History says that Diego Rivera, a muralist, first used this type of medium in 1920s. It was then revived by Jasper Johns in the mid-1900s and with the evolution of other painting media and style, wax painting become inactive until the 1990s. It was then during the later years that encaustic regained its place in the world of painting. This is because of the emergence of electric equipments that can easily mold and manipulate wax pigments like iron, heat guns and electric griddles.

And today, an exhibit is being shown at the Morro Bay Art Association Gallery. The exhibit is themed “Hot Color, Hot Wax” which is a fusion of pastels and encaustic paintings. Flo Bartell, the art association president, has some art pieces on display. Bartlell’s fascination with art began when she was just ten, but her meeting with encaustic happened only few years ago when she saw handmade paper with a waxy cover. Fascinated by its beauty, she then researched deeply and find out the wonderful art of encaustic. And after two years of concentrating on this media, she is now showing off her creations.

Paintings on display include Bartell’s nonrepresentational paintings, taken mainly under the influence of Picasso’s and Kandiski’s breaking the rules and whimsy contrast. Robert Dodge and Margaret Bertnard’s art work are also on display with animals and impressionistic themes respectively. Carolyn Braun, on the other hand, provides the pastel-media paintings with shadow-striped cows, old barns, exotic birds and sceneries.

Some people take art very seriously and travel the world to visit galleries because their passion is to buy art. Buying art can really be a gratifying thing to do and if you find the right painting by the right artist, one day you’ll have a true treasure in your hands. Contemporary art galleries usually provide the ‘up-to-date’ art, such as abstract art. Especially in these days, people long for such works of art.

Traditional art galleries, however, provide the old style such as landscapes or impressionism paintings. To put it all in a nutshell it can be said that creative works of art will be alive within the world and still there are many artists yet to be born. Now with all this said, next time you walk out on the city streets, stop by an art exhibition and be bewildered by such exquisiteness regular people can make. You will be astounded by the stimulation you will experience by every painting you see.

These knives come in different shapes and signs. They are also available in plastic. As far as the mixing is concerned one shape or size is more than sufficient but as the case of using it as a paint brush is considered, the selection of the knife is made in the same way as the case of selecting brushes is considered. There is no shape or size which we can say is right or the apt one for usage. Experimentation is the key if you are working with palette knives if you are considering working with knives. Try the different shapes and you can select the one that gives you the best effects. Generally small and thin brushes are best suited for lining and big knives are the best for loading on the paint.

Many artists love using stencils in their paintings. This usage is loved by them especially when there is a usage of repetitive effect and stylish shapes. Stencils are a useful tool. There are pre made stencils available or you even an option of making stencils with your stencil kit. Ensure that you use the right materials for best results. Stencil usage in paints is not a traditional method so there is no scope that you can find any tutorials for teaching you the technique of stencils. But is important that you keep in mind the fundamentals of the medium like the fat over lean. You might have noticed that incase the paint is thin in consistency then it stagnates around the edges, so in such a case it is important that you apply a thicker layer of painting. Stenciling is a very interesting art, however it is used as one of the under layers but it has amazing effects.