Encaustic Art – Escape to the sea

Description Encaustic art is 2000 year old, painting with hot melted beeswax onto wooden blocks (10 x 4 x 0.5 inches) and then fused with a blow torch. It is extremely fragile when blow torching not to remelt in to its molten state, and is often called “Painting with Fire”. This encaustic art block features a captivating seascape, expertly created using the ancient technique of encaustic painting. The artwork is composed of layers of vibrant Surrey Bees beeswax, skillfully applied to the block’s surface, (sometimes up to 50 layers) forming textured waves, skies, and coastal elements. The colours are rich and fluid, blending soft blues, warm sands, and frothy whites to evoke the serenity and power of the ocean. The use of beeswax imparts a smooth, lustrous finish, with subtle, glowing layers that add depth and dimension to the scene. The final touch is the blow-torched shellac, which has been carefully applied to the surface. This process gives the piece a unique, glossy sheen, enhancing the fluidity of the waves and creating intriguing patterns and textures where the heat has interacted with the wax. The shellac adds a layer of translucency, catching light and giving the artwork a dynamic, ever-changing effect as the viewer moves around it. The result is a breathtaking seascape that captures the movement and tranquility of the sea, with a rich interplay of color, texture, and light.