Ethan Elkins graduated from Washington State University with a BFA degree in 2003. An artist his whole life he began in drawing and painting, and later expanded to include sculpture, airbrush, and oil pastels.

Eventually he discovered encaustic, an ancient painting medium involving molten wax that is pigmented and applied hot. The process is a combination of painting and sculpting, allowing for several layers of translucent color that can be pushed, scraped, burned, or painted to reveal a deep and textured work of art with rich colors and incredible light fastness.