I am inspired by the depth and richness of encaustic wax as I am with shapes, tones and light of the natural landscape. There is a moment in every landscape that evokes an emotion in each of us. Encaustic wax techniques offer a very intriguing means of capturing those moods and emotions.

Encaustic can be traced back to ancient Greece. Pigment, or color, is suspended in the wax creating an extremely durable medium. Encaustic paintings from as early as 400 AD have been found retaining their original clarity and color. In creating encaustic monoprints, I make my own wax crayons by cooking and cooling beeswax, pigment and damar resin, then melt the crayons on a flat surface to create the image. Through a process of trial and error, I have graduated from using an old pancake griddle to a larger, controlled flat heat plate. The melted encaustic is then absorbed by either a rice paper or a Belgium linen. A barren, or small bamboo pad, is used to press the paper to the hot surface, ensuring that the encaustic is absorbed evenly. This process may be repeated up to fifteen times until the surface has many layers of wax, producing a depth and richness to the colors. A final layer of wax applied to the surface with brushes and cloths creates a painterly feel, depth and texture. I frame these rice paper encaustics by adhering them to brushed steel plates. This striking presentation was inspired by traditional printmaking plates, and sets up a dramatic contrast between the hard edge of steel and soft contours of shapes within the print. The encaustic landscapes in this presented series are the result of studies in Santa Fe with Paula Roland. As a printmaker, I have taught and attended many workshops and classes, and have had the opportunity to print Karen Guzak's work.