Make a smooth surface with Encaustic paint

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I’m in the middle of making a grid painting. The painting will be made up of 25 encaustic color blocks. This painting is designed to hang on what is known as a French cleat system, which ensures that the painting will hang level. Because each painting is hung individually, it is also possible to change the arrangement of the panels in the painting, which would in turn change the painting as a whole.

I was recently listening to a Charlie Rose interview with the painter Damian Herst. They were discussing Herst’s most recent work, “The Polka-Dots.” As you may know, Mr. Herst does not paint his own pictures, and the only exceptions he gives to his assistants that do the painting is to not have two of the same color next to each other, and have the colors be chosen at random. Herst merely acknowledged one of his assistants when they pointed out that it would be more random to actually have two dots of the same color next to each other.  That comment, got me thinking, and I designed this painting, to give the viewer control of the of the color placement, working within guidelines  set  by me.