fine-art | The Creative Process

the Creative Process

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.

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.

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

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.

A work in Progress

A work in Progress

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

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.

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.

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.

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 ~

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.

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.

Solid blocks over the background design creates a focused interest.

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

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

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.

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.

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 our 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) !

CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO SEE THE FULL ENCAUSTIC PAINTING AND DETAILS FOR PURCHASE

Claudette

McDermott

the Creative Process