Seen and Heard : Karen Buttwinick : Saudade

I am a Bay Area-based artist drawn to the luminous, jewel-like quality of the medium of encaustic and its boundless creative potential. My work explores the intersection of personal, social, and political themes, often incorporating photographic and drawn imagery to weave a narrative. Saudade (a Portuguese word denoting mournful yearning), is both a tribute to my octogenarian parents who were high school sweethearts, and a reflection on the universal experiences of innocence, hope, and youthful romance. 

Throughout a lifetime, we accumulate cherished yet fading memories, intimate

connections, and treasured mementos. Nostalgia offers comfort as time marches unrelentingly forward, leading us toward an uncertain future until we take our last breath. Remembering the “good old days” is a bittersweet experience—we crave the past while knowing it is forever out of reach. Saudade encapsulates this complex emotional landscape, capturing the longing, joy, and melancholy that are fundamental to the human experience.