Old Farm

Painted several weeks ago, over the Christmas holiday. Although representational, this is an imagined scene. 

When I'm painting with encaustic I find that I think differently to how I think when painting in oils. Not more, just differently. With wax I start with very little preconceived ideas about what it is going to look like, looking instead at what the wax suggests to me. I constantly turn the piece upside-down and on it's side, and often continue from there, depending on what may be suggested. This is interesting, but at times it feels a bit limited. My thoughts are questioning what will happen if I put some wax down here or there; how will it affect the shapes that I see. Whilst not permanent, the wax is far more difficult to remove or paint over without affecting everything else, especially if it's been fused. When painting in oil, especially representationally, I give more thought to the direction it's taking, and the design before I even start. Neither involves less thought than the other process, it's just different. What I find particularly pleasing is when the two techniques influence each other.

Old Farm