Encaustic as a Medium

So the form of painting that I have been doing recently is called Encaustic. From what I have been able to learn about the process, it is actually an ancient art, that dates as far back as the Egyptians during Roman rule.

This medium essentially consists of mixing wax, resin, and oil paint together, and then "fusing" the paint to the ground via heat. You can use many different forms of wax to do this, such as beeswax, microcrystalline wax, and others. Like any medium, the possibilities of how to apply and use it are merely limited to the imagination and abilities of the artist.

I am currently using encaustic as an exploratory tool in order to work out color combinations and smaller studies for my larger oil paintings. The way that I am using encaustic, I am achieving some effects that I just love, and I know that I cannot get from any other medium, except maybe watercolor. But even watercolor does not have the amazing luminosity that encaustic work does. Right now, I love the ethereal qualities that I am getting.