Art Archive Featured Artist: Randy L. Purcell

Meet Randy L. Purcell. Originally from a small town in Kentucky, he has worked in many areas: a builder, a sailor in tow, and retail.—even uranium enrichment. At age 37, he decided to pursue his passion and return to school to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree from Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU).

Now Randy is preparing for the September solo exhibition "Flying Planes" at the Nashville International Airport and combines orders from several galleries. We spoke to him about his unique approach to encaustics and how he has found success working outside of the traditional art scene.

Want to see more of Randy's work? Visit it at Artwork Archive!

WHEN DID YOU FIRST BE INTERESTED IN ENCAUSTIC PAINTING AND HOW DID YOU MAKE IT YOUR OWN?

I studied at MTSU. I went to college to design and build my own furniture, but since there was no special degree for that, I took painting and sculpture classes. Once, in a painting class, we were playing with the encaustic technique.

At that time I was making a lot of things out of barn wood. We were given a project where we had to do something 50 times. So I carved 50 small barn figures from granary wood, covered them in wax, and transferred pictures of flowers, horses, and other farm-related things from magazines. There was something about the ink translation that caught my eye.

Over time, my process has changed. Typically, encaustic artists use layers of pigmented wax, decals, collages, and other mixed media, and paint while the wax is hot. I took one step (or technique), the transfer, and turned it into my business. The wax is melted and applied to the panel. After it cools, I smooth out the wax and then transfer the color from the recycled magazine pages. The beeswax is just a binder that fixes the ink to the plywood panel.

Each piece is unique because there are so many variables. I buy 10 pounds of wax at a time and the color of the wax varies from light yellow to light brown to dark brown. This may also affect the color of the ink. I tried to find other artists using this process, but never found anyone. So I created a video to share my process online hoping to get some feedback.

MANY OF YOUR PAINTINGS SHOW FARMS AND RURAL IMAGES: HORSES, barns, COWS AND FLOWERS. ARE THESE OBJECTS NEAR YOUR HOUSE?

I also ask myself this question all the time. I think it has to do with nostalgia for something. I liked living in the countryside. I grew up in Paducah, Kentucky, just hours away, and later moved to Nashville. My wife's family has a farm in East Tennessee that we visit quite often and hope to move there someday.

Everything I draw is connected to something in my life, something around me. I often carry a camera with me and constantly stop to take a picture. I now have 30,000 photos that may or may not become something special one day. I turn to them if I need inspiration for what I want to do next.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS OR STUDIO. WHAT MOTIVATES YOU TO CREATE?  

I need to get ready before I start working in the studio. I can't just log in and get to work. I'll come and tidy up first and make sure things are in their places. It makes me feel more at ease. Then I launch my music, which can be anything from heavy metal to jazz. Sometimes it takes me 30 minutes to an hour to fix everything.

In my studio, I prefer to keep the last couple of paintings nearby (if possible). In each of my paintings, I try to move a little further. So maybe I'm trying a new combination of colors or textures. Seeing my recent paintings side by side is a great form of feedback on what worked well and what I want to try differently next time.

DO YOU HAVE ADVICE FOR OTHER PROFESSIONAL ARTISTS?

I regularly go on art walks and participate in art events. But talking to people outside of the art scene and getting involved in the local community helped me a lot. I am active in some community groups, the Donelson-Hermitage evening exchange club and a business group called Leadership Donelson-Hermitage.

Because of this, I know people who don't usually collect art, but who can buy my work because they know me and want to support me. In addition, I was given the opportunity to paint a mural entitled "In Concert" on the wall of Johnson's Furniture in Donelson. I came up with a composition and drew my drawing on the wall in a grid. We had about 200 community members coloring in part of the grid. Those attendees included everyone from artists, teachers to business owners. It was a huge boost in understanding me as an artist.

All of these connections and opportunities led me to have an exhibition at Nashville International Airport in September called Flying Solos. I will have three large walls on which I will hang my work. It will bring me tons of exposure. This will be the next big turning point in my art career.

My advice is to get involved in many things. Don't focus on the studio so much that people forget you exist!

WHAT IS A COMMON MISTAKE ABOUT A PROFESSIONAL ARTIST?

Aspiring artists often don't realize how hard it is to be represented by a gallery. This is work. We do what we love, but it's still a job with responsibility. My work is currently featured in a gallery in the Louisville area called the Copper Moon Gallery. It is an honor. But once you enter, you must keep up with the inventory. I can't just send a few pictures and move on to the next project. They need a new job on a regular basis.

Some galleries request paintings that they think will best suit their clients. It depends on the type of gallery you are in. If I create something that I think is cool, it's usually the same. But then the gallery will want more of this type because their clients like it. Not an ideal situation, but sometimes you have to sacrifice something.

On top of all the responsibilities of creating art, you should also be looking for other opportunities to show your work, update the artist statement and biography, and the list goes on and on. Being an artist is easy. But I have never worked so hard in my life!

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