MY ENCAUSTO
During one of my visits to Florence, where I always find inexhaustible sources of interest, in a tiny shop found an old book that described the encaustic painting technique, originating in ancient Egypt. It was an exciting discovery that instilled in me a great desire to experiment with this technique. The mysterious charm of that ancient civilization and those marvellous paintings were the mainsprings of a new adventure for me.
I felt that the encaustic painting technique would make me feel closer to that world, to those extraordinary anonymous artists swallowed up by time.
The term “encaustic” is derived from a Greek word that means “to burn in.” This technique was generally used on walls. The artist heated beeswax and when still liquid he mixed it with the substance that is now known as turpentine. This prevented the wax from solidifying when cooled. A gooey wax was thus obtained, which had the consistency of modern oil colours. Then the artists mixed the powdered pigments in separate bowls. A hot brazier was placed at the base of the painted wall.
The heat rising from the brazier caused the paint to meld permanently with the wall. It was an extraordinary intuition that allowed such ancient paintings to survive to the present day.
My encaustic method is different. While respecting the three key elements of the technique –beeswax, colour and heat– I proceed in singular steps. I apply some paint to the panel. When that has dried, I brush it with hot wax. After smoothing the cooled surface with a steel float, I can paint. I use water-soluble and wax-like pastels. Once the painting is completed, the dyes are fixed on the wax with a heat source. Then I polish it with a wool cloth. The fixing step is followed by the application of a transparent protective varnish, which will prevent the sugars present in small amounts in beeswax from reacting with the oxygen in the air, thus preventing the painted surface from being covered by a whitish patina.
