As an encaustic painter, I am inspired to create unusual and unpredictable works through the use of beeswax, damar resin, and an array of colorful pigments. While a bright burst of color might catch your eye initially, there are subtleties to my paintings which are revealed with closer observation.

Encaustic painting is unpredictable and messy – like life. The medium I use starts off as solid blocks of beeswax and resin, which is melted using a hotplate, to which pigments are added. This molten wax is painted onto a wood panel, and a blowtorch is used to create ebbs and flows with the wax medium – which can mimic the ebbs and flows of life. The outcome is usually not what was originally mapped out, but nevertheless, is beautiful and unique. No two paintings can ever be the same.

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Instagram @monicas_encaustic_art

Artist Story
I’ve been making and creating for as long as I can remember. My older sisters and I would walk to the bead store as kids and spend what seemed like hours pouring over shiny beads, or we’d tear apart my mom’s antique costume jewelry and refashion them into something original. It was always exciting to create something new and utterly unique; something that was my own creation that I could be proud of.

I had been taking art classes with a friend for years. It was a great way to lose yourself and focus on something imaginative. She signed us up for an encaustic painting class, and I was hooked. It was unlike anything I’d ever done – there was such creativity with this unique medium. The bold colors, the juicy wax melting in swirls and drips, and the smooth ethereal finish were enough to make me set up a home studio. I haven’t stopped learning new encaustic painting techniques and there is no end in sight.

Queen Bee

Ornaments

Gossip Session

Butterfly Shellac.jpg

Fly Anywhere