As an encaustic artist, I get lots of e-mails about my process and I hope that this page will help you figure out how I work...

What is encaustic?
According to Wikipedia: Encaustic painting, also known as hot wax painting, involves using heated beeswax to which colored pigments are added. The liquid/paste is then applied to a surface — usually prepared wood, though canvas and other materials are often used.

The simplest encaustic mixture can be made from adding pigments to beeswax, but there are several other recipes that can be used — some containing other types of waxes, damar resin, linseed oil, or other ingredients. Pure, powdered pigments can be purchased and used, though some mixtures use oil paints or other forms of pigment.

Metal tools and special brushes can be used to shape the paint before it cools, or heated metal tools can be used to manipulate the wax once it has cooled onto the surface. Today, tools such as heat lamps, heat guns, and other methods of applying heat allow artists to extend the amount of time they have to work with the material. Because wax is used as the pigment binder, encaustics can be sculpted as well as painted. Other materials can be encased or collaged into the surface, or layered, using the encaustic medium to adhere it to the surface.

Encaustic art has seen resurgence in popularity since the 1990s with people using electric irons, hotplates and heated stylus on a variety of different surfaces including card, paper and even pottery. The iron makes producing a variety of artistic patterns elementary. However, the medium is not limited to just abstract designs, it can be used to create complex paintings, just as in other media such as oil and acrylic.

 

How do you create so much detail with wax?
I don’t. I paint big! By painting big, you have more room to elaborate a detail and your eye adapts differently to large scale canvasses... it is not as picky. While painting, I am constantly stepping back from my piece to see the level of detail I want to achieve. I am near-sided so by stepping back, I don’t see every brush stroke but the light and the colours of the piece.

 

Do you work on wood?
No. I work on canvas and I stretch my own canvasses when I want a non-standard size surface.

 

How do you transfer your images to the canvas?
I use the good old grid technique. As simple as this! I use conté and charcoal for the grid and my initial drawing.

 

How do you prep your canvasses?
I put a very liquid layer of coloured gesso (mixed with lots of water) first and after I do my drawing, I put an extremely hot layer of coloured wax. That way, the canvas absorbs the wax, making sure that it won’t peel off later.

 

Do you fuse your layers?
No. I use a mix of mostly microcrystalline (petroleum wax) and I don’t need to fuse the layers. However, I use extremely hot wax as I am working to make sure that it adheres well to the previous layer.

 

Do you use oil paints in your mix?
No. I use only dry pigments to create my colours. I sometimes use oil pastel or oil paint on its own to add to my finished painting on top of the wax in rare occasions.

 

What type of brushes do you use?
I use flat bristle brushes bought at the art store. The sizes vary between 1” and 4”. I do not recommend the hardware store bristle brushes because they don’t allow for any precise lines. Also, any other brushes than bristle will melt...

 

What do you use the muffin tins for?
I need a lot of wax in my pots so my wax stays warm longer when I am working with it. So when I am done with a colour, I can pour the unused paint in the muffin tin. When they are cool, I can pop the ‘pucks’ off and I can re-use them as much as I want.

 

How about the fumes?
This is a really good question. I work in a really well ventilated environment with an open window and a fan directed towards it. I only work with two colours at the time because I don’t want to get distracted and have my wax burst in flames! I have to be totally focused and careful when I work with wax to avoid possible burns, fumes and pigment intoxication. By the way, I only use non-toxic pigments and use substitute colours for cadmium pigments.

 

Where do you get your photos?
The photos I use for my paintings are 99% from me. The other 1% I use, can be a photo that my husband took while with me. Basically, I have to be part of the initial experience to decide to paint the image. This is why I don’t work from submitted photos and I don’t do commissions.

 

Where did you learn all this?
A group of artists from Canmore hired the renowned artist Terry Posinyak (Masters Gallery) to show us the do's and don’ts of encaustic. The rest came from trial and error using the medium pretty much every day for the last 4 years!