What is Encaustic Painting?

Encaustic painting is an ancient art form and was practiced by artists as far back as the 5th century B.C. The word encaustic comes from Greek and means “to burn in”, which refers to the process of fusing the paint. The technique uses heated wax to which coloured pigments are added. The molten wax is applied to a firm surface–usually prepared wood, paper, or canvas. 

Encaustic has a long history, but it is as versatile as any 20th-century medium. 

Brushes are used to apply and shape the wax before it cools, then it can be polished to 

a high gloss, it can be modeled, sculpted, textured, and combined with collage materials. The wax cools immediately, so there is no drying time, yet it can always be reworked. Encaustic paintings do not have to be varnished or protected by glass.

“But will it melt on a hot day?” This is the question that is asked all the time. 

The answer is No. The working temperature for the liquid wax is 220 degrees, so unless you are living in an oven the work will be fine hanging in your living room. But, just like any artwork, it is not a good idea to keep it in an area where it will be exposed to direct sunlight or extreme temperatures.

What are Encaustic Monotypes?

Encaustic monotypes are one-of-a-kind non-repeatable prints. It is an elegant process where pigmented beeswax is melted on a heated metal surface and then transferred to a sheet of absorbent printmaking paper. No printing press is required just wax, heat, paper, and gentle hand pressure. These four variables allow endless and unpredictable results. The compositions evolve by adding and subtracting elements using custom-made silicon tools. The final results combine the directness and immediacy of traditional printmaking with the richness and luminosity of the encaustic medium.

What are Tessellation Corrugations?

By folding printed paper into these rhythmical and repetitive sculptures David is able to animate and add a new dimension to flat encaustic monotypes. The undulating angles and geometric forms twist and bend the printed patterns while moving the viewer’s eye back and forth, up and down, in and out.