I've used a strand of simulated pearls and seedpods in this small encaustic painting. They add a great deal of texture, of course, but also provided the subject matter. The pale light green and golden colors of the upper background and the blue that weaves through the coppery seeds, give this painting the sense of an image under water, as if one is looking into a pond and seeing a swirl of eggs settling down; but honestly, I was thinking of ovum and spearm. Whether one sees this or not, the composition is interesting, and textures make this mixed media encaustic work particularly interesting. I've used copper paint on the seedpods, all of it embedded in encaustic (pharmaceutical grade beeswax strengthened and hardened by damar resin). This sits in a silver canvas floater frame, but it does not need a frame since it's painted on cradled hardboard, the edges of which are painted a light sea green.