Painting the encaustic way

This is a photographic, informational and communication blog for Encaustic Painting at the Birmingham/Bloomfield Art Center in Birmingham, Michigan, January 2008.

So, hello Alix, Kristine, Bill, Jane and Caron. I'm thinking of this as a way we can communicate. You can also email or call me. I'll check it once or twice a day and respond to any questions. Anyone of you (or anyone at all) can respond also.

Some notes about making medium -
- it will take about 4 hours
-set the electric skillet to warm or lowest setting
- put in the Damar crystals in a 1:8 ratio - Damar:beeswax - the 4 ounces of Damar to the 2 bricks of beeswax
- put the beeswax in on top of the Damar
- put the lid on, slightly ajar, and let it melt.
Check it now and then to see how it's coming. Pay attention to the odor. It should smell like beeswax. If it smells obnoxious, turn it off.
After awhile - maybe 3 hours - the wax will be melted but the Damar may still be tarry. You can stir it around to spread out the Damar or just put the lid back on and wait longer.
If you have to interrupt this process, no problem. Turn it off then back on later.

What to bring next Thursday, the 17th besides your normal encaustic bits:
- your panel to paint white. It will have your print or painting or blank paper applied to it the following week.
- your panel you painted yesterday. You may scrape the wax off and experiment again or continue with what you have begun.
- either your encaustic medium already melted and formed or your beeswax and Damar crystals and a container to melt the wax in
- torch
- pigments in oil paint, dry pigments or encaustic stick or the other forms we mentioned
- paper for monoprints. I would suggest about 25 sheets of some inexpensive paper. I'll bring some mylar and examples of my monoprints on mylar. There are examples of a few of these on my regular blog, Bonzo Chronicles about half way down the page.

Check this blog closer to next Thursday. I may add more to your "bring" list.