From The Palette To The Wall

This morning I woke up at an ungodly hour but that's another story....

Let's just say it is now 6:30 am and I have already painted a textured encaustic painting and am about to blog about it.

Crazy....I know.

Because so many of you are fascinated with how I create these encaustics, I thought I would share the process in photos.

I had a 6 x 6 cradled panel that I had started with some book pages and a pattern fused onto a white wax base. I dipped some paper ribbon from a gift I received into wax and adhered that to the surface.

I am using encaustic medium made from natural beeswax to give an antique look. You can see how yellow it is against the original white wax. I added wax over the ribbon - fused it with the heat gun (because I have learned the hard way that using a torch on paper causes flames) and then added some cheesecloth dipped in wax to add more texture. I also added a bit of paper torn from a picture in an old book.

I added part of a poem ripped from an old book on top of the paper bit and added more wax over top. I also dripped some wax here and there to add more texture. I decided to chance using the torch. I did have a couple of small flames but that just adds another element to the finished piece....right?

Next I pulled out my R & F pigment sticks.

I LO-VVVVE these yummy sticks. Soft, seductive and oh-so-beautiful!

Alizarian Orange, Indian Yellow and Turkish Umber Greenish rubbed into the wax gives such a wonderful, transluscent glow.

On to the next layer -- I pulled out my alcohol inks. I spread some black ink here and there then used the torch on it which caused some pretty interesting effects.

Now for the real fun. Shellac. I used Amber Shellac. Sometimes I use Clear Shellac and mix it with pigment powder for a different effect.

I brushed it on parts of the painting - dribbled some with a stick then I shook some Pearlex powder onto the wet shellac. I did drybrush some white pigmented wax onto the textured areas and rubbed a bit more oil stick into them before I added the shellac.

After a supposed hour or so to let it dry.....10 minutes in my world.... I fired up my torch again and hit those shellac areas.

Oh how I love what happens. The shellac moves and splits and creates such interest. And the pearlex melts and creates a wonderful irridescence.

See that bottom corner... YUM!

Now for the final addition - glass beads. I shake them in certain areas trying to maintain the circular feel of the piece.

A quick hit with the torch to fuse them into the wax and it's done!

Finished! These textural pieces beg to be touched and examined to see all the interesting parts.

Circle of Life 6" x 6"

Encaustic: Natural Beeswax, Damar, Ribbon, Fabric, Oil Stick, Shellac, Pearlex, Inks, Glass Beads, Text

Can you pick out all the layers?

Thanks for following my creative process.

Now, on to the next project.....