Encaustic: The Process...Click on photo.
![]() Moonlight, Fireflies, QueenAnnesLaceOn the wax table. | ![]() Moonlight, Fireflies, QueenAnnesLacePhoto/Sketch Substrate background ready for the flowers to be painted | ![]() Color PaletteEncaustic Medium and pigments melt at 180. Painting at 180 degrees or a little hotter if you want extra fluidity a little cooler for a thicker coating and texture, then letting cool and layer, again and again. |
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![]() Moonlight, Fireflies, QueenAnnesLaceSketch, ready for the body of the painting. | ![]() Moonlight, Fireflies, QueenAnnesLaceMilky clouds and flecks of white to start the specks of light the fireflies create on a hot summer night in the garden. | ![]() Moonlight, Fireflies, QueenAnnesLaceHeat gun. Each layer is fused to the next. |
![]() Moonlight, Fireflies, QueenAnnesLaceReady for the Flowers and the Fireflies. | ![]() Moonlight, Fireflies, QueenAnnesLaceMoving forward, days of working will go by, before this intensive piece is done. | ![]() Moonlight, Fireflies, QueenAnnesLaceAlways exhaust the hot smoke from the Encaustic griddle away from you and outdoors. |
![]() Moonlight, Fireflies, QueenAnnesLaceFinished and in the studio. | ![]() Breezy Sky & Queen Annes LaceBackground is in, etching complete, flowers being created | ![]() Breezy Sky & Queen Annes LaceDefinition, one small stroke after another. Layers of hot wax create these stems and flowers. |
![]() | ![]() On my table. | ![]() Cinder and Oak Shield LichenAll my work starts with an idea and sketch. |
![]() Cinder and Oak Shield LichenGetting ready to begin, on the wax table. | ![]() Cinder and Oak Shield LichenWorking... | ![]() Birch Trees on the ShoreAll my work starts with an idea and sketch. |
![]() Birch Trees on the ShoreBackground complete. Now painting in the trunks and branches. | ![]() Birch Trees on the ShoreBackground complete. Now painting in the trunks and branches. | ![]() Birch Trees on the ShoreUsing Oil Pastels I rub this into the carved and etched crevices and the dark color adds depth and shadows. |
![]() Birch Trees on the ShoreDetail of unfinished piece. | ![]() Birch Trees on the ShoreTexture! | ![]() On my Wax Table.Working on Wilderland Maine Little Littles. |
![]() On my Wax Table.Working on Wilderland Maine Little Littles. | ![]() Hot Wax Palette and Pigments. | ![]() On my Wax Table.Photographs, mounted and finished with Encaustic. |
![]() On my Wax Table.Working on Wilderland Maine Little Littles. |
Caring for your Encaustic Painting

This piece of art was created with
Beeswax + Damar Resin and Pigments.
Encaustic (to paint with fire) is a process/Technique
of painting that is 4000 years old.
How to care for your Encaustic Painting:
Keep out of direct sun, like any piece of art.
Do not leave in a hot car, ever.
Wrap with wax paper and put between two pieces of cardboard if you need to ship or move your piece, this will keep it from becoming scratched.
This piece is made of wax, it will chip and scratch if it comes into contact with hard edged objects.
Every few months polish your piece with the balls of your fingers, it will bring up a sheen that can be reflective and shiny.
Thank you.
I appreciate your support of the arts.
kdb
Maine Encaustic Artist kdb
and Encaustic Art.
Encaustic Painting is a medium that is 4000 years old. It is true alchemy. Bees Wax mixed with Damar Resin+ Pigments, heated to 200 degrees, making it liquid. Many layers of heated encaustic medium and pigments are applied with a natural bristle brush, it is then fused with a heat gun, painting layer upon layer until the piece is finished. All of my work is done on Cradled Birch Board as Encaustic needs a firm, non-bendable substrate or the wax will crack. Some pieces are carved right into the wax creating Encaustic Etchings.
Nature is my Muse and molten Bees Wax is one of my favorite mediums.
I became interested in Encaustic painting in 2008. I studied for several years and started Encaustic Painting in 2010. I am in love with this very warm, medium that smells like honey. It is always a joy to be in my Encaustic Studio.
Over the years I have discovered many things about painting with hot wax. Layers and layers of Encaustic medium and pigments, fused one on top of the next to create a depth that I have not found in other mediums. I like the mysterious look of graphite particles suspended in clear medium layered over a creamy or stark white background. I have also played and worked with the melding of two mediums, embedding photographs or doing photo transfers with my images. The effect is stunning and always a bit of a surprise, depending on the image. I have also created very large pieces, 4ftx2ft, which is 8 sq. ft. of wax.
Etching into the somewhat cooled wax is something I really love. I use a fine needle like tool to scratch onto the surface of the wax. Sometimes I then add Oil Pastel into the crevices and also onto the surface to create the tight scenes of birds, bees, trees and other inspirations from the natural world.
I have been studying, creating and showing my Encaustic Artwork for almost a decade here in Maine.
kdb - Maine Encaustic Artist.
