Jim Inzero (American b.1972) earned his Fine Art Degree in Interior Architecture from Maryland Institute College of Art. He traveled to San Miquel De Allende, Mexico, and studied under encaustic painter, Ezshwan Winding, transformation in his painting since then. Now resides on the shore of the Metedeconk River, Ocean County, New Jersey in 2001.

Since childhood, I have had a strong affinity for the natural world, and this affinity has always served as a source of motivation for me to find ways to articulate the sense of calm and relaxation that I regularly encounter. Inspiration can come from many different places, including the light in the sky, the clouds, the movement of water, the terrain of the landscapes, and the horizon. My paintings are constructed one layer at a time, and then a blow torch is used to fuse each layer to achieve a higher level of luminosity. The use of organic materials, such as beeswax and tree resin, in conjunction with powder pigment results in the creation of a vibrant and luminous surface that allows light to refract through it.

What Is Encaustic?

Encaustic is a Greek word meaning “to heat or burn in” (enkaustikos). Heat

is used throughout the process, from melting the beeswax and varnish to

fusing the layers of wax. Encaustic consists of natural beeswax and

dammar resin (crystallized tree sap). The medium can be used alone for its

transparency, and adhesive qualities, or used. Pigments may be

added to the medium or purchased colored with traditional artist pigments.

The medium is melted and applied with a brush or any tool the artist wishes

to create from. Each layer is then reheated to fuse it to the previous layer.

History of Encaustic

Encaustic painting is an ancient technique dating back to the Greeks, who

used wax to caulk ship hulls. Pigmenting the wax gave rise to the

decorating of warships. The use of encaustics on panels rivaled the use of

tempera in what are the earliest known portable easel paintings. Tempera

was a faster, cheaper process. Encaustic was a slow, difficult technique,

but the paint could be built up in relief, and the wax gave a rich optical

effect to the pigment. These characteristics made the finished work

startlingly life-like. Moreover, encaustics had far greater durability than

tempera, which was vulnerable to moisture. Perhaps the best known of all

encaustic work are the Fayum funeral portraits painted in the 1st through

3rd century A.D. by Greek painters in Egypt. A portrait of the deceased

painted either in the prime of life or after death, was placed over the

person’s mummy as a memorial. These are the only surviving encaustic

works from ancient times. It is notable how fresh the color has remained

due to the protection of the wax. Fayum burial portrait

The 20th century has seen a rebirth of encaustics on a major scale. It is an

irony of our modern age, with its emphases on advanced technology, that a

painting technique as ancient and involved as encaustic should receive

such widespread interest.

Earlier attempts to revive encaustics failed to solve the one problem that had

made painting in encaustic so laborious—the melting of the wax. The

availability of portable electric heating implements and the variety of tools

made the use of encaustic more accessible. Today it is gaining popularity

with artists around the world.

Care of Encaustic Art

These paintings are extremely archival, but as with any fine art, care should

be given to them. There should be no fear of the work melting in normal

household conditions. The wax and resin will not melt unless exposed to

temperatures over 150 degrees Fahrenheit. Leaving a painting in a car on

a hot day would not be advisable, as would hanging a painting in front of a window

with a direct desert-like sun. They are also sensitive to freezing.

temperatures.

Some encaustic colors tend to “bloom” or become cloudy over time. If the painting appears indistinct, simply rub the surface with a soft cloth.

stocking. Over time, the surface retains its gloss as the wax medium

continues to cure and harden for up to 1–3 years.

SOLO EXHIBITIONS 

2023 Water, Water Everywhere - John F. Peto Museum, Island Heights, NJ

2022 SOMA NewArt Gallery, Cape May, NJ

Ongoing Exhibition Jim Inzero Gallery, Pt Pleasant Beach, NJ 

2021 SOMA NewArt Gallery, Cape May, NJ

Nemacolin Woodlands Resort Farmington, PA

Ongoing Exhibition Jim Inzero Gallery, Pt Pleasant Beach, NJ 

2020 SOMA NewArt Gallery, Cape May, NJ

Nemacolin Woodlands Resort Farmington, PA

Ongoing Exhibition Jim Inzero Gallery, Pt Pleasant Beach, NJ 

2019 SOMA NewArt Gallery, Cape May, NJ

NemacolinWoodlands Resort,Artist in Residence Farmington,PA 

Ongoing Exhibition Jim Inzero Gallery, Pt Pleasant Beach, NJ 

2018 “Sanctuary” SOMA NewArt Gallery, Cape May, NJ Ongoing Exhibition Jim Inzero Studio, Pt Pleasant Beach, NJ 

2017 “eScape” SOMA NewArt Gallery, Cape May, NJ

Ongoing Exhibition Jim Inzero Studio, Pt Pleasant Beach, NJ 

2016 “Ocean of Consciousness” NewArt Gallery, Cape May, NJ,

The Listening Room Collaboration with Danny Clinch,Toms River, NJ 

Ongoing Exhibition Jim Inzero Studio, Pt Pleasant Beach, NJ,

2015 Art Basel Miami Beach, Jim Inzero Studio, Red Dot Art Fair, Miami, FL 

Jim Inzero Studio, Pt. Pleasant Beach, NJ, “Texture and Light” 

SOMA NewArt Gallery, Cape May, NJ,“Visions In Color” 

2014 DaSilva Gallery Guilford CT,“Coastal Impression” 

“Sea, Surf, and Sky” Jim Inzero Studio, Pt. Pleasant Beach, NJ,

“Waterscapes” SOMA New Art Gallery Cape May, NJ, 

2013 “Wax and Water” SOMA New Art Gallery, Cape May, NJ, 

Spectrum Art Fair Javits Center NewYork City 

Megan Peter Fine Art , Red Bank, NJ

2012 “Panoscapes” Jim Inzero Studio, Pt. Pleasant Beach, NJ, 

“PORT” Jim Inzero Studio, Pt. Pleasant Beach, NJ, 

The Walsingham Gallery, Newburyport, MA, Celebration of a New Artist 

2011 “Cumulus” Jim Inzero Studio, Pt. Pleasant Beach, NJ,

2010 “Sails and Solitudes” Hotel Tides, Asbury Park, NJ, 

GROUP EXHIBITIONS 

2019 North Water Gallery, Martha’s Vineyard 

2016 North Water Gallery, Martha’s Vineyard 

Tumbley Howell Gallery, Ocean Grove, NJ 

The Walsingham Gallery, Newburyport, MA, Blue Minded

2015 The Walsingham Gallery, Newburyport, MA, Men’s Night

2014 The Sharpe Gallery, Kennebunk, Maine

2012 Maritime Garage Gallery, Norwalk, CT, Senses of SoNo:“Physiology of Inspiration” 

The Walsingham Gallery, Newburyport, MA,“The Great Marsh”

2011 Rockwell Art Gallery, New Canaan, CT, Resonance- A Sonic Boom of Color 

2010 Flamboyan Foundation, Washington, DC, with sculptor Luis Torruella

2009 Gallery 638, Pt. Pleasant Beach, NJ 

Bernardsville, NJ, 29th Annual Mountain Juried Art Show

2008 Manifestations in Paint and Wax Gallery 638, Pt. Pleasant Beach, NJ,

2008 Shore Institute of Contemporary Art, AsburyPark, NJ, Juror:RocioAranda- Alvarado, Curator at the Jersey City Museum 

Trenton Artists Workshop Association, Inside/ Out 

2003-2006 Maryland Institute College of Art, 15 x 15