Artist Bio: Louis Rompre, Candlemaker
Candlemaker extraordinaire Louis Rompre
has, for as long as he can remember, been in love with candles
and flames. As a child he delighted in camping, especially the
campfire. He notes that a flame creates an atmosphere, a spiritual
connection, and a special environment that has always fascinated
him. He has studied the phenomenon of candles and comments that
there is research that suggests the negative ions in the air created
by a candle flame have all kinds of beneficial effects on mood,
health and emotions. He comments that everyone looks good by candlelight
and all environments seem to be enhanced by their presence.
Louis started making his own candles in 1978 at first for his
own use, then for friends and family, then neighbors. As he puts
it “the business just snowballed”. He considers hand
made candles to be a form of sculpture and has sought from the
beginning to make candles of the highest quality. Louis is a Renaissance
man who does many things well; he is an excellent musician, a
busker, a skilled woodworker, a creative inventor and engineer
of machines and other mechanical wonders. Making candles has allowed
him to pursue his many interests and to travel without being tied
down to a 9-5 job. “More important than the destination
is the path” has been his mantra.
Candlemaking, Louis says, is one of the
oldest crafts in the world. Candles have come to symbolize a purity
of spirit he says; therefore, he strives to make each candle he
sells to be made of the purest ingredients possible. Discerning
people who have compared his candles to others come back to his
because of his dedication to quality he says. People who buy his
candles tend to be from all age groups, tend to be spiritual people,
people with energy and people who appreciate the simple beauty
in candles.
Louis techniques have been perfected over time, he uses nothing
but the finest ingredients. For example his wicks are high quality
braided cotton cord which he orders from a supplier in the states.
The thickness of the wick is carefully calibrated to the length
and diameter of the candle. The wax he uses is a more expensive
wax that is harder and burns more slowly than the ordinary wax
in the majority of candles. The wax is also of high purity and
specifically formulated for smokeless candles. Louis makes his
own colorants for his candles and carefully controls the hues
used so they are consistent from year to year. He dips the candles
rather than using a mould, which takes longer but produces a perfectly
tapered candle with the wick centered exactly in the middle of
the candle. The temperature of the wax is controlled precisely
using equipment Louis has designed and made for himself. The whole
process is precise and needs to be; otherwise a batch can be lost
with a few moments of inattention.
Of all the things Louis enjoys about candlemaking his favorite
experience is to see the delight in the eyes of children of all
ages as they dip a sample candle during a visit to the studio.
Children of all ages enjoy this experience and sharing that thrill
is a small reward to Louis for his efforts in bringing this very
special art to those who seek it out.
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