Welcome to the Encaustic Gallery and the world of encaustic art.
The art of traditional encaustic is purified beeswax and damar crystals melted together in a medium that is then used to layer over
paper, rag board, hardboard, panels of 1/4" high quality Baltic birch plywood to paint images or enhance mixed media.
The original art in this gallery includes Asian inspired contemporary and mixed media pieces using the encaustic medium. In order for the use of waxes to qualify as true encaustic each new layer must be heat fused with a heat gun or torch. Decorative lightfast handmade papers, waxed linen threads, and assorted objects may be embedded to further enrich the projects. Use of oil sticks, india ink and opaque colored waxes allow for unlimited experimentation. Texture is a huge element in encaustic art regardless of it being visual--as with smooth embedded layers--or tactile--as with physically variable layers.
The addition of the damar crystals hardens the wax surface allowing it to be dusted, cleaned, shipped and hung on any wall year round. As with any fine art it is advised to keep it out of temperature extremes such as direct sunlight or freezing cold. Thoroughly coated paintings do not require glass and most contemporary encaustics paintings are on deep panel boxes called cradles, are suspended on platforms in float frames, or in a sink mount frame as seen in the Frames Room this site.
Click on any thumbnail image to view an enlargement with details and price.
