I was thinking that some of you may not be familiar with encaustic so here's a blurb about it! Enjoy! The Art of Encaustic Painting Encaustic is a word that is used to describe the medium as well as the painting process. A Greek word (enkaustikos) meaning ‘to burn’, encaustic utilizes melted bees wax, damar resin, and pigment to create the paint. It is one of the oldest painting mediums, dating back to the Egyptians and the Greco- Romans. Wax was originally used to coat sea faring ships and eventually encaustics were used to paint the sculptures that were ornamenting them. The Greeks and Romans used encaustics to paint their sculptures and pottery while the Egyptians used the medium to create life- like portraits for coffins. Within the Byzantine period, encaustic was also used to create icons of Christ and the Saints. While used sparingly during the Renaissance through the 18 th and 19 th centuries, encaustic was revived as ...
