Ampersand Encausticbord

Encausticbord — a creative collaboration between Ampersand and R&F Handmade Paints
The creative collaboration that gave birth to Encausticbord began in 2008 when Ampersand and R&F Handmade Paints, both authorities in their respective fields of wood painting panels and encaustic paint colors, started working together to develop the perfect surface for encaustic paints. The ultimate goal was to provide a surface that would give encaustic artists the opportunity to expand their artistic voice. The marriage of Ampersand's archival panel coating technology and R&F's expertise in encaustics resulted in a unique wood panel with the tooth to hold encaustic and mixed media unlike any other surface. Months of exhaustive research and testing ensured that Encausticbord was the most archival and dimensionally stable panel available, and that encaustic paints would adhere exceptionally well to the painting ground.

A new, archival panel for the unique demands of encaustic painting
Only Encausticbord has a ready-to-use surface formulated for the unique demands of encaustic painting and mixed media. Encaustic gesso is applied to Ampersand’s sealed Hardbord panel to form a bright, smooth, velvety surface that is ready to use with the ancient technique of encaustic painting. The ground is not only heat-resistant and highly absorbent, it holds tight to layers of wax and collage without cracking or separating. It can be used with any combination of mediums to create incredible textures, colors, and patterns.

Ideal for all types of encaustics, oils, image transfers, and collage
Professional encaustic painters attest to how exceptionally well Encausticbord works when used alone with encaustic paint or in combination with a wide variety of mixed media techniques and materials that include collage, oil sticks, image transfer, incising, and more.

About encaustic paint
What makes encaustic uniquely different from all other mediums is its use of heat. The paint, comprised of beeswax, damar resin, and powdered pigment, is applied molten and then reheated. Encaustic reaches its permanent state upon cooling. This process allows for a dazzling array of effects and textures not possible with any other medium.

A bit of history
Greek artists as far back as the 5th century B.C.E. practiced encaustic painting. The word "encaustic" is derived from a Greek work that means "to burn in," referring to the process of fusing the paint. Perhaps the best-known encaustic works are the Fayum funeral portraits painted in the 1st and 2nd centuries A.D. by Greek painters in Egypt. In the 20th century, the availability of portable electric heating implements and the variety of tools has made encaustic a far less formidable technique. This factor has created a resurgence of encaustic painting, and it is once again taking its place as a major artists' medium. Alfonso Ossorio, Jasper Johns, Lynda Benglis, Robert Morris, and Nancy Graves are just a few of the prominent artists who have turned encaustic into a modernist and cross-disciplinary medium.