Francine resides in St. Petersburg, Florida and spends her summers near the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in New Mexico. First hand observation of both these places is essential to her work.
“Years ago my art focused on encaustics and Chinese watercolors. Recently, these interests have intersected. Encaustic painting enhances the Chinese approach and materials. Touches of a hot wax pen layer recalls brush movement on rice paper. Rich colors and textures inherent in encaustics emphasize details. Combining both techniques was the impetus to begin an exploration of Florida trees.
Nature was my starting point. My work approach was to identify a particular tree. The more unusual or unfamiliar the better. Most times I visited where the trees grew and spent time picking out just the right tree. Older trees especially captured my attention. They seem to be long time observers and like me can recall earlier times.”
Francine E. Michel, Ph. D
Francine holds several degrees, continues to learn, and generously volunteers for youth and art programs.
