Marcia Crumley is a contemporary artist whose landscapes capture the beauty of New England through a lush palette and rich textures. Her paintings have been featured in a variety of publications including The Boston Globe, Boston.com, Cultural Adventures 2021, The American Scholar, Tourist & Town, and Art New England (including a cover feature for the September/October 2025 issue). She was named one of “five standout artists to keep your eye on” by Maine Home + Design and one of Maine’s “most collectible artists” in artmaine’s annual art guide.
Marcia's work is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Encaustic Art in Santa Fe, NM. Her art can be found in homes across the globe, and is included in several corporate art collections, including Boston Children’s Hospital, East Boston Community Health Center, and American Tower Corporation.
Statement
My painting process is defined by layering. Each piece contains up to 15-20 strata of pigmented wax. With each pass, I’m not just applying more wax paint, but intuitively responding to what is already on the surface and adding fresh thoughts and observations. I also incise and scrape away wax, revealing underlying colors and textures. During the final stages of a painting, I often rub oil paint into the marks I have made, to create even more visual interest. The highly textured surfaces of these encaustic paintings invite viewers to spend more time with them. I like the artist’s hand to be visible in my work, and the longer you spend looking at these paintings, the more you see – subtle gestures, hidden textures, and even “mistakes” that I’ve decided to leave in the work.