ENCAUSTIC REVIVAL

Hello Friends,

After about two years away, due to a chronic lung condition, I recently started doing encaustic art again. My condition has vastly improved and I now have proper ventilation to protect me from the fumes.

This is the first piece I did. I started by affixing watercolour paper to a ceramic tile with book-binder's glue. Both a rigid (the ceramic) and porous (the paper) surface are needed. Otherwise, the wax would simply peel off.

I drew the bird and rings onto a watercolour background. Then I started adding layers of clear encaustic medium, fusing between each layer with a heat gun.

Achieving a smooth surface is a bit tricky since the wax dries very quickly. At first, I was dragging the brush across the piece, leaving deep bristle marks of hills and valleys. That's okay if you want to add lots of texture, which is a different kind of technique, but I wanted a glass-like finish. After scraping back extensively several times, I finally learned to let the hot medium almost pour from the tips of the bristles.

Once I had several layers of smooth encaustic, I used a metal clay tool to inscribe all of my pen lines. With a gloved hand, I rubbed some R&F oil stick paints into the lines. I wiped off the surface with a paper towel and a bit of vegetable oil, leaving only the paint that was buried within the lines.

I used my wax paints for the details on the bird and the golden rings. My final touch was to add some clouds with a heat-resistant sponge.

Sorry the photo is not so great. I'm calling it "Above the Chaos".

Most of the encaustic painting I did in the past was on encaustic card with an iron and stylus. Working on a solid surface, in layers of wax, is more challenging but also more satisfying. 

Thank you for stopping by. I hope I didn't bore you with the details of my process. 

hugs & smiles,

Teresa