Some time ago I discovered Debbie Lyddon’s Marshscape Collage series on Pinterest. Since then I have often returned to look at Lyddon’s website and blog. I have used fabric as collage in encaustic painting but now I was thinking textile art first. I began looking for a new way to bring together textiles and encaustic wax painting. What is… Read more Introducing Encaustiflex
When you’ve finished a work of art you will want to sign it. The question of how to sign encaustic art comes up on forums and in Facebook groups often. Here I’ve pulled together some ways I’ve tried or seen other artists use on their encaustic paintings. 6 ways to sign encaustic art 1. Incise into the wax… Read more How to sign an encaustic painting
Here are three simple products that are terrific for cleaning and organizing your encaustic griddle or palette. 1. Use metal clips for palette cups Metal palette cups used for encaustic painting get hot. But thankfully, metal craft clips allow you to easily move the cups around without burning your fingers. Some artists use binder clips… Read more 3 products for managing your encaustic griddle or palette
As I drove to day-two of the “Sinking In” workshop with Andrea Bird, I listened to a TED talk of David Kelley (see below) discussing how to build your creative confidence. He told this story: I remember one day my best friend Brian was working on a project. He was making a horse out of the clay that… Read more How to Build your Creative Confidence
Disclosure: Chartpak, Inc. sent me a variety of Higgins Inks to review for this post. Ink can be used to great effect in encaustic painting. You can draw or write directly on the wax and either leave it on the final layer of a painting or you can add more layers of encaustic medium on… Read more Using Inks in Encaustic art
Journalling scares me. If you have read my previous post, Sinking In: strengthening the conversation with our art and ourselves, you’ll know that I have always shied away from the idea of keeping a journal. I have a fear that someone will read my private thoughts. In my painting Sinking in: “Dear Inner Critic…” I wrote directly on… Read more Creative Practice | Journalling
Artists working in encaustic are always on the lookout for new ways to create texture and patterns in the wax. I started eyeing my favourite water bottle seriously considering cutting the silicone sleeve to use it as a stencil but instead, I searched the web for heat-resistant stencils made of silicone and I found Marvelous… Read more Marvelous Molds and Encaustic
Disclosure: Jacquard sent me a free sample of Pearl Ex Powdered Pigments to review for this post. I have shied away from using dry pigment powders since Gregory Wright’s patterned effects demonstration at the International Encaustic conference. Gregory cautioned that some dry pigments may be poisonous and that repeated exposure can have serious effects on the… Read more Pearl Ex Pigment Powder and Encaustic
For the past two days, I’ve been “sinking in”, exploring the artistic process with Andrea Bird and five other students. I knew that a workshop at The Hive, Andrea & Dan’s beautiful encaustic studio, would be a great learning experience but I was not at all anticipating a profound art therapy session. The Inner Critic Exercise… Read more Sinking In: strengthening the conversation with our art and ourselves
Disclosure: R&F Handmade Paints sent me free sample size pigment sticks to review for this post. What are R&F Pigment Sticks? From the R&F site: R&F Pigment Sticks® are oil paint manufactured with enough wax for the paint to be molded into stick form. They allow the painter to draw or paint directly onto a… Read more R&F Pigment Sticks in Encaustic
Encaustic Art The Complete Guide to Creating Fine Art with Wax by Lissa Rankin If you are new to encaustic art, start with this book! It covers all of basics to get you started, but it doesn’t stop there, Encaustic Art The Complete Guide to Creating Fine Art with Wax by Lissa Rankin is a comprehensive reference for experienced… Read more Drawing on Tissue Paper | Encaustic Technique
You can purchase pre-made encaustic medium or you can make your own. Many artists buy the raw materials and make their own. Here’s what you need to know to make your own encaustic wax medium – materials and step-by-step instructions. What’s the difference between beeswax and encaustic medium? Encaustic medium is made with filtered beeswax… Read more How to make your own Encaustic Medium