Waxing

After returning from a coast to coast train trip I was inspired to fire up the studio again, with encaustic (bees wax) monoprint using a big flat heated aluminum surface for the job.

I love this medium. It is tactile, odiferous, gorgeous, warm, abstract, and in the moment. There are multiple stages to my current card making format each of which is inherently interesting, surprising, amusing.

Starting with the color sticks themselves, I create these with bees wax and either pigment powder or oil pastels. This is a witchy and fun thing to watch the color emerge as the melting happens.

Then the painting on the warm surface is luscious and and active. Makes me think of the action painters like Pollock. Various soft silicone tools allow mark making. And following that the placement of paper to the surface and rubbing the back to pick up the wax. 

The outcome depends on the thickness of the wax,  amount of pigment, type of paper, texture of soft or smooth surface, temperature, and who knows what other factors so that what gets picked up is always a surprise.

These cool and dry immediately and may be ready for some splotches of water media which is really fun because of the wax resist possibilities. Then the papers sit until cropping time which is almost the most fun. What can I find in this mess? And voila, something appears in a card sized composition.

Gluing and flattening are a bit ho hum but they turn a bland little scrap into a framed respectable little piece. 

It has been really fun giving these away to people who appreciate having unique cards to use for unique circumstances. Let me know if you'd like a pack.