Hello Friends,
This past Christmas I received an encaustic art kit. For my birthday, this April, I also received a wood burning tool, which can be used for encaustic on its low setting.
In case you don't know, encaustic is an art form that has been around for thousands of years and is recently making a come-back. The medium used is a combination of bee's wax and tree resin, very carefully mixed and strained. It is usually available in pelleted form. Encaustic paints are made by combining encaustic medium with artist pigments - the kind used to make oil paints. Encaustic artists use tools like irons, griddles, heat guns or blow torches. Many kinds of substrates can be used, but I doubt you would want to have a go at paper with a blow torch. Yikes! Encaustic works well with mixed media and collage. I have seen some artists work on boards covered in Venetian plaster. I would like to give that a try sometime.
I worked this piece on presentation board, decoupaged with book pages. The bird was a sticker, as was the sentiment. I also embedded a feather and a piece of jewelry into the wax. I needed to do several layers of wax in order to give a good foundation for the metal jewelry, fusing (heating & cooling) each layer as I went. While the wax was warm, I pressed a tree branch stencil into the surface. I also rubbed some charcoal into the piece and wiped off the excess with a cloth. The frame was plain, with ugly spots where it was repaired. I made a paste with gel medium and gold mica powder, rubbed it in with my fingers and wiped off the excess. I love how it came out. This is now hanging in my co-op gift shop, waiting for a buyer.
This past Christmas I received an encaustic art kit. For my birthday, this April, I also received a wood burning tool, which can be used for encaustic on its low setting.
In case you don't know, encaustic is an art form that has been around for thousands of years and is recently making a come-back. The medium used is a combination of bee's wax and tree resin, very carefully mixed and strained. It is usually available in pelleted form. Encaustic paints are made by combining encaustic medium with artist pigments - the kind used to make oil paints. Encaustic artists use tools like irons, griddles, heat guns or blow torches. Many kinds of substrates can be used, but I doubt you would want to have a go at paper with a blow torch. Yikes! Encaustic works well with mixed media and collage. I have seen some artists work on boards covered in Venetian plaster. I would like to give that a try sometime.
I worked this piece on presentation board, decoupaged with book pages. The bird was a sticker, as was the sentiment. I also embedded a feather and a piece of jewelry into the wax. I needed to do several layers of wax in order to give a good foundation for the metal jewelry, fusing (heating & cooling) each layer as I went. While the wax was warm, I pressed a tree branch stencil into the surface. I also rubbed some charcoal into the piece and wiped off the excess with a cloth. The frame was plain, with ugly spots where it was repaired. I made a paste with gel medium and gold mica powder, rubbed it in with my fingers and wiped off the excess. I love how it came out. This is now hanging in my co-op gift shop, waiting for a buyer.
2 comments:
What a beautiful creation! Have fun with your new 'toys' Hugs, Valerie
Excellent picture x
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