2 Day Cold Wax workshop

We covered many cold wax techniques, perhaps too many. I have a tendency to share everything I know and that can be overwhelming; however, both of these accomplished artists, Cate and Segris chose their own direction and made some fascinating paintings.

This works well as a diptych with the image 2 down

process

Love this one of Segris'

Cate's exuberant painting

Segris' painting  finished. Can you count the layers?

Segris checking out how her painting looks with a mat

contemplation

Cate's experimenting with stencils

End of day 2, tried but happy

Dates of cold wax and oil workshops

I am having a challenge posting the information abut the classes on the side of the blog, so here it is:

Special dates can be arranged for private or groups with 3 or more people . Contact me by email to arrange times and dates: ezshwan4art@gmail.com
COLD WAX AND OIL workshops
Oct. 16 & 17th 10am to 3 pm
Nov. 13 & 14, 10 am to 3 pm.
Two Day Workshops: $250 USD plus $20 materials fee

This workshops include transportation from La Comer. I will pick you up at 9:45 am and take you back around 3pm. or you can take a cab or drive. Directions on my website; http://www.ezshwan.com/directions-to-studio.html

$100 deposit required.

   

Cold Wax Classes

cold wax and oil on cradled panel

I am adding cold wax and oil to my workshops. The prices will be a bit less than the encaustic classes. The materials cost will be $20 rather than the $40 for the encaustic.

cold wax and oil on panel

cold wax and oil on panel

cold wax on cradled panel

I'm concentrating on Private Classes

I get to meet and hang out with delightful artists during the private workshops I offer. These are not beginning artists; they have had either some encasutic experience or a lot and want to learn many new techniques.

I cover making glass-like surfaces, transfers, oil glazes, using pan pastels, incising, carving, painting portraits, incorporating charcoal and wax pencil, encaustic on paper, shellac burn and anything else the participant want to experience. I will stay in touch for as long as there are questions or inquires about tool and materials.

Phe from Australia Aug. 2

Amy from Tennessee, Aug. 3 Sorry Amy about the shot with your hair over your face, the other one had your eyes cosed.

A Three Day Workshop

I enjoy working with artists who have some experience with encaustic, we can go right into advanced techniques.

Michelle from North Carolina, visited San Miguel for the first time and spent 3 days with me covering everything she wanted to try. Michelle has been working with encaustic for 5 years and wanted to expand the options in this wonderful medium. She was not interested in making finished paintings, she just wanted to experiment, take notes and learn as much as she possible could.

After the third day she said that her head was full of information and she would be able to incorporate these new techniques when she gets back to her own studio.
We covered; creating a glass smooth surface with no air bubbles, incising and filling with encaustic, using stencils , shellac glue burn, transfers, oil glazes, cold wax and oil, drawing on very thin rice paper and applying as an overlay.

Here are some of her experiments:

Michelle's first time working with cold wax and oil

Her first successful transfer

incising through several layers of clear encaustic

more scraping

cold wax and olf

Another successful transfer

lots of techniques in this one

rice paper drawing, India ink, stylus, blue incising,and drawing with a wax pencil

stencil, dry brush layering

transfer, oil glaze, shellac burn

How Many Techniqes Can We Try in One Day?

Joy has been working in encasusic for about 10 years and she wanted to add some advanced techniques to her list of things she already knew. While visiting San Miguel, she spent a day with me as a private participant. We covered transfers on parchment paper, oil glazes, India ink, charcoal for texturing, shellac glue burn and I showed her how to make prints on the very thin rice paper we get here in Mexico.

Letting the torch do the work

Transfer and oil glazes

Encasutic workshops in San Miguel de Allende

http://www.flipsnack.com/7CAFB586AED/ezshwans-encasutic-workshops-san-miguel-de-allende.html

This link will take you to a Flipbook that give you a bit of the charm of making art with me in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.

Another private class

Look what can be done in a private class. This student had taken a 2 day introductory workshop with me a few years ago and wanted to create her favorite landscape in encasutic. She said, "This is hard", but she did it. I introduced oil glazes and scraping to her. What do you think?

