“A riot of colour, vivid impressions, full of energy and talent...”Taken from Phil Madley's Visitors Book 2008
Frequently Asked Questions
Do the paintings melt in the sun, over a radiator, or on a wall above a fireplace?
No, No, No. You need some serious heat to melt them. For example, a paint stripper melts the wax.
How much is a block of wax?
About £1 but that could change any minute...
Can you use any old iron?
No, nothing with steam holes or coated with teflon for example.
Can you use candle wax?
Again not really, it's not refined enough and does not flow well. T-light wax is useful for cleaning coloured wax off irons.
Can you paint on top of the wax?
I’ve never tried.
Is it suitable for children?
Children love it and the beauty is everybody can create with it. Obviously supervision is important for young and old.
Have you ever burnt yourself?
Not really. If you’ve ever done the ironing it's very similar!
How long does it take you to do a painting?
Well that depends... it's the idea that is the most important... how long does an idea take?
What do you paint on to?
I paint onto art card and MDF, depending on the size of the painting.
What sort of card is it?
ART card. It is a coated card, therefore the wax moves around it easier and does not sink into it.
How did you start doing encaustic wax painting?
I saw someone doing small pictures at a craft fair and I wanted to do much larger pictures.
What is the largest painting you have done?
About 1220mm x 601mm.
How many blocks of wax did that use?
Only about six or seven if that. The wax goes a long way.
What is it that you like about wax painting?
I really like the medium because it's like nothing else. It takes you to places that you have never been before.
Where do you get your ideas from?
The ideas shop in Wilstone or as someone once said “Planet Madley” which is a very nice place!
Do you sketch out ideas before you paint?
No not really - it's all inside my head. Sometimes I do smaller versions to see if it would work before I paint the large version.
Have you ever mixed sand with wax?
No.
Have you ever mixed salt with wax?
No.
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