Artist Biography
Randy L Purcell discovered his passion for art later in life, embarking on his creative journey after years of searching for the right vocation. In 2005, he pursued a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting at Middle Tennessee State University, where he developed his signature encaustic technique—transferring magazine ink onto beeswax to create intricate compositions. His work explores memory and perception, inviting viewers to experience the interplay between detail and distance. From afar, his paintings resemble faded photographs, evoking nostalgia, but up close, they reveal a complex collage of text and imagery sourced from magazines, reinforcing themes of storytelling and fragmented recollection. Randy’s distinctive approach has earned him widespread recognition, including media features, awards, and an international following. His work has been exhibited in galleries and unconventional venues alike, including Nashville International Airport (BNA), Grand Rapids Public Museum, Middle Tennessee State University, and numerous Middle Tennessee art crawls. His public art projects include a Metro Arts Nashville bike rack design and murals for Nashville’s ARTober celebration and MTSU’s Veteran Center. Beyond his personal practice, Randy is a dedicated advocate for the arts. He co-founded the Nashville Collage Collective and the collaborative Four Artist TN and has served on the boards of L’Evate, Turnip Green Creative Reuse, and NUMBER: Inc. Magazine. Passionate about sharing his craft, he teaches encaustic art through workshops, inspiring others to explore the rich possibilities of mixed media and image transfer. Randy resides in East Tennessee with his wife Tracy and their dog Jagger.
Artist Statement
Memory is an extraordinary thing—a vast “lost and found” of our lives. My work explores this realm, capturing fleeting moments, fragments of experience, and the wonder that emerges from unexpected connections. Each painting serves as a visual chapter, weaving together recollections, impressions, and the intricate layers of my journey. Using a meticulous process of cutting and transferring ink from magazine paper onto beeswax, I embrace both precision and imperfection. Like memory itself, my transferred imagery is often fragmented, softened, or altered—echoing the way we recall the past. The act of layering these elements is meditative, allowing me to lose myself in the interplay of color, texture, and meaning. Many of my subjects—bees, organic patterns, and symbolic imagery—reflect personal encounters and the things that have shaped me. Bees, in particular, hold a special significance; not only do they create the wax I work with, but they also serve as a reminder of resilience, collaboration, and environmental interdependence. Through my compositions, I seek to draw viewers in with familiar subjects, then hold their attention through intricate details and layered narratives. A new series of paintings will explore the form and spirit of guitars—objects imbued with personal and cultural memory. Just as music has the power to transport us to a specific time or place, I want these pieces to evoke a sense of nostalgia and discovery. The process remains the same: an intuitive unfolding, where I let the imagery reveal itself layer by layer, much like the way a melody builds and transforms. I hope my work invites viewers to engage in a similar process of reflection—to step back and take in the whole composition, then move closer to explore the hidden details, finding connections to their own experiences along the way.
