Exploring new techniques can culminate in delightful discoveries resulting in fresh, and exciting new works of art; such is the case with my journey into watercolor batik.
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Rebecca Baer® Watercolor Batik Lobster Buoys Colorful lobster buoys, an iconic image of Maine. This original, one of a kind, watercolor batik painting by Rebecca Baer® is mounted on foam core board, professionally double matted and framed under glass. | 23” x 33” |
Watercolor batik is a multi-stage process involving layers upon layers of wax alternating with applications of watercolor. The work is painted on organic Japanese rice paper with fiber inclusions, which allow for wonderful visual and physical texture. The delicate and absorptive nature of the rice paper results in irregular, fluid boundaries creating soft edges, allowing colors to mingle. It is a slow process requiring patience as you wait for the watercolors to fully dry before selectively waxing the painted areas. As the layers build they obscure the developing painting so that you are unable to see the composition coming together.
. Although executed with a vision for the desired outcome, the method is inherently imprecise lending a mysterious air to the evolving work hidden below. When the painting is completed, it is coated with wax once again before being crumpled, causing cracks in the wax. After a few strategic applications of watercolor over the broken wax, the final application of paint is sealed within a concluding layer of wax and that is when the magic occurs. The copious layers of wax are melted away to reveal the finished work of art that is engaging for both the artist and the viewer. As you live with these paintings, you will continually discover fascinating details that previously have gone unnoticed.
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Rebecca Baer® Cape Elizabeth Lighthouse | WIP The above image shows the completed Cape Elizabeth lighthouse painting after it has been crumpled but the wax has not yet been removed. |
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Rebecca Baer® Cape Elizabeth Lighthouse | Framed Displayed above is the finished painting of the Cape Elizabeth Lighthouse, post-wax removal, with a double mat in an rustic frame. |
The original, one of a kind, watercolor batik paintings on Japanese rice paper are mounted on archival foam board, professionally double or triple-matted and framed under glass.
Additionally, many of these works are available as fine art prints on archival watercolor paper, mounted on a cradled panel, and protected with a matte finish.
