Lola Baltzell

 

Statement:

I am self-taught and find a lot of freedom in allowing myself to explore and find my own way. However, like the female painter in Virginia Woolf’s “To the Lighthouse”, I am terrified of the blank canvas. “Where to begin? …one line placed on the canvas committed her to innumerable risks, to frequent and irrevocable decisions.” I love that quote. I am interested in the process, the journey. I never know where I’m going when I start a piece. I am willing to experiment, to make mistakes. My best work is often the pieces I struggle with the most. That gives me a sense of aliveness, and I hope the work reflects that feeling as well.
I like to incorporate mixed media, to give myself a starting point. You will often find collage elements in my pieces and I also love working on and with found objects.

We all have hidden yearnings and talents that seek creative expression. Over the years I have explored various media, starting with photography, oil painting, then collage and currently mixed media encaustic.

When you are truly absorbed in making art, it becomes a meditation. You are transported beyond the analytical, critical mind. I see the “artist” as a channel, so that if we get out of our own way and let the creativity flow, we can tap into something wonderful, something beyond our limited sense of self.

Bio:

I am a self-taught artist.
I first fell in love with encaustic painting at an open studio in the South End of Boston about 15 years ago. I have worked in different media over the years and incorporate all that I’ve learned into my mixed media encaustic work.
My grandfather was a Russian junk dealer, and I relish in “the find” – an unusual material to use in my work. I am inspired by so much, both the inner world and the outer world.
I work as a psychotherapist and have also practiced yoga and meditation for decades.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

www.lolart.com