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| "Fayum Memory" by Serena |
Not long ago I received a call from a talented painter, Sharon, who wanted to create a series of portraits of friends and family in the style of the Greco-Roman-Egyptian painters of the first century BCE to the third century CE. These paintings were discovered centuries later in the Fayum area of Egypt.
Most of these paintings were done during the sitters' lifetimes and then after the person died, were affixed to their mummies. The paintings are done in a variety of styles, but all are haunting in their beauty and in the sense we have of seeing into the face of a real person who could be someone we know. One of the chief characteristics of Fayum paintings is the dark, large eyes of the subject.
I had done several Fayum inspired paintings in encaustic, but I wondered if Ceracolors wouldn't provide more flexibility in painting. I used a heat tool to fuse and incise in much of the painting to replicate the look of the Fayum paintings. These ancient painters used both encaustic and some form of cold wax. Ceracolors is a water-soluble wax paint which can be used in many ways.
Below is a still life done with Ceracolors and Ceracolors Fluid Medium. Below the apple you'll see some of my other Fayum experiments.
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| "Glowing Apple" by Serena |
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| "Ethiopian Girl" by Serena |
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"Fayum Memory # 2" by Serena
Sharon came to my studio to experiment with Fayum portraits. Her first one was done in encaustic, see below.
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| Sharon's Encasutic Painting |
Sharon used the same heat tool I had with her encaustic painting--you can particularly see it on the hair on this piece.
After the encaustic experiment, Sharon started a series of Ceracolor Fayum portraits.
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| By Sharon, after Fayum Artist |
Sharon really took off with the Ceracolors. When she paints family and friends, the pieces become really alive and individual.
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| By Sharon |
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| By Sharon |
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| By Sharon |
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| By Sharon |
I find Sharon's Fayum style paintings as hauntingly beautiful as the originals.
Ceracolors can be used for abstract painting as well. My piece below looks much like my oil/cold wax paintings.
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| "Smuggler's Cove" by Serena |
I'll be teaching "Ceracolor Still Lifes" at Artiscape, sponsored by European Papers, in Dublin, OH later this month.
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