UNIQUE ART WORK

PHOTO-ENCAUSTICS

INTRO

PHOTO-ENCAUSTIC ART WORK

Photo-encaustics is a lovely mixed-media technique that uses beeswax and dammar resin as a medium to encapsulate a fine art photography print to create a one-of-a-kind artwork which is full of texture and tones. The official description of photo-encaustics is as follows –

Encaustics means “to burn in or fuse.” First practised by Greek artists as far back as the 5th century BC, encaustic combines beeswax with dry pigment and tree resin to bind pigment. The “caustic” part of the term indicates that heat is used to melt and blend the layers of wax into a unified piece. Historically, Encaustics have been used to paint Egyptian funeral portraits and by Greeks to depict mythology in art. In the 20th Century, encaustics made a revival with well-known artists such as Van Gogh and Picasso.

PROCESS

I love working with melted beeswax in the studio, the texture and refracted light of each photo-encaustic piece have an ethereal feel, It is an ever-evolving creative process; it gives my work a deeper connection to the natural world using nature’s gift of beeswax.

My process is a combination of photography and photo-encaustics both separately and intertwined.

The process itself can take many hours starting with preparing the print then I spend time adding layers of beeswax and tree sap, texture and colour, infusing with heat layer after layer to ensure the artwork encapsulates the photograph combined with textures such as natural elements, rice papers and mark making and then finishing with oil pan sticks to enhance the artwork further. The final artwork then takes up to 6 to 12 months to cure.

My limited edition prints start life as original phot-encaustic artwork, I then re-photograph the artwork and spend time in my digital darkroom, enhancing textures and tones creating a new print inspired by the original encaustic artwork but possessing its own new unique style and feel.

My original photo-encaustic artworks and limited edition prints can be purchased within my print shop.

If you would like to view a particular original artwork in person before purchasing it. Please get in touch by email – at hello@esthertowler.com so we can arrange a time and day for you to visit my studio to view the piece.

Each artwork comes signed and with a certificate of authenticity.

Care & keeping of your photo-encaustic artwork

These are some tips to keep your pieces in good condition. Remember, the mummy encaustic portraits are almost 2,000 years old. Your encaustic artwork is made of a very long-lasting medium! Your artwork will be around for many generations!

Avoid strong Sunlight & heat
-As with any artwork, I would recommend that you avoid direct contact with Sunlight as over time this can fade the piece.

– Encaustic wax won’t liquify until it gets back up to 200 degrees, but it can get soft or ruined in very high temperatures. Try to keep your pieces out of direct heat as much as possible.

-Very cold weather can also cause the wax to shrink and crack. Avoid storing your artwork in freezing cold temperatures too. Don’t store them in an attic, garage, or storage unit or display your artwork above a strong heat source ie – wood burner

6 – 9 Months to cure

-Your encaustic piece doesn’t completely cure for 6-12 months and you may see some crystallization or hazing on the wax during that time. This is called blooming.

-To remove blooming or dust from the pieces, use a lint-free cloth to buff the surface of the wax. The more you buff, the shiner your wax will be. You can also use the palm of your hand to buff your piece. A lint-free cloth will be provided with your artwork.

LIMITED EDITION & ORIGINAL ARTWORK