I’ve never been the stenciling type—actually, I’ve always avoided it.
But recently, while wandering through a craft store, I stumbled across a gorgeous sheet of twirly patterned paper. Instantly, I thought: This would be perfect for stenciling. And I already knew the image I wanted to use—a seahorse.
Pairing it with a stunning duochrome encaustic paint in an aqua-green tone was pure magic. The color shimmered beautifully, and the white twists in the paper added the perfect movement beneath the wax.
Once the image was embedded, I layered in additional pigments. I incised lines, added graphite for texture, and finished with touches of watercolor pigment. The entire process felt like a creative adventure—and to my surprise, I absolutely loved it.
So yes, I’m officially a stenciling convert. You likely won’t see bunny-rabbit or peace-sign stencils in my work anytime soon, but you will see more playful color and pattern as I explore stenciling in my encaustic backgrounds.
Sometimes the smallest experiment opens the door to a whole new direction in your art.
I’d love to hear from you. Have you used stenciling in your own work? How did it turn out? Tell me what you think in the comments below.
Be well….be creative,
I like how it turned out. I’d like to try it. And congrats on teaching a workshop thru Santa Fe Photographic Workshops (in Snowmass). I’ve been to several Santa Fe Workshops and they are always high quality.
Hi Donna, thanks for your comment. It would be great if you were thinking of joining us this September in Snowmass. I can’t think of a more beautiful place to photograph and do photo encaustics!