The Medium in Detail — Oil, Wax and the Painted Surface

The primary medium I use is a blend of cosmetic-grade beeswax, damar resin, and a small amount of solvent, combined with artist-grade oil pigments. Unlike encaustic painting, which requires heat, cold wax is worked at room temperature, allowing for a more spontaneous and iterative layering process. The medium remains workable for an extended period before setting, and this open state is central to the way I use it.

The Open State and Curing

When freshly applied, cold wax and oil paint remain in an open state — workable, responsive, and capable of being moved, scraped, and reworked. As the medium begins to cure, it passes through a transitional phase in which it can be incised and marked with considerable precision. The fully cured surface is hard, stable, and matte, and it can be selectively burnished to introduce areas of sheen or translucency. This progression from open to cured is one of the defining characteristics of the medium, and understanding it is essential to working with it effectively.

Structural Integrity and Layering

The work is built through a series of interventions. By manipulating the ratio of wax to pigment — typically ranging from 1:3 for transparency to 1:1 for structural impasto — a wide range of surface characteristics can be achieved. Transparent layers allow earlier marks and colours to show through; opaque impasto layers create physical relief and block out what lies beneath. The interplay between these two extremes is where much of the visual interest of the surface resides.

Each layer is applied, allowed to reach the appropriate stage of cure, and then worked again. The painting accumulates depth not only visually but physically — the surface becomes a record of its own making, with earlier decisions visible beneath later ones.

Conservation and Care

Paintings executed in oil and cold wax are remarkably stable. The finish is intentionally matte or satin, avoiding the distracting glare of traditional gloss varnishes. The cured surface is resistant to dust and handling, and it does not require varnishing. If the surface becomes dull over time, it can be gently buffed with a soft cloth to restore its original quality. The works should be kept away from direct heat sources, which can soften the wax, but in normal domestic or gallery conditions they are extremely durable.