Is she yearning to be outside or is it me yearning to be free? This image was inspired by the story of Maria from the Gonzalez-Alvarez house ("Oldest House") in Saint Augustine, FL. As I stood by this window not far from the second-floor bedroom, I could almost see Maria, weary from caring for her invalid soldier-husband during the time of the American Revolution, gazing out and longing for the peace to be found in her courtyard. She seems to be longing for the life that is passing her by. Yet, maybe I am the woman in the window. Perhaps I, too, long for something I see and imagine on the outside of my window to the world.
This piece started in my imagination as I visited the Gonzalez-Alvarez house. When I was able to photograph a young woman in the studio, the image began to take shape. I've combined the window view from the sick room with the young woman's wistful face. Now the story emerges! As I studied the image, it seemed perfect for my photo-encaustic technique. The encaustic wax added a luminance to the courtyard scene and face, a dreamy quality as if looking through the antique glass, while the texture of the wall and window sill are emphasized with wax.
Note: you can read a fictionalized version of Maria's story in the novel "Maria" by Eugenia Price. Her actual name was Mary, and she is a historic figure of St. Augustine's past. She was a well-known midwife and married three times, widowed twice. She and her second husband Joseph Peavett, a retired British officer, bought the house. He suffered a severe stroke and was bedridden the rest of his life, confined almost entirely to the upstairs bedroom, and Maria/Mary became his caretaker. Thus, I conceived the story of this piece, her yearning for a different life, the life she envisioned with her first husband who was the love of her life.
This piece started in my imagination as I visited the Gonzalez-Alvarez house. When I was able to photograph a young woman in the studio, the image began to take shape. I've combined the window view from the sick room with the young woman's wistful face. Now the story emerges! As I studied the image, it seemed perfect for my photo-encaustic technique. The encaustic wax added a luminance to the courtyard scene and face, a dreamy quality as if looking through the antique glass, while the texture of the wall and window sill are emphasized with wax.
Note: you can read a fictionalized version of Maria's story in the novel "Maria" by Eugenia Price. Her actual name was Mary, and she is a historic figure of St. Augustine's past. She was a well-known midwife and married three times, widowed twice. She and her second husband Joseph Peavett, a retired British officer, bought the house. He suffered a severe stroke and was bedridden the rest of his life, confined almost entirely to the upstairs bedroom, and Maria/Mary became his caretaker. Thus, I conceived the story of this piece, her yearning for a different life, the life she envisioned with her first husband who was the love of her life.