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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

advanced techniques encasutic workshop

layering encaustic glazes over transfers and collage

the success of experimenting

The simple paintings were something different for Larry

First layers for Judith before she added the heavy textures

The canine guest didn't need anything, but to be part of the group

Judith experimenting with the hot pen

finished painting

Here is how we end the workshops

After the end of all workshops, we stop for a glass of wine and discussion of the class. Yesterday was the 91st class I have given. I keep adding more and more techniques to the advanced workshops. It is my pleasure to share all that I know.

New format for the encasutic workshops

I am now offering 3 day intensive workshops that include transportation from town to my home/studio/gallery that is a 15 minute drive  into the country.

Of course, the 2 day workshops are still happening. The 3 days is for you artists who just are not ready to stop after the first 2 day of fun and creativity.

large, airy studio

This is a relaxing event that closes on the third day with wine and critiques.

The dates are posted. I am considering weekend classes for those of you who work during the week. What do you think?