Europe in Pécs (hot wax on OSB) Print

The city of Pécs (Hungary), where I grew up became one of the Europe's cultural capitals in 2010. The picture shows the Zsolnay-well with the inevitable pigeons. I like this well, whose 4 bull heads are made in the shape of an ancient gold cup. They are finished with special glaze, the eosin glaze, which is the pride of Pécs. These glaze was developed by owner of the Zsolnay porcelain factory in the second half of the 19th century. But the family could not keep the factory in the socialism. They then bought back after the regime change. And now the local powers of the government made the operation of the factory by family Zsolnay impossible again and they got it. Who knows if the production of eosin glaze remains? City Pécs has been awarded the title of European Union Capital of Culture, and we are slowly walking out of Europe… I wanted to show this contradiction. The picture was awarded a prize in 2017. In recent years, I have used OSB as a basis. By retracting the paint layers, I use the texture of the veneer as part of my compositions to create a unique rustic industrial atmosphere. So, these pictures are quite heavy. This is recycled art. The painting is made with self-made paint, which basically consists of pigments and beeswax. Does not contain oil or other paints. The procedure itself dates back to antiquity and has been known for thousands of years. Only few artists around the world work with wax on its own. Pictures made with encaustic are characterized by bright color and silky light. Thanks to the well-preserving properties of the wax, the colors do not fade over time and retain their liveliness. Encaustics paintings, like paintings taken with oil, must be protected from water and physical influences. Do not place under glass when framing! Over time, they become dusty or slightly oxidized by the wax. In this case, it is advisable to wipe with a slightly crumpled kitchen paper towel and the painting regain their original brilliant color and shine.