I am thrilled to write my first feature article for Somerset Studio Gallery, a special bi-annual mixed media magazine from Stampington & Co. The 4-page article, entitled “The Aesthetics of Melancholy,” is included in the Winter 2016 Issue. In it I share how I harness my melancholic tendencies, prevalent during the winter months, and turn them into inspiration for my creative works. I also discuss some techniques that I incorporate in my encaustic projects.
Here’s an excerpt from the article:
“Winter always puts me in a state of melancholy. Maybe it was the bleak, icy winters from when I used to live in the Midwest or the long dark evenings that even California, where I now reside, is not exempt from. Whatever it is, I cannot escape the sense of longing and sadness that pervades me. If I let it overwhelm me, melancholy easily turns into depression – that emotional state of resignation that looms over me like a dark cloud. To combat this, I learned to channel the various shades of emotions and memories that melancholy can evoke into my creative work. This way I can embrace melancholy when it comes and treat it as a source of inspiration and a time for indulgent self-reflection.”
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