Look What Can Be Done in One Day

O.K, Janice has experience with encaustic and makes some lovely paintings for her gallery in Bend Oregon, but she wanted to have a longer private class to experience my way of painting figuratively and the new techniques I showed her. The results are lovely, don't you think?

Beautiful encaustic painting completed by the end of the day.

Encaustic Beginners

Yesterday I spent a day with two beautiful sisters,  from Texas. They are visiting San Miguel de Allende with their parents.

They had never tried encaustic and they only had one day to experience painting with hot wax and torches.

Perhaps, because they came with no expectation, and are young and open, they picked up the technique fast.

Here's what they produced by the end of the day.

Sydney

Katelyn

2 more private encaustic students

Tuesday and Wednesday of this week I had the privalige of sharing lots of advanced encaustic techniques with 2 more class participants. I feel as if not only am I sharing much of my encaustic experience, I am making new friends.

Lucy

Carol

Dana from North Carolina

I was privileged to meet another artist, who came to San Miguel for the first time to take a three day private workshop with me.

Dana has been a working artist for years, specializing in murals and faux finishing, but never tried encaustic before. We covered everything from the basics of the history, ventilation, making medium to advanced techniques. She had a natural feel for the torch and immediately created glass-like surfaces and moved into more texturing.

During our break time we shared our stories and became better acquainted.

Using the hot pen to build dots and lines

I love giving the private classes. We can cover a lot.

Positive Private Classes

At last count, I have taught about 90 encaustic workshops over the last 10 years, and have met wonderful artists, would-be artists and just great people who wanted to experiment with creating art with hot wax and resin. Several of my artist friends here in San Miguel de Allende , who learned the tecnique from me, have continued to work in this medium and make it their own.

I still get requests for workshops, but at this point in my life, (I am 81 years old), I find it far more satisfying to give private classes to people who have specific goals and questions about advanced techniques in encaustic. I can work side by side with them and much can be accomplished in a one or two day class. Both myself and the student have a great time and often develop lasting friendships.

I have stopped posting workshop dates and if at least 3 people are interested in a workshop, I will schedule one; however with the private students, I can arrange a date that works for both of us.

translucent layers and hot pen

oil, encaustic and transfers

photos, collage and encasutic

Working in her own direction

Painting a face with a private student

Bren, a lovely woman from Georgia came to San Miguel for her first visit and to take a class with me.

She had her list of questions on technique and especially wanted to learn how to paint faces in encaustic. After my demo, I had her start on a tinted board, concentrating on breaking up the face into shapes and tones.

working from my "portrait" palette; powdered pigment and encaustic medium

End of the day = a face in encaustic

She bought her portrait and took it to its new home in Georgia. She was one of my 50 Faces Project

Private students get what they want

 Here is the live link to the discounted online classes https://vimeo.com/r/1zMI/NUdEL3c0MU

I really like working one on one with private encaustic students. We can focus on exactly the technique and what  they want to accomplish in the 5 1/2 hours that we work together.

Julia wanted to learn how to combine the photo her husband took with her painting style. We made a transfer of this wonderful photo and she applied it to the board after putting down a good base of encaustic. She had had no previous experience in encaustic, so we went from the basics to her completed painting.

See what can be done in one day with me working side by side with you. I demo on another board, offer suggestions, but encourage the student to create their own vision.

Finished painting - her first encaustic painting

close up of finished painting

Sharing my 60 years of art experience

In the past year, there has been few requests for a group workshops and most of the artists want specific techniques. I have been giving more private classes that can be arranged to suit your schedule and focus on exactly what you would like to learn.

I offer a side-by-side class where I work only with you for 5 1/2 hours. We actually can cover more in one day than in a two day workshop with several people.

 I supply primed boards, and all the other materials, including the encaustic paint, brushes torches and almost any tool you might like to try.
 

The cost is $250 U.S. or peso equivalent + $20 for materials. My students almost always leave with a few finished paintings.

You may want to consider a private class.

charcoal , encaustic, shellac

Student painting

carved encaustic and hot pen