Holes in the Map

    

             

A large area had been collaged with beautiful old atlas pages and I wanted to introduce a pattern within that shape, because I'm interested in creating a feeling of complexity.  This series of photographs shows my process of cutting circles using that little wax can as a template and lifting out the map section, revealing the grid underneath.  Once all were cut, I cleaned out the excess wax with small sculpting tools. I turned to my old 'real' blueprints and using the same template and cut inserts for all the circles.  These were adhered with an application of encaustic medium, then fused with the heat gun.  Notice in that top photo that the wax is already developing a fine luster.  

Encaustic Triptych Progress

More collage is applied.  Too bad....new architectural plans are printed on less desirable paper now, and so the wax does not permeate these plans as I'd hoped.  I have some old blueprints that I may turn to.  Fusing with a heat gun is necessary as new elements are added.  This ensures that the wax, paint and paper become solidified together.  More later. 

Paint, Fuse, Scrape

Here I painted over the previous texture a dark neutral blue.  After fusing, I'm able to scrape the boards, removing the excess blue and revealing a nice, irregular grid.  This will serve as my base, I'll start building larger elements to the composition next.  I will use geometric shapes and found papers - some of those papers will be the architectural plans for the home in Linville.  

Encaustic paint consists of the usual pigments found in all paint, dissolved in beeswax with a significant quantity of damar resin.  Melted paint can be brushed or poured - I use brushes in almost all cases.  The damar resin is an important ingredient, as it lends a hardening element which cures over time.  Encaustic paintings are very stable in most environments because of this - I have had encaustic works on my own mantel this winter with gas logs burning below with no problems.  

The Fayum mummy portraits, discovered in the 1960's in Egypt are true examples of the lasting qualities of encaustic paintings.  This group of portraits dates to Coptic Egypt, 100-300 A. D.