Thea Evensen

My recent work has been inspired by the Mexican folk art traditions of retablo and ex voto painting. I combine collage, calligraphy, and encaustic to make pieces that are small and intimate. After building up and fusing several layers of wax, I begin to scrape and expose underlying colors. Shapes and textures are revealed in this process, and the placement of images, words, and scraps of paper creates other dimensions of interest. By continuing to construct and deconstruct in this way, the work comes to life and speaks to me. I enjoy the discovery of small surprises in unexpected places.