74 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM {home & design} words by SHERYL NONNENBERG ART printing memories Lonnie Zarem reflects a mix of roles and personas: former market research executive, wife, mother of three sons and now, professional fine artist. All of these life experiences have prepared her for the success she now enjoys as one of the most influential artists working in the medium of encaustic monotype. Born in Southern California, Lonnie cites two strong influences on her artistic leanings: her father, a mechanical engineer who was “always doing stuff with his hands,” and her grandmother, who used to encourage her to draw “everything around her.” After taking the pragmatic route of majoring in economics at UC Irvine, Lonnie ran Technology Marketing Services in Studio City for a decade. When she moved to the Bay Area in 2000, she found herself reassessing her life and career choices. “I always loved to draw,” she explains, adding that she made sure her kids had access to art materials—in the form of a table loaded with pens, crayons and paper. After the boys were tucked in bed, she’d take a turn. “There I would be at 3AM, playing with watercolors,” she recalls with a smile. It was time to pursue a new career in the arts. Prior to starting classes “where people tell you what you should be doing,” Lonnie gave herself a year to experiment and explore on her own. The result was a book of drawings, poems and paintings that remains a cherished keepsake. “It reminds me of what really works for me,” she says. After earning her B.A. from San Jose State University’s School of Art and Design, Lonnie began as an oil painter, often working in a representational manner. Drawn to the medium of encaustic painting, which consists of beeswax, resin and pigment, her work became more abstract. Then, Lonnie heard of a new medium, encaustic monotype. New Mexico artist Paula Roland pioneered the process, which entails, as Lonnie explains, “Creating an image by painting with blocks of pigmented wax on a hot flat plate, and then placing rice paper on it to absorb the wax image.” The result is a unique print that almost resembles batik, with overlapping layers of translucent color. After an intensive residency in New Mexico to learn the process, Lonnie was hooked. “I think in layers and in a full range of colors,” she shares, “and the colors in encaustic monotype are magnificent—saturated and beautiful.” She also appreciates PHOTOGRAPHY:ANNIE BARNETT ABOVE: Lonnie Zarem standing in front of Ode to Egon, 30” x 66” in her home.
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