encaustic painting has been around for a long time, in fact it is the oldest form of painting,started by the greeks when they used wax to seal their ships,and than adopted by the egyptians to create beautiful paintings for their mummys....it didn't become popular until the 50's, (jasper johns) and its still not a widely used medium. I am excited to say that i took an encaustic painting workshop this weekend. it was really fun,and it forced me to use colors that i wouldn't normally use. encaustic painting is painting with wax and manipulated with heat. it is really forgiving and the possibilities are virtually endless. i would love to do more of it, but unless you have a very large studio with good ventilation, it wouldn't pay to invest in the costly supplies. i can happily cross it off my to do list,and had a great workshop!..i highly recommend it.