How did you get started in painting?
I’ve always loved to paint. For many year painting was a hobby that I enjoyed while I pursued a career in marketing and fundraising and followed the muse to make jewelry, which I love to wear. I loved silversmithing and working with colorful stones and beads. When problems developed with my thumbs from overuse, I turned to painting full time. I can hold the paintbrush for hours!
You have switched from painting with oils to acrylics and encaustics. What moved you to those mediums?
Acrylic paints have come a long way and I find the artist-quality acrylic paints a delight to work with. They are lush, lightfast, fast drying, easier on the environment and on me. Cleanup is a breeze with water and a bit of soap, no more unhealthy fumes and odors to deal with.
How did you get started with encaustics?
I was attracted to encaustics by the work of other artists. As an artist, I enjoy working in various mediums and find that one feeds the other. This was the case with encaustics. As a former silversmith, I was very comfortable working with a torch. When I saw how the medium responded to the heat of the torch I knew it was for me.
What is Encaustic Painting?
Encaustic painting, also known as hot wax or beeswax painting is an ancient technique developed in Greece using beeswax, pigment and tree resin fused with heat. Encaustic head and shoulder wax portraits dating from A.D. 100-125 set into mummy casings and buried underground in Greco-Roman Egypt, survive today.
The process involves using beeswax to which color pigments and tree resin are added. I melt the mix on a heated palette, and then using natural brushes, palette knives and other tools, I apply thin layers of color to the support surface.
The Greeks and Egyptians used the heat of the sun to fuse their paintings. As a former silversmith, I use a torch to fuse the many layers and achieve the fluidity, depth and movement in my work. I remember my first experience with encaustic painting when I used the torch to fuse the layers of material and saw the fluidity and movement of the medium, my knees went weak. What magic for an artist who loves to paint water, waves, splashes and light-filled tide pools.
Do encaustic paintings need special care?
Encaustic paintings should be handled with the similar care given to other fine pieces of art with the noted exception that they should not be subjected to extreme heat or cold. For example, they should not be left in a hot car in summer nor in unheated freezing environment in colder months. Encaustic pieces can be displayed in the same temperatures that people are comfortable in. Encaustic paintings can be dusted with a lint-free soft cloth which actually adds a luster to the piece. While regular care should be taken in handling encaustics, the paintings are durable.
Is the art work ready to hang?
The acrylic pieces are painted on canvas and framed in an illusion floater frame with a warm red-brown finish and gold facing unless otherwise noted. I am happy to provide a photo of the framed piece you are considering.
The encaustics work is done on birch panels. While unframed, these pieces are finished on all sides, wired and ready for hanging.