2 minute read
Propane with Purpose
Painting with Fire
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If you’ve ever enjoyed a Jasper Johns piece of art, then you’ve been exposed to encaustic painting. Encaustic painting, for those unfamiliar, is a technique that involves pigments mixing with hot liquid wax. The word encaustic is Greek in origin, and means to “burn in” or fuse with heat.
The medium is not new. It’s been around since 500 B.C. In fact, when Homer wrote about the painted ships that sailed into Troy, he was describing ships that had painted images on them using the encaustic method. The wax and resin were a way of sealing the ships. Because beeswax is impervious to moisture, it was a durable material to use on vessels. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the method largely became a lost art, waiting for modern artists to discover it. gence in interest in the process. Diego Rivera used it for a commissioned project in 1922, but it was Jasper Johns who is most famous for the method. He forged a new path for contemporary encaustic painting with his flag paintings.
The essence of encaustic painting is heat.
When Homer was around, the source of heat was no doubt fire. Technology, of course, has changed the medium. Today, artists can utilize a variety of tools in heating and mixing the wax.
One of the popular tools is a small propane torch. The pint-sized items provide consistent temperatures, are adjustable, are easy to operate and always pack a punch. They are additionally easy to turn off and on, which is perfect for artists. The utilitarian propane torch is an invaluable part of an encaustic painter’s toolbox.
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