FRANCESCA

My mission is to brighten lives through color.

I made a decision not too long ago to choose Light.  Joy.  To choose yes.  This was the best decision I’ve ever made.  It was also a matter of timing.  I never left the art behind; it was always present in my life.  It was my salvation and my ticket out of so many ugly, anxious moments.  Every day that I’m in my studio with the sunlight pouring through the skylights and my dog Pippin snoozing on the sofa, I am happy.  Joyous.  In celebration of Life, the Good and the Curiosity of what will happen next.

I hope these feeling come through in my work. I know my creations are not meant to be left in my studio, nor necessarily made for me. They are my contribution to, well, you! I want you to experience pieces of my joy, energy and wonder. I want to inspire you to say yes to Life. To stretch and take risks, ponder those crazy colors I use, feel a shift of just maybe doing something different today. A step in a new direction. Or trading in those dark clothes for something brighter. Perhaps something in red?

ENCAUSTIC

A mixture of beeswax, damar resin and raw pigment. An ancient technique dating back to the days of Egyptian funeral portraits.  Durable, archival, always luminous.

A Short History of Encaustic

Encaustic painting is an age old technique used by the Greeks dating back to the 5th century B.C. First used to weatherproof ships, it was later used as decorative ship paint with the addition of pigment. As the Greeks settled in Egypt, encaustic was used to paint the funeral portraits. The most famous encaustic works are the Fayum funeral portraits painted in the 1st Century A.D. by Greek painters in Egypt.

Care of An Encaustic Painting

Treat an encaustic painting like any fine art. Work can be stored by wrapping it in wax paper and then bubble wrap with the bubbles facing outward in order to not leave an impression. Store at room temperature and out of direct sunlight. The paintings can be “buffed” up to a shine by wiping with a soft cloth or the palm of your hand.

Encaustic paintings won’t melt in a warm environment. They actually prefer it! The greatest risk to an encaustic painting is the car. (think animal, baby…) The sun intensifies the heat and could soften the wax. When I travel with my paintings I make sure to park in a shady spot with the windows lowered for better circulation. It takes at least 160 degrees to bring wax to a molten state and I paint within a 180-200 degree range.

STUDIO WILDCAT

Choosing a painting for your home doesn’t have to be difficult.

Come visit Studio Wildcat.  Your destination gallery.