{"id":270,"date":"2011-10-20T21:19:47","date_gmt":"2011-10-21T02:19:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lauraculic.com\/?page_id=270"},"modified":"2023-03-23T12:53:11","modified_gmt":"2023-03-23T17:53:11","slug":"about-encaustic-painting","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/lauraculic.com\/about\/about-encaustic-painting\/","title":{"rendered":"About Encaustic Painting"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Photo<\/a>
Laura Culic stands beside her encaustic painting \u201cBoreal\u201d at the Ontario Society of Artists New Members Exhibition at the Aird Gallery in Toronto<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

What is Encaustic painting?<\/strong>
\nEncaustic may seem like a new term, but it is in fact a very ancient form of painting  \u2014 it has been in existence since 5th<\/sup> century B.C. Greece. The word \u201cencaustic\u201d means literally \u201cto burn in\u201d in Greek. Happily, the medium has experienced resurgence in popularity over the past few decades.
\nSo how does encaustic painting work\u2026 just how does one paint with wax?
\nEncaustic medium consists of beeswax melted with a small amount of resin. Pigment is then added to molten wax medium to create a form of paint. Painting with encaustic requires the artist to work quickly and deliberately; the wax begins to harden the moment it leaves its heat source. Molten wax is brushed on to a sturdy surface \u2013 usually wooden panels. As each layer of wax is applied, it is heated or \u201cfused\u201d to bond it with previous layers. Because heat binds each layer to the one set down before it, an image that may consist of many separate compositional elements will structurally form one mass.
\nThe wax surface may be scraped or incised to reveal underlying layers. Removing and revealing is often as much a part of the process as applying and adding. Many other mediums combine well with encaustic, such as watercolour, ink, graphite, charcoal, collage and image transfer. The possibilities are varied and endless.<\/p>\n

But will it melt?<\/strong>
\nMany people are concerned about this, but encaustic paintings are extremely stable and structurally sound. The wax will not begin to melt until roughly 160 degrees Fahrenheit. As with any type of original artwork, encaustic paintings should not be exposed to extreme heat or cold, and should not be displayed in direct sunlight.<\/p>\n

How I paint with encaustic<\/strong>
\nI make my own wax medium, for which I melt purified beeswax with a small amount of damar resin crystals. The addition of damar creates a harder final product that is glossier, more scratch resistant and has a higher melting temperature. I pour this mixture into muffin tins so I have pucks of wax medium handy when needed.
\nAfter priming my wood panel with a couple coats of clear wax, I begin applying layer upon layer of coloured wax, with wide soft brushes; sometimes with a trowel or blade. I fuse each layer with either a propane torch or butane cooking torch.  I then begin scratching and incising the surface and rubbing in delicate layers or \u201cveils\u201d of oil paint. My process is intuitive \u2013 bordering on random \u2013 I may add image transfer or collage in pages from old books, then obscure the images with more layers of wax. Once enough wax is built up, the surface can be gouged or selectively scraped, revealing hidden, underlying elements, creating new and incidental effects \u2013 the process at this point is as much about deciding what to add as it is knowing what to edit out; what to preserve. I liken this process to an archeological search or an explorer\u2019s process of discovery \u2013 using the known to understand the unknown; observing, moving gradually; methodically; prepared to accept and capitalize on unforeseen occurrences, and allowing the painting to dictate its own course \u2013 create its own story.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  What is Encaustic painting? Encaustic may seem like a new term, but it is in fact a very ancient form of painting  \u2014 it has been in existence since 5th century B.C. Greece. The word \u201cencaustic\u201d means literally \u201cto burn in\u201d in Greek. Happily, the medium has experienced resurgence in popularity over the past \u2026 <\/p>\n

Continue reading \u201cAbout Encaustic Painting\u201d<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":2,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0},"yoast_head":"\nAbout Encaustic Painting - Laura Culic Art<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/lauraculic.com\/about\/about-encaustic-painting\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"About Encaustic Painting - Laura Culic Art\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"  What is Encaustic painting? 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