An intricately carved encaustic photograph of a thistle patch at Pierce Point Ranch in Point Reyes, California. Oil stick paint used to enhance the texture and create a gritty vignette.

Mounted on wood panel with shou sugi ban border (Japanese method of burning wood to bring out the grain and create a rich brown finish.)

Size: 8x10

About encaustics:

My encaustic photographs are made with beeswax and damar resin (a natural tree sap that acts as a hardening agent). I begin with a photograph mounted on wood, paint layers of the wax medium on top, fusing each layer with heat. I then add texture, etching or carving into the wax. With some pieces I incorporate oil paint to enhance or add color. 

Longevity: 

Encaustic painting has a long history, dating back to the 5th Century B.C. The oldest surviving encaustic paintings are the Egyptian Fayum mummy portraits from around 100-300 AD. The word encaustic means to burn in, which refers to the process of fusing the paint. Beeswax is impervious to moisture, it will not deteriorate. Encaustic paintings do not have to be varnished or protected by glass.