Michael Billie worked with metal plates to make art until a few years ago when he came across a wax painting in an art gallery. After doing a lot of research he learned about encaustics. Encaustic painting is working with hot bees wax which is mixed with damar resin and pigment. The wax is tricky and full of surprises. His other love is photography and he’s traveled to many interesting places in the world where he’s collected images, pigments and other materials. He uses a lot of the collected materials into his body of work. Most of the colored wax that he works with he makes himself. He works with both a heat gun and a blow torch depending on the effect that he’s looking for. He finds it very exciting that different pigment have their own personalities and they react differently when heated. He’s done a workshop in Santa Fe and plans on doing another in Tuscon in February with the International Encaustic Artists association.
 
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