Hotplate : John Buckland in Exploring Ideas

John Buckland
Hotplate Master

hotplate gallery

John Buckland created a great Hotplate section on the DVD program called: "Encaustic Art ~ Exploring Ideas"
... that explains through a set of exercises, examples and images many approaches to hotplate work (all the above).

This first simple example demonstrates a basic approach to hotplate landscape. All images on this page are shown live on the DVD.

Once the sky has been finished the iron is chosen as the means to introduce a horizon. This will create a hard dividing line between sky and land.

Strange as it may seem, using the iron on top of the heated plate is a valuable tool.

Back to the pastel blue, reflecting the light hue of the sky colours.

this is drawn right across the work piece, leaving its molten trail of colour.

These are dabbed into place with the card still sitting flat on top of the hotplate. One disadvantage of this particular method is that "arc marks" can be formed by the curved edge of the iron as it sits flat on the hotplate.

These "arc marks" are very visible in this image and the following ones.

... until the image is completed.
NOTE: All these demonstration images were created under the pressure of live rolling cameras watching, demanding action. This is a very real pressure & does affect the normal pauses & contemplative moments; no time to ponder, so what happens has to be accepted & embraced without hesitation. Thanks to John for entering into this stressful mode of working & for making the DVD program possible!

The encaustic art wax blocks are all jumbled in a handy & convenient tray next to the hotplate itself. This makes it easy to collect new colours as others are released back into the collection.

But first, a quick wipe down with some tissue to remove the traces of red from the last piece of work.

For greater cleanliness just melt on some clear wax, the wipe this over and off the hotplate glass surface until no further dirt shows on a clean tissue pad.

... then take a roller, here a nice new one!

* This is a sponge head on a decorator's roller, often sold to be used for painting radiators and similar smaller areas, like the inside of window reveals, etc. Most good hardware or DIY places sell sets of these, with replacement heads available separately too, which is just as well!

Then the roller is used with the outer end pressed down hard (by tilting the handle end up at an angle).

This forces a line to form at the end of the rollers path ...

... then the roller is used to blend this into more layers of hill and horizon.

Note that the roller is now no longer pure blue. It has picked up the greenish tone and so will not be suitable for another sky. It is best to reserve one roller head for each particular colour if you are intending to do lots of roller work, otherwise you will have to buy lots!

Here is a quick song in wax.

It feels like a musical dance.

It is about spontaneity and pleasure.

It is about the freedom to play - no rights or wrongs.

Then place the roller to create one of those straight marks, but this time lift it at the outer end and pirouette the sponge head clockwise until it has traveled sufficiently that when it is replaced on the waxed card the new mark is distinct from the original one.

These "fan" marks are an interesting effect.

John uses a metal palette knife just like any other painter might if they were creating abstract stokes freely.

Explore this tool as it can be very useful and diverse too.

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Working the palette knife in a closer manner, like a long metal edge, can create another set of interesting and useful markings.

Ever experimental, John continues to explore in every artwork he begins. It is valuable to understand that there are no fixed absolutes of right or wrong in the creative world of encaustic hotplate art.

Rubber stamps can seem to be very limited in their potential. Well, that is until you experience using them on a hotplate with the encaustic process.

John shows just that expression in this lovely piece of artwork. Remember, click any image to see it in a pop-up window.

This is a palm tree stamp. The image area is made from rubber through a vulcanization process, so the heat of the hotplate is no problem at all.

All sorts of rubber stamps are usable and every different design offer a different edge shape to explore with.

Straight away John has decided to use a piece of tissue wrapped around his finger tip as the initial tool.

A series of arced bands are wiped down through the molten wax. Then they are all dabbed over, again using the finger tissue, but this time hopping on and off in small even steps along the line. An attractive trail of marks is created.

The iron adds in some long thin lines and the piece is finished.

Take another look at the first image in this set which is the result of this approach. The amount of detail and interest is really quite amazing.

Sometimes the most common bits and pieces can prove to create some of the best effects.

Just look at the result of this example.

A doilie is used underneath some types of cake to act as a pretty decoration for the plate that the cake sits upon.

They are made from paper and have very pierced lacy decoration around their edges, sometimes floral too.

... to leave a trail of effects in the wax.

Unfortunately this first go lacked quite enough wax to create a good adhesion between the doilie and card.

This time there was sufficient wax colour beneath the doilie to create the necessary suction effect that hold tension when the paper doilie is pulled.

The liquid wax is left in fascinating and complex detail as the paper doilie is juddered along, as if held by a very shaky hand.

These marks all combine to form a lovely busy scheme.

Check the original artwork at the start of this particular section to appreciate it once more.

This is half of the piece of card that was popped out of the tissue box lid. Therefore its edges contain regular fine serrations, manufactured to make it easy to open the tissue box!

It might seem a bizarre thing to use, but just look at how John makes it dance.

... then finish off with a few stamp marks and patterns.

Another abstract journey that created an immensely interesting and unusual piece of artwork.

Landscape has often been the subject by which those who believe they can not paint judge those whom they believe can.

This lovely moonlit scene is beautiful to watch being created. See it live on the DVD for the full effect!

A familiar starting point is to have covered the card with the appropriate encaustic waxes.

Now John is using the regular household sponge as a tool for pushing the wax into more concentrated lines; horizons.

Similarly, it can be used to edge wax colour in a new enclosing form.

The sponge is being used here with just the right hand holding it. It helps to be a little bit ambidextrous when working with encaustic art!

Again, the sponge makes a tall upright form. Notice how John jumps from one tool to another, then back again, all the time monitoring the progress, reacting to what has happened and finding where to work into the image next.

This constant feeling for the flow of direction is a valuable creative methodology.

Some final definition with the iron tip, then it is completed.

Don't forget to look at the final version of this image again.

Here are some of the sponges used by John during creation of the images on this whole page.

Sponges are available here

Waterfalls and trees are popular subjects, so this image is one to relish.

Again, John Buckland performs this piece live on the DVD Exploring Ideas and uses sponges and the stamp to excellent result.

Some final tissue dabbing to harmonize and blend the whole bottom foreground, then it is done.

Another amazing production that is worth a close look again!.

... a bit of tissue rub and pattern dabbing too ...

... it just races along as if Pandora's box really has been opened!

But with a final iron flurry John completes this magical explosion of delights.

Thank you so much John Buckland for sharing your wonderful creative talents and enjoyment with all of us under the pressure of glaring cameras and time limits to boot. A great open-hearted help.