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Encaustic Facts Sheet
What is encaustic? From the ancient Greek enkaustickos, which means to heat or to burn. Encaustic is the name for both a medium, pigmented wax, and the process, involving heat, by which the medium is applied and secured. Encaustic medium is beeswax in which a small amount of damar resin has been added for strength. The usual ratio is one part damar to eight or nine parts wax. Will it melt? It would take extreme heat to harm a painting (150 degrees or more). You would not want to put any fine art in direct sunlight, whether it would melt or not. What is that white dust that collects on the surface? Bloom is a film of whitish dust that appears on the surface of an encaustic painting as the result of a chemical reaction within the wax. To get rid of it, simply wipe it off with a soft cloth as necessary. Eventually the reactivity will cease and the bloom will be gone. You can also gently reheat the surface using a blow dryer, be very careful or you could melt the painting. How do I transport it? Within a range of 35 to 120 degrees F, wax can travel safely without cracking or melting. Use packing materials that protect and insulate. A good method is putting the piece in a cushioned box and wrapping it in a double layer of bubble wrap. For shipping, your best bet is via an insured art handler. If you ship by land, look for a company with a climate-controlled ban and, experience with encaustic work. |
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