I am Mel Williams from Wales in the UK. I have worked with encaustic for many years and developed my style through experimentation and play.  My work often begins by setting down layer upon layer of medium onto untreated birch panels, i.e., no gesso. I never draw out the image but tend to work from photographs either taken by me or from authorized sources. I always begin with the sky and if I am happy, I can then build up the texture to create the image I wish to portray. To fuse each layer, I use heat in its many forms. So, I have soldering irons, a hot stylus, pen tips, heat guns large and small and my trusty blow torch. The blow torch just has to be my favorite as it can be fierce and unpredictable or just giving a light swoosh over the wax. Different tools give different effects and sometimes you need that blazing heat and with finer work you need the tool just to melt the wax slightly. I thoroughly enjoy being inspired by the way the wax flows and then I can let my imagination take me away. Sometimes I like to polish just parts of the painting, reflections in water for example and perhaps leaving the rocks matte finish. I find the joy of this medium is that it is immediate - there is no hanging around for the paint to dry. At the end of the session, I pour the remaining colours into silicone moulds ready for another day.  My home landscape is my inspiration.

www.MelanieWilliams.net

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