I take a detour to,

Non orange.

It would be too easy to just use orange in a variety of materials. I may choose this strategy soon but for now I want to test out the idea of going in the opposite direction.

Enter the creative U-turn.

Instead of mostly encaustic I used mostly oil sticks. Instead of panel I painted on large paper.

I have new respect for oil painters and a greater appreciation for my beloved wax after I tracked paint all over the house and ruined a pair of pants. Wax is so clean compared to oils!

I began this work with a few bold strokes of celadon encaustic. I hadn’t planned on painting but the puttering in the studio turned in to a full on painting session that lasted well into the night. Instead of heating up more wax I grabbed what was close: R&F pigment sticks. These are similar to oil pastels but a bit more waxy. A bit.

One thing leads to another and I was losing sight of the orange. Challenge now became how to elevate the orange without using orange.

Answer: Teal spray paint with clean lines.

I forget oil takes forever to dry. While waiting I’m looking at the painting to see what I can pull out for the next piece that might just be more orange! I call this looking for the golden line. The part that could be a whole painting of its own. The line in writing that begs the question:

Tell me more.

XOXO,

Francesca