MICHELE RANDALL
Location:
Pittsburgh, PA, USA
ARTIST BIO
Michele Randall is an artist and instructor. A native of rural Pennsylvania, her work is influenced by her connection to environment and place. Trained as a printmaker, Michele incorporates these techniques into her encaustic work.
Michele has a BS and an MFA from Penn State University. She has taught a wide range of courses from the University level to advanced artist workshops at Conferences and retreats. Currently, she works full-time as an artist, workshop instructor, and mentor.
ARTIST STATEMENT
My work explores memory, lost and found, as it connects to the places and experiences of my life. I consider the visual fragments that accumulate and overlap, creating a patchworked story. I grew up in a conservative rural community. I am drawn toward process-heavy materials that are rooted in traditional practices. Currently, my work incorporates the use of encaustic, cyanotype printmaking, and collage. Wax has the unique ability to be built up, scraped away, and re-melted. The physicality of this medium forces a tactile engagement between myself and my work.
Cyanotype printmaking, a camera-less photography process, produces distinctive deep blue imagery. These blues are often associated with nostalgia and longing. I’m curious about the materials we discard or hold onto as we move through life. In addition to ephemera and family photographs, I incorporate small objects of little material value, such as discarded hair pins, flowers that have bloomed in my backyard for generations, and shadows of a body grown strong with age and experience.
