Dana Brown
About the Artist
Dana Brown Artist Statement
“My method of working with encaustic begins with a medium of beeswax and damar resin. I make my medium in large batches and have adapted a standard recipe to suit my needs. I then add pigment using oil paint, keeping the proportions appropriate for workability. With griddles to my right that are loaded with pans of pigmented medium, I work on maple board which rests on a raised metal cooling rack – so the wax can drip off the edges as needed.
I use carving tools designed for ceramists to cut into the wax and create areas to be filled with pigment. I paint with hake brushes, loading them at the griddles and dripping my way to the board. It’s messy but it works! Periodically I scrape the surface with a single edge blade and fuse with a heat gun.
Safety concerns are always uppermost in my mind and every encaustic artist must carefully adhere to guidelines. Temperatures must be monitored closely, and ventilation is a major concern. And of course, working while surrounded by hot surfaces and pans of hot wax is challenging at times.
It’s a wonderful way to spend my days. I love every minute of it.”
Dana lives in Topsail Island, NC.
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