| Encaustic was first noted
in the Egyptian-Greco times as early as 12 AD. In Greek shipbuilders used
beeswax to waterproof the hulls of their vessels and caulk the joints. In Egypt
head and shoulder wax portraits were found on mummy casings designed to
transport bodies of the deceased to a spiritual afterlife. In 1954 Jasper Johns put pigmented beeswax on canvas. Thus, encaustic was back on the map. The medium is well known for its transparency and translucent density and it is a delight to paint layer after layer and watch the color underneath shine from underneath. Encaustic is a mixture of beeswax, resin and a coloring agent, usually dry oil pigment. It is kept warm at 220 degrees on an electric palette. The wax dries quickly so one must work quickly. After each layer of wax one must apply heat to fuse the surface so the wax will not separate over time.
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