Art as Hospitality.
Contempera Studio was established in 2020 to make images for the average person- that is to say, people who need more rest in their lives. Whether hung in the kitchen or your office, my hope is that the paintings and prints you purchase from my studio will be contemplative tools for meditation and rest. During the long process of prepping a board, making my paints, and finally boxing up a piece, I pour prayer into each as an act of hospitality for the places they will grace. What do I pray? I pray that each piece is a blessing to the home it ends up in. I pray for provision, peace, and love for each household that my work resides in. This is my way of showing hospitality through my art.
Heavily influenced by Iconography, these paintings meld traditional stories and symbolism with botanical elements and landscapes. Each piece is the culmination of weeks of rambling walks in nature and study of the world around me.
Want to learn more? Contact me. I’d love to connect with you.
Amy Foster
Methods of Hospitality
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Artwork for the Home
I create original artwork for homes that blesses the people within, praying for those individuals and families that choose to personalize their home with my art.
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Retreats
With non-profit partners like United Adoration, I am hosting art retreats for rest and inspiration for artists and non-artists alike. The goal is to use the experience at retreat events to someday host at a permanent retreat center.
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Spiritual Direction
I companion with others in prayer as a trained spiritual director in the Anglican (Christian) tradition.
What is Egg Tempera Painting?
At Contempera Studio, I largely use a time-tested medium called Egg Tempera. This medium, which was used for millennia before oil and acrylic paints became popular, is a simple mixture of egg yolk, vinegar, and water. I mix my paints with natural or minimally processed non-toxic pigments from minerals and botanicals, and apply them to wood boards with homemade gesso. At the end of this long process, I release each piece as a benediction, or blessing, for your place of dwelling.