Josie Rodriguez

Encaustic has been Josie's medium of choice for over 20 years where she has been a practicing artist and teacher from her  home studio in San Diego and other venues throughout the United States. Just as the heat transforms the beeswax into a molten state used in encaustic, so too may be the transformative element between artist and viewer. Bees offer the most beautiful example of community, communication and cooperation.  She says that she learned very early in her life as an artist to take this medium as far as she could through research, continued learning, experimentation and practice. Her  two and three dimensional work have been shown in airports, museums, restaurants, hospitals, galleries and private homes.  Josie learned her craft  in San Francisco, CA,  Cortona Italy and Malaga Spain. Originally from  San Diego she  received her bachelor's degree from San Diego State University and master's degree from the University of San Diego. Before working full-time as an artist Josie worked as a clinical pastoral counselor at Scripps Mercy Hospital and San Diego Hospice in collaboration with  doctors and nurses, residents and students. 

This series, What was Left Behind was inspired by my bus trip to Copper Canyon in Northern Mexico. On our way back from this fabulous trip I had time to rest and gaze out the window at the landscape surrounding me on my way home. But what I saw broke my heart. This landscape was dry, flat, hot, immense for as far as the eye could see. No forested lands, lush grasses or waterfalls here...for this was the Sonoran desert. And it occurred to me that this was the very desert that many undocumented workers walked through with their children and families, oftentimes during the heat of the day or at night, always wondering if they would be shot or arrested. I was stunned at what I saw next and that was the border wall dividing the United States and Mexico. A tall rusty wall dividing opportunity and freedom, from fear and violence. Strewn across the landscape were pieces of clothing, plastic water bottles, food wrappers. I just couldn't imagine the conditions they went through and the stories they had to tell. Regardless of ones political views the facts were that this was the human condition. My art work helps remind us of what was left behind. Bits of clothing, wire fence pieces, a doll. This work is encaustic mixed media and painted on wood birch panels.

CA

USA