Encaustic painting is as old as the pharaohs and as young as the eight North American artists whose work is showcased in "The Divas and Iron Chefs of Encaustic" at the VCUarts Anderson Gallery.

Think of it as an art form that uses molten beeswax mixed with pigment and resin as its medium, with added versatility.

"The unique properties of encaustic allow it to be simultaneously fluid or solid, translucent or opaque, smooth or textural, thick or thin, shiny or matte," said Reni Gower, the Virginia Commonwealth University art professor who organized this traveling show and counts herself among its participants.

"It can be polished to an enamel-like luster or used with subtlety to create muted but luminous surfaces. It can also be modeled, sculpted, textured or combined with collage materials."

What wonders have Gower and her fellow artists wrought?

Here are some keys to understanding and enjoyment:

The show: Gower organized "Divas and Iron Chefs" two years ago for the Anderson, which couldn't fit it into its schedule. The show went on the road instead. The Anderson is its fifth stop. Next year, it will reopen in the Stanier Gallery at Washington and Lee University.

The artists: In drawing up her invitation list, Gower said she sought geographical and gender balance as well as a mix of established and emerging artists. Her final eight hail from six states and Nova Scotia. Virginia is represented by Heather Harvey of Big Stone Gap in addition to Gower.

Oddly enough: Encaustic painting is normally not taught in art schools, and none of the artists in this show wants to be known as an encaustic artist. "These people want to be known as artists who use encaustic," Gower said. "They don't want to be pigeonholed."

The work: Each artist's works are grouped together. Most of the paintings are abstract. That's why Wisconsin artist Kristy Deetz' classically oriented paintings of drapery in Dutch-flavored interiors stand out.

Added attraction: Harvey, who recently received her master's in fine arts from VCU, has tailored an installation, "Blue Ghost," especially for the darkened and intimate dimensions of the Anderson's smallest second-floor gallery. Here, blue-and-yellow plaster disks meet the visitor entering and leaving. "It has to do with infrastructure and gravity and quantum physics," Harvey explained.

A how-to manual: Every artist handles encaustic differently, but it normally involves three basic steps. First, heat the wax to melt it and add pigment and resin as desired. Then brush or pour it onto a rigid surface. Finally, use some form of heat to fuse each layer to the layer beneath it.

But beware: Don't whiff those fumes. "There's a ventilation issue," Gower said. "If you overheat the wax, it puts out toxic fumes and gases. If you don't heat it above a certain temperature, it's safe." And control that climate. "If it's not climate-controlled when it's shipped, it can crack or melt," Gower warned.

The Egyptian connection: The 1888 discovery of hundreds of realistic encaustic portraits of ancients atop their mummy cases in mortuary temples near Egypt's Fayum Nile oasis spurred an interest in what, for two millennia, had become a lost art.

The American link: Leading American modernist Jasper Johns created a mid-20th-century sensation when he employed encaustic in his "Flag" and "Target" collages. Diego Rivera, Robert Rauschenberg, Julian Schnabel and other contemporaries also have fanned the encaustic flame.

Anderson sideshows: The artists will discuss their work in a panel discussion from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 23 in the VCU Student Commons Theatre, 907 Floyd Ave. Encaustic workshops will be held from 9 a.m. to noon in the lobby of the VCU Fine Arts Building, 1000 W. Broad St. Both events are free to the public.

Today's encaustic revival: "I attended a conference this summer with more than 300 artists who use encaustic," Gower said. "This revival started about 25 years ago -- there was a kind of confluence of interest in encaustic in the '80s -- and I don't think it's a fad. It's a very hands-on kind of art-making. It seduces you. Artists enjoy doing it."
Roy Proctor, a freelance writer and theater director, retired in 2004 as the art and theater writer for The Times-Dispatch. He can be reached at royproctor@aol.com.