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MEDIUM: Encaustic (Damar Resin & Bees wax), Ink Drawing, Mixed media
SIZE: 12 x 36
FRAME: Cradled wood panel
Price listed does not include shipping cost
Enso Bertha is a mixed media series by Marta Musa. This mixed media pieces encorporate multiple mediums including Encaustic (Damar Resin & Bees wax) and abstract Ink drawing. Inspiration for this comes from the meditative exercise of using one fluid stroke to create an Ensō.
The Ensō. is seen as an expression of a singular moment; "a moment when the mind is free to let the body create." There is so much more to the concept of an Ensō including "the beginning and end of all things, the circle of life and the connectedness of existence". But what truly speaks to me is the concept that imperfection is an essential and inherent part of our existence. So, of course it made perfect sense to me that an Ensō should be the starting point for a series of mixed media pieces that allow me to explore the imperfection of my post Bertha (brain injury) brain.
Each piece begins with an abstract ink drawing of circles, straight lines and curved lines done while my "mind is free to let the body create.". This ink drawing is then mounted onto a wood panel and layered with molten clear encaustic. The final touch is slowly, patiently and painstakingly apply dots of molten red encaustic in a free and intuitive way.
SHIPPING DETAILS:
- Will ship worldwide. Inquire for shipping quote.
- Pricing listed does not include shipping
- Lower Mainland Orders. Pick up available upon request
"You Got A Problem?" - Enso Bertha Series (12 x 36)
An encaustic painting stable in a temperature range of approximately 40-120°F. Wax is more fragile in the cold and becomes extremely brittle in freezing temperatures. If you would drop the painting is cold temperatures it will shatter. The paintings will begin to shift at 120°F. The wax begins to be workable at 150°F, and it becomes liquid at 162°F. Very hot days can soften the wax somewhat, but will cause no real damage.
If you must transport the painting in hot or cold weather simply first cover the entire wax surface with wax paper, then cardboard, and some form of insulation. When that painting is at room temperature remove the wax paper and unwrap the painting. When in hot weather the wax paper will stick to the painting but will cause no damage as long as it is removed at room temperature.
Do not hang your painting in direct sunlight. You should never put any fine art in direct sun, but with encaustic there could be more immediate consequences. If you are nervous about the placement of the painting just feel the surface. If it is warm the painting needs to be moved. It should always feel cool to the touch.
Avoid glassing in an encaustic piece. If encased in glass and hung in direct sunlight, the glass will magnify the light and the space between painting and glass can heat up dramatically causing the painting to melt and shift. The paints have a damar resin in its formula; this cures and hardens the wax over time making the paint less vulnerable to damage. It's like varnishing the painting from within...so it doesn't need glass. However, you can still take your fingernail and scratch the surface.
You will need to buff your painting when it seems dull or hazed over. The painting should always be shiny. When the painting is "young" or recently finished, it has not yet had time to cure and harden. It will therefore go back to a matte looking surface after buffing the first few times. As time goes by and the mixture has had a chance to cure and harden, (could take up to 6 months) it will keep its buffed polished look. At this point, it also sheds dust and dirt more readily. When the painting is at room temperature or cooler take a soft 100% lint-free cotton cloth (they are used for buffing cars) and buff the painting like you would buff a waxed car. Do not buff painting if it is over 75 degrees. Do not buff hard enough to create heat.
Encaustic paints are perhaps the most durable form of painting, evidenced by the Faiyûm mummy portraits in Egypt, which have survived over 2000 years without cracking, flaking, or fading. Wax has several inherent qualities that allow it to withstand the test of time: it is a natural adhesive and preservative; it is moisture resistant, mildew and fungus resistant, and unappetizing to insects. Wax paint also doe not contain solvents or oils so they will not darken or yellow with age. Leaving the painting as fresh as the day it was painted.
SHIPPING DETAILS:
- Will ship worldwide. Inquire for shipping quote.
- Pricing listed does not include shipping
- Lower Mainland Orders. Pick up available in PORT MOODY upon request