“Denouement”

Description

“Denouement”, a unique wildfire memorial. An Original encaustic wax painting on acid etched glass. Large, 19-1/2″x24″ framed and ready to hang.

An unusual piece for a unique collector. This very natural and organic encaustic process used to create ‘Denouement’ is thousands of years old, predating oils and of course acrylics. It is believed that Greeks first used encaustic, a mixture of bee’s wax and damar resin, to repair fishing vessels, later adding pigments to beautify the patched areas. There have been many discoveries of encaustic murals found in Roman ruins, Pompeii and of course the most famous of all encaustics were found in the tombs of the Fayum Valley of Egypt.

There are hundreds of these, almost two thousand year old, Egyptian Fayum sarcophagus in museums around the world today. The color and depth of encaustics cannot be matched by any other medium, yet because of the labor intensity of the process it is not a medium that you often see today.

My encaustics may consist of several, sometimes more, layers of wax. Each layer must be heated to just molten in order for it to adhere to the previous layer otherwise it will separate and crack. On these small pieces I’m able to use a tacking iron and a creme brûlée torch. For larger pieces I use larger irons and torches. I purchase my pure, unfiltered bee’s wax locally, here in the heart of the Ozark Mountains. I then prepare my own recipe using damar resin and natural pigments to make my own signature encaustic paints. The smell of honey as the encaustic ‘cooks’ is an added incentive.

A professional artist all my life I have now devoted my entire studio to encaustics and have been working in encaustics for six years. I work in the studio almost every day and still there is so much to learn. I’m continuously experimenting, even designing and making my own tools on occasion when I can’t find a particular tool to fit my need. My encaustics may or may not include bits and pieces of personal photographs, fabric, papers, leaves and found ephemera. I have even included a scrap of lace from my mother’s wedding dress in one personal piece as a memorial for her and the ashes of my beloved dog Poppy in a separate work. Both, now preserved forever and providing sweet memories as I pass by and see them on my wall. Some of my work is figurative, others more abstract. I am forever trying to achieve what I haven’t seen done before. I’m completely enthralled with the possibilities of Encaustic!

Your piece of encaustic art can be expected to last just as long as the Fayums with little to no care other than a light buffing with a soft cloth every now and then. Protect your encaustic as you would any other piece of fine art, don’t hang it above a fireplace or leave it in a hot car or anywhere the temperature could rise above 130 degrees.

I hope you will be as pleased with your encaustic art as I have been to create it. Know that it was created with much thought, love and preparation.

If you have a custom encaustic idea you’d like to discuss, please contact me.

La’Nelle Gambrell

www.LaNelle.com