Mladen Veza's Olive Tree

Description:

This is a wax painting done basicly according to Mladen Veža's paintings.It is an artistic combination of Veža's three paintings done in encaustic technique by transfering a melted colored wax on to the wooden board and then smudging and fixing it before the wax cools off. This is a wax painting done for my father who found Veža's olive trees and the encaustic paintings to his great liking that he wanted me to make this.At first I was saying no,daubting my skills in work with wax,but his constant asking about will I make him one painting based on Veža's paintings annoyed me,so I finaly gave in and reluctantly set myself "working" on this painting. I have been working on this picture for a very long time.Probably since 2014,due to my lack of interest and preocupation with my other artworks which interested me more then this.It took me quite long to transfer this motifs from paper to the board and even longer,to even start working seriously on this painting.I think it past totaly two years before I finaly started to work on it at the end of Summer 2016. Until that time,my father was always bugging me about when am I going to work on that painting and I was always making some angrey excuse,like I am a delicate artist and I need to gather my confidance and such, just to make him leave me alone,until I finaly decided "This can't wait anymore,I am going to finish this until next year".And when it was finaly done,I was really happy that I finaly completed.It took almost three years to finish this and today,on evening March 4 2017,it is finaly finished.I am happy with the way how it turned out,it sticks to the spirit of Veža's original colorist and contrast paintings,but my father is hard to please. Anyway,for those who are curuious and want to try out the encaustic technique for a hand-made paintings,here are the instructions: When you are making a painting in encaustic technique you make sure you have a motif of which do you wish to draw,a wooden board,stove,metal spatula,cans for melting wax,gloves so you do not get burned,color pigments in powder and a spare wax for melting and a daylight as not to loose a sight. When you have a wooden board you make sure you cover the surface five times with acrilyc emulsion,and then once it is dry you transfer a plaster on the surface and let it dry out.Then you can start redrawing the motif from the paper to the board on which you will place the colored wax.Once it is done you can start melting the wax on the stove for each different colors that you are going to need,in all different tones.First,you cut the wax into pieces and put them into one big can and place it on a stove then let it melt for a while.Then carefuly with the gloves,you take the can with melted wax into your hands by grabing the upper edge of the can,and pour it into each can where you can pour the color pigments in and mix the colors while the wax is still a hot liquid.Once you have all the colors you needed,in all different shades and tones,you can now begin coloring the painting by using metal spatula by taking carefuly a small liter of liquifyed wax,while at the same time keeping the colored wax in cans melted liquid,other wise it will get cold and it would solidfy and you would have to go melt it again and again.And then when you grow tired,you can just turn off the stove and let the wax solidfy,until you decide to continue the work again and start melting the wax again.Also ,make sure that you have spare wax to melt in case you relize that you are running out of one certain color.Then you,melt more wax in a can and pour it in the color while it is still liquid and there will be no truble. That is it for this painting,and now my three years work is finaly finished!