Enkaustikos—the name means "to burn in." Encaustic painting weaves in and out of art history, gaining prominence for a time, then slipping back into the shadows for centuries. A thousand years after the Greek shipbuilders discovered it, Egyptian painters resurrected the medium, crafting exquisite portraits to decorate the mummy after a patron's death. Fast-forward to the mid-twentieth century. Almost single-handedly, artist Jasper Johns reintroduced encaustic to the art world. Since that time, it has steadily gained acceptance. It's no wonder that we keep revisiting this ancient art form—few others can match its versatility, both in technique and result.

Wax is immediate. It allows no time for pondering. It's workable and elastic only for the precious seconds between being lifted from the hot palette and cooling on the board. Encaustic rewards doing over thinking. Despite its urgency, wax is also reassuringly pliable. If you don't like the way the work came out, scrape it off and try again! Heat it, let it flow, and it will solidify moments later into a new shape. Encaustic is the very definition of forgiving. Works of encaustic can be sedate and smooth, or seductively dimensional. The wax has an inviting surface that begs to be stamped, gouged, and carved. It invites the viewer not only to look, but to touch and smell.