(Janice Rhodes and (L-R) Vaquero, New Recruit by Janice Rhodes)

My medium, encaustic, is one of the least recognized techniques in art galleries today. However, its origin dates back centuries.

Recorded history tells us that about 2,000 years ago in ancient Egypt, encaustic was applied to Egyptian Fayum mummy portraits. These masks were found in tombs for the royals and are exhibited in museums today. Like ancient drawings in a cave, encaustic work is truly durable and highly archival.

The word encaustic means “to burn in” in Greek. The medium is a mixture of pharmaceutical-grade beeswax, tree resin and pigments. This is my basic process: I melt the wax and crystalized resin in a slow cooker to near 200°. I then pour this clear liquid in about 20 small canisters of pigments, each color is then kept molten on a large hot plate. This is my pallet. Then using a brush, I apply the colored wax onto a birch board to create my painting. I have to continually heat each brush stroke with a heat gun, fusing it to the layer beneath while also manipulating the wax during the creative process.

How did I get into this unique medium?

It all started about 17 years ago when I took an encaustic class at the old Art Station in the Mill District in Bend. The technique being demonstrated was abstract, but I eventually began to learn how to control my process so that I could paint realistic images. The encaustic technique is actually creating something from a hot liquid to a cold, solid, final image. It is very challenging, but also so rewarding. The results are luminous and very textural.

Over the years, I have enjoyed going with the flow of this unique medium.

Janice Rhodes is a member of the High Desert Art League and the Dry Canyon Art Association. She has a solo show at the Oxford Hotel for the month of June, 2026.