A form of painting used in ancient Egyptian tombs has captured the imagination of Windsor artist Shirley Williams.

All of the works in Williams’ exhibit, Intimate Wax, at Artspeak Gallery, 1942 Wyandotte St. E., through Oct. 17 are composed of encaustic wax.

The combination of various waxes and varnish is heated, then allowed to cool to a hard, textured finish. The result is a durable and beautiful work of art that can be touched and even buffed clean with a cotton cloth.

The long-lasting qualities of encaustic, said Williams, are what appealed to the Egyptians when they painted tomb walls. The substance is resistant to heat and cold, and its vivid colours will never fade or peel.

Encaustic is not a new medium to Williams — she has used it for other exhibits in Windsor. But it is rarely used by artists.

“It takes hours to produce the wax,” she said. “And it can be very frustrating to use.”

Williams mixes up batches of the material in the shape of hockey pucks. During the creative process, she melts the pucks on a hot-plate, then applies it to a wood surface.

Wood must be used because the wax would crack on canvas or paper. After she applies the wax, she again heats it with a blow-torch or heat gun to create a bond between the wood and wax.

“Otherwise,” she said, “everything is lost in a puddle of muddy wax.”

Once the bonding is complete, Williams can apply more layers or carve out portions to manipuate the image.

All the material, she said, is archival and impervious to light. Her paintings in other media are on large canvases, but because encaustic starts to dry as soon as it is applied, she had to work on much smaller surfaces.

Williams has been a professional artist in Windsor since 1989, after spending several years as a documentary producer in Toronto. She has exhibited widely, from Toronto to New York and Dallas.

In 2006, Williams was commissioned to paint the cover for the Windsor Symphony Orchestra’s 2006-07 season program. The large canvas in her Colourscape series was later auctioned off at a WSO fundraiser.

In December 2010, Williams will have a solo show at the Art Gallery of Windsor.

An opening reception for Intimate Wax will be held tonight at Artspeak Gallery, beginning at 7 p.m. Williams will also be on hand at the gallery Saturday, noon-4 p.m. For more information about Williams and the exhibit, call 519-252-6855.