New Encaustic paintings started

Johnson Creek Studio by Cheryl D. McClure

Toward the end of 2012, I had a few really large acrylic paintings going……..one for a commission. So due to the holidays, I finished them up.

Still in the back of my mind were those two 30 x 40 x 2 inch wood panels over in the corner waiting for me to come and work on them. I had been considering oil with cold wax medium or encaustic. One day I just decided I would prep for encaustic since I had an idea for something I wanted to do with them. Not a real ordinary thing for me…ideas ahead of painting even one brushstroke. I do now and then though and have had to give in to the idea that sometimes ideas just don’t live up to your expectations. I find that just letting the painting go where it wants is good, whether or not I really have a firm idea or not.

What you say is the idea?  Those gesture ‘drawings I did back some time ago as just fun exercises on some large paper I had……..they are 30 x 44 inches………I used black and white paint and a little pencil, ink, and even some pastel……..One night I thought they might be just the thing to try out on the wood panels with encaustic. It would definitely be a challenge as encaustic paint just does not move like acrylic and liquid mediums generally speaking.

SO… right after the kids were gone from the holidays and I had rested up a little and got some errands and appointments over…………into the studio.

I now have two 30 x 40 panels with sumi and india ink brush drawings on them………..added pencil and any other thing I thought would be compatible under encaustic………….they were first coated with encaustic gesso (Holy Grail) from EvansEncaustics. There are other companies out there but Hylla made the first and I love using it.

I also have a layer of clear medium over the surface of both of these pieces and fused in………..ready for the next layer in the next session.

Below are just the photos of the beginning drawings……..