WIND & GRASSES
Paintings of grasses swaying in the wind, a meditation on nature and the nature of love
meditations # A , Wind and Grasses by Maggie Simonelli
Encaustic, Japanese coral, 16 kt pale gold leaf, oxidizing copper leaf, eyeshadow and pigments on wood 9” x 9” x 1 1/2”
Maggie Simonelli : “I was inspired by the strength in flexibility, bending with the flow, surrendering to the moment yet not breaking. The idea of the beauty and strength that comes from flexibility in our hearts and minds. In love we are like the blades of grass in the wind, with strength and flexibility we surrender to love and bend, yet we do not break. In considering this idea with the grasses I incorporated cosmetics the reference to feminine beauty and strength in vulnerability shown in a single blade of grass, her ability to be flexible, to surrender and retain her individual character.”
Wind and Grasses TRIPTYCH by Maggie Simonelli
Encaustic, oxidized copper leaf, 16 kt pale gold leaf, Japanese coral, Arabian malachite, bee pollen,
cosmetics: CHANEL 204 TISSE VENDOME eyeshadows and pigments on birch 3 @ 20” x 20 (sold)
In this triptych Wind + Grasses handmade encaustic colors are created with cosmetic grade beeswax mixing natural elements of Japanese coral, Arabian malachite (stone), bee pollen, and cosmetics including CHANEL Tisse Vendome eyeshadows. Intermixed in the layers of wax are metal leaf of 22 kt gold, oxidizing copper and 16 kt pale gold and carved out pearl yellow and sage green colored grasses.
”Life is change, this I learned from the I CHING Book of Changes and by using natural process of the oxidation of the copper leaf from copper to dark green with time in the artwork I give homage to this eternal change. It is nature’s way, the way of life to change.”
Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them - that only creates sorrow.
Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like. - Lao Tzu
Blades, Wind and Grasses by Maggie Simonelli (sold)
Encaustic, Japanese coral, Japanese iwamomo (pink) glass pigment, Arabian malachite, 22 kt gold leaf, 16 kt pale gold leaf, bee pollen, oxidized copper leaf, eye shadow and pigments on wood 20” x 20
Coral & Sage, Wind and Grasses by Maggie Simonelli
Encaustic, Japanese coral, Arabian malachite,16 kt pale gold leaf, bee pollen, eyeshadow and pigments on wood
20” x 20”
Wind and Grasses Diptych by Maggie Simonelli
Encaustic, Japanese coral, Arabian malachite, 16 kt pale gold leaf, bee pollen, oxidized copper and aluminum leaf, CHANEL 204 Tisse Vendome eyeshadows and pigments on wood 20” x 30”, two panels (sold)
Flowering, Coral & Sage Wind & Grasses series by Maggie Simonelli
Encaustic, Japanese coral, Arabian malachite, Japanese iwamomo (pink) glass pigment, 16 kt pale gold leaf, bee pollen,
eyeshadow and pigments on wood 20” x 20”
meditations #1 - #6, Wind and Grasses by Maggie Simonelli
Encaustic, Japanese coral, Arabian malachite, Japanese Iwamomo (pink) glass pigment, 22 kt. gold leaf, 16 kt pale gold leaf, bee pollen, oxidizing copper leaf, eyeshadow and pigments on wood
each 8” x 8” (#1, #2, #3, #4 , & #5 sold, bottom row: most right, middle & most left and #4 top row most right and #5 top row middle )
Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them - that only creates sorrow.
Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like. ~ Lao Tzu
meditations #6, kiss, Wind and Grasses by Maggie Simonelli
Encaustic, Japanese coral, eyeshadow and pigments on wood 8” x 8”
Wind + Grasses Triptych by Maggie Simonelli *
Encaustic, oxidizing copper leaf, 16 kt pale gold leaf, Japanese coral, Arabian malachite, bee pollen, cosmetics: CHANEL 204 Tisse Vendome eyeshadows and pigments on wood 20” x 30” (sold)
* Exhibited at Not Supported at Sara Nightingale Gallery. Previously exhibited in Themes of Love encaustic paintings by Maggie Simonelli at Gary Marotta Fine Art, Provincetown, MA
BEFORE & AFTER OXIDATION of the COPPER LEAF
Wind + Grasses by Maggie Simonelli * (sold)
Encaustic, Japanese coral, Arabian malachite, Japanese ikamomo glass pigment, 16 kt pale gold leaf, bee pollen, oxidizing copper and aluminum leaf, CHANEL 204 TISSE VENDOME eyeshadows and pigments on birch panel, 16 x 16” (sold)
* Exhibited Themes of Love encaustic paintings by Maggie Simonelli at Gary Marotta Fine Art, 2017 Provincetown, MA
When the wind blows, the grass bends. ~ Confucius, The Analects
meditations #2, Wind and Grasses by Maggie Simonelli
Encaustic, Japanese coral, Arabian malachite, Japanese Iwamomo (pink) glass pigment, 22 kt. gold leaf, 16 kt pale gold leaf, bee pollen, oxidizing copper leaf, eyeshadow and pigments on wood 8” x 8” * **
* Exhibited Wind & Grasses encaustic paintings by Maggie Simonelli at Gary Marotta Fine Art, 2017 Provincetown, MA
** Exhibited Summer artrtists encaustic paintings by Maggie Simonelli at Gary Marotta Fine Art, 2019 Provincetown, MA
In love we are like the blades of grass swaying in the wind, with strength in flexibility we surrender and bend, yet we do not break.
Wiind & Grasses series was inspired by : “When the wind blows, the grass bends.” Confucius, The Analects
and Eulailas (Autumn Grass) by Suzuki Kiitsu 鈴木基一 (1796-1858) Ink and silver on paper 2 panel screen, Edo period, 19th century
Wind + Grasses by Maggie Simonelli * **
Encaustic (cosmetic grade beeswax), Japanese Coral, Agate (ground stone), 22 kt & 16 kt pale gold leaf, oxidizing copper & bronzed leaf, pigments, purpurite, gouache and cosmetics: CHANEL In Love blush + eye shadow on floating birch panel 24" x 24" Artist Collection
* Exhibited Wind & Grasses , and Themes of Love encaustic paintings by Maggie Simonelli at Gary Marotta Fine Art, Provincetown, MA and Entitled at Sara Nightingale Gallery, in The Hamptons, NY
** Artwork featured in “Entitled at Sara Nightingale Gallery” by Jennifer Landes, The East Hampton Star, April 7, 2015.
Please note: Copper and bronzed leaf has oxidized to green over time.
Meditations on Nature
FIRE PINE & Pine Barrens Collection
Fire, Red Pine from the Pine Barrens Collection by Maggie Simonelli
Encaustic, cinnabar, pine needles collected in Pine Barrens, NJ, and indigo on floating birch panel
27” x 27 “ x 2 1/2"
Once Upon a Time …there was a Planet called Earth (sold)
Magic Square, Pine Barrens Collection by Maggie Simonelli
Encaustic (cosmetic grade beeswax), smalt, bark, Japanese coral, lichen, silver leaf, seawater (Atlantic Ocean), garnet stone, deer fur, fox fur, duck feathers, human tooth, smoke, cranberries, Japanese dyed cranberry silver leaf, chrome ironstone, bog iron ore, 23 kt gold leaf, 16 kt gold leaf, grasses, glass beads, glass slag from Martha (old glass factory site in Pine Barrens), copper leaf, pine cones, artist hair, cosmetics, pigments, fresh water, peat, aluminum leaf, pine needles, charcoal, cedar, cedar swamp water, sphagnum moss, crushed blueberries, flame, sand, ground copper pigment, rose madder, casein, imprint from stiletto heels, and mica on floating birch panels
25 @ 9 “ x 9”
** organic materials collected in Pine Barrens, NJ
Fire, Pine Cone part of Once Upon a Time …there was a Planet called Earth
Magic Square, Pine Barrens Collection by Maggie Simonelli
eEncaustic, 22 kt gold leaf, pine cones, flame, smoke, lipstick, artist hair, oxidized copper leaf, aluminium leaf, pigments and casein on floating birch panel each 9" x 9”
METAL, Mica Once Upon a Time …there was a Planet called Earth
Magic Square, Pine Barrens Collection by Maggie Simonelli
