I Repeat, I Am Not An Encaustic Artist

Sure, I have worked in the encaustic medium for 20 years. I can share many simple and advanced encaustic techniques and am always stretching what can be done with this medium, but that is not all that I do and love.

Diversity . The antonym is "Uniformity" Years ago someone suggested it would be better for my career if I would stick to one style and medium so my work could be easily be recognized. I have been working professionally since I was 21. I was hired by a book publisher in Chicago to work in the art department. I am now 85 years old. That would have been a lot of years making the same paintings. I wouldn't have lasted or kept my sanity.

August was a busy month. I had a full encaustic workshop, a drawing class and a new student learning to paint portraits in oil. I love it; going back and forth from abstract to figurative and using different techniques. In between, I have started another mixed media, encaustic abstract.

If you can measure and understand negative space, you can draw.

First we laid out our palettes, and started with the darkest darks, working through the mediums and the lightest color is last.

Everyone was busy making their original encaustic paintings. Next week is a new class

I start with the white milk paint base; apply watercolor and diluted inks and then the clear encaustic. Lots more layers to come.