海角视频

The Rasmussen Art Gallery on the campus of 海角视频 will host the opening reception for an art show by guest artist Diana Majumdar on Saturday, Jan. 12, from 7-9 p.m. Majumdar鈥檚 work will remain on display in the gallery through Feb. 10.

Majumdar works primarily with encaustic painting, which utilizes beeswax with damar resin mixed in for elasticity.

鈥淲hile it is melted, the wax can be applied with brushes, one brushstroke at a time, like you would with regular paint,鈥� Majumdar explains. 鈥淓xcept wax begins to harden the second it leaves the hot plate, so I have to work fast.鈥�

Though she graduated with a BFA in drawing and painting from Academy of Art University in San Francisco, art was never Majumdar鈥檚 career goal.

鈥淚t was actually my dad鈥檚 dream to be an artist,鈥� she says. 鈥淗is parents insisted he pursue a 鈥榰seful鈥� profession, so he became an auto mechanic, but we often watched him draw or use watercolors casually at home.鈥�

Years later, Majdumar recalls, both she and her sister took an entrance exam to an art school in Estonia鈥攖he only way to study art with proper instruction.

鈥淏oth of us failed,鈥� she says, 鈥渂ut only our dad was devastated.鈥�

Passing would have meant studying hard with unfriendly professors, learning art from the basics up, traveling on several trams in the dark to and from school each day, while 鈥渁ll I wanted to do was doodle princesses and fairies,鈥� she admits.

Today, Majdumar has her own studio in West Petaluma, where she has lived for six years. The title of her show in the Rasmussen, 鈥淗alcyon,鈥� has two meanings: first, a period of time in the past that was idyllically happy and peaceful; second, a tropical Asian and African kingfisher.

鈥淚 love unusual words,鈥� Majdumar admits. 鈥淓nglish is my second language, and I always feel somewhat lacking in my vocabulary. A few years ago, I helped my son study for his SAT and I still get excited when I hear words like 鈥榖oon鈥� and 鈥榓ssuage鈥� on the radio.鈥�

Read more about Majdumar, her work, and her artistic process on the .

鈥淗alcyon 鈥� Encaustic鈥� can be viewed in the Rasmussen every Thursday-Sunday from 2-6:30 p.m. Both the opening reception and admission to the gallery are free, and open to the public.