GUEST BLOGGER: The Wonders of Encaustic Art by On a Whimsey

Encaustic art?

What is it?

The name encaustic derives from the Greek for” burnt in”.

It is claimed that the art of encaustic wax painting is at least over 2000 years old and that it was practiced by the Ancient Greeks, Romans and Egyptians. Since it has lasted, in some cases, over 2000 years it is considered a very durable form of Art. Around the world there are ancient examples of portraits which have been painted on wood often depicting iconic images from the Church.

Examples of encaustic tomb portraits from Roman Egypt bear witness to the durability of the medium, which is thought to have been widely used in ancient times. Pliny describes the process in which hot liquid colors were applied to the wall by means of heated irons. It is believed that the waxes used to be heated in containers over a charcoal fire until molten and then applied to the wood with brushes or perhaps heated spatulas.

Nowadays, artists have the use of modern technology and thus are able to produce beautiful works of art with electric tools.

True encaustic painting is produced through a process in which the coloured wax is permanently ‘burned’ into an absorbent backing such as plaster, canvas or some woods. However, today, the technique of laying wax on a non absorbent support is generally regarded as encaustic art.

The amazing attribute of using the molten wax is that whenever the hot implement such as a hot iron touches it, the wax will melt and thus can be re-worked. So, you can alter the image until you are satisfied.

The waxes can be of many types. However, they are usually specially formulated to provide art quality colours in a safe non toxic form which is designed to be used when melted. This wax melts at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or just over 60 degrees Centigrade. The most popular for the beginner is wax made into manageable blocks or sticks. Otherwise, wax can be melted, different pigments added according to requirements, and so forth.

The main tool is the painting or encaustic iron. The base plate is used to smooth and texture the wax whilst the edge can be used to scrape or to slide through the medium. Again, the tip of the iron can be used to draw in details. Encaustic art painting card is specially impregnated and enables the wax to slide around the surface without allowing too much absorption. The card resists heat damage and is tough and flexible.

Other tools can include an encaustic art stylus, scribing tools, hot air guns. Whatever comes to hand, even tooth brushes, tissue, etc.

Other supports can be used creating different effects such as wood, fabric, plastic or metal.

It is an exciting medium which is not difficult master with limitless boundaries. Only the imagination can stop you!

So, having discovered this fascinating medium with which to work I then looked around and started to delve into the world of ACEOs or Art Cards, Editions and Originals. These started out at ATCs (Artist Trading Cards) similar to the ones collected by football fans, or the cards you used to find in cereal packets and cigarette cartons. ATCs were never allowed to be sold only traded one for another. That sounds great! So, how is an individual supposed to start? Well, here the bright idea of creating an ACEO came into being, which really was the same except this could now be bought and sold as well as traded; problem solved!

There is only ever one rule regarding ACEOs and that is that they must measure 3.5” x 2.5”. They can be created using any medium so what better than to start experimenting with encaustics? This meant that folk would be able to purchase original art at affordable prices, and not just encaustics!!

At first I worried about creating such small works of art but found after a while it was harder, for me, to work on larger supports! Now, I do both. However, I do love creating ACEOs and have been very fortunate in being able to sell quite a few too!!!

For further information on my encaustic art do go along to my blog where I show my other works of art:
http://onawhimsey.wordpress.com

To see my shop on Etsy, click the link:
http://onawhimsey.etsy.com

IMAGES (from top): Tidal Movement, A Beleagured Raft at Sea, and View out of the Cave

SPECIAL FEATURE #4: Always Amy

You will always find something unique and quirky in Amy Divebiss' Etsy shop. Her cheerful selection of accessories will always put a smile on your face because Always Amy is continually fresh and exciting. Put ice cream sundae earrings, a vinyl record bracelet, and an Alice Cooper notebook in one shop, and how could it not be a treasure chest of fun? This Salina, Kansas resident is certainly not afraid to live out loud - her style screams loud and clear from the mountaintops.

Amy may work in retail part-time, but she eats, sleeps, and breathes her successful Always Amy brand. Asked to describe herself, the saavy business woman admits she's "tenacious, stubborn, and determined." We could all take tips. Her sales record proves that these qualities are truly worth having.

When she's not steadily creating pieces to add to her shop, you can find Amy with her husband, playing with her animals, and keeping busy in her rooftop garden.

