This is a Cold Wax Painting.
I took a 12" x 12" board and applied collage to the surface. (I purchased a 4' x 8' pressed fiber board at Home Depot and had them cut it into the 12" x 12" pieces. I then used inexpensive white primer to paint the boards before starting the Cold Wax painting). What I like about cold wax painting is that it is non-toxic and you don't need a lot of supplies. The start up is very inexpensive:
1. Dorland's Wax from Jacquard---about $25 for 16 oz. and it goes a very long way.
2. Oil Paints---I bought inexpensive sets of Reeve's and Artist's Loft (Michael's Brand) and they worked beautifully. The sets were $15 and $6 respectively.
3. Surfaces: You can paint on any surface, so you don't have to buy expensive boards to paint upon. I suggest canvas boards or the boards I bought at Home Depot, illustration board, or any old paintings and collages that you have already created. Since the technique works on paper, the possibilities are endless. I don't know how this technique would work for artist's books, or journals, but you could try it.
4. Palette Knives: You can use artist's palette knives, or you can use old credit cards to create the oil paint/wax mixture.
5. Old Brushes: Use old brushes to paint the mixture on the surface. Use soap, or cleaning powder for housecleaning chores plus a little water to clean the brushes when you are finished.
6. Paper Towels: Use wadded paper towels to apply color to the surface as well.
7. Impress Me Rubber Stamps: I used our rubber stamps to create textures on the wet areas and then cleaned them with a scrub brush, cleanser and water. You can also apply color to the rubber stamps with a paper towel and them stamp the the design on the surface.
8. Scratching elements: I used needle nose tools and knitting needles to scratch the surface. You can also use single edged razor blades or x-acto blades.
To create this cold wax painting here is what I did:
1. I took about one teaspoon to one tablespoon of Dorland's Wax from Jacquard and put it on a paper palette.
2. I used a palette knife to add about a finger nail size amount of oil paint to the wax. Try different proportions of wax and oil paint to see which combination you like the best. I used student grade oil paint from Michael's or any other craft store.
3. I mixed the oil paint and the wax together until they were blended.
4. I used a brush to apply the cold wax/paint mixture over the collage and the background of the board. You can also use a palette knife or old credit card to apply the wax/paint mixture.
5. While the wax and paint were moist (it takes about 2 to 3 days for everything to dry) I pressed some of my rubber stamps into the mixture of paint and wax.
6. I repeated the process until satisfied with the texture created by the rubber stamps. I used images from set 8. (the texture is in the blue areas around the orange).
6a. You can apply the wax/paint mixture directly to the rubber stamps (I used only Impress Me rubber stamps) with a wadded paper towel and press the stamp onto the surface.
7. I added more color in selected areas. You can see sheet music collage near the top of the painting. I used the cold wax to collage the paper to the painting and then glazed over the paper with more cold wax and paint. A friend gave the sheet music to me in Calgary when I taught there.
7a. While the wax/paint is workable, you can scratch into areas with a toothpick or embossing tool. Again, experimentation is key here.
8. After the wax and paint were thoroughly dry, I buffed the surface with a very soft cloth.
The possibilities with this process are amazing. You can use cold wax paint over pieces on paper, cardstock, watercolor paper, bristol board, digital images, etc. You can press rubber stamps or textures into the wet paint/wax to create textures. You can use a paper towel to apply some of the color, etc. Experiment and see what you like best.
I will be framing pieces that are done on hard board like this example in shadow box frames made for paintings on canvas so that they are set back from the surface.
HAVE FUN!!!
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