Encaustic Mixed Media: Wood vs. Canvas for Nature-Inspired Art

Walking into my art studio nestled in the Colorado mountains, you might be surprised to find piles of dried flowers and cut wood instead of tubes of paint and canvas. One of the main attractions of working with encaustic (beeswax) botanical art is that I am able to use materials found and grown on my land, rather than supplies at an art store that have been imported from over seas. Patrons are fascinated by artwork that is created from all natural materials, wood, beeswax, and flowers.

“Before” Wood Canvas

When working with beeswax encaustic, it’s important to use a sturdy background, like wood, instead of canvas, which can flex and disturb the integrity of the wax layer. Sure, they make special encaustic boards to paint on, but plain wood planks work well and they are even more special when they are milled from trees on your own land.

This is a slab from a tree killed by pine beetles, there’s a tinge of blue in the wood. The rustic milling of the board results in live edges that evoke the connection to the land.

It’s a few more steps to cut a tree, mill it into slabs, and then cut it into planks for artwork, but there’s something satisfying about seeing a tree go from log to canvas to finished art piece that will adorn someone’s wall. A living testimony to the Colorado Mountains.

The fun part for me, is the foraging of wildflowers on our land, which occurs primarily in June through September. Depending on the year, and drought conditions, it may only be through August. But at 9300 feet in elevation, there’s a wide variety of dozens of Rocky Mountain wildflowers to find and preserve that grow abundantly in our open meadow and forested area of our homestead.

When I host classes, it’s one of the highlights of participants, to wander through the grass and trees to find perfect little treasures to save forever as. piece of botanical art. Depending on the time of year, it could be columbine season or sunflowers in the greenhouse.

Encaustic Paint

A combo of beeswax and pigments, adds a lot of possibility for background design options. The layer over the flowers is clear encaustic beeswax.

The Finished Piece on Wood Board

There’s something complementary about combining wood, wax and flowers, like friends who stay together over a lifetime. Wood provides a sturdy foundation, the wax is like nature’s “glue” that holds the piece together and also protects and preserves the delicate botanicals. And the dried flowers bring it to life, with the bright colors and natural flowing shapes, delicate stems and tiny flowers combined with generous blooms and twisty vines.

The sky is the limit with combining nature specimens for artistic appeal. You can collage into the wax with handmade paper or found objects or just marvel at the beauty of encaustic botanical collage on rustic wood.

One thing is for certain, is that there will never be another piece exactly like it! No two pieces can be created the same, and each one is a pressed flower art original, making it even more special to add to your collection.

Discover Encaustic Botanical Art in the Colorado Mountains

Imagine escaping the hustle & heat of Denver for the crisp, cool air of the mountains, spending the day foraging for vibrant blossoms and transforming those very flowers into your own stunning botanical masterpiece, even if you’ve never picked up a paintbrush before! For those located in the Denver area, it’s only about an hour drive to spend a day enjoying a unique nature based mixed media art workshop in the mountains, picking flowers and preserving them with beeswax, creating your own botanical nature collage!

The first part of the workshop involved foraging your own wildflowers on private lands, slowing down to explore what grows where, and discovering tiny joys, vibrant colors, textures and patterns found in the botanical world. Paper collage is also another fun aspect of this mixed media workshop where you’ll get to browse dozens of handmade papers, cut and paste fun decorative patterns as you create backgrounds to house your dried flower art. No experience is necessary and all materials are provided.

The real fun begins when we incorporate melted beeswax, encaustic medium in this case, as the primary material to glue down and preserve your dried botanical specimens onto your paper collage board. We use heat, flame and sharp objects to get the dried flowers and beeswax “just right” as your mixed media nature collage comes together.

The process is very beginner friendly and forgiving. Even without any previous training or experience, participants are making gorgeous art pieces they are proud to bring home, on their very first try!

