Shima Shanti
American
Incollect Article: Shima Shanti Paints Visions of Peace Fused by Fire
I am an Encaustic painter, working in the ancient art form of painting with beeswax and fusing with fire. Water in motion and Spirit flow through my paintings delving into what lies beyond appearance, free of the confines of our perception. I do not think about what I am painting, rather I allow the energy in each artwork to convey its own feeling and capture the heart of the beholder. Painting is my open-eye meditation and my connection to Spirit. I paint visions of Peace.
My aesthetic is minimal and simple in composition. My earth-tone palette is neutral, deep, and rich. In this simplicity, unexpected levels of complexity surface. The revelation is mystical. Every brushstroke and pass of the torch ask for a choice; and each choice, as in life, affects the whole; creating patina and texture that is deep, translucent, and luminous. It has taught me to treasure imperfection and the spontaneity of life.
I hold a special reverence for the unseen details in the complex and labor-intensive encaustic process; believing the energy I infuse into each painting stirs something within us, awakens us, and beckons us to linger a moment longer in our shared appreciation of art. My choice of all natural earth elements—beeswax, earth pigments, fir-tree sap Damar and Baltic birch panels—is a silent whisper to the authenticity and integrity of my work.
My inspiration is borne from growing up in the abundance of water and endless big sky of Montana. It has forever connected me to nature and gifted me with an innate sense of color and composition. Today, I share life with my beloved husband of four decades in the lakeside hamlet of Del Dios near San Diego. Timeless joy of lost hours in the studio and the simple pleasures of outdoors balance the business demands and travel of my artist’s career.
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