Art by Medium: Encaustic

This is a vibrant, crimson red encaustic (pigmented beeswax) painting on birch panel with dark burgundy around the edge and light, golden orange highlights throughout the surface. Si...

A contemporary bright orange encaustic (pigmented beeswax) painting on birch panel with coral pink along the edge. Signed, dated and titled on verso. Joanne Mattera is the foremost ...

A contemporary abstract, vibrant iridescent pink and bright red encaustic (pigmented beeswax) painting accented with coral, peach and orange details on birch panel. Signed, dated and...

In this contemporary painting, dark red encaustic (pigmented beeswax) is accented with subtle lilac, gray and lavender details and a light purple edge. Signed, dated and titled on ve...

A luminous pale blue contemporary encaustic (pigmented beeswax) painting on birch panel accented with bright coral along the edge of the panel. Signed, dated and titled on verso. Jo...

In this contemporary painting on panel, pale lavender, pinky purple encaustic (pigmented beeswax) is accented with light lilac details in and light teal blue along the edge. Signed a...

In this contemporary painting on panel, light periwinkle blue encaustic (pigmented beeswax) is accented with pale lilac purple edges. Signed, dated and titled on verso. Joanne Matte...

This is a square, vibrant peach, pink and pale orange encaustic (pigmented beeswax) painting on birch panel with soft periwinkle and pale lilac highlights and light purple edges. Sig...

Contemporary encaustic (pigmented beeswax) painting on birch panel in bright, vibrant teal blue with bright blue edges. Signed and titled on the verso. Joanne Mattera’s paintings ca...

A vibrant cobalt blue and bright turquoise encaustic (pigmented beeswax) painting on birch panel accented with subtle orange and red details. Signed and titled on verso. Joanne Matt...

In this contemporary abstract painting, vibrant metallic silver and bright teal blue encaustic (pigmented beeswax) is accented with bright blue on the edge. Signed and titled on vers...

Contemporary, abstract vibrant purple and lavender encaustic (pigmented beeswax) painting on birch panel accented with bright teal blue along the edge. Signed, dated and titled on ve...

This is a vibrant red orange encaustic (pigmented beeswax) painting with light reddish orange and faint yellow accents on birch panel. Signed, date...

Bright pale lavender encaustic (pigmented beeswax) painting on birch panel with pale mint blue in the background and light purple along the edges. Signed and titled on verso. Joanne...

An abstract light lilac purple encaustic (pigmented beeswax) painting with pale teal blue accents and bright coral edges on birch panel. Signed, dated and titled on verso. Joanne Ma...

A bright green encaustic (pigmented beeswax) painting on birch panel with yellow in the background and peach along the edges. Signed, dated and titled on verso. Joanne Mattera’s pai...

A yellow encaustic (pigmented beeswax) painting on birch panel accented with light neon lemon yellow edges. Signed, dated and titled on verso. Joanne Mattera’s paintings can be desc...

Light blue and pale golden yellow encaustic (pigmented beeswax) painting on birch panel accented with light orange highlights and pale peach edges. Signed, dated and titled on verso....

A deep, bright cobalt blue encaustic (pigmented beeswax) painting with light purple and vibrant teal accents on birch panel. Signed, dated and titled on verso. Joanne Mattera’s paintings can be described as lush minimalism, the work is chromatically rich and compositionally reductive. Each painting in the ongoing Silk Road series is a small color field achieved by layers of translucent wax paint applied at right angles. The series, began in 2005, was inspired by the iridescent hues of slubbed silk, hence the title, but very quickly evolved into a more expansive exploration of color. In plying the richness of the encaustic paint against the austerity of a very subtle grid the artist sets in motion a dynamic in which color and texture jostle for primacy. A decade and almost 300 paintings later, the artist is still enthralled with this exploration. Mattera is the foremost expert in the field of encaustic painting and is the founder and former director of the International Encaustic Conference. Her artwork is in the collections of The New Britain Museum of Contemporary Art, US Embassies (Slovenia and Poland), US State Department, Bank of America, and Norwegian Cruise Lines, to name a few as well as numerous private collections. Mattera writes a contemporary art blog, she is a frequent guest speaker and curator and is a member of American Abstract Artists (NYC). The artist lives and works in MA and in NYC. Encaustic painting, also known as hot wax painting, involves using heated beeswax to which colored pigments are added. The word comes originally from the Greek word “enkaustikis” meaning to “burn in” and the process dates back to the 5th century. The liquid or paste is applied to a surface —usually prepared wood. Metal tools...

This is a square, vibrant orange and purple encaustic (pigmented beeswax) painting on birch panel accented with bright pink and subtle gold details. Signed, dated and titled on verso...

This is a vibrant teal blue and light green encaustic (pigmented beeswax) painting on birch panel is accented with luminous lime green details along the edge. Signed, dated and title...

Light aqua and green encaustic (pigmented beeswax) painting on birch panel with a bright yellow edge. Signed, dated and titled on verso. Joanne Mattera’s paintings are can be descri...

Vibrant mint green and sky blue encaustic (pigmented beeswax) painting accented with subtle gold details on birch panel. Signed, dated and titled on verso. Joanne Mattera’s painting...

A vibrant turquoise blue encaustic (pigmented beeswax) painting on birch panel accented with a paler shade of blue along the edges. Signed, dated and titled on verso. Joanne Mattera...

An abstract pale lavender purple encaustic (pigmented beeswax) painting on birch panel with soft, pale periwinkle blue in the background and light purple along the edges. Signed, dat...

A vibrant orange, yellow and light green encaustic (pigmented beeswax) painting on birch panel accented with lime green edges. Signed, dated and titled on verso. Joanne Mattera’s pa...

This is a vibrant pink encaustic (pigmented beeswax) painting on birch panel accented with a darker shade of reddish pink along the edge. Signed and titled on verso. Joanne Mattera’...

Silk Road 261 is an aqua green and pale yellow encaustic (pigmented beeswax) painting on birch panel with an aqua edge. Signed, dated and titled on verso. Joanne Mattera’s paintings...