M Ryding Artworks
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the medium of encaustic -  a very brief primer

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Encaustic is an ancient medium, used in the Minoan and Mycenean cultures of the Aegean Sea (they revered honey bees) and by the Roman-era Egyptians for the famous Fayum portraits. These paintings have kept their color and luster for centuries. 
There are really good encaustic paints and medium blocks that are commercially available but I prefer to make my own.  The encaustic medium involves suspending finely ground pigments in a hot wax medium and applying to a rigid support. I enjoy exploring all of the creative possibilities of this technique.  As with mixed media work, this medium is very receptive to layering. I enjoy embedding photos on thin papers and other ephemera, and layer with both opaque and translucent hot wax. 

Cookin up encaustic medium...

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Damar resin, purified beeswax pellets & raw beeswax
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Molds and encaustic medium blocks
To make the encaustic medium:
​Weigh the ingredients: I use a ratio of 85% pure beeswax to 15% damar resin.  (so, 8.5 lb wax + 1.5 lb resin)
Over medium heat in large kettle melt the damar resin crystals (crush first to melt quicker).
Slowly add in the beeswax, stir till all is melted.
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Encaustic color paint sticks
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Powdered pure pigments
PictureEncaustic paint sticks
Pour into molds - I use silicone molds which are the perfect size for smaller size painting projects and bread pans for large projects.  
Let cool, pop out of molds and store.
Once the medium is made I make a variety of color sticks.  I make basic color sticks to have on hand and also make more nuanced colors as I work on different paintings.

Next: get ready to paint - Setting up

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"Creativity makes a leap, then looks to see where it is."  Mason Cooley

When we look at a particular work of northwest coast art and see the shape of it, we are only looking at its after-ife.  Its real life is the movement by which it got to be that shape.  Bill Reid, Haida carver

"Creativity is not the finding of a thing, but the making of something after it is found"  James Russell Lowell, American Poet

"It is a widely accepted notion among painters that it does not matter what one paints as long as it is well painted. This is the essence of academicism. There is no such thing as good painting about nothing."
Mark Rothko, artist
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  • Home
  • About
  • Encaustic Medium
    • Setting Up Encaustic
    • Painting with Encaustic
  • Portfolio
    • Encaustic >
      • Floating World
      • Encaustic Landscapes
      • All Nature SIngs
      • Abstract - Mixed Media
      • Beached
      • Small & Square
    • Older Work >
      • Searching for Beauty
      • Collage
      • National Park Series
  • Contact
  • Make Good