BIO
Francesca Azzara is an encaustic artist who exhibits extensively in the tri-state area and works out of her studio in Rahway, NJ.
For over ten years Francesca has been working in encaustic wax, a medium that pre-dates oil painting. Encaustic paints are beeswax mixed with pigment and demar resin that are heated on a hot palette and worked with a heat gun and brush. This challenging yet forgiving medium allows the artist to layer the paints, collage and etch into the wax to create unique and varied surfaces that cannot be duplicated with any other medium.
Azzara’s most recent series of encaustic paintings is entitled “Windows and Whispers.” These paintings are presently on exhibit at the NAWA gallery in NYC. Each painting, a combination of encaustic paint, collage and oil stick, incorporates abbreviated imagery with ambiguous text to create psychological vignettes. The artist uses windows as a metaphor for the heart, the mind and the human spirit. Images are juxtaposed with commentary and observations to leave the viewer questioning relationships and the journey of life.
Francesca’s work in encaustics has resulted in numerous awards including: two HEART grants from the Union County Division of Cultural Affairs and featured “Artist of the Month” on the state’s Discover New Jersey Arts web-site. Her work has been sited in many publications including the New York Times and the Newark Star Ledger. In October she will have a solo show at the Haworth Library, Haworth, NJ. Oct .4 and 5th Azzara will be part of Jersey City Studio Tour. In November she will exhibit with a group of encaustic artists in the show, “Bee-ing,” at the Arts Guild of Rahway. For the past 8 years Francesca has been lecturing and teaching encaustic painting through out New Jersey. This fall she will be teaching at the Newark Museum and the Arts Guild of Rahway and lecturing at the Laurelton Arts Society in Brick, NJ.
To contact Francesca and learn more about her encaustic workshops, call 908-309-6114 or e-mail, francescapaints@gmail.com
To see more of her work visit: www.francescaazzara.artspan.com
or www.newartgroup.com