Encaustic, mica, stiletto heel imprint, aluminum leaf, rose madder, lipstick, pigments and casein on wood
Maggie Simonelli River, Flow 2019
Encaustic, CHANEL Quiet Revolution eyeshadow, Japanese glass pigments, Japanese coral, aluminum leaf, pigments and water: Hudson River on wood panels. Total composition: 24” x 78” x 1 1/2”
(#1, #2, #5, #6, #7, #10, #11, & #17 available starting from the BOTTOM LEFT going up each column starting at botom of each column)
(#3 & #13, each 4 x 4" , #4- 5” x 7”, #8, #9, #12, & #16 each 6“ x 6”, #14 9” x 9” , #15 5” x 7”, #16 6” x 6” this group are sold)
River, Flow #2 2019 by Maggie Simonelli
Encaustic, CHANEL Quiet Revolution eye shadow, Japanese glass pigments, Japanese coral, aluminum leaf, pigments and water: Hudson River on wood panel
6" x 12" x 1 1/2"
River, Flow #10 2019 by Maggie Simonelli
Encaustic, CHANEL Quiet Revolution eye shadow, Japanese glass pigments, Japanese coral, aluminum leaf, pigments and water: Hudson River on wood panel
6" x 12" x 1 1/2”
River, Flow #17 2019 by Maggie Simonelli
Encaustic, CHANEL Quiet Revolution eyeshadow, Japanese glass pigments, Japanese coral, aluminum leaf, pigments and water: Hudson River on wood panel
6" x 12" x 1 1/2”
River, Flow #7 2019 by Maggie Simonelli
Encaustic, CHANEL Quiet Revolution eyeshadow, Japanese glass pigments, Japanese coral, aluminum leaf, pigments and water: Hudson River on wood panel
6" x 6" x 1 1/2”
River, Flow #5 2019 by Maggie Simonelli
Encaustic, CHANEL Quiet Revolution eye shadow, Japanese glass pigments, Japanese coral, aluminum leaf, pigments and water: Hudson River on wood panel
9” x 9” x 1 1/2”
River, Flow #9 2019 by Maggie Simonelli
Encaustic, CHANEL Quiet Revolution eye shadow, Japanese glass pigments, Japanese coral, aluminum leaf, pigments and water: Hudson River on wood panel
9” x 12” x 1 1/2”
MEDITATIONS ON NATURE
SEA of LOVE
'In the sea of love, I melt like salt, Faith, Doubt - they both dissolve.
A star is opening in my heart, The worlds turn in it.’ ~ Rumi
Sea of Love from The Birth of Venus series by Maggie Simonelli (sold) *
Encaustic, 16 kt pale gold leaf, pigments: Smalt glass and manganese blue, Japanese coral and Iwamomo pink glass, Chinese cinnabar, cosmetics: CHANEL 96 Utopia & CHANEL 847 Envol eye shadow, acrylic under painting, and sea water on birch panel36” x 36” x 1 3/4”
* Exhibited in "Soft Spoken" at Sara Nightingale Gallery, Sag Harbor, New York
MEDITATIONS on the Moon
Maggie Simonelli Pale, Indigo Circle in the Square 2001
Encaustic, 16 kt Pale gold leaf, 12 kt white gold leaf, indigo, japanese coral, and cinnabar on floating birch panel
45” x 45” x 2 1/2”
The indigo represents deep space and is applied in matte finish counter clockwise. Space- indigo- vastness . The cinnabar line around the circle was carved in and filled and then painted with pigment clockwise to represent Time, red and action . The circle is made with Japanese coral underneath that glows through the white and 16 kt pale gold leaf applied on to the circle . As the moon , eternal now, one moment . This is an homage to the abstract expressionist Richard Pousette-Dart.
MEDITATIONS on the River
“…the river is everywhere at the same time,” ― Hermann Hesse, Siddhartha
Meditations on the Hudson, Flowing River by Maggie Simonelli (private commission)
Encaustic, pigments, Chinese cinnabar, Japanese coral, aluminum leaf, CHANEL 122 Ocean Light eye shadow, Hudson River water and acrylic on floating birch panel 18” h x 90" x 1 7/8”
DETAILS : Meditations on the Hudson, Flowing River by Maggie Simonelli
“Have you also learned that secret from the river; that there is no such thing as time?" That the river is everywhere at the same time, at the source and at the mouth, at the waterfall, at the ferry, at the current, in the ocean and in the mountains, everywhere and that the present only exists for it, not the shadow of the past nor the shadow of the future.” ― Hermann Hesse, Siddhartha
Maggie Simonelli Fire in the River, Meditations on the Hudson (sold) *
Encaustic, water: Hudson River, eyeshadow: Sephora Color N° 13 Curacao Punch, Japanese coral, Chinese cinnabar, aluminum leaf, pigments and acrylic on floating birch panels TOTAL : 3 Panels : 18" h x 56 1/4” w
* Exhibited in "Friends with Boats" Sara Nightingale Gallery