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.
