Garden Flowers   9 x 9
                                                                               
                

     Currently, I am composing original encaustic art compositions.  This is a process that represents an important innovative movement involving a painting technique invented by the ancient Egyptians, the original beekeepers.  The art was developed by the Romans and perfected by the Greeks.  Over time, artists such as Leonardo Da Vinci and Van Gogh experimented with the medium and the art was later revived by contemporary practitioners such as, Diego Rivera, Picasso and Jasper Johns.  Also known as "hot wax painting," the Greek term, enkaustikos means "to burn in."
     I formulate my medium from pure beeswax, oil pigments and damar, a fossilized resin.  From two million flowers and a multitude of bees, one pound of fragrant wax is produced.  Through encaustic painting, I can suspend my thoughts from under a luminous stratum of personal expression.  In its molten state, the wax medium is painted onto the surface substrate.  The encaustic experience creates an interaction between my intuitive impulses and the luscious wax appeal that can only be characterized by the freedom of spontanity.  Visual depth is achieved through its many fused layers and the pollen in the wax produces a final golden luster.  Over time, the surface cures and hardens into an ever enduring work of art.  My encaustic creations maintain exceptional archival properties when cared for, as with all fine art forms.