Koment Encaustic Workshops: Las Vegas, New Mexico

Let's Pour together, on paper and panels Saturday and Sunday, October 21 & 22, 2023! "Sky Madness", encaustic on paper 44"x30", yes, a pour! Mostly, I have become well known for pouring on paper. My first show was in Santa Fe in 2011. But now I have also been pouring on panels, and find it even more exciting. No matter your intention, the wax always has a life of it's own. So I can say: Blue, you go here. But always there is a bit of mystery about what happens. The blue will always go a little bit more here or there, and then that invites you to be present, and be aware of all the variations that occur. And that makes the process much more exciting, because you have always to be aware, and to act as a result of what has occurred.  And there are so many songs to sing, and you have to always to be aware of what has happened, and what you can do next. aware. Each time you pour, variations will occur, and you have to stay present to the process, and aware of

Do what you want to do Set your own date and your own topic! Discover the historic town of Las Vegas, NM.  As old as Santa Fe, this town has an entirely different look and feel.  Ellen Koment is the winner of the LaVendeeme award for excellence in encaustic education. She has been teaching encaustic workshops for over twenty five years. These will be small groups meeting in her home studio, in the Historic District of Las Vegas. Stay in a historic hotel, The Plaza or Castaneda , or a nearby motel, or just come for the day. See a different part of Northern New Mexico..explore someplace new, and learn what you want to know!  Las Vegas is a spectacular one hour drive through the mountains from Santa Fe.   An opportunity to answer the questions you want answered.  Whether your concerns are with motivation or technique, we can talk about your path.  To contact me about doing a private workshop, where you choose the dates and the topics, or let me help you with that call 505-501-4620

“It is not enough to place colors, however beautiful, one beside the other; colors must also react on one another. Otherwise, you have cacophony”.           “When I put a green, it it not grass. When I put a blue, it is not the sky.”                                                                                      Henri Matisse                      Koment, from the cover of EncausticWorks12 At the heart of working with encaustic wax, for me, is COLOR, the wonderful range of glazing possibilities. Using transparent layers of various colors to create new colors, understanding how to achieve beautiful affects with a full palette of color, whether it is soft or vibrant. Color is our most magic tool for conveying an emotional state. For me, it is at the essence of what I do as an artist. I think in color first. Whether you do or not, it is an important part of your process to learn and understand.   Color Layers on 24" panels.. We will talk about mixing our colors ,

It's about paper, but also about panels!   Think about transparency, think about layers, think mostly about color and how color will change with another transparent layer on top of it.. See what color does to color, and use it to express yourself. In the end, I think it will take more than one day to learn these techniques, so I've extended it to two.  You need to learn to pur on both paper and panels, and then learn how to incorporate that into what it is that you do. How do you use it to create the story that you want to tell. It's about paper, and also about panels: From the ArtsThrive show at the Albuquerque Museum "Intricacies of Light", encaustic on panel, 24"x24"                                             "Intricacies of Light" encaustic on panel 24"x24"

Let's let line aid in telling our story! With many different approaches possible, you can add line, texture, drawing..an entirely new dimension to your painting experience.. we will use crayon, charcoal, pigment, oil bars, and of course, wax, to help develop an entirely new dimension in your work ... TThree panels, with charcoal dimensions.. Many years ago now I developed what I called the Magic Line, and for a long time it was my secret. But now, it is something which I share. In addition to the "Magic Line": Crayon and pigment, we will work with the addition of charcoal, and how to create unusual and exciting effects. It will be an opportunity to bring a drawing element into your work..both on paper and panel. To explore an exciting world of new possibilities. To bring painting and drawing together. ALSO using the irregularities which you have created in the wax to catch pigment and charcoal to give you a wide range of special effects!