Encaustic ArtEncaustic artists like Asheville painter Julia Fosson use beeswax, damar resin and pigment instead of oils or watercolors to create abstract flower paintings and abstract landscape paintings that seem to float off the surface. Encaustic paintings, unlike other works of art, don’t need to be framed. Unframed, they bring their brilliant immediacy closer to the appreciative eye. It’s an ancient technique resurrected for modern purposes.
Art is the stored honey of the human soul. - Theodore Dreiser
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"Dutchmans Creek Trail" encaustic on panel 12" x 12"
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Encaustic Floral - Sold
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What is Encaustic Painting?Encaustic is a curious word that conjures up images of ancient religious rituals, but in truth, the word is derived from the Greek word for “burn into.” It refers to the process encaustic artists use to create their masterpieces, heating pigment and resin onto wood or canvas. Julia became enamored with this ancient technique to the point that today, she exclusively creates encaustic abstracts, employing only:
The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance. — Aristotle
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Discovering Encaustic Wax Painting
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Encaustic is a fun word, and it makes you curious. If you don’t know what it is, you absolutely must find out or it will weigh on your mind. That drive for meaning is the very reason Julia Fosson became an encaustic painter. Even though she started painting (in oils) in the 1980s, Julia has been experimenting with encaustic painting techniques since 2003, when a fellow artist mentioned her oil paintings looked like encaustic works.
When she started researching encaustic art, she discovered a medium more than two millennium old. But modern painters like Jasper Johns and Diego Rivera used it in their work. She was intrigued. The more she learned about it, the more she realized that she had to try it for herself. Now, all these years later, encaustic painting is Julia’s passion; it now defines her as a painter. The process, she says, “is why I paint. The wax takes me on a journey; it tells me where I’m going. It can be fun, exhilarating, or exhausting. It can simply happen. It can change from moment to moment. But it is always totally immediate, in the Now. And so I trust it. Completely.” |
Watch this short Artist Portrait to learn more about Julia Fosson's Encaustic process. Originally an oil painter, Julia Fosson fell in love with Encaustic art when she was introduced to it in 2003. Julia describes Encaustic art as the "beauty of the wax." She loves creating multiple layers, often hidden, within the background of a work. Julia loves painting every day. She loves creating art and expressing herself with her pieces. She loves telling the story visually with her work.
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Color is my day-long obsession, joy and torment.
— Claude Monet
Julia's Process
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Julia paints with a true passion for the process, experimenting with layered colors for incredibly brilliant backgrounds. She says, “There is something about the texture, the translucencies and the way the wax holds the light. I believe the ceramic-like shine on my work is from the way I heat the wax.”
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Today, this encaustic painter produces abstract flower paintings, abstract landscape paintings and even large abstract wall art. Her signature work includes unexpected subject matter (such as a chair, a simple house structure or a tree) and witty, well-chosen titles. Her artwork, she says, “becomes a visual story, a feeling, a statement or an emotion.”
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" I Can't Hear You " Encaustic on panel 24" x 24"
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Falling in Love with Encaustic Wax ArtWhile she began painting in Connecticut, Julia Fosson has exhibited work in solo and group shows in Connecticut, Chicago and North Carolina since 2000. She’s even received two Individual Artist Grants to propel her early career. But now in Asheville, NC, she works exclusively in the encaustic art medium. She’s perfected her process to her own ends.
As Julia herself puts it: “I love the challenges of painting with wax. It goes from liquid form to solid so quickly.” Most of her paintings end up with 15 to 25 layers of wax on the surface, which adds depth to the final piece, but takes a lot of time. “I believe in creating work with a solid structure. Not unlike building a house, the layers act like footers. This allows me the ability to dig, scrape and heat the wax to develop a smooth surface.” |
Storytelling in Wax Art
Julia’s encaustic paintings are often about expressing an emotion, having a visual conversation or sharing a story. Encaustic painting lets Julia communicate through a visual medium. Her best pieces tell a story in the shapes and mix of colors. Explore her encaustic art up close, and you might notice embedded words or newspaper clippings. These intimate details allow her the freedom to express her creativity, while letting you interpret your own story in the painting.
Each abstract mountain art piece tells a story. Each abstract flower painting holds a hidden meaning. All her abstract paintings, in fact, evoke an emotion and inspire the imagination. You should spend time exploring the colors, the layers and the shapes for meaning, and whatever you find will be relevant to you. If it speaks to you, you’ve found an evocative piece of art. |
"Feeling the Energy" encaustic on panel 24" x 13"
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Encaustic Floral Art by Julia Fosson - Sold
Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.
— Thomas Merton