Johanne Lamarche
Born in Canada, I came to Philadelphia to complete a residency in periodontics. Twenty years of volunteer work as a docent with Art Goes to School fueled a passion to start creating art of my own. My experience as a dental surgeon has given me a good grasp of spatial interpretation and line and it honed a keen sense of observation and informs my art practice. When I discovered cold wax and oil, I felt like my creative and professional lives had merged. I traded conventional paint brushes with improvised tools to move paint around in, many not unlike my surgical implements. With cold wax and oil, painting is a spontaneous process of discovery, where multiple layers are often scraped back to reveal interesting surprises and textures. This very intuitive form of painting allows for the creation of depth, transparency and luminosity and is very process-driven, keeping the work open to all possibilities.
My work is in the permanent collection of The Museum of Encaustic Art in Santa Fe, NM and in private collections in the US, Canada and Europe. My work has been represented in juried shows locally, nationally and internationally. I have been honored to be a featured artist in many local solo shows. I was invited to represent Pennsylvania at the 50 States/200 Artists exhibition at the Museum of Encaustic Art and was featured on CTV news in Canada.
Becoming an artist has enriched my life in immeasurable ways: meeting artists, art philanthropy and continuing to learn new skills. It has brought so much joy in my life. It is a thrill when someone connects with one of my creations. I hope my work conveys a sense of uplifting energy, provokes contemplation, and inexhaustible discovery.
Find Johanne at:
S.O.S.
”S.O.S.” is a mixed media work created with oil and cold wax on paper, mounted to a cradled birch panel. The piece began with an underpainting infused with raw emotion expressed in intentional writing expressing frustration, fear, and dismay—reflecting my concerns about the current political climate: democracy matters, stop the lies, fund science, immigrants are not the problem, vote, stop evil, stop oligarchy. Layers of Asemic writing add an air of mystery and subconscious communication, while partially obscured text, “We are Better Than This,” hints at suppressed yet persistent hope. At the forefront, the word “Democracy” is embedded within the wax—an urgent plea for its survival.
Across the surface, yellow embroidery slashes through the composition, an homage to my past as a surgeon and a symbol of hope, rendered in its luminous hue. What lies behind is whether the slashes are connected or not….another nod to how divided we are as Americans. Despite the intensity of its themes, the work’s soft, soothing color palette offers a sense of serenity and beauty—an attempt to bring calm amidst the turbulence of our nation’s present history, masquerading what lies beneath.
oil, beeswax and cotton embroidery thread on paper mounted on cradled panel
Girl, Interrupted
The theme of this assemblage is the harm of objectifying female beauty in the emotional development of girls. Vibrant and feminine background colors of an oil and cold wax underpainting contrast with a black and white photo of a woman, crowned with a tiara. The “princess” image is omnipresent in society in fairy tales, movies, clothing, party themes in childhood and beauty contests. These are all damaging to healthy development.
The woman is being looked at but her serious gaze is searing into the viewer. The glitz, bling and vibrancy of the composition attracts the viewer and makes it hard to look away. But the serious themes of the piece are quickly revealed:
The cage denotes trapping in this persona and its risks of arresting development. The torn fragments of the photo illustrate the destruction of a young woman’s development and the need to rebuild herself. The charms hanging on the diamond necklace represent the keys to undoing this harm and unlocking the cage: self love, education, independent financial security, metamorphosis, time to heal and healthy loving relationships.
The cage, a repurposed garden cloche, is embellished with vintage 1940s jewels in a homage to women who came before me and may not have had the resources to undo the harm of these societal pressures.
I dedicate this piece to all women who have had their emotional development affected by society’s fixation on superficial physical beauty. Girls, Interrupted.
Photo credit: by @santillophoto , of the artist in Toronto at age 27.
17.5” x 14” oil/cold wax photoencaustic on canvas with attached jewels, a tiara, a garden cloche
Dissent
This assemblage is composed of a styrofoam female bust adorned with a cotton crocheted collar from Ukrainian artisan Oleksii Rulove, printed text enhanced with marker ink, metal clothes hanger, acrylic paint, cardboard and it rests on a metal garden urn in front of an American flag. It was created in the wake of Roe vs Wade’s dissolution to raise awareness of the urgent need to keep up the fight to protect women’s reproductive rights by continuing to vote for candidates who will continue the fight.
The female form represents all women. It is painted black to symbolize a Supreme Court Justice gown, specifically RBG with the collar a recognizable symbol of her distinctive collars. It is both a homage to her work on behalf of women’s reproductive rights but also a criticism of her failure to step down when her work could have been protected by the appointment of a Justice who would have fought for the same values.
33” high x 12” wide Assemblage: styrofoam, acrylic paint, wire, glue, cardboard, printed and enhanced paper, metal garden urn
$300
Flock Off Russia
This piece began as a watercolor of the wheat fields of Ukraine, titled “Fields of Gold.” It evolved into a mixed media artwork highlighting the war’s impact on Ukraine’s bird population. The damaging consequences of warfare on birds are depicted through collaged words representing habitat disturbances, pollution, food chain poisoning, over-hunting due to hunger, and deforestation.
The majestic white stork, a beloved bird of the Ukrainian people, is considered a harbinger of happiness. It returns every spring to nest in Ukraine, with legends saying it only builds its nest near good people. As a symbol of fertility, birth, rebirth, and family, my collaged stork surveys the devastation of war while offering hope that peace will prevail. The clear sky instills a sense of peace in the viewer. The collaged letters “R” and “U” represent the countries at war, and the piece’s colors evoke the Ukrainian flag.
Until the conflict ends, the full extent of the war’s devastation on Ukraine’s bird population remains unknown. Ukraine hosts 15% of all migrating European bird populations.
With this administration it is imperative to continue to protect Ukraine’s sovereignty and support its efforts to defend itself against Russia’s aggression.
$900
Burning for Change
This piece started out as an awareness piece on global warming in 2020, a record year of wildfires burning in California. I completed it during the George Floyd protests in 2020 while fires were being set in Philadelphia. The piece became a statement for both issues. I burned and created my own charcoal and used it as both a drawing tool and in pulverized form, embedding small particles of it in the beeswax, creating fire within fire.
With this administration it will be even more urgent to address the warming planet that is the root cause of these fires.