Willow Bader
Come Be My Guest, Encaustic on wood panel, 32”X40” 2012
Portfolio
6
Winter
When I am a presenter at a conference, I begin
by showing images of my work - without speaking.
It’s my way of saying that the art must do the
talking. When I demonstrate encaustic technique
in a workshop, I begin by working in silence on a
painting for awhile. I would rather do art than talk
about it. I would rather show than tell.
I’m an artist, not a public speaker. I’m a painter, not
a writer.
With that in mind, I’ll ask you to first go to my
website, http://www.willowbader.com, look at New
Work, Work on Paper, and take the brief Studio
Tour. (All the images are thumbnails for you to click
on and see the full painting.)
This survey will give you a clearer idea of what I’ve
done and where and how I do it. And you will have a
background for the content of the rest of this article.
The images I will share and talk about now
represent the directions I have pushed encaustic
painting beyond the mainstream boundaries. This
is about where I’m going with my art. It is my way
of trying to be useful to those who, like me, see art
as an ongoing adventure and a way of addressing
other people. I want this to be informal - what I
would say if you and I were standing in front of the
painting and talking.
Enough – lets look at the first painting.
COME BE MY GUEST
This is a portrait of Valter Nassi, master chef and
owner of Valter’s, an Italian restaurant in Salt Lake
City. As you can see, he’s a man who oozes vitality.
And oh, can he cook! I’m not a portrait painter. And
I only paint portraits of people with whom I have
a strong personal connection. After eating his
fabulous food and enjoying his hospitality again and
again, I wanted to give something back to Valter to
express my gratitude. Portraits are risky – the image
you paint and the person’s self-image are often in
conflict. But this painting passed the test. He loves
it. And so do I.
And if you’re ever in Salt Lake and want to have
an unforgettable experience, go to Valter’s. Tell him
Willow sent you.
www.EAINM.com