A Leap of Faith (directly into wax)
I didn’t know what I was doing with this piece, but I wanted to do something new. Something outside of my comfort zone. Something hopeful and metaphorical. The feeling of accomplishing I’d never seen – let alone tried – before was amazing. I showed it off to my family and friends for weeks!
I won’t lie to you, working with wax is messy business. The amount of hairs I burned off my paintbrush was upsetting, and wax covered my desk for a while. But through the sacrifice of that brush came a beautiful thing. If I could do it again, I would use a wax melt instead of a lit candle, so learn from my mistakes. Washing the brush in boiled water should remove the wax from your brush perfectly, so it won’t be ruined like mine was.
Beginning in the dark
Not knowing where to start is completely normal. No plan means no expectations, no standards to hold yourself to. I started this piece the way I start a lot of my paintings, by following a feeling rather than a plan. Starting off, I painted the whole canvas black and added this soft, circular gradient in the middle, almost like a faint glow trying to break through the dark. I didn’t know what I was creating yet, but it immediately reminded me of a dim, quiet room. At first, I thought about painting a window with moonlight streaming in. It was a nice idea, but honestly, it felt too simple. I wanted something that would keep my mind busy and help me forget everything for a while.
That’s when my eyes landed on the small candle burning on my desk. Just a tiny, steady flame, but something about it sparked an idea. Why couldn’t I paint with wax? I mean, I’d never tried it before. So I took a leap of faith. The first few attempts were… interesting. Wax moves completely differently from paint. It hardens faster than you expect, so I had to work quickly and commit to every stroke. There was no room for hesitation, no chance to redo anything. But strangely, that challenge felt grounding. It took my attention, and for once, my mind stopped racing.
So, let this be a lesson to you. Having no plan, no technique, and no idea where you are going to end up doesn’t matter. You’ve just got to take a chance and try something new.
Supplies Used
- 5in x 5in Canvas
- Acrylic paint
- Black, White, Prussian Blue, Yellow Orchre, Dark orange
- White candle
- An old, thin paintbrush