Read the interview below, to find out more about Amy D. and what new things she has in store:


In business, the 20 second pitch means everything. In 2 sentences or less, tell us what you sell in your Etsy shop and why it is unique.

I sell recycled memories. My jewelry embraces the nostalgia of the past, they are fond memories made tangible.

What are your favorite materials to use in your pieces?

Toys, buttons, miniatures – mainly plastic because you can get such a bright range of colors.

Which item from Always Amy is your most treasured piece? Why?

Right now I am really in love with making necklaces. Oddly, I hadn't really been inspired to create them much before this last month or so. So it's been this whole new fun thing for me & I am madly in love with the 'Cowfolk & Native American' series that I am making from vintage plastic figurines. But the boy rapid firing his gun, while his 10 gallon hat flies back, is my favorite of favorites (for now)!

We all pull from different things to inspire our art. What 3 things inspire your creativity the most?

1 - My desire to repurpose all the discarded little treasures. I love bringing things back to life

2 - COLOR COLOR COLOR. I love bright colors, and the different feelings that can be evoked by their combinations.

3 - My robot overlord. Not really, but I have always had a zany side – the childish joy of imagining hasn’t seemed to have left me yet. I am innately curious and gratefully have been able to channel that into my art.

What is your definition of success?

Albert Einstein said it well, “The ideals which have lighted me on my way and time after time given me new courage to face life cheerfully, have been Truth, Goodness, and Beauty. . . . The ordinary objects of human endeavor -- property, outward success, luxury -- have always seemed to me contemptible.” My shop’s success is that it is enough. Enough to let me do this as a full time job, something beautiful that I enjoy. It allows me to do my little piece of helping the future by recycling and repurposing, and it makes other people happy (at least more so than if I was a telemarketer or bill collector or something else mundane).

Etsy selling is all about survival of the fittest. What has been your toughest challenge while running Always Amy?

I am very principled, perhaps to a fault. There are things that I have made and then discovered that someone else made them first and I won’t list them. I try very hard to ensure that everything I make is my own idea, my own creation. That is the hardest part, especially in a world where not everyone is so principled. There are people, not just on ETSY – but everywhere, who have no problem with stealing an idea and then recreating it and undercutting the price. I refuse to have a price war with my own product.

Share your most exciting experience while running Always Amy.

My first sale; I recently had my 3,000^th item sold; and it is kind of silly, but a minor pop star bought a item from my shop and wore it to an event and a magazine shoot – so I can see it in the pictures.

What words of wisdom do you live by when selling on Etsy?

Be tenacious. Don’t compromise – ever. Dedication.

If you could open a brick and mortar shop anywhere in the world, where would it be? Why?

Whew. I had a brick and mortar shop before and it was not an ideal situation. But anywhere in the world… New York. Living where I do, New York seems like a mythical place. I have always wanted to go there, but money/family constraints have kept me where I am to this point. But New York is the dream.

If you could select only one celebrity to be photographed with one of your pieces, who would it be?

I would like to say that it doesn’t matter, that I am not into celebrities, but anyone famous wearing one of my pieces would thrill me. If Ani DiFranco bought something from my store – well – I might get a little spastic over it.

(Ani DiFranco; Mourning Blossom Stud Rose Post by Always Amy)

What new things should we look forward to in your shop?

Hopefully lots. I am in the midst of a self imposed purchasing ban for the summer. I have so much unused product cluttering my craft room(s) that I really need to focus on using it up before I get more, but there are ideas floating in my head for the distant and not too distant future of my store, including an entirely new store with a ‘darker’ or grittier theme (more art base than jewelry), but I don’t have any time tables. Just keep checking the store and I will do my absolute best to keep it interesting and updated with new things.

Visit Always Amy to see more great items.
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Amy's MOST MEMORABLE CARNIVAL MOMENT:

Not a big fan of the rides, (thanks to the gift of motion sickness) however, a few years ago we went to the local carnival and I took some pictures of people on the rides. There was the ride that spins and presses everyone against the wall and then the bottom drops out. Well, the frame rate of the camera happened to match the rotation speed of the ride. When the pictures turned out you could see a few of the people in clear focus, while the ride and the lights were a moving blur. It was really neat.

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