Faculty of Art

Drawing and Painting

Lisa Skelding

'Beauty in Frozen Devastation 2'

'Beauty in Frozen Devastation II' explores the paradox of fragility and resilience in winter landscapes. Part of a six-panel photo-encaustic mixed media series, this work transforms my photographic imagery into textured surfaces that depict ice-laden trees, atmospheric tension, and crystalline detail.

“Beauty in Frozen Devastation II draws from my experience of the 2025 Spring Ice Storm in Northern Ontario. Through photo-encaustic techniques and drawing on neurobiological parallels , I connect nature’s freeze-thaw cycles and the amygdala’s freeze response, reflecting on how both environmental disruption and emotional defense mechanisms hold the potential for adaptation, renewal and transformation.”