WHAT IS ENCAUSTIC? The word encaustic comes from the Greek word, encausticos, which means “to burn in” and is also the ancient method of painting with bee’s wax that dates back to the 4th century, BC. Colored pigments and plant-based resin are blended with the wax which must be heated to a molten state before it can be used. I work on wood panels and use a blowtorch along with carving tools, drill bits and a pallet knife to manipulate the wax and create my paintings. To finish each piece I often polish the surface until it resembles a fired ceramic glaze.