In the second installment of The Artist’s Atlas, Gallery MAR journeys into the luminous, wave-washed world of encaustic artist Shawna Moore. Fresh from a six-week sojourn along Panama’s wild Pacific coast, Moore returns not only with sun-kissed memories and salt-air sketches, but with a deepened artistic clarity—one forged in the rhythm of tides and the quiet moments between swells. Nestled in a remote casita, feet from the shoreline, Moore immersed herself in a simpler rhythm of life where the horizon stretched endlessly and inspiration drifted in on the ocean breeze.

Moore’s minimalist sensibilities found fertile ground in the elemental landscapes of Panama—its hazy horizons, ever-changing surf, and the unadorned poetry of daily rituals. As a surfer and seasoned traveler, she speaks of “internalized images” and the desire to translate experience into essence. Her work, always rooted in perception and memory, now leans further into restraint—stripping away all but the most essential gestures of movement, water, and light. From the hush of dawn paddles to the tension of watching storm clouds collapse into the sea, Panama offered Moore a palette of profound simplicity—one that continues to shape her evolving visual language.

 

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Gallery MAR: You recently got back from a trip to Panama. Could you tell us a little more about your trip? When and for how long were you there? 

Shawna Moore: This spring I experienced my second trip to Panama. My husband and I were there for six weeks. It was a surf-centered trip to a place we had visited the previous Spring. We found a spot we loved but last year we had to drive there each day from a bigger town. This year we lived in a casita close to the beach. I could see the waves from my porch as I drank my coffee. It is a remote and uncrowded area which makes you feel like you have gone back in time. Have you ever skied at one of the remaining “Mom and Pop” ski resorts? It felt like that!

Gallery MAR: Where did you visit while you were there? What did you do? 

Shawna Moore: We flew into Panama City and traveled from there. Only one airline services the country so flights are hard to coordinate. Panama City is an international trading and banking center that is centered around the commerce of the Panama Canal. If you were to visit, you would realize that this is a modern city and country and although contractors from around the world operate components of the canal, it is all overseen by Panama and international companies. Panama and the canal are not up for grabs and function really well. Water issues do affect adjoining communities and that is an issue, because they want to dam and flood some places. The general population is very involved in politics and grass-roots activism which is good to see. They will protest projects that do not serve the people of Panama.

Gallery MAR: What in particular did you love about Panama? What were you most inspired by, both personally and artistically? 

Shawna Moore: As I mentioned before, it was like going back in time. As a kid who grew up in a small Oregon ski town that is now over 100,000 people, I have a particular sensitivity to the growth in special places where life and sport meet. I visited Park City in the mid nineties and I remember it being kinda rough. I went on a run in an area with dirt roads and no development and looked down on this cool, gritty, little town of skiers and artists. That same area is now built up with luxury homes now. It is hard to witness change. It is happening in my Montana ski town too, so it is nice to have a moment where there are no dump trucks and nail guns. 

It was the simplicity of it all that I loved the most. Living next to the beach and being the first people in the water each day was a true gift. Watching fishermen come and go reminds me that the ocean is a sustenance for many. Seeing turtles making their nests and returning back to sea and the heartbreak of watching dogs and humans raid the nests is sad. Visiting the cantina where the waitresses speak no English so it forces you to practice your Spanish is fun. Being so close to the waves and weather that you can drop everything and paddle out for an unexpected session is a surfer’s dream. Walking the beach in a rainstorm wearing a swimming suit which is better than soggy clothes is a revelation for a mountain gal. 

Gallery MAR: I know many of your encaustic paintings have been influenced by travel (particularly trips to Central America) and the experiences you have in the landscape. Do you believe this travel experience will have an influence on your work? 

Shawna Moore: Yes for sure! I kept my sketchbooks as usual, but found myself trying to use unusual colors this time. I do not work from photos when I paint the large painting and part of the process is to recreate the “internalized” images. What I mean by that is I have a collection of images but I try to let the feeling or impression of the experience reveal itself in the work. I don’t just want to copy a photo. I want to be a reservoir of experiences and images that are not printed or shared online. I notice and notice and notice and then hope that all that looking emerges as an expression of an experience.  

Gallery MAR: How do you see your work evolving or how do you see the influence of this experience shining through in your work? 

Shawna Moore: As a surfer, I spend most of my travel time looking out to the horizon for just a glimpse of movement for an incoming set of waves. In between waves there is the sunrise or sunset, colors of water and sky, landforms and the movements of other surfers, birds and fish. It is a feast for the eyes. Colors, textures, shapes, and surfaces. In the ten years I have been actively seeking out surfing and painting about it, I have explored the horizon line, the meeting of land and sky, and the color and movement of water for example. Surfing and noticing the space between riding waves has helped me tune into what is around me and this has transferred into my back country skiing as well. 

Gallery MAR: Is there anything new that you would like for our collectors to know or anything that you think they might be interested to learn of your work and life of late?  

Shawna Moore: I think that deep down I am a minimalist. Many of the artists I love practice an economy of means in their painting. Just including the bare minimum to convey the image is very difficult, in my opinion. So in the current paintings I am aiming to get a sense of water and movement or calm in the simplest way. That is the intention of each painting but if it is not working (for example not enough line, color or shape in the painting), I might need to include more. In the end you might just want to make a painting with a simple line but if you want a “successful” painting you sometimes have to include elements that you hadn’t planned for. I am still trying to find that balance between too much and not enough. I am looking for that “Goldilocks” moment where the image is just right.

 

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Written by Veronica Vale

Tags: Art Travels, Central America, encaustic art, encaustic artist, Montana Artist, Panama, Shawna Moore, Shawna Moore Art, Shawna Moore Artist, The Artist's Atlas
Posted in Gallery News