Photography by Maddie Stringfellow
“I never expected to be here doing this,” says Nela Navarrine. Here is St. Louis and this is her art, which now lines the walls of her home studio in the family room. Twenty years ago, Navarrine had built a successful career as an IT consultant in her native Argentina. But when her husband, Pablo Gonzalez, was transferred to St. Louis for his job, Navarinne had to learn to navigate her new role as a stay-at-home mom in an unfamiliar country, and painting helped ease the transition. “It was flexible. Something I could do when my kids were at school,” she says. “My artwork also helped introduce me to many people.” We recently sat down with Navarrine to learn more about her bright, yet unexpected, career path.
When did you start painting? I started painting almost 25 years ago. My eldest daughter passed away five days after she was born and a friend recommended painting as part of the healing process. I did it as a hobby and attended painting classes on Saturday mornings. Then, when we moved to St. Louis, a neighbor told me about a painting group at the Argonne Gallery. I would go there once a week. The gallery has since closed, but I still meet with these six women once a week to paint and converse. It is still very therapeutic.
How did you transition from making art as a hobby to a profession? A friend suggested I apply to the Foundry Art Show in St. Charles where I had also taken some classes. I always have a fear of showing my work, never sure if it’s good enough. But I got a little bit of courage and entered the show. It is wonderful to see your work in a new space where the public can see it as well. That experience gave me the confidence to apply to the St. Louis Art Fair’s Emerging Artists [as Entrepreneurs] Program. That was wonderful because they teach you about the business side of art and art fairs. That program helped me approach my art as a profession.
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courtesy of Nela Navarrine
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courtesy of Nela Navarrine
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courtesy of Nela Navarrine
You work a lot in encaustic. could you tell us more about the technique? Encaustic is painting using hot melted wax. I like it because it allows me to be very creative. I use wax to layer, and then I add color in between the layers. Encaustic paintings have more texture and shine. I like to add ink and paper to the wax layers or scrape it away after it hardens to create texture. I still use a brush, but I also use kitchen appliances—like a Crock-Pot and an iron. I put the wax directly onto my iron and then, as it melts, I use the iron as a brush to apply the wax directly to the canvas. Working in encaustic is also tricky. You need to work fast since the wax hardens quickly.
Where do you find inspiration for your work? I love color and textures, so I’m inspired a lot by nature. I spend time at the Missouri Botanical Garden. I take pictures of the flowers there, and I use the photos as inspiration. The Japanese lantern exhibit at the Garden a while ago inspired an entire collection.
Are there specific artists whom you admire? Georgia O’Keeffe inspires my big flowers. I love Monet’s crazy brush strokes. I am not a detailed painter, I use free-flowing brush strokes as well.