Participants have come from as far away as New Mexico and Wyoming to enjoy the unique art experience, but if you’re on the front range, the location is almost in your back yard. Imagine taking one day, maybe with a few friends to get out of town and get into nature, and get your mind unplugged from your busy schedule. Surround yourself a beautiful natural setting, with likeminded people who enjoy relaxing and creating with natural materials.

Here’s a few sentiments from previous participants:

“Awesome Class! Beautiful location. I had SO much fun! Thank you.” Judy N.

“Thank you for the most relaxing day. What fun I had. Thank you.” Cindy L.

“This was the best art class ever!! I’ll be back for more.” Sheri V.

“This class made for such a wonderful ‘girls day; with my niece. Thank you” Heather T.

It’s easy to make stunning botanical art using real pressed flowers. Check out the classes tab for the upcoming opportunities or book your own private group on a date that works for you. I’d love to host you at my mountain art studio!

Beeswax Flower Art; Colorado Artist Beekeeper

I’m hoping that how you got here had something to do with searching for that unique piece of art you had seen over the summer or in your travels to Colorado. You met this Colorado artist who was also a beekeeper and made this remarkable art out of dried flowers and beeswax. You grabbed her card but lost it or you wished you had grabbed her info, but can’t recall the name and feel regret every time you think about that amazingly beautiful flower piece.

Well guess what? You’ve found her!! And the online shop where she sells her amazing beeswax/encaustic mixed media wildflower art pieces. Depending on the time of year, there may be a few pieces available for sale or a few dozen. So definitely bookmark this website, sign up for the newsletter to stay in touch with new development and if you enjoy some social media scrolling, check out those options as well. I love to show off my process on TikTok, Instagram and Facebook.

Universal Language of Flowers

One thing I love about working with flowers in mixed media art is that I don’t have to try so hard to create a beautiful piece. I’m graced with the natural beauty of a botanical specimen and then I get to enhance it with the “right” adornments and composition. What I love even more about the floral art I’m doing is that it connects me directly with my natural environment. I follow the blooming season, noting which flowers emerge during each week of the summer and become delighted when I spot new varieties I haven’t yet seen.

I don’t have to explain my art to others. People innately connect to flowers and recognize the subtle communication they emit. The variety of colors, textures, shapes and symbolic meaning communicate without requiring words or a lengthy description. I don’t have to say much. The flowers connect with their intended audience.

Whenever we have an extra snowy winter or wet spring (which we are having this year) I smile to myself knowing that it will be a banner year for flowers in the Rocky Mountains, which means a colorful year in dried flower art.

Combatting Cabin Fever

When we moved to the mountains of Colorado, almost 6 years ago, I was desperate to escape the heat of North Carolina summers. I dreamt of delicate snow falling outside the windowpane while a crackling fire kept us warm in our hand built home. I couldn’t wait to embrace the summer months outside, without dreading the oppressive heat and humidity.

No matter where you go, weather that lingers long enough can make any person weary and ready for change. As it turns out, I exchanged long, lot summers for long, snowy winters. As April comes around and everyone starts discussing gardening plans, I relinquish my plans to the reality that our spring frost date is June 9th. And snow that lingers through May.

The blessing I cherish in a long winter is ample time to create and curate projects with minimal distractions. While the landscape may appear bleak with it’s shades of gray and white, it certainly offers a prime environment to want to stay inside and delve deep in exploring creative pursuits. This year, I got an incredible head start on making almost 200 pieces for the upcoming summer art show season. It’s hard to believe I was even capable of such a prolific task, but it carried me through winter with focus and fascination. Some of the new work I’ve completed has me feeling so satisfied and eager for next winter (if that’s even possible!)

I’m sooo ready for summer now. (and here, it goes from winter to summer - spring is still snowy) I’m ready for the season and ready for the action and to show off my new work to the rest of the world. I hope to see you at one of my Colorado shows!! (Check my schedule on the home page to see where I’ll be when.)