Summer Sunshine 5: A Variation

Variety is the spice of life, right?

You know I can’t just do one thing, right? I like to experiment and improvise. We here at Chez Guillebeau have eaten many a dinner that didn’t turn out so well, because of my tendency to experiment.

With 100 paintings in 100 days, I did a watercolor every Sunday, but this time I’m not painting on Sundays. So Friday is going to be the day for improvising. Some Fridays I may paint a watercolor, but today I thought I’d show you something new.

I’ve been playing with encaustic (the process of painting with hot wax) for a few months now, and I’ve finally created a painting that I really love. It’s fun to take the principles of painting with oil and apply them to a new medium. Landscapes work beautifully for this.

I worked this in several layers. First a layer of clear wax, then gradually building up to the lighter colors right on top, which is exactly what I do with oil.  I love it! The wax has a softer filtered quality that seems to add depth somehow.

And here’s a shot from the side, so you can get more of an idea of the process.

4×4 Oil on Birch Block. Ready to hang, no framing required! $50.

Want it? Email me here.

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