Encaustics the Topic of Next Meeting

Anderson Artists Guild member Donna Persinger will share tips about creating encaustic artwork at the next meeting on Monday, Jan. 14, at 6:30 p.m. at the Anderson Arts Center.

After giving a little history of the process, she will demonstrate some of the techniques, including accretion, shellac burn, and the basics of fusing and embedding objects such as leaves, paper, and fibers. “I like the versatility, the ability to layer, to create texture,” she said. “It’s such a great medium for multimedia. There are so many directions you can go, so many things you can use.” Most of all, she enjoys the luminosity. “There’s something about the wax that gives it an organic quality,” she said.

Persinger, who has sold many of her encaustic pieces, recommends taking a class before investing in the necessary tools though she says you can start with the basics—a heated palette, encaustic medium, and a heat gun—for under 100 dollars. It can be a great addition for artists who work in other mediums. Some watercolor artists, she said, use encaustic on top of their artwork to give it a different dimension. And oil paints can be incorporated into encaustic. “The only thing you can’t use is an acrylic-based product,” she said.

“I love it,” she said. “Every time I turn around, there’s a new technique I haven’t learned about yet.”

For more information about Persinger, visit https://www.facebook.com/Dspersing2218/.