American Snapshot #13, by Kelly Popoff

More on Kelly Popoff’s American Snapshot Series

For the past few years Kelly has been looking at images of Americana: doll collections, gun collections, antique furniture, clothing patterns, model home kits, yearbooks, toys, etc. Perhaps as an instinctive response to try to make sense of our current culture by looking back. Or maybe, to find connections that may explain why our history seems so present and unresolved. More recently, she was gifted a large collection of vintage snapshots that allowed her a more intimate look into America’s past. Her current paintings and drawings use these photos as a reference to try to capture the essence of American life – with emphasis on family, memory and socio-psychological dynamics.

This piece may be subject to bloom.

Bloom: Bloom is a natural outcome from working with beeswax and is a cloudy white film that appears over the encaustic piece. Keep in mind it will never be so cloudy that you can’t see the art! It’s just dulls down a bit. Simply gently rub the surface of your encaustic painting with a soft cloth when the piece appears a bit dull. As you gently buff the piece you will see the shine come through and the piece will come alive again! Over time, the surface will retain its shiny appearance as the wax medium continues to harden and cure over time.