Hi, thanks for stopping in! Bruchet Art Studios is a shared studio between myself and my mother-in-law Nikki.  We sell online here AND at Art House Designs fine art gallery in Olympia, WA. 

Artist - Michele Bruchet
Since childhood, I loved learning how things worked, how things were made, how things interacted with each other. My college degree in biology nurtured that fascination, but left my right brain needing to create. I am a constant observer of light, color, shape, and their juxtaposition. My art swings from the bright, saturated hues I crave like candy to the ethereal whites, soft grays, and blues I witness in the Pacific Northwest foggy winters. I have been selling art in some form for over 18 years, beginning in mosaics, and moving on to dog portraits, encaustics, watercolors, and acrylic landscapes and abstracts. I am a self-taught artist with 6 years’ experience teaching drawing and painting classes.

Artist - Nikki Bruchet
Interior design without the right art is not complete. Art without the right interior design is not complete. The color, style and size of a piece of art determines the mood of the setting in which it presides.The mood subconsciously affects the observer. All my life I have been obsessed with aesthetics and functionality in home or commercial settings. But most of my adult life has been spent running a non- art industry business. So on the side, I dabbled in various types of arts & crafts. I never formally studied art, but I now find myself experimenting with encaustics and acrylics. I am fascinated with the movement of the colors and the final form they take.When I grow up, I want to make the perfect art to complete interior designs.

About Encaustic  ----
Encaustic paintings are perhaps the most durable of paintings and have outlasted other paintings by thousands of years. Evidence of this can be seen by the Fayum Egypt mummy portraits that are over 2500 years old. Excavation of the ancient encaustic paintings has shown no flaking, cracking, or fading. This is because unlike other mediums, encaustic paintings are resistant to moisture, acid and mold. Encaustic or hot wax painting originated in the 5th century BCE in Greece. It was originally used as a means to caulk and decorate ships and later evolved into a fine art form, most often used in mural painting and funeral portraits.

Technique ---
The technique involves melting damar resin crystals in bees wax and adding dry pigments. The hot wax is applied to a rigid surface and quickly hardens. Heat is then applied to the wax paint, fusing the pigmented wax. The literal meaning of the word encaustic is from the Greek "encaustikos" or burning-in which refers to this step in the process. Once the wax paint cools additional layers can be added to achieve depth and texture. Oil paints, oil pastels, dry pigments, metal leaf and other substances can be worked into or layered onto the wax. Each layer must be fused with the layer below. Once the surface has cooled, the paint hardens to a permanent finish that can be worked to the rich and lustrous patina that is the hallmark of encaustic painting.

How to care for your encaustic artwork ---

Treat an encaustic painting as you would any fine art. Use care hanging, transporting or storing a painting.                                                                                                                              
•    Hang and store at normal room temperatures. Avoid freezing and extremely hot temperatures; encaustic medium will begin to soften at 150°F / 65°C
•    Keep all artwork out of direct sunlight.
•    When packing encaustic art for transportation, cover the face of the painting with wax paper. Do not use bubble wrap directly on the front of the painting as it may leave an imprint on the surface. For shipping, build a box the right size for the painting.
•    Encaustic does not need to be protected by glass. A floater frame is an attractive option that also protects the edges of the painting from scratches, dents and chips.
•    During the first 6-12 months, as the wax cures, an encaustic painting may develop bloom. Bloom is a naturally occurring hazy white residue. It may also occur if a painting is exposed to cold. Bloom can easily be removed by buffing the surface of the painting.
•    Encaustic paintings can be buffed to a high gloss using a soft, lint-free cloth or pantyhose. If the original sheen has become dull over time, it can be brought back by repeating the buffing process.
•    Once an encaustic painting has fully cured and hardened, it will shed dust and dirt more readily.