Alicia Forestall-Boehm

I love Fall. I love the cooler temperatures and I love the changing colors & falling leaves and I really love the annual tradition of switching out my summer clothes for my winter clothes. The sight of a favorite comfy sweater almost makes me yearn for chilly Chicago winter days…almost. Not only does the weather change but the city changes. The beaches close, school resumes and in general, the number of visitors is vastly reduced. Now I love living in the city, but the sheer number of tourists that visit every summer can be overwhelming at times. There is a small pocket of time between summer and holiday shopping season where downtown Chicago feels more intimate. The sidewalks are just a little easier to navigate and the restaurants in our neighborhood are actually filled with neighbors. I am particularly happy to welcome Fall this year with a number of exciting exhibitions! Tactile Encounters: The Influence and Appearance of Textures I am pleased to have five 3D encaustic ...

Tendency of Thought (18"x18", encaustic, cheesecloth) A number of months ago I looked at a call that I wanted to apply to and saw that it specified “Only 2D” submissions. Now given that I have focused on 3D work over the last year or so, I thought this was a nice little challenge. Challenges are a good thing. They encourage us to experiment and they test our willingness to step out of our comfort zone. Sometimes these challenges emerge as mere questions; how can I hang this sculpture on the wall, how can I use this material differently, how can I convey this idea? A good number of these deliberations remain ‘on the back burner’, so to speak, waiting for that spark of inspiration. Sometimes that spark happens right away. I see something new that hints at an answer, or look at the problem in a whole new way. Sometimes it’s just that infamous 'happy accident'. With this submission challenge, I knew that I wanted to incorporate both encaustic and cheesecloth...