Published in conjunction with an exhibition devoted to the encaustic medium, Waxing Poetic: Encaustic Art in America examines a painting method first used by the ancient Greeks and Romans. The word "encaustic" derives from the Greek term "enkaustikos," meaning "to burn in." The basic technique calls for dry pigments to be mixed with molten wax on a warm palette and applied to any ground or surface. A heat source is passed close to the surface, burning...