Randy L Purcell is a creative artist working in Middle Tennessee. He is currently working on a series of unique encaustic paintings, using a method of transferring ink from magazine pages onto a bed of beeswax. The subjects of his current series explore memories and the paths they can take us. Randy also works as a sculptor and a collage artist. Future plans are to create sculptures that will further investigate the subject of memory using wood and found objects. He is a founding member of Nashville Collage Collective, which is a small group of artists that meet to share ideas and occasionally collaborate on new projects.


Randy did not start his career in art until he was 37 years old. This delay in realizing his dream gave him the opportunity to get many perspectives on life and the world around him. He has worked in several fields including: construction, deckhand on a tugboat, Army Reserve, retail sales, and even uranium enrichment. While this is not a great resume for someone looking for long-term employment, it is great for an artist looking to experiment with ideas and include past experiences in his work.

Randy received his Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree, in studio arts, from Middle Tennessee State University in spring of 2009. While attending MTSU he was selected for the Department of Art Scholarship for Art Majors. His work was selected as part of a student exhibition displayed in Nashville’s Cummins Station Building. His paintings have been selected twice in the Regional Dogwood Arts Festival. He received a second place award for an installation piece in a National Juried Competition hosted by Union Street Gallery in Chicago Heights, Illinois. And in 2010, Randy was chosen to exhibit an installation of in the World’s largest art competition, “ArtPrize”. His work was exhibited at the Grand Rapids Public Museum.