Local artist Marsha Balbier has been creating art in Asheville for three years. Her work is featured in the Banff School of Fine Arts permanent collection in Alberta, Canada. Balbier has studied fine arts and design in schools across North America, including Banff, the University of Northern Colorado, Endicott College in Boston and Philadelphia Textile.

This exhibit will be on display January 5 - 30.

For more information about Balbier's work, visit her website.

News Release

My artwork is about color, patterns, and textures. Glass and encaustic art are both wonderful media to incorporate all of these elements. The translucence and luminescent qualities of glass allows me to experiment with different colors and textures to create beautiful art. I fuse 2 or more pieces of glass together and set it into the kiln and fire up to 1600 degrees for 8 hours. Sometimes I will shape a piece by slumping the glass into a mold. Each composition is a one of a kind work of art.

 

My passion for encaustics manifests itself through the limitless designs, patterns and materials which I use to express the essence of life all around me. Encaustic art is a technique that dates back to ancient Egypt when it was used to create mummy portraits. Recently encaustic painting has enjoyed a resurgence of popularity. My encaustic painting technique uses heated beeswax to which I add colored pigments and a stabilizing agent called dammar. The resulting mixture is then applied to a hard surface such as wood, to create various designs and textures.

- Marsha Balbier, December 2010