Artist Maria Livrone to exhibit at AnnaMaly Gallery
Maria Livrone shows off some of her artwork. To see more examples in person, you can attend a meet-the-artist reception on March 21 at AnnaMaly Gallery, 900 Rutter Ave., Forty Fort, or return for an “open gallery” event on March 22.
Submitted Photo
Artist Maria Livrone used a real bird’s nest, crafted from twigs by birds, in this piece.
Submitted Photo
What would you do if you found a bird’s nest — one that our feathered friends didn’t seem to need anymore?
If you’re artist Maria Livrone of Plains Township, who has described herself as “enamored by birds,” it might take a while to decide.
“I held onto it for, oh God, a very long time, until I knew what I wanted to do with it,” Livrone said, explaining she eventually covered the nest in layers of wax, fashioned wax eggs to nestle within it and attached it to a wood base that looks like a box.
The intriguing piece is one of many samples of Livrone’s artwork that will be on display at the AnnaMaly Gallery in an exhibit titled “Embracing the Layers: Encaustic works by Maria Livrone.”
An opening reception is set for 5 to 8 p.m. Friday March 21 at the Gallery, located inside the 900 Rutter Ave. complex in Forty Fort. And an “open gallery” is set for 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 22, where visitors are invited to enjoy both the show and the surrounding 900 Rutter businesses.
Livrone, whose work recently was featured in the Winter 2024 issue of Encaustic Arts Magazine, is enthusiastic about her wax projects and how durable they are.
“I apply at least 6 to 8 layers and torch between each layer so it melts into the previous layer,” she said, “Then I apply 8 to 12 more coats in colors of my design; I make my own colors with dried pigment. There could be 30 coats of wax on one piece. That will outlive all of us.”
Actually, when she was working with the nest, she used a heat gun instead of a torch to avoid setting the twigs on fire. “Then I brush stroked some wax along the outside and inside,” she said, “just to tie it all together.”
Livrone enjoys working with different materials from around the world.
“If you know me I am never satisfied just doing one medium,” the artist said, adding that visitors to the gallery will see she has created art using Damar resin, which is sap derived from a tree in Indonesia; beeswax; Japanese paper, Africa mud cloth and kantha fabric that comes from India.
“I’m loving the pieces. I love translating my love of textiles into encaustic work,” she said, adding: “Encaustic wax is a fascinating medium, and you could take 100 paths with it.”
Livrone and Gina Malsky, mother of AnnaMaly Gallery director Anna Malsky, see this exhibit as “coming full circle” because, years ago, Livrone was one of the artists who maintained a studio in the Downtown Arts space that Gina Malsky ran.
“It is full circle,” Livrone said. “That’s wild.”
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