Cold Wax

​The luscious texture in many of Paul Germain's works is due to a cold-wax process which can be built up and worked and reworked, polished, and, scribed into.

Different than encaustic, which uses hot wax, this process is to use a beeswax-resin-mineral spirits medium (Germain uses one made by a British company called Doralnds). It is soft enough to mix with oil pigments immediately. The damar varnish helps it dry hard. Germain mainly uses it on those pieces where a matte, dull finish is desired and it is usually varnished with a matte damar varnish (rather than a gloss varnish).

See the depth of Paul Germain's surfaces in person at Art Works through November 19th, 2017.