Spring
quilling pieces in encaustic colllage art

I’ll be working on a very large triptych piece for the next few months. I have the basic ideas in mind, and one of the main concepts it will involve is layers- large amounts of my paper pieces beneath and surrounded by other elements, like fabric or paper.  As I’m working on rolling all my paper pieces for this massive project, I’m also working on layering techniques… what elements I want to be involved, what will look best, and what could potentially work best in a large format.  I experimented with wax-dipped fabric a couple months ago- this time I wanted to use rice paper in an encaustic collage.

  • I began with a 6*12 inch piece of wood and painted it white.
  • Encaustic medium came next.  I added layers of wax in clear and white, and then used brown wax to paint some curved sections.
  • Some of my green rolled paper pieces were what I needed to create a 3D effect by embedding them in the brown sections of the wax, like portions of dirt and grass visible from under melting snow.
  • The tricky part was adding the layers of rice paper to enhance the idea of new life growing beneath the surface of a retreating winter.
  • I tore and burned the edges of the paper to create the right size and shape for certain areas of the painting, and then I adhered them under layers of clear wax.  The transparency of the paper allows the color of the paper elements and the wax to come through from underneath, making this piece fascinating to see from any angle.

    I wish I had better photos to show you guys… this is definitely a piece that looks better in person.encaustic collage with quilling paper piecesencaustic collage with quilling

I love this technique, though I will need some more practice before I really get the hang of adding rice paper above quilling pieces.  It can be hard to create the right shape, and I’ll think next time I’ll try to cut everything out of a single piece and use that instead of strips.

Thanks for reading!  I’d love to hear your comments and don’t forget to subscribe.  I’m always sharing new projects and tutorials, and I’d love to have you join me!

3 replies
  1. JackieP Neal
    JackieP Neal says:

    OMGosh Anjuli!!
    I am so glad I popped into your blog! Your close-ups are even more stunning! What a fabulous piece! I love what you have accomplished here- the translucency of the rice paper is just enough to see the emergence! Truly a fine piece! Are you preparing for a show or exhibit? If not you should- your canvases and pieces are wonderful!
    May I ask where you learned encaustics? I truly love your style!

    • Anjuli Johnson
      Anjuli Johnson says:

      Thank you Jackie! I need to get all these encaustic pieces framed first- I’m having a hard time finding a place that can do custom sizes for a price I can afford… but I took a community class here in Raleigh that jumpstarted my encaustic painting, and after I learned the basics I started looking up techniques and experimenting with different things… it’s such a fun medium! And thanks again for your kind words and encouragement. :)

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