Welcome to

by Linda Carson

big black pig studio
98 King St. N., Waterloo Ontario Canada
www.bigblackpig.com

Encaustic

As I say so often in the studio, "Paint is just coloured glue."

In encaustic paint, the glue is molten wax. You stir pigment into liquid wax, dip the brush, and then don't dawdle before applying it to the painting...or the wax will set solid on your paintbrush! Officially, it's just wax on a panel until you fuse the layers together by heating the finished painting (with an iron or heat lamp). That process of "burning in" is what really makes it encaustic.

Encaustic paintings have been found—intact—in tombs of ancient Egypt. Then Jasper Johns spearheaded a twentieth century revival of the nearly-lost medium. Encaustic is quick-drying, of course, and can give a satin finish or be gently buffed to a high gloss. You can carve, melt and gouge back into the paint, and build up lively impasto. How do you clean your brushes? Mostly, you don't.

Because the paint is brittle, the best support for encaustic is a rigid panel with a gesso ground. Encaustic is made workable with heat, not a solvent. How do you clean your brushes? Mostly, you don't. (I love that part.) Encaustic "dries" in seconds, and toughens up permanently in a few weeks. You may leave the finished painting with its natural satin finish, or buff it gently to a shine. No varnish. Frame it without glass. Don't hang any painting in direct sunlight. Don't worry about encaustic paintings melting. Beeswax melts at roughly 150 degrees Fahrenheit. Just keep the painting out of the oven, the fireplace, and the trunks of hot cars.

Note:
Encaustic can be dangerous to work with. Hot wax burns, and is flammable. This is definitely not a medium for children.

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