Macuria Nichols Montolanez

There is something so intriguing in Macuria's work - the texture from the depth of the wax (which is why we love encaustics), the color palates that gracefully avoids a void - the movement and emotion are so delicately synchronized. Macuria's interpretation of nature is soothing and comforting as you are drawn in you realize the complexity of each piece.


Born in Hartford Ct, Montolanez studied at the Dwight School in Engelwood, NJ under Miss Rose Albera, graduate of the Stuttgart Academy. 1963-1969 during the summers "Merc" continued her studies at Columbia University in NY until 1969 then on to Bryn Mawr College until moving to Philadelphia where she studied at the University of Pennsylvania and the Academy of Fine Arts under Puttman, Stumpfig and Kamaherra. 1970-1978 she took a creative hiatus thoughout Europe winding up in an apprenticeship in her father's native Grecian Islands 1978-1988 While living and working in New York, Merc established herself as a resident artist of SOHO. Currently, the artist maintains studios in Vermont, Costa Rica and more recently, Florida.