Ever wonder how an artist becomes an artist? Why they make art? Where they get their
inspiration and what you’ll see when you visit their studio?
Here’s your chance to get find out.
What inspires you and how does that come
through your art?
“Nature is my
primary inspiration. While you really can't get more beautiful than the real
thing, I like to explore the colors, textures, and creatures-- both floral and
faunal-- in a way that honors the feelings of happiness and gratitude that
Nature evokes for me.”
What’s your favorite part of your process?
“For me, the
favorite part of the process is coming up with new ways to incorporate images
or ideas created in different media, printing a figure drawing onto fabric, for
example, or taking a design inked on paper using a handcut stamp and fusing it
into the wax as a layer to build upon.”
What weird and different material or
technique do you use?
“Sometimes,
people will say the entire medium of encaustic painting is weird and different,
using melted beeswax mixed with tree resin and pigment and painting while it's
melted, how weird is that! But it's an an ancient art form with a newfound
following, so it's not all that unfamiliar a technique anymore. Personally I like
to play around with building up texture on the surface of my paintings,
creating air pockets and divots that others often try hard to smooth away with
the torch. Then I fill those holes with oil pigment sticks to add visual depth
to both the subject and background of my painting.”
When people come to your studio, what will
they see you doing …what part of your process?
“When people come to my studio,
they'll get to see almost the entire process, from prepping the wood panels
before I start painting, to the process of building up layers, incorporating
other media, and using tools and techniques to develop the painting. I'll
demonstrate various techniques and explain the process I use for making the
medium (that's the one part of the process I won't be demonstrating since it
takes up a lot of room and concentration). I'm always happy to talk about the
process, so visitors are welcome to ask me anything!”
Why
are you an artist? What got you interested in art?
“I'm an artist
because the creative process brings me joy. I'm happy playing with everything
from fabric to paper to wood. My mother and my older sister inspired me when I
was very young, as both were excellent sewists and my sister could draw
anything from life. I started taking classes in different media -- watercolor,
pastel, life drawing, woodblock printing -- until I found one into which
I could incorporate all those techniques and more, Encaustic painting. It's
been an adventure ever since and I feel like I'm still just scratching the surface.”
You can see more of Virginia’s work and visit her studio
during Washington County Open Studios tour October 18-19th from 11am
to 5pm.
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