Page 11 - Wax and Clay Talismans
P. 11

TIPS FROM PART TWO VIDEO                                                       More about painting with beeswax

                                                                                        in mixed media projects

           •  Wipe the excess melted wax on the edge of  the can
              before painting it on the talisman face                                    Setting up
           •  Brush lightly across the top surface, not down in                          You can easily create a beeswax melting work space

              the crevices                                                               on a sturdy work table. You will need a place to plug
           •  Beeswax will lose its cloudiness as it cools                               in your griddle or hot plate or electric skillet and
                                                                                         adequate ventilation. I cover my work surface with
                                                                                         brown craft paper. Before I start, I cover the griddle

                                                                                         with aluminum foil to keep the drips of  wax off  the
                                                                                         metal surface.


                                                                                         About the wax

                                                                                         Most encaustic artists use Encaustic Medium, which
                                                                                         is beeswax mixed with Damar Resin. This works fine
                                                                                         for this project, but I have come to enjoy working
                                                                                         with pure white (clear) beeswax. It’s softer than

                                                                                         encaustic medium, but I don’t build up multiple
                                                                                         layers – perhaps only two or three. I encourage you
                                                                                         to try both and see what you like. The wax provides
                                                                                         a textural and visual enhancement to the underlying
                                                                                         collage elements and does not really serve as an
                                                                                         image-painting medium on its own.



                                                                                         Safety first

                                                                                         Never heat the wax above 200°F (93° C). You want the
                   Above: My simple setup for melting                                    wax hot enough to flow easily from your brush to the
                   beeswax on a foil-covered griddle with                                painting surface, but not so hot that it smokes. Use
                   temperature controls                                                  appliances with temperature controls, and, again,
                                                                                         have adequate ventilation.
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