Modern Art With Ancient Roots
Photos courtesy of Marge Luttrell
Have you ever looked at the work of an artist and been totally awestruck? That is exactly what happened to me the first time I saw Marge Luttrell’s incredible, encaustic paintings.
Her pieces were unlike anything I had seen before. And as my eyes settled in on the incredible details, my amazement became intense.
Before explaining Marge’s work, let me give you a peek at her background. She has a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Science in teaching art from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, where she still lives today. She also received a Fulbright Award to study in Japan and two National Endowment grants — one in art to study at the Art Institute of Chicago and the other in humanities to study the Renaissance in Italy.
Marge told me she was “born an old soul,” meaning she has always had an abiding interest in both art and history — particularly Greek mythology. She loves old books and collects all sorts of ephemera from old photos, papers, pictures, and textures. When she last counted, they filled 360 boxes! It is all idea fodder for her artwork that tells tales like the Greek myths she loves.
If you are new to the medium, encaustic painting is basically hot wax painting. It was developed by the ancient Greeks in the fourth century B.C. The molten beeswax is applied to a surface that is usually wood, although sometimes canvas is used.
Color pigments can be added to the wax and when the wax cools, it can be manipulated with metal tools like brushes, spatulas, knives, and scrapers. Because the wax can be thermally manipulated, it can be sculpted, and all sorts of material can be encased in it like a collage.
And that is just the first layer. Using heat guns, or in Marge’s case a blowtorch, she fuses each layer to create and develop her artistic story in layers of wax.
What makes her work so rich and interesting is its depth. This is hard to depict in still photographs. In person, you can see the collage items in the wax layers that pull you into the depths of the painting.
The colors never fade, and Marge knows she is refurbishing photos, fabric, colors, and even old bones into a new life. The resulting artwork has an ethereal, dream-like effect that is captivating. You can see more of her work and read her story at www.margeluttrell.com.
When she first presented her work to the world, Marge realized she was pioneering a forgotten artform that was centuries old. When she applied to an art show in Miami in 2010, the jurors had no knowledge of encaustic painting, and she needed to explain her process.
Since then, Marge has had an incredibly full schedule of shows. Last year, she did 22 art events throughout the country. As an artist, the highlight of these shows for her is talking to people who love her story and are intrigued by the originality of her artform.
In between shows and making work, Marge also takes time to spread her love of encaustics by teaching workshops at places like the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Her work is also interrupted by her love of travel and art investigations.
She has traveled globally to teach, share her skills, and further enrich her work through learning about distinct cultures. Intellectually, she collects images, stories, fairytales, poetry, and myths. Marge also collects physical collateral she can squirrel away in her vast collection to use at just the right moment to create an exceptional and luminous encaustic vision.
Diane Sulg is executive director of CRAFT and founder & co-chair of American Craft Week (ACW). She is a handmade advocate who provides valuable information in her one-day seminars at wholesale shows throughout the United States. She can be reached at dianesulg@gmail.com.