In my work I paint with multiple layers of oil or encaustic paints, using translucent and opaque layers to achieve visual effects of depth, luminosity and a sense of atmosphere. I frequently turn to nature for my imagery and inspiration, both in the landscape and in other observations. My work is informed, in part, by my experience as a former beekeeper. My background and training is in oil painting, but in recent years I’ve been exploring encaustic as a medium. Encaustic is an ancient technique which uses heated beeswax mixed with damar resin. With encaustic, I use heated tools and a torch to fuse the paint and wax layers to a substrate, essentially painting with fire. With oils, I employ more traditional means to create contemporary landscapes from Old World techniques.
Biography:
Giselle Gautreau is an artist living in Charlottesville, Virginia. She is a resident artist at the McGuffey Art Center, where she maintains a studio and teaches.
Giselle is originally from New England, born into a French Canadian family. She received her BFA from Maine College of Art, where she majored in Painting. Giselle went on to obtain her MFA in Painting from Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of the Arts.
Giselle has received awards for her work, including a Professional Artist Fellowship from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and an Individual Artist Fellowship from the Virginia Commission for the Arts. Her paintings are included in corporate and private collections.
