What are Encaustics?
Encaustic (in' ka stik) is from the Greek word enkaustikos
Mexican muralists Diego Rivera and David Alfaro Siqueiros, American artists Jasper Johns in the 1930s, 40s and 50s, as well as the ancient Etruscans, Greeks and Egyptians have all used encaustic techniques. The term "encaustic" refers to the two-thousand year old art of painting with pigment suspended in beeswax. Currently, the color pigment is suspended in hot wax and resin, applied in a semi-liquid state to the panel, paper or canvas as paint.
There are techniques that heat
the wax to remove the marks left from the application of the encaustic and allow the art to have the rich, tactile consistency and depth associated with Carolyn Torrez Ensley's works shown here. She has been teaching encaustic technique workshops in Sedona, AZ. By varying the temperature of the heat, these artists are able to achieve effects similar to pastel, water color or oil paint in the works as seen in Carolyn's virtual gallery.
The process of painting is time consuming and requires the application of layers of encaustics to achieve the vibrant and intense effects. Carolyn's masterful application of color coupled with the inherent qualities of encaustic serve to create works that shimmer with an inner light of their own. The finished pieces are durable and have the added quality of radiance that only a binder like pure bees wax can give. The encaustic paintings will not melt unless heat is applied directly and, when treated with the same care as any fine oil painting, these radiant works of art will last indefinitely, as items collected by the Getty Museum in California have.
|
