The word encaustic comes from the Greek word, encausticos, which means “to burn in”. It is an ancient painting technique in which pigments are suspended in a binder of hot bee’s wax and resin.Most of my paintings are created using this method that dates back to the 4th century, BC.

Before I can begin a painting, the wax mixture must be heated to a molten state. I use a variety of small appliances to melt the wax. Once the wax is liquefied, I use natural bristle brushes to apply the wax onto the painting surface. Next, a blow torch or industrial heat gun is used to “burn in” the wax and fuse it to the surface layer below. A variety of carving and scraping tools are used to further manipulate the wax and create line, depth and texture. These steps are repeated several more times until the desired imagery is achieved. Some of my paintings also contain vintage sewing patterns, bits of fabric and other found objects that are embedded within the many layers of wax. This process of layering and fusing multiple coats of wax adds a sense of depth and mystery to each painting.