Encaustic painter Chris Reilly applies molten beeswax, damar resin and pure pigment to a water-colored canvas panel. Using a heat gun and bristle brushes, each brushstroke is fused to the previous layer. A wood chisel is then employed to carve and scrape the surface. For fine lines, an electric wax "pen" is used. The fast drying time and thick translucence make for a spontaneous luminous painting.

Reilly seeks to make works that are objects of contemplation. The stillness of meditation is echoed in the quietude of the finished painting that has undergone a process of creation, destruction and finally preservation. Creatures that transform, such as dragonflies and butterflies, are arranged in a loose grid symbolizing the enduring pattern of regeneration. Branches, laden with blossoms and fruit, stretch across the canvas receiving light and mimicking a human limb. These works are built up with wax and scraped down until a feeling of serenity is achieved.

Chris was born in New York in 1967. He completed his Bachelor of Fine Arts at the School of Visual Arts, New York, NY. He has participated in numerous one and two person shows in galleries nationwide, and most recently had a solo show at Winston Wachter Fine Art in New York City in February of 2006.