exploring the art of ancient wax
Here is a technique I have developed, called Encaustic Shakudo. It entails every type of Metal Leaf, used together on Encaustic wax, mellowed with a blue-black patina. Shakudo is a Japanese metals technique historically used in the making of swords for Samurais, which, once the Samurai class …
I was talking with the artists in my last workshop, and the questions came up: “How do artists get all their work to look the same?” And “How can I get my work to look like that?” Of course, what we were referencing was the creating …
Since teaching Drawing on Encaustic Wax, I have been playing around with approaches to the still life in my studio. What I mean by this is that I am reawakening my love of drawing still life. As artists we are so bombarded with imagery today- much of it someone else’s imagery: historical imagery or found imagery; and we forget that a portion of an artist’s time used to be just drawing or painting a still life or model in one’s studio.
I mean sometimes you just get sick of drawing from photos or pulling up google images. Well guess what- there’s a whole world of artists working from small still lives every day. But it’s the oil painters and the die-hard pencil artists. It’s just not the encaustic artists. Why?
It’s just not the way we usually approach encaustic painting. Last month, my student Jacob commented, “we should have a live model to paint!” and I said “Yes!” I totally agree. But it seems tricky somehow, juggling our hot griddles, gloves, paints, ventilation, and working out our ideas in a chunky brush, while we keep our live model happy and our eyes darting back and forth-model to painting-model to painting. But I think it is do-able! Why not?
Since then, I have been engrossed in researching Flemish Oil Painting, and working to transfer these concepts into an encaustic approach. I thought the way the Flemish approached underpainting and layering was particularly applicable to the way we encaustic artists use layering, glazing and burnishing.
So I’ve taken the pear as my current subject (being March that seems the best option for organic form choices) and taken to daily charcoal drawings and encaustic paintings of them. I have started to share my ideas and teach a few friends my approach; and being a documenter, I am collecting a variety of processes that I hope to compile and share in a book of some sort.
If this sparks anyone’s interest, let me know with a comment. I tend to run ahead of the curve- I am pulling in ideas that are old school to oil painters and applying them to this slippery, changing landscape of encaustic art. We’ll see what happens. I’ll keep you posted. Happy Creating!
-Linda
January’s Drawing into Encaustic Wax workshop was a stimulating retreat for a talented group of artists. We played with all types of drawing materials into and onto the wax, learning what is compatible with the wax and what isn’t; how to properly layer and fuse imagery, and how …
Since taking a break from the travelling/teaching circuit, I have had more time just to play in the studio, and have been experimenting with many encaustic techniques, yet my favorite by far has been Encaustic Wabi-Sabi, especially as it applies to my Encaustic Shrines (you remember Wearable Encaustic …
We had great fun in November dipping all types of objects into encaustic wax. I gave each table their own pot of wax, and their own griddle and away we went- experimenting!
We tried two different pours – one, into the back of a cradle board, filling the recess there with wax, which made a nice, deep pool to embed into. The next, as a raised bed of wax on the front of the board- masked off, Daniella Woolf style.
If you look closely at the students’ work, you’ll see that wasps and stink bugs actually make up the flower (each to their own!), blue silk, torn ribbon-style, drapes across petals, lima beans were crushed and embedded, an entire book was dropped into the pot, along with a wasps nest, and dozens of roses… and one student stripped her parakeet naked just to get those bright feathers! Ok, really it molted, but what color!
We made a mess and had a blast!
Well, thanks for stopping in! Check the workshop page for info on upcoming workshops!
–Linda
Last Saturday the art room at Oberlin’s historic FAVA building was transformed into an encaustic paradise, when ten artists from the Cleveland area took my Encaustic Wabi Sabi workshop! The students felt like kids at a candy store, only the candy was stained tea bags, …
When I am teaching a workshop, I am always asked about the process of making your own Encaustic Medium. I have decided to lay it all out for you here, so you can decide for yourself whether to invest in the process, or leave it …
Hi Everybody!
I so enjoyed all of my students that came to To Bead True Blue this year. I enjoyed connecting and seeing your faces shine as you dove deeply into the Encaustic Experience!
I have created a Luminous Encaustics Artists Group page on Facebook that I will be watching- I hope you will check in and post some work!
For those of you who purchased Luminous Encaustics Wax Blox, I thank you for your support! I did come across some lovely tools recently that I have posted at my Etsy shop, so if you are in need of good Encaustic Tools, you can look there.
Another place I have tools and encaustic mixed media is in my Kits.
I am now in the process of posting each Luminous Encaustics Jewelry Kit’s Step-Out Instructions onto it’s own page on this site.
Today I got the Luminous Encaustic’s Word Shield Step-Out posted. Just hover over the Tab “Jewelry Kits and Wax Blox” on this site, and you’ll see the selection of Kit Step-Outs for you to choose from.
Each Kit and each Step-Out offers instructions on a different encaustic technique, and it’s free!
I make each kit by hand and mail them with love, and I am always available for questions and comments.
Thanks to all of my Encaustic Addicts! Have a great week!
–Linda
To Bead True Blue is one of my favorite art retreats. Tucson is a perfect balmy and sunny 70*; women arriving have a skip in their step as they wheel through the halls with their little supply suitcases, with high expectations. Those who come, take …