Dimensions: 42cm × 30cm

Encaustic on cradled wooden panel

‘Daybreak‘ is an original painting by artist and photographer Tanya Ogilvie-White. It is part of the 2025 Wild Coast Series, which celebrates the wildlife and scenery of northern New South Wales. This piece shows a nesting bee-eater catching insects on the wing, which she will feed to her hatchlings in sand dunes below.

The gemlike surface of this artwork is created using the ancient Greek practice of burning layers of beeswax and hardeners into a wooden surface with a live flame. The finished piece has a luminous quality that creates the impression of ‘bringing the outdoors indoors’.