Encaustic Arts Magazine Spring 2012 | Page 17

2001 was the date that Sea
Dragon was accepted for exhibit
in Slovenia. The painting was
one of the first and at a time when
the C-5 and 1/4 inch pen points
were the only attachments. Sea
Dragon is an Enkaustikos Wax
Pen painting. Wax paints were
applied, blended, erased, and
burned in with the Pen w/C-5
and 1/4” Pen Points. Painting
was done from solid wax paints.
The Pen with attachment worked
directly into the waxes on the
support to create the dragon
on its burnished wax ground.
However, when Sea Dragon was
entered in ENU exhibits it caused
a bit of controversy. Reviews
ranged from, “That is not an
encaustic”, to “Out, Damned
Dragon”, to “I love this wax
Dragon”. But often reviews were
some version of, “How was this
wax painting done”?
Ekaustikos! Wax Art ©, Ann Huffman, 1991.
Revised Edition ©, Michael Lesczinski, 1996.
Sea Dragon, 18”x24”, Encaustic Wax, 1886.
It took a book: Enkaustikos! Wax Art, to explain the
Dragon, the Pen w/attachments, encaustic goods
and studio practices at Mrs. Appletree’s Studio.
In addition, 7 accomplished encaustic artists write
about their art: Dorothy Masom, Fine Details for
Encaustic Easel Painting. Veryl Culver Waldner,
Wax Paste Mini-Painting Workshop. Rosemary
Rupp, Tiny Tiles and Wax Frosting. Susan L.
Walters, Encaustic Pointillism. Madge Simon,
Encaustic Wax Paste. Shirley L. Charnell, Encaustic
Monoprinting. Carol Bennet Heidenreich, Encaustic
Painting on Marble Board.
Our premise was that wax is a medium that lends
itself to any number of methods for encaustic art.
By example, the wildly divergent encaustic techniques
among us was a deliberate choice. So,
there you have it, eight artists working in eight
different approaches to encaustic as an art form.
All of them telling you exactly what to do...?
True, Enkaustikos! Wax Art, is a how-to-do-it
book. The information can give an artist new to
encaustic a place to begin as they develop their
own methods with a wax medium for the art. For a
working encaustic artist, the technique information
can be adapted, combined, matched, or simply
ignored as the spirit moves them.
Ann Huffman
Portfolio
17
Summer
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