Gold Mountain, a Diptych Painting

This series was inspired by working with Alicia Tormey who makes filigree effects with burnt shellac. This is a diptych reflecting the natural world, looking out the window from my studio in Western Massachusetts (US). There I view Mt. Monadnock about 25 miles away in New Hampshire. In the middle ground I see trees and woods. In the foreground is pasture for our horses. The piece is made from encaustic, hot wax, an ancient painting technique first described by historians from the 5th C, BC. Encaustic means to “burn in.” Its popularity has waxed and waned over centuries with a resurgence in the 20th century. I paint the surface of the 2 wood platforms with white tinted gesso to create a smooth surface for the paint. Then I apply layers of hot beeswax mixed with a hardening agent called damar resin. Then I heat each layer with a heat gun or torch to adhere it to the layer beneath it. For this piece, I also applied natural amber shellac then painted it on the wax surface. After it gets “ripe,” within 20 minutes, then I use a torch at a very low flame to create the filigreed surfaces on the painting. Encaustic paintings tend to get dull over time, but a simple rubbing with the heel of my hand restores its natural luster. Aside from the gold created by the shellac, the piece uses pigmented wax in grey, aqua, black, and red oxide.

Multi-paneled Painting:wax on Other

Original:One-of-a-kind Artwork

Size:12.5 W x 11.5 H x 1 D in

Number of Panels:2

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