ABSTRACT

The objective of this project is to illustrate the many different historical events and cultural traditions that make up a single family using the ancient art of encaustic. Although the encaustic process is rarely used in schools, it is a timeless process that has been used to narrate complex emotions beginning with the Ancient Egyptians through the Byzantine period. Mexican muralists adopted the encaustic technique in more recent history, and artists like myself are contributing to its resurgence now. While working with encaustic I have had many obstacles with understanding and mastering the technique. There are many factors that go into creating a single art work including heating the wax to just the right temperature, layering the wax evenly for a smooth surface, carefully fusing each layer long enough to seal them without melting multiple layers at once, and transferring images onto the wax without losing details. In spite of all of these technicalities, I have created a total of six artworks through extensive research and practice. These six works of art all reference dierent historical events, Catholicism, and cultural aspects of my family through photos, illustrations, design elements, symbols, and color.

INTRODUCTION

The objective of this project is to illustrate the many different historical events and cultural traditions that make up a single family using the ancient art of encaustic. Encaustic painting and collage process is rarely taught in schools, yet it is a timeless process that has been used to narrate complex emotions beginning with the Ancient Egyptians through the Byzantine period.

When searching for the right medium to create these works of art, I came across a 6th-century encaustic work of art from Saint Catherineʼs Monastery in Egypt. I was initially just attracted to the layout and religious symbols but became interested in the process used to create it. Encaustic art dates back to the 5th-century B.C. and was notably used in mummy portraits. The only surviving and most known encaustic works from ancient times are the Fayum funeral portraits painted in the 1st through the 3rd centuries A.D. by Greek painters in Egypt. These portraits were painted of deceased during their lives or after death and placed over the personʼs mummy as a memorial. The wax in these portraits has notably preserved the colors and protected the works over time.

While the wax was then used to caulk ship hulls, pigmented wax was also one of the first ways to decorate warships. At this time, encaustic panels became popular in comparison to tempura paint which was very commonly used for the earliest known panels and canvas paintings. Tempura was easier to manipulate, cheaper, and faster while encaustic was a slow, more difficult technique. However, it allowed for built up texture and reliefs and most importantly durability. Tempura was vulnerable to moisture whereas wax was not affected by it.

There have been attempts to revive encaustic work in the past but none were successful due to the complications that come with melting wax. Electricity is needed to maintain a constant melting temperature making it difficult to work with. However, with the current availability of portable electric heating it has become more accessible. Consequently, there has been a recent rebirth of encaustic on a major scale. Even with the advanced technology available today, this ancient technique has gained a widespread interest.

Encaustic paintings tend to have more character, look aged, and can create very natural colors and tones compared to a regular painting. They also have more depth as transparent layers are used to embed images and objects. I liked this process because it reminded me of my research of anthropology and ancestry as it is an ancient process and tends to appear as if it is aged even when it first created. Additionally, I found many encaustic artworks conveying catholic religious beliefs that I

PROCESS

Preparing the Wood 

The wood must be sanded smooth before adding wax for best results. I am using cradled wood for these pieces with a 1.5 inch height. Wax often runs off the edges of the wood so I tape my edges with masking tape to make cleaning the edges easier at the completion of a piece. I can paint, or draw on the wood at this point if I am wanting something other than the wood to show through the layers.

Beginning to Layer Wax

The first two layers of wax must be uncolored beeʼs wax and then fused before adding anything else.

Adding Details

Colored wax can then be added and layered. At this point, any images can be added or transferred, wax can be carved and filled, objects can be embedded, etc. The more layers of wax added over images and objects, the more subtle and less apparent they become.

RESULTS

I have created a total of 7 works of art using encaustic and created a process book over this research as well. The wax successfully helps to set a tone and made it possible to include multiple forms of art.

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I was also awarded first place for this creative activity research at the annual Eureca Forum.

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