Karl W. Kaiser: September 2008

Let me show you my studio. I live in Portland with my wife, Samantha. We have a great house with a large basement for my studio. Fortunately, we made the decision to move from a small condo into a larger place with plenty of room. I definitely needed the space!

We call the black and white flooring the "dance floor".

Easy for cleaning up split wax!

This is pigment in wax, warmed on a griddle (no, it's not just for pancakes anymore).

What is Encaustic you ask? Encaustic is hot wax painting, using heated beeswax, resin and colored pigments. The liquid/paste is then applied to a surface using brushes, usually prepared wood, though other materials are often used. After the wax is cooled on the surface you can carve or scrape into it or you can reheat it to manipulate it.

As an artist I was intrigued by the Encaustic’s I was seeing emerge on the Portland art scene. So I took a class and was immediately hooked. The depth and texture that can be achieved using the Encaustic medium is what continues to draw me. The process of layering colors and bringing hidden colors to light into an image is an adventurous process in which I thrive.

Below are some recent works of mine.