Nella Lush Biography

Artist's Statement

In reviewing my artistic life it is difficult to separate it from my personal family life. As the days, weeks, months and years unfold I realize more and more how each of these days and years have influenced who I am. My life is a series of chapters not as easily organized in a folder but scattered all over the place. Through the years one of the things that has always been dominant in my life is my love for painting. A love that was instilled since I was a young child and lived in Italy and painted alongside my grandmother and sister. I did not realize then the impact that my life in the old country would have had all the way to the present. In all of my works, regardless of the medium or subject matter I always strive for that final aged look, so reminiscent of the italian landscapes. After years of painting in traditional oils I found a new love with encaustic painting. Wax is a wonderful medium. I love its challenges that I am faced with, I am drawn to its tactile qualities, the smell and viscosity of the medium, so very different from other painting techniques. With the wax I combine the use of oil paints, copper and brass, the materials themselves inspire much of the work and with their innate beauty, I try to express the textures, color and contours of the environment. In some paintings I add my own poetry written in Italian. I like to leave marks, scratches, gauges, the same as you see on an old wall, a lived in dwelling, an aged person. My work is a series about people and places that are part of my memories. In the use of color, line, and depth I like to create lyrical aesthetic, each piece holds a place in time. My work explores issues of knowledge, experience, memory and identity.