A Love Affair With Antique Architectural Elements......
"Peace" 12"x12" Encaustic on Board
My fascination with antique architectural elements began some 20 plus years ago when my sister and I stumbled upon a warehouse in downtown Toronto absolutely filled to the gills with the stuff - 507 Antiques - little did I realize it then but I would end up working there for over a decade. During this time I gleaned a great deal of knowledge about antiques in general but was always struck by the beauty of the architectural pieces. From carved stone to architectural terracotta and everything inbetween, it is a veritable treasure trove of Architectural Salvage!
On a recent trip to The UK I popped in to The Sir John Soane Museum in London (below left) where I was blown away by the collection of salvaged architectural elements! Stone capitals and columns, carved and plaster statuary, urns, friezes are all meticulously displayed throughout the building - in fact one has the feeling that the building actually grew around it all (at least I did..) Peter Hone's apartment (below right) is full of plaster casts that he has made and surrounded himself with, a definite nod to Sir John Soane...
Seeing all this fascinating stuff inspired me to begin a series of "Architectural Encaustics" , I find the transluscent layers coupled with the textural qualities of the medium really lend themselves well to the subject matter.....
To me there is something very peaceful and serene about old stone elements, their surfaces are hard but yet smoothed by time, their colours and tones soft and subtle but yet deep and rich with patina. They give me a sense of calm, hence the names of the paintings in the series....
Stay Tuned...
Kari