Learning from an Encaustics Art Workshop

Karen Eide demonstrates encaustic techniques ©Mary Montague Sikes

Karen Eide first presented her encaustics art workshop in West Point about eight years ago. This is a Virginia Museum of Fine Arts sponsored program brought to town by the Arts Alive art group. We loved her program and have invited her back every year since then.

Encaustics which means "burn in" involves the use of oil paint and bees wax. It's a process of  fusing the wax between layers.

In Karen's class, we melted encaustic paints directly on griddles preheated to 180 to 200 degrees. To make colors more transparent, we dripped wax medium into the puddles of  paint. Every three or four layers, we used the heat gun to fuse the work.

In my home studio, Angelview Studio, I have all the materials needed to work with encaustics. However, because of the toxic fumes involved, I have not yet set it up. I am considering working instead on an outdoor patio.

The encaustics class kicked off the art workshop season for Arts Alive. It was the first event in a busy September for me. The opening of a Small Works show at For Art's Sake in Richmond, then the theatrical opening in conjunction with "Cat's" at New Town Art Gallery completed an exciting artful weekend.

Karen Eide ©Mary Montague Sikes