EXCAVATION Painting

This small abstract painting is made by building up many layers of beeswax and a resin from trees called “damar,” to create a bas relief painting. It’s not quite 3D and not quite flat. The platform is plywood, which is an ideal base on which to paint with hot wax. There is a little piece that wanders off the canvas at the top, yearning to be free. The colors suggest nature, like olive green, burnt sienna, red ochre, with gold foil which has been heated with a heat gun along with the wax. The method of painting with hot wax is called encaustic, which is an ancient technique that was first used in the 5th century BC to preserve and decorate ships’ hulls. The word encaustic means to burn in or fuse. That means that each layer of pigmented or clear wax needs to be heated with a heat gun or torch to ensure that each layer adheres to the layer beneath. Encaustic paintings have gone in and out of favor for generations of artists. In the last 50 years, it has attracted the attention of many artists for its beauty, durability, and flexibility. In this picture, many layers, as many as a dozen are applied to the EncausticBord, an archival board, and some portions are draped away. I used saved drippings from my heat source and attached with heat to some areas of the picture. These can be reapplied with heat or glue + a little pressure to adhere if they become loose. As with any encaustic piece, it can be gently rubbed to bring back the luster of the wax if it dulls over time. Or you might prefer a matte surface. It is dropped into a frame that floats to reveal black behind the painting. The frame is silver on front edge and black on sides. It is ready to hang in a small space with other original works of art, perhaps from my collection of encaustic or encaustic monoprints.

Painting:Wax on Wood

Original:One-of-a-kind Artwork

Size:6 W x 6 H x 2 D in

Delivery Time:Typically 5-7 business days for domestic shipments, 10-14 business days for international shipments.