Three Day Introduction to Encaustic Painting, April 13-15

INTRODUCTION TO ENCAUSTIC
April 13-15, 2012
This workshop will be an introduction, if you haven't done encaustic before, or you need a refresher on basic techniques,
For more advanced encaustic painters, it will be an opportunity to enhance your work with a variety of new techniques. Individual instruction and criticism will help you move your encaustic painting to a new level.
This three day workshop will cover all the basics, including information about how to make paint, about the commercial paints and their applications, about supports, grounds and techniques: paint application, fusing, glazing, inscribing and mixed media approaches.safety, materials, demos of applying paint, glazing, fusing, How to get that smooth surface! Learn some new techniques: Introducing mixed media, working with oil bar, pigment, creating lines and texture and image transfer. We will emphasize how these techniques can be developed to create a unique encaustic language for each student. We will talk (and demo) how to create glaze layers, as well as some special techniques like inscribing and using dry pigment..and, you will leave with a printout containing all the information you need as well as a list of suppliers. The second and third days will teach you additional skills, and give you time to refine your technique, and become more comfortable with the medium, while beginning to understand how it can become part of your personal artistic language.

More About Encaustic Painting: Going a Little Larger: watch for summer dates

This workshop is designed for people with encaustic experience or significant painting experience in other media.
Many people stay at a certain level with their encaustic painting because they see working at a larger scale as intimidating. It does present certain challenges, but when you understand how to overcome them, it can be a richly rewarding experience. This workshop will encourage you to work up to 24" x 24". It will address all aspects of working larger, from the planning and drawing stages, through preparation of the surface; understanding temperature control and how it facilitates working larger, handling color and glazing, as well as special effects, and finishing.A number of new techniques will be presented: use of dry pigment and oil paint on incised line, mixed media approaches, basic color and glaze theory, creating texture and working with photographic and other mixed media.

Fee: $625. All wax medium,paints and tools are included, but students will provide their own larger cradled panels. Uncradled panels will be available for sale. A materials list will be provided, suggesting things you might like to have.

BEYOND BEGINNING: GOING LARGE! May 21-25, 2012

Five Days: Five people. This five day workshop is a unique opportunity for artists who are already working in encaustic to experience the joy of seeing there work on a larger scale, or to attempt any other expansion of their vision which they might like to pursue. We will address the special design and technical considerations involved in working on a larger scale, from sketch to finishing. Participants may work up to 36” x 36” on their own panels.

Each student/artist will do at least one large painting during this week, going from an initial sketch, through considerations about putting on paint at this scale, on controlling temperatures on a larger scale, understanding how to control temperatures and use it to your advantage. We will discuss how and why certain paintings work better large, and others not so well. There will be a presentation of a series of large scale paintings done by a number of artists, as well as tours of the Santa Fe Galleries that show large scale encaustic paintings. We will also discuss finishing the painting, preparing it for shipping and hanging.

The fee includes encaustic medium, and most paints, use of tools and materials, but participants must provide their own panels, Cradled panels and flat plywood panels can be ordered from me, but must be ordered at least three weeks prior to the workshop. You can ship your panels from suppliers directly to the studio, if you prefer. A materials list will be provided, and you will get a print out of all the material covered, as well as suppliers, etc Fee: $825.

For people from out of town, I can help arrange for shipping their paintings home. I will send Travel information and information about hotels, rentals, etc.