About Encaustic Art

There is really little care and no feeding required for encaustic works of art! I have however prepared the following information to increase your Encaustic IQ and hopefully answer any questions you may have.

Encaustic literally means to “burn in”, from the Greek word enkaustikos. This name comes from the fact that in encaustic painting, each layer must be fused with heat to the layer beneath it. The base medium which is used for encaustic painting is primarily made from beeswax. The wax is mixed with damar resin which is crystallized sap from fir trees. The damar resin provides hardness while the wax provides luminosity. Encaustic art can be made with only this clear combination or mixed with high quality pigments. An encaustic “purist” will tell you that true encaustic painting must involve pigment but I would disagree because I love the qualities of even just the clear beeswax.

Often combined with other mediums such as photography, painting in other mediums, and collage, encaustic paintings are coveted due to their luminosity, rich texture, and naturally aromatic smell.

ARCHIVAL QUALITIES:
Encaustic paintings are perhaps the most durable of paintings and have outlasted other paintings by thousands of years. Evidence of this can be seen by the Faiyum mummy portraits that are over 2500 years old. Excavation of ancient encaustic painting has shown no mold, cracking, flaking, or fading. This is because unlike other mediums, encaustic paintings are resistant to moisture, acid, and mold.

GENERAL CARE & NO NOs:
Although encaustic paintings are very archival, they should be carefully handled to avoid scratching the surface. Encaustic work should NOT be placed behind a glass frame. They should also be kept in a relatively temperature controlled space. Wax will melt when it becomes approximately 150 degrees Fahrenheit. NEVER leave encaustic work inside a car, outdoors in the sun, or in freezing conditions. If displaying encaustic work in a window or a harsh heat source (too close to a wood stove), test it out with an encaustic sample to make sure it does not soften the surface. If you have purchased a piece of my art, I would be happy to provide you with such a test sample. Normal household/gallery conditions are fine. Many collectors and gallery owners who are new to encaustic art may be unnecessarily concerned about the painting “melting on a hot day” or when the “heat comes on.” There is no need for this concern. Since the wax melting point is 150 degrees, a common joke in the encaustic world is that if your home or gallery gets that hot, you have a bigger problem. Your building is on fire!

TRANSPORT & SHIPPING:
During transport or shipping, cover the encaustic surface with wax paper followed by a layer of bubblewrap. Then ship as normal with protective packing material. Extra care should be made to protect the sides of the painting when an encaustic surface extends to the edges of the piece. (This is the case with most of my encaustic art.) When transporting a short distance in a car, I often just wrap the encaustic art in a bed sheet, non-linty blanket, or t-shirt and lay it flat in my vehicle. Avoid bringing the encaustic surface in contact with hairy pets and textured, linty fabric such as wool. Such fibers might stick to the surface if the wax gets warm. A recent collector of mine recalled "learning this the hard way" when he purchased a piece of encaustic art from someone else at show, put it in the back of his car unprotected, and ended up with dog prints all over the surface from his traveling hairy passenger!

SURFACE BUFFING FOR NEW ART:
Shortly after an encaustic painting is finished, the surface will appear slightly dull and cloudy. This is the natural process of the wax out-gassing and curing. Allow about 3 months to fully cure. To remove this dullness and give the encaustic surface a beautiful glossy and transparent surface, gently buff the surface with a soft dry clean cloth. Old T-shirts and diapers work great for this. Avoid buffing with the printed portion of the t-shirt as this will scratch your encaustic art. Even after the curing time, I will often buff my artwork just before displaying or transferring art to a buyer.

If you have any further questions, feel free to contact me directly. I would love to hear from you!

-Heidi Franscioni

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