstein