Current Exhibition

Fire isn’t just a tool for survival—it also plays a powerful role in the world of artistry. One such medium that relies on fire is encaustic art, where thick substances like beeswax are applied in layers to form glowing, multi-dimensional paintings.

Artist Gregg Goolsby will bring his exhibition “Revel in Winter” to Blakely Hall this December and January, showcasing the intricacies of the encaustic art style. Come meet the artist during a public reception on Sunday, Dec. 14, from 4–5:30 p.m.

Goolsby’s artistic journey began with lessons from his father, also an artist, who introduced him to oil painting. His mother’s influence nurtured his love of the natural world and drew him toward photography, a passion he continued to pursue while building a career in the automotive industry.

Over the years, Goolsby devoted many years to both photography and painting. He also co-founded a fine art photography business, called OSP Images, with his daughter that supports nonprofits preserving the natural world.

In 2018, Goolsby discovered encaustic painting from an artist in Langley, Washington. His interest in beeswax, fueled by years of beekeeping, made the medium uniquely compelling and a perfect fit for his artistic expression.

“As a kid, we raised bees as a hobby, so beekeeping and bee colonies have always fascinated me,” he said. “I was immediately captivated by this tactile and dynamic medium and decided to migrate from working in more traditional mediums.”

Goolsby studied the craft for several years at Northwest Encaustics in West Seattle, gradually developing his own style by blending traditional mediums with encaustic techniques.

Three words—impressionism, texture and tranquility—define Goolsby’s encaustic works, he said. Each painting follows a meticulous process, involving up to 30 layers carefully joined with the heat of his blowtorch.

His background in nature photography has honed his eye for composition, he said. Goolsby often draws inspiration from the beautiful places he has visited, using photographs as reference points for his paintings.

As Goolsby goes through the process of developing a painting, he constantly evaluates it from the perspective of a potential buyer. He always asks himself, “Would someone be willing to pay their hard-earned money for my piece?” If the answer is no, he continues refining it.

“Sometimes the piece is discarded because I realize it cannot be reworked,” he said. Beeswax has a mind of its own and is a difficult medium, so it’s very common that I have to abandon a painting. Other times, I can keep working and get to a point where I think it’s worth presenting in a gallery.”

Goolsby’s gallery shows the transformative power of fire in the hands of an artist. Learn more about the artist at artbygregg.net or ospimages.net.

As published in the fall 2025 issue of Community Connect magazine >>

Written by Arjit Singh, a member of the Highlands Youth (HY) Advisory Board and a Wisteria Park resident.