Melting the mystery of encaustics...
Encaustic painting is one of the oldest art forms. It dates back to 500 BC. This incredibly intriguing medium has been growing in popularity in contemporary art and I feel very attracted to its luminosity and its dimension so i signed up for a 2 day encaustics workshop at the Western Colorado Center for the Arts. It was taught by Ami Purser. Highly recommend Ami!
Ancient Greeks used burning and melting wax to adorn sculptures, to make paintings, to build murals and to adorn the boats and the architecture. They would mix wax with natural pigments to create masterpieces. The Greek culture moved to Egypt where en-caustic paintings found home in mummification practices.
Encaustics then moved to Rome . It became a popular trend for Roman aristocrats to possess encaustic paintings that they would display within their villas. It became very prestigious and a symbol of class. This ancient process is somewhat laborious and I am certain takes a long time to master. I will be exploring acrylic mediums that might give the "effect" of encaustics but will also continue to work with the wax.
The wax is mixed with pigment . I am intrigued by this medium. The wax is primarily beeswax mixed with other plant based waxes in a mix that aims to be translucent, flexible, soft and durable. It holds a mystery and a depth that is palpable. It is like a foreign language to me. Please understand this is brand new for me. I will share my first encaustic paintings. They are infants . Acrylic is my medium. Encaustics are oil based. Acrylics are water based. Working with this medium i must be aware of this essential fact. There are restrictions and possibilities all at the same time. That is a metaphor!!!!
We will see where this leads..... Namaste
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