Encaustic classes to fit your schedule

I don't post encaustic workshop dates anymore, but I like to work with your schedule, and if you find you would rather have the luxury of one-on-one instruction or have just friends or  family that want instruction - I offer private instruction. I have been painting with encaustic/wax for over 20 years. No experience is necessary and all the materials are provided. You will leave with at least one or two pieces of finished encaustic art.

Below are examples of advanced encaustic. I have all the tools. and materials for you to take your work to the advanced stage.

Advanced Encaustic Techniques

When a student signs up for private classes, there is no telling what an interesting encaustic adventure we will have because so much can be experienced in a one to one class.

Norleen is an artist who has worked mainly in watercolor and acrylic so encaustic was a new experience. She picked up using the torch quickly and was not looking to make an encaustic painting to hang on her wall. She wanted to experience as many techniques as possible in two days.

Using oil sticks to add shading to the encaustic

conquering the gas torch

Bringing up the underneath layers applying more heat

Norleen experienced many techniques in the 4 encaustic panels she created.

Group classes are fun, particularly when a person is open to in-put from others in the workshop.

Online encaustic workshops

11 different classes . it is like standing next to me in the studio while I demonstrate and explain how to take your encaustic painting to a new level. https://vimeo.com/ondemand/4167

Working with a hot pen and layers is just one of the videos.



How to paint portraits in encaustic
https://vimeo.com/ondemand/134921

   

You can watch these videos over and over.

May workshop

We had a lot of fun and many laughs in this workshop!

The link below is a flip book of previous workshopsL

https://www.flipsnack.com/7CAFB586AED/ezshwans-encasutic-workshops-san-miguel-de-allende.html?b=1&p=16

Workshops and online classes

Please go to my website; http://www.ezshwan.com/classes-and-workshops.html  to get the latest information on the workshops and online classes.

I have not yet been able to clean up this blog and I hate to lose all the years of photos of students.

But here is some information about the in-studio workshops.:


Join me in the studio for an in-depth exploration into the art of painting with encaustic. I will demystify the process of working with this seductive medium and share many of my trade secrets for creating unique painting effects  This workshop will help push your artwork to the next level and many students have gone on to exhibit and sell their own work. Each class is held in my own art studio, so class size is small that allows for a very personalized experience. Students of all skill levels gain from the intimate learning environment.

All skill levels are welcome here! This workshop is two 5 hours days, packed with  the information you need to start creating your own beautiful works in encaustic.

Once we cover all the basics,  we'll focus on unique painting techniques.

We'll have fun experimenting with mixed media and I'll guide you through any technical issues so you can take your encaustic work to the next level. All workshops take place in my professional studio located in beautiful San Miguel de Allende: https://tinyurl.com/yb4pzn8u

     •    Resources on materials, safe studio practices and so much more.
     •    Mastering a smooth surface.

    •    Creating a flawless image transfer.

    •    Embedding elements into wax.

    •    Incorporating mixed media such as oil paint, pastels and papers.

    •    Tips for unusual mark making techniques.

    •    How to make your own medium 

    •    Resources on materials, safe studio practices and so much more.  


Video of an older advanced workshop

This very unprofessional video was taken about 6 years ago. I no longer take as many students in one workshop and have a completely different studio with ventilation on 3 sides, but we did have fun. click on the link to view.

 https://youtu.be/EBPzAX_EWmQ

I am adding portrait painting in encaustic to my workshops

The is nothing I would rather paint than faces, so I thought it is time to add this class to my workshop lineup. The price is the same as all the other classes.

I also will bring back the class for beginning encasutic.

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.

   

Another encaustic experience

It is a wonderful privilege to introduce artists to the encaustic technique. Paul, an accomplished artist with Disney wanted to add encaustic to his field of art techniques. We covered a lot of techniques in the one day he was working with me in the studio.
His main interest was creating textured layers, so one of the first things I showed him was spraying water into the molten wax.

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

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.

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