Encaustic Arts Magazine Spring 2012 | Page 16

A LINE IN TIME ANN HUFFMAN Portfolio Ann Huffman The elusive fine wax line that went missing for encaustic art, in the dark ages before the internet, was found a quarter century ago when technology gave us temperature-controlled tools. It was a short step then to the temperature-controlled Enkaustikos Wax Pen with its C-5 Pen Point Attachment. And there it was after all that time. A fine controlled wax line laid down with close to the ease of a dip pen in ink. The advantage for the encaustic artist with the temperaturecontrolled Pen is that the heat needed to liquify waxes for painting can be limited to its attachment. The heated attachment will melt into a wax paint. The melting wax then fills the attachment. The attachment is then ready to add the melted wax that fills it to a concept. Brass bristle Hot Brushes, brass calligraphy Pen Points, and Wax Writer attachments, modeled after the C-5 Pen Point, were developed to expand technique options. Dorothy Masom’s article: ENCAUSTIC, the Ancient Art of Painting with Wax, in the June 1985 issue of Artist’s Magazine was the flashpoint that shot across the nation and the world to bring together artists interested in encaustic. Soon, Encaustic Network Unlimited was organized. ENU sponsored encaustic conferences and exhibits. Artists attending ENU events were astonished to find that when they said “encaustic” or “wax” no one Said ‘WHAT’!? or ‘You paint with WHAT’!? Mirage (detail), 14”x11”, Encaustic Wax, 2001. Summer 16 www.EAINM.com