nacre of pearl new paintings by maggie simonelli at gary marotta fine art -g1 gallery in provincetown
art opening : friday, june 9th & saturday june 10th 7-9 pm at
gary marotta fine art g-1 gallery 162 commercial street provincetown

Nacre of Pearl encaustic paintings Maggie Simonelli

Opalescence of crushed pearls, warmth of peach orange resonating from coral, pale pinks, translucence of beeswax, pale golds, shimmering silvers, these are the materials of Maggie Simonelli's paintings for the exhibit entitled Nacre of Pearls that speak to the heart through the senses. Enchanted by themes of nature, love and compassion in the series Pearl within the Pearl Maggie Simonelli embraces the feminine, beauty with highly decorative style with sensuality of touch. The title of the series comes from Rumi quote :

“Whatever pearl you seek, look for the pearl within the pearl!” ― Rumi

Pearls have been symbolic of goddess culture associated with Venus which finds its origins in the Middle East in goddess Astarte. Finding the transcendent within and diving deep into this source to find spiritual essence is part of the journey in this series.

Alchemy of elements are “slow-cooked” on double boiler creating handmade paints of beeswax. Rich, luscious surfaces of soft cream of translucent pearls are layered like as if building the nacre surface of a real pearl. Salmon colored coral and pale glass pinks Interlace inside the feathery pale gold and silver petals that radiate upward on wood panels with Simonelli's signature encaustic “burn-in” technique. Painting with the nacre of real pearls in Nacre of Pearl, the softness of the color has a shell like effect encompasses the viewer in pale coral pearl cloud. Continually layering into wax, Simonelli layers of brushed on crushed pearls , pale pink glass pigments within the pale colored beeswax with iridescence of imbedded metals.

Simonelli says :
The pearl is a treasure hidden and a protector for the oyster who creates the pearl within. In irritant arriving with the oyster shell signals the process to cover it with nacre secretions. This protective coating is iridescent and creates the final pearl. For the artist the birth of pearl is symbolic of power of love and goddess Venus that at first may irritate the heart to act and creates beauty and sacred nature within.

Simonelli paintings return to reverence of Nature, embracing the decorative, the liberation of beauty, sacred love and divinity of the feminine as a living nature. Maggie Simonelli painting process is a devotional contemplation, a communication of beauty and nature of the human spirit through the hand.

new exhibition at
gary marotta fine art, g-1 in provincetown

WATER & PEARLS
encaustic paintings by maggie simonelli

Maggie Simonelli Heartbeat of Water #1 (sold)
Encaustic, 22 kt gold leaf, arctic blue silver leaf, aluminum leaf , oxidized copper leaf and pigments on wood 24” x 37 1/2” ” x 1 1/8"

Maggie Simonelli Heartbeat of Water #2
Encaustic, 22 kt gold leaf, arctic blue silver leaf, aluminum leaf, oxidized copper leaf and pigments on wood
24” x 37 1/2” ” x 1 1/8" (sold)

Maggie Simonelli Heart of Water, blue & gold 2022
encaustic, 16 kt pale gold, aluminum leaf, Pat McGrath Labs Subliminal Mothership eye shadows and pigments on wood
20” x 20” x 1 1/2” (sold)

Opalescence of crushed pearls, warmth of peach orange resonates from coral, translucence of beeswax, turquoise floating in a sea of blues, pale golds, shimmering silvers, these are the materials of Maggie Simonelli's paintings that speak to the heart through the senses.

detail, one panel of tryptch Love is a Cloud that Scatters Pearls (sold)

Enchanted by themes of nature, love and compassion in the exhibit Water & Pearls Maggie Simonelli embraces the feminine, beauty with highly decorative style and sensuality of touch. Alchemy of elements are “slow-cooked” on double boiler creating handmade paints of beeswax. Rich, luscious surfaces of translucent paint are interlaced with pale gold, silver leafs on wood panels with Simonelli's signature encaustic “burn-in” technique. Painting with the nacre of real pearls in Love is a Cloud that Scatter Pearls the softness of the color has a shell like effect encompasses the viewer in pale coral pearl cloud. Continually layering into wax, Simonelli carves out arabesque shapes and lines with ceramic tools, layering colors with iridescence of embedded metals.

Simonelli says "As this year brought us indoors and within, the paintings reflect this quiet contemplation of our own nature and connections to nature that brought solace in the face of uncertainty. The Heart of Water is a mediation on water as the compassionate heart of nature and mirror reflection into our own hearts as we dealt with loss. The fear, tragedy, death and the uncertainty, brought us a new expanded awareness of our relationships to each other and to the sacredness of life."

baby blue series Heart of Water, #1 , #2, #4 & #6 (all sold)
encaustic, 16 kt pale gold, aluminum leaf, Pat McGrath Labs Subliminal Mothership eye shadows and pigments on birch panel each 6" x 6" x 1" (sold)

Love isn't the work of the tender and the gentle;
Love is the work of wrestlers.
The one who becomes a servant of lovers
is really a fortunate sovereign.
Don't ask anyone about Love; ask Love about Love.
Love is a cloud that scatters pearls.
~ Rumi
Rumi: The Book of Love: Poems of Ecstasy and Longing
Translated by Coleman Barks

LEFT Heart of Water, baby blue #3 RIGHT: Heart of Water, gold #7
encaustic, 16 kt pale gold, aluminum leaf, Pat McGrath Labs Subliminal Mothership eye shadows and pigments on birch panel each 6” x 6” x 1" (sold #3 & #7)

Simonelli embraces the decorative, playing on the liberation of beauty, sacred love and divinity of the feminine in a living nature. Simonelli paintings return to reverence of Nature and sacred love. Adorn the paintings, finishing with soft, velvety shimmering colors from DIOR, MAC and Pat McGrath Labs cosmetics incorporating titles to play into a created sacred love mythology.