Croton Council on the Arts

A Special "Encaustic Demonstration" with Lesa Cash

What is Encaustic?

Encaustic is a beautiful, ancient art form that uses melted beeswax mixed with pigment to create rich, layered paintings. The word itself comes from the Greek for “to burn in,” because each layer of wax is gently heated to fuse it to the one below. Artists love encaustic for its luminosity, texture, and versatility. The wax can be brushed on, carved into, layered, scraped back, or used to embed paper, fabric, or found objects. Once cooled, it creates a surface that’s both durable and wonderfully tactile. Encaustic dates back thousands of years—most famously in the Fayum mummy portraits of Romanera Egypt—and it continues to inspire artists today with its mix of tradition, experimentation, and glowing color.

Lesa Cash Bio

Hudson Valley-based, self-taught, emerging artist, whose work is deeply influenced by the beauty and magic found in nature. A member of CCoA, her photography, encaustic, collage, drawings and paintings have been locally exhibited and published. She has been both rejected and awarded and loves every part of the process in creating and sharing her work. Her love of antiques often finds her work created in or framed in vintage finds she restores herself.