Introduction to Encaustics

Drip, pour, drag, layer, heat, and incise! Learn the art of encaustic painting in this hands-on workshop using pigmented wax and a heated palette! Through a rich variety of marks and surfaces, explore the various painting techniques of this seductive medium. We will also look to CMBG’s gardens as sources of inspiration. Class time will be divided between demonstrations, individual work time, and a rich overview of the history of this ancient medium. We will also touch upon proper studio ventilation, wax safety, and how to “finish” artworks in terms of framing and care. Students will leave with multiple finished pieces and an understanding of proper studio set-up.

Price includes materials.

Hélène Farrar has taught and worked in the visual arts for twenty years while actively exhibiting in commercial, nonprofit, and university galleries in New England, New York City, Pennsylvania, Italy, and England. Farrar has a BA in studio art from the University of Maine and an MFA in interdisciplinary arts from Goddard College in Vermont. Hélène currently owns and operates her own private art school in Maine out of her “farmhouse” studio, where she holds varied workshops and classes. Her paintings have most recently been accepted into curated exhibits at the Cape Cod Community College, Fuller Craft Museum, the Saco Museum, the University of New England Art Gallery, and Twiggs Gallery in New Hampshire. Farrar is represented by Archipelago Fine Arts in Rockland, Betts Gallery of Belfast, Cynthia Winings Gallery of Blue Hill, and the Center for Maine Craft in West Gardiner. Her work as an educator has brought her across the state of Maine including the Haystack Mountain School or Crafts.