Randy L Purcell was born in Paducah, Kentucky in 1968. His path to becoming an artist was quite nontraditional. His resume included construction, the Army Reserve, deckhand on a riverboat, uranium enrichment, and sales to name a few. In 2000 he moved to Nashville still searching for the right career, and at the age of 37, he pursued an interest in the arts and enrolled at MTSU. In 2009, he received his BFA in both painting and sculpture. Since graduating, Purcell has mainly focused on a unique encaustic process where he transfers ink from magazines onto a thin layer of beeswax. The subjects of his paintings relate to his life’s experiences. His work can be found in both private and corporate collections throughout the United States, and he has a few public art pieces located in the Nashville area.
“My process involves using a photo as a template; it’s placed on plywood that’s been coated with beeswax. I then cut the template into tiny pieces and replace those pieces with magazine paper (the colors are placed face down on the beeswax). I continue this process, carefully choosing the colors from magazine pages, until the whole image is replaced. The magazine paper is sanded, sprayed with water, and then rubbed to remove the paper leaving just the ink transferred onto the thin layer of beeswax. The result is a mosaic-like field of color that makes up the larger image. The subjects of my work vary, as do surroundings, thoughts, and feelings. My intent is to seduce the viewer into their own moment of contemplation, either with the subject of a painting and/or the process,” Prucell says.
To learn more about Randy L Purcell, visit his website: randylpurcell.com
