Encaustic and Cold Wax Paintings

The paintings below use wax combined with pigments in two different ways. The encaustic paintings are composed of self-made encaustic medium, which is a combination of beeswax with pigments or oil paint, and ground damar resin, which is then heated to apply, with layers being fused carefully with a torch. In cold wax painting, the wax is loosened with a solvent to a semi-solid paste and requires no heat to apply or fuse layers. Their effects can be similar or quite different.