How I Found Encaustic Wax Painting - 2010 +update

I am so very intrigued by the whole encaustic wax painting process at this point. This morning it came to mind to share how this all started. When something is laid upon my mind, and I can’t shake the thought, I parallel it to when I get a song going through my head and I have to find the song and listen to it, to get it to stop. I know this happens to many people as we have shared. It seems to be the same with my writing and other things that God is directing me to do. This thought will go through my head over and over again until I act upon it. I don’t know, maybe the thought would eventually go away if I didn’t listen, but my discernment is strong and grows stronger the more I pay attention. It becomes easier and easier to know what direction God wants me to go, the more I look for it.

Another way that God gives me direction is in the following true story:

It was a Thursday and I was off running errands. Among them was a stop at an art supply store. As I browsed I came upon an interesting free brochure on Encaustic Wax Painting. I’d seen the word “encaustic” once before but had no clue what it was so I picked up the brochure and brought it home with me. When I got home, I unloaded the car and headed to my computer to e-mail my husband that I was home. Not even 5 minutes after I sat down, I received an e-mail from one of my many art-related sites that I frequent with the subject on encaustic wax painting. It had video links attached.  My mouth fell open and I’ve watched this video 6-7 times since.

To explain: I’ve redone the inside of 2 houses. On the last house I spent hour upon hour faux painting, seemingly in the heavenlies I was so at peace. Decorating and needle work were my artistic outlet as an adult.  The mannerisms in this video were reminiscent of my own when faux painting so that it impassioned me to know more.

Then, that night I went to a class at my church and the husband of a new couple there had just taken a class in encaustic wax painting. I was bowled over. Here I didn’t even know previously to this day what encaustic was. And, here it was being pointed out to me three times in one day. I knew this had to be God! In Ohio AA meetings there is a saying “coincidence is God’s way of remaining anonymous” which I wholeheartedly believe.

I prayed that if this was a medium which I was supposed to pursue that God would make the way to this available to me. I’ve prayed and prayed and prayed about this. “Lord, you know I’m basically broke, so You will need to provide the means for me to get the materials inexpensively.” Already the materials have turned into a pile on the side of my work table for little or nothing spent. I didn’t think I had room for this in this house, but I have also found a way to clear off my work tables with extremely inexpensive purchases of storage cabinets. God is opening all the doors and making a way into this work with this art medium for me.

Since this day, which was only approximately a month ago, I’ve started using the clear encaustic wax medium in my collage work, and it is so very enjoyable to me.

God never ceases to motivate me when I’m on His path!

Just copying this to a folder to possibly edit to be included in my next book and I thought I might share my latest Encaustic art piece: