The Art of Encaustic Painting: Contemporary Expression in the Ancient Medium of Pigmented Wax

This is a great introduction to the medium. I've painted with acrylics for a few years and wanted to experiment with encaustic. Mattera gives a simple but thorough overview of encaustic. After reading this book I felt I had the basic knowledge I needed to start and it has continued to guide and inspire my exploration. I definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in painting with wax.

Joanne Mattera has written a comprehensive volume about my favorite medium, encaustic painting. She details the history of the art, as well as current artists using the medium. Perfect for beginners in encaustic, as complete instructions on melting, mixing, fusing, tools, safety issues, as well as how to build substrates, are given.

All of the reviewers of my book, "The Art of Encaustic Painting," said quite positive things about it and most gave it five stars. Thank you, one and all. However for those two reviewers who described it as "cultish," I'd like you to know how I researched the book: . I ran a classified ad for two months in Art News asking for "reproduction quality" images of strong encaustic painting. . I searched the visual data base, maintained by a wax paint manufacturer, of the work of hundreds of artists who work in wax. . I visited galleries in New York City and elsewhere for at least a decade, taking announcement cards and getting contact information. . I found very little in the way of representational or figurative work. I did, of course, find some wonderful images, which I included in the book, but percentagewise, the number was small. And it was smaller still because some of the slides were not repro quality or the work did not have the boldness it needed to hold its own in print. . On this last point--the boldness: By the time you see a work in print, it is many times removed from the original painting. Sublety gets lost, which is why I opted for bold, bright, luminous images. Since the publication of "The Art of Encaustic Painting," I have found some wonderful figurative and representational painters. Or, should I say, they have found me. But to imply that I somehow selected images from limited group of artists when in fact I made a wide-ranging search, does a disservice to both the art and to me. The fact is that there ARE more artists working abstractly in encaustic that representationally. If you work representationally or figuratively, I'd like to see your work. Send me a j-peg at [email protected].

Mattera very concisely defines the ins and outs of encaustic painting and provides an excellent point of reference for both beginning and more advanced artists wanting to expand their horizons on the subject. Also notable was the paintings represented in the beginning of the book that showed myriad techniques and styles employed today in modern encaustic painting. Beautifully done.

I have long been fascinated by the technique of encaustic painting and this book fills a void in references on the subject. It contains a vast array of detailed information on everything from making your own paints to exhibiting your artwork. The book starts out with a history of encaustic art. A gallery section then showcases four different portfolios of art including representation, color and pattern, dimension and modular work. Captions include artist, title, materials used, size and date introduced. Artwork is displayed in a variety of sizes. Some of my favorites are a beautiful face by Tony Scherman and the organic looking "Miasma Morph" by Sylvia Netzer, made of wax with pigment fired on ceramic. The next sections focuses on encaustic materials. It starts out with details on the wax types. A reference chart of all the wax types, their source, composition, properties, melting point, flash point, color range and average price is here too. Information on heating equipment and well as melting and fusing the wax are next. Then pigments and making your own paints is covered. Selecting and caring for brushes is also here. There is even a great section on using materials safely. Painting preparation and techniques follow. These include information on substrates and grounds with step-by-step instructions on how to make your own. Recipes of rabbit-skin glue and gesso, as well as tips on using them are explained as well. Then techniques and tips for textured, smooth, scraped and incised surfaces accompanied by example artwork are given. There are also details on collage, mixed media, creating artwork on paper and making large-scale pieces. I loved the helpful answers common questions such as what are good beeswax mixes, what wax is best for glazing, how does one get rid of bloom and what do if you get a wax burn?In the back of the book there are very helpful resource sections including supply sources, galleries, a glossary and bibliography as well as photo credits and an index. This book is an indispensable reference for anyone wanting to learn about and create encaustic art.