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| Banks Lake Summer, plein air, oil and encaustic on canvas, 20 x 60 inches, 2006 |
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| Banks Lake Summer, detail |
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| Banks Lake WInter, encaustic and oil on canvas, 50 x 60 inches, 2006 |
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| Tyger! Tyger!, high wax relief encaustic on board, 18x24x2 inches, 2006 |
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| Sky of Desire, 30 x 30 inches, plein air oil and encaustic on canvas, 2007 |
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| Sky of Desire, encaustic detail |
Encaustic is an ancient technique which combines the
use of wax and pigment for a variety of layered, textured effects. Greco-Romans of Egypt 200 BC-100 AD did stunning funereal
portraits in encaustic. Greeks of fifth century BC decorated ships and urns with wax and pigment.
I have been exploring it thanks to a 2006 Valdosta
State University Research Grant. I have been working on a series of 10 new paintings with varying levels of satisfaction.
I love the rich layering of translucent colors and textures contrasted with the effects of thick oil impasto. It is indeed
both a challenging and rewarding media.
For more information, there is an excellent book by Joanne Mattera,
The Art of Encaustic Painting.
Some of the encaustics on this page are in various states of completion, partly
because it's hard to know when to quit when the changes are so interesting... Some are painted entirely in the studio while
others are a combination of oil painting on site (plein air) and encaustic in the studio.
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| The Trees March, 24 x 24 inches, encaustic on board, plein air, 2006 |
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| Wacissa, 36 x 48 inches, plein air, oil and encaustic, 2006 |
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| Sam, 24 x 36, charcoal and encaustic on board, 2006 |
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| Sam, detail |
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