Shelley Gilchrist
Biography
When she moved to the Chicago area in 1995, Shelley Gilchrist was an oil painter making figurative work in the feminist narrative. Eventually she turned toward abstraction and developed a body of work in encaustic. Her pieces have received numerous awards at exhibits in the Midwest and the East Coast. Her work was featured in the recent book Encaustic Art in the 21st Century and is included in Studio Visit Magazine annually. Residencies at Ragdale and the American Academy in Rome inspired new approaches to her work. She founded the professional group FUSEDChicago and belongs to Chicago Sculpture International.
Artist Statement
Organic shapes and moving lines characterize my encaustic paintings. The curvilinear shaped pieces are painted with rhythmic patterns of saturated color. Surfaces are smooth and have a molten appearance. Some works are inspired by memories of specific natural land or seascapes. Others are derived from impressions of wind-tossed objects or figures in motion. I use bright colors to create a sense of play and heighten the energy of the work.