Cold Wax Medium 👍🏻

I recently attended a four day painting workshop at the Peninsula School of Art in Fish Creek, WI. and it was fabulous! Karen Sako was the instructor and finally I was able to understand first hand the similarities and differences between encaustic (hot wax) and cold wax painting. Layering paint in a free-flowing way brought me back to my years of watercolor painting. Working with a translucent medium was the same principle used with encaustic, and glazing thin layers of color was the same as underpainting and prepping soft pastel surfaces as well as watercolor. I had some fun learning a new painting medium that actually didn’t feel so new to me… it “clicked”.

After the workshop ended, I decide I could also combine oil sticks with cold wax and found yet another technique that worked with my personal style.

It took a short time for me to process the various techniques with a new painting medium – layering, glazing, creating positive/negative imagery, adding marble dust for depth and texture, and combinations of gold powder with transfer foils. The Hydrangea painting below incorporates many of the techniques I learned in the workshop.

I am still exploring cold wax although painting my favorite field and space doesn’t change much regardless of the medium…