Claudette

McDermott

the Creative Process

My process is all about "Going with the Flow" litterally. When the wax melts and I'm heating it, it moves. I'll watch the light dance on the surface and if I like what it's doing I will let it sit for awhile and work on another area. I may walk away and come back in a matter of minutes or hours. Depending on what I want to explore, I may start another canvas and work it out first or do it completely on the current piece. Hours pass and day turns to night. I don't eat or do much else, until my body says "ENOUGH!" Then it's brake time :) It's hard to walk away when I'm creating, but life intrudes and obligations take hold, the family must be fed (as well as myself) !

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ART LIVE _Blackhawk Gallery

Demonstrations of creating Encaustic Hot Wax paintings take place at the Blackhawk Gallery in Danville, where many of my original pieces hang for sale. Would you like me to Demonstrate Encaustic in your place of business? Contact me! I enjoy educating the public on the Encaustic medium. I am one of a very few artists, who work with this medium in the SF Bay Area.

First Stage ENCAUSTIC ReDo FLOATING

While this piece was pretty satisfying, I felt elongating the petals, was something that was needed. So here goes! Layering wax, Shellac and waiting to Burn between layers.

First Stage ENCAUSTIC ReDo FLOATING

Working in Natural Light is my first choice but sometimes.... you just got to turn the light on :)

ENCAUSTIC Hot Wax In the Studio

I've added more Encaustic Pigment to my individual melting pots. I create a mixture of clear Encaustic wax and a heavily pigmented Encaustic wax. The more Clear wax the more translucent the wax becomes.

Encaustic Floral Ribbons First Layer

A work in Progress

Encaustic Floral Ribbons

A work in Progress

Close Up FLORAL RIBBONS

The Details of the Shellac Burn creates interesting results. I never get tired of creating this effect!

Encaustic CRAGGY COASTAL Panel series

In order to be sure the series connects properly, you must lay them next to each other and work on them a layer at a time, at the same time.

Creative Process Encaustic

It may look like a mess (and it is) but all the colors you need or may need, have to be close by and melted in tins with their brushes heated as well. Constant heating of the beeswax even once it's on the canvas, is important to move the wax around as it cools quickly. A torch or heat gun (I use a combination of the two) is a major tool and necessity with Encaustic Art.

Painting with Wax ~ ENCAUSTIC

Encaustic painting is fun and challenging. You have to build your painting from the back forward leaving the crisp imagery closest to the top. I create while in the process because of the unexpected turns along the way, give birth to New Ideas.

Transparent Layers

I begin with clear Encaustic wax, then layer a color over it, in this case. Scrapping away or dabbling colored wax over the clear can reveal surprising results. The process is very calming to me, but perhaps for others, it may be stressful ~

Bands of Color

Color tinted beeswax in bands across the canvas. I didn't plan what colors I would use, or what colors should go next to what. I work intuitively and work it until it works out.

Strands of White

I layer the clear Encaustic beeswax between the layers of colored wax to keep the perception of depth. A translucent floating effect is enchanting with this medium.

Image 9.jpg

Solid blocks over the background design creates a focused interest.

The natural shine of the beeswax

Lines connecting the solid blocks of color anchor the subject creating tension.

Phase 7

Still in the process of being,10 layers of wax at this point.

Honeycomb Stencil

Honeycomb Stencil

After laying wax into a stencil, I heat it and lift the stencil. Scraping some of the color wax away to sharpen the image you want.

Painting the Honeycomb

I used oil paint here, dabbing and pushing it into the cracks. Then wiping the top of the wax leaving the dark lines behind between the sections of wax.

Finished Honeycomb

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