Spring Lake, New Jersey native Erin Rigney’s coastal modern art explores the atmospheric designs in shells and the unsung beauty that washes up upon our shores. Fascinated by the endless variations of patterns and abstractions in nature, Erin’s encaustic Shellscapes Collection focuses on pieces of shells and their visual magic.Encaustic is a centuries-old process of painting with a mixture of melted beeswax, damar resin, and pigment in a hot liquid state. It is a synthesis of natural materials and elements and seems the perfect pairing for illuminating the art of Mother Nature. When not wandering the water’s edge on visits home to Spring Lake, this beach girl can be found playing in the heart of the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, near Aspen, with her husband and three children.

“I chose encaustic as the medium for my Shellscapes Collection because its unpredictable outcomes of fusion and the various sheens produced lend themselves to capturing the inexplicable glory of the art of Mother Nature. My hand guides the process and design, but there is an uncontrollable aspect that emerges as the wax cools, creating an ebb and flow dance between the medium and myself. There is a divine hand directing the final piece that I trust entirely. I am merely a conduit in bringing these creations to life.”— Erin Rigney