Ladies of the Fire Present Their Encaustic Work

The exciting and lustrous medium of encaustic wax will be on full display at the upcoming exhibition "Ladies of the Fire Present Their Encaustic Art". Live demonstrations will take place at 1 PM and 3 PM. (no charge)

A group of eight local artists have banded together to explore this ancient and versatile medium and encourage each other along the journey. Encaustic art has been around since of the time of the ancient Greeks and Egyptians and was used to create portraits and decorate ships. The word “encaustic” comes from Greek and means “to burn in” thus hinting that fire or heat in some form is its primary means of application. Encaustic paint is made of beeswax, natural damar resin, and pigment. Its versatility allows it to be used with oil paint and applied over watercolor, ink, clay, wood, and almost any absorbent surface.

Encaustic wax can be polished to a high gloss, carved, scraped, layered, collaged, dipped, cast, sculpted, and textured. Wax is a natural adhesive and preservative. It is moisture resistant, mildew and fungus resistant, and unappetizing to insects. It also requires no glass or varnish as it is impervious to moisture.

Artists participating in this show include: Maralyn Wilson, Ginger Clark, Melanie Colvin, Marygray Hunter, Gayle Hurley, Lin Lewis