Introducing Kris Lattin Gruben

The Bear Valley Springs Cultural Arts Association is about to sponsor its 36th Annual Art Show during the week of April 5-10. One of the most popular features of the show is the opportunity to win an art piece donated by one of our many talented artists. The raffle tickets are available at the show.

One of our donors this year has been an exhibitor in past years at the show. Her name is Kris Lattin Gruben and the art piece she is donating is in a medium new to the art show. It's called Encaustic Process and is a mixture of beeswax and damar resin mixed with pigment for color.

Kris has been exposed to art all her life. Her mother was a professional water color artist. Kris, herself, has also been painting all her life.

After she moved here, she decided she wanted to try a new medium and took a class in Bakersfield on the less well-known medium, Encaustic.

The process is somewhat complicated and time consuming. A layer of the mixture is applied, then fused with heat before the next layer is applied. With each layer she adds more color to complete the picture. She uses a torch to fuse the layers. A brush is her application tool but the bristles are stiffer than the regular artist's brush.

Her color pigment comes in blocks. She also uses oil sticks. These can become a little pricey but she reassured me that they do last quite a while.

Kris is always up for another creative challenge and her latest foray is soldering with shells and found items.. Her pieces are mounted on glass bottles.

Kris and her husband, Randy, have been living in Bear Valley Springs for five and a half years. They moved here because their son, Josh and his wife Julie, with their two children already resided here. Kris had recently retired as a Compliance Officer after 10 years. Her art can be viewed at Gallery 'N' Gifts. She has been with them since 2016.