Kenna Moser

Kenna Moser

kenna9@msn.com

Website: http://www.kennamoser.com

   Bainbridge Island, WA

My studio is full of objects that inspire, and piles of old botanical books, dictionaries and letters to be used in my work. I begin by gluing original vintage letters, envelopes and collage to a wood panel; a signature layer of beeswax follows this. I have been working with encaustic and beeswax for the past 20 years. The beeswax is applied hot, then smoothed and buffed. It provides a transparent and luminous surface for the oil painting.

The letters reference the written word. The script and paper are appealing to work upon. The writer’s stories have been lost. Perhaps I am creating their narrative. There is a bit of humor in the current pieces. Small images of people cut and collaged from books combined with larger life size oil paintings of natural specimens.

I am inspired by artists who work with their own visual language, passions and quirks. I believe that the path to the universal is through the personal, that you can only really paint what you know. My work is intertwined with my life. Images are gathered from trees, ferns and feathers found in the woods and stream behind my studio or gleaned from my garden.

MORE ABOUT THE ARTIST

What did the Fellowship or Laureate mean to you at the time you received it?

It was terrific exposure for my work as well as a way to meet artists and art professionals in the area. The money involved allowed me to buy materials I wouldn't have otherwise.

What do you do now? Has your art evolved or changed?

I am a full time professional artist. I show and sell my work at galleries here in Seattle, Ketchum ID, Laguna Beach CA, and Aspen CO. To view my work, see my album at: http://www.gailseverngallery.com/kenna-moser.html

What is one piece of advice you would give to an emerging artist?

Spend time in the studio developing your own personal vision and language. Don't hesitate to show your work wherever and whenever you can.

Briefly, how would you describe the state of the arts locally, as well as national and beyond?

diverse, exciting, ever-changing