I finished my first collection of Celtic Knot Paintings. These are encaustic paintings. First, I printed the permission-free Dover Celtic designs on inkjet printable silk sheets. Then I cut around the design and peeled the backing off.
I’d prepared the 5×5 inch cradled boards with encaustic gesso and then added layers of beeswax and encaustic medium, fusing between each one.
Next, I applied the colour, considering each image to be placed afterwards. I fused the painting, added a layer of medium, and then laid the silk down carefully when the medium was still a bit warm, pressed it into place, and let it cool.
I added more encaustic colour over the fabric sheet, fused, and did a final layer using encaustic medium. The 5×5 boards are about one inch deep and I’ve painted the sides as well with encaustic.
To learn more about painting with encaustics, visit allthingsencaustic.com. There are many great articles by artists who work with encaustic, including the talented Victoria Wallace, with whom I took my first encaustic class.
The designs in the Dover collection are intriguing and I may do another series at some time. I enjoyed making these Celtic Knot Paintings.