Processes
Cold Wax Painting
Uses a medium made with beeswax and resin mixed with solvent. It is colored by by mixing in oil colors or dry color pigments. Cold wax medium makes oil colors thicker,creamier and more matte. Unlike encaustic,heat is not required for working with this wax medium – as it dries by solvent evaporation, rather than the cooling of the wax. Similar to encaustic I enjoy the experimentation, texture and the physicality of the paint layers and the density, almost impasto qualities, as well as the marvelous translucency the wax provides.
I have worked with encaustic painting on wood and watercolor on plastic paper for years. Cold wax presented itself as an expressive medium where I can take an experimental approach using my existing skill. The working properties allow for great play using all sorts of mark making,texture imprinting, brush marks,and the ability to carve into paint layers with palette knives. Cold Wax also gives oil colors a beautiful translucent quality, similar to the seductive surfaces of encaustic which I take so much pleasure in.
Encaustic Painting with Beeswax and Pigments
Encaustic is a wax based paint composed of beeswax, resin and pigment, that is kept liquid and molten on a heated palette. It is applied to a porous surface such as wood and then reheated with a direct flame in order to fuse the paint. The word ‘encaustic’ has no connection to the word caustic; it comes from the Greek word “Enkaustikos", meaning to heat or to burn in, referring to the process of fusing the paint onto its ground such as wood. Encaustic painting is an ancient technique used by the Egyptians for mummy portraits in 100-300 AD and by the Greeks for murals and it is as versatile as any 21st century medium.
Encaustic is also the most durable artists' paint. This is due to the fact that beeswax is impervious to moisture. Because of this, it will not deteriorate, it will not yellow, and it will not darken. Encaustic paintings do not have to be varnished or protected by glass. However, like all art, should not be exposed to direct sun and prefers normal temperatures under 125 F. Encaustic paintings LOVE to be TOUCHED and should be buffed to a high gloss with a soft,lint free cloth or your hand regularly.This removes any dullness caused by cold or as the beeswax cures over time.
In nearly 2010 when I came to live in San Miguel de Allende,Mexico I took a workshop with the encaustic master painter, Ezshwan Winding and was totally captivated by painting in wax.It has such versatility and depth! It can polished to a high gloss, carved, scraped, layered, collaged, dipped, textured, and combined with oil and other mediums.
The smell of beeswax warming greets me in the studio most days.The translucency of the wax layers and depth of colour I can achieve with hot wax is similar to my works in watercolour. Yet encaustic painting has given me a versatile medium to explore the content of my work with even more diversity using collage and many other materials in combination.I have been producing both representational and abstraction which encaustic is naturally suited to.
Watercolor Painting On Yupo Synthetic Paper
Yupo paper is a synthetic water resistant paper. It is used primarily in the printing industry because it is very durable and holds printing inks with a razor sharp edge. When used with watercolor, the paint dries only by evaporation and there is no absorption by the paper as with traditional watercolour paper.
This is why Yupo paper allows surface textures and patterns to form while the paint is drying. Because the paper doesn’t absorb the water at all, the pigments “swim on the surface” until the water evaporates. This can make it difficult to paint precise details but produces interesting effects and an amazing depth of colour not usually experienced in watercolour painting.
I used traditional watercolour methods for many years and have broken free using Yupo paper. The emergence of visual sensations led me to make wonderfully fluid, abstract works. The paintings are often sourced and structured from my photographs. The watercolour has been applied with sponges, plastic, paper and paint rollers creating a rich textural surface.This technique is the result of continual creative experimentation manipulating colour and texture. The finished works are structured and intentional, balancing shape, form, and light. Yet using Yupo they remain fluid and free.
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Against Nature | Contra la Naturaleza
