Nan Hass Feldman

Nan Hass Feldman

ENCAUSTICS

Encaustic is a beeswax-base paint that is kept molten on a heated palette. Once painted onto a surface, it must be reheated to fuse each layer of color into a uniform enamel-like finish. The word encaustic comes from the Greek and means to burn in, which refers to the process of fusing the paint.

Encaustic is the most durable artists' paint due to the fact that beeswax is impervious to moisture. Because it will not deteriorate, will not yellow, and will not darken, encaustic paintings do not need to be varnished or protected by glass. In fact, if desired they may be buffed with a soft cloth to heighten the shine.

Encaustic painting was in danger of becoming a lost art, since the process can be cumbersome, painstaking, and expensive. Although still an obscure medium, today encaustic painting is enjoying a resurgence of interest as artists begin to explore its subtle painterly qualities and its rich surface textures.