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The 17th International Encaustic Conference

Image credit: Dale O. Roberts. Dale will be teaching a post-conference workshop Interpreting Ideas Through Studies To Develop A Process For Significant Paintings.

Image credit: R&F Artist Instructor Debra Claffey. Deb will be teaching a post-conference workshop Paper, Paint, Wax!

The 17th International Encaustic Conference hosted by Truro Center for the Arts will take place May 31 - June 2nd in Provincetown, Massachusetts. The conference is the place to be for anyone interested in encaustic. Instructors from across the country and around the world will be there offering talks and demos.

Pre and post conference hands on workshops round out your immersive experience. There’s a hotel fair, a postcard sale, giveaways, a juried show, and - best of all - R&F will be in the vendor room with a full array of paint and materials.

Image credit: Michele Randall. Michele will be teaching a post-conference workshop Cyanotype And Encaustic In Harmony.

Now through February 15th, Castle Hill is offering a discounted price on registration. For a limited time, you can save 20%. To learn more and take advantage of this sale, visit castlehill.org.

Image credit: Megan MacDonald. Megan will be teaching a post-conference workshop Explore + Experiment.

Never been to the conference? This might be the year to go.

Presenters this year feature an incredible line up including: Debra Claffey, Jeff Hirst, Leslie Giuliani, Kelly Williams, Patricia Miranda, Gabriella Sanchez, Bettina Egli Sennhauser, David A. Clark, Nancy Natale, Christine Aaron, Lisa Pressman, Richard Frumess, Laura Moriarty, Joanne Mattera, Jodi Reeb, Kelly Milukas, Milisa Galazzi, Wayne Montecalvo, Dorothy Cochran, and Michele Randall.

There will be a range of demos at the conference from encaustic printmaking and working with paper, to faux gilding techniques, just to name a few.

Several demos highlight color with a focus on creating harmony and working from a limited palette. Talks this year highlight materiality, thinking through space, creating meaningful content, print installation, preparing for exhibitions, archiving your work, and curatorial thinking.

Image credit: Isabelle Gaborit. Isabelle will be teaching a post-conference workshop Time & Surface: An Interface.

Artist Petah Coyne.

This year’s conference Keynote Speaker is Petah Coyne.

Petah Coyne is a contemporary sculptor and photographer best known for her large-scale hanging sculptures and floor installations. Working in innovative and disparate materials, her media has ranged from the organic to the ephemeral.

Mud, sticks, hay, black sand, specially-formulated and patented wax, satin ribbons, silk flowers, shaved cars, and shredded trailers are a few of the things she has incorporated into her sculptures. More recently, she has worked with glass, velvet, taxidermy, cast wax statuary, and trees.

Unafraid to confront a range of subjects or tackle contemporary themes, Coyne’s work addresses the tensions between transformation and constancy, life and loss, beauty and darkness.

Independent curator and critic Barbara O’Brien.

Each year a juried show is organized at Castle Hill as part of the International Encaustic Conference. Barbara O’Brien, an independent curator and critic based in Milwaukee, will serve as this year’s juror. She previously served as the Executive Director of Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art and is an elected member of AICA-USA, International Association of Art Critics.

Her twenty years in Boston included positions as editor in chief of Art New England Magazine, Director of the Trustman Art Gallery at Simmons University, and Director of the Gallery and Visiting Artist Program at Montserrat College of Art.

O’Brien has a longstanding interest in and commitment to artists who incorporate encaustic into their practice, having twice presented the keynote address (2008 and 2013) at the conference. Most recently, O’Brien was the juror for the FUSEDChicago national exhibition “Connections,” which was shown at ARC Gallery.

Image credit: Leslie Giuliani. Leslie will be co-teaching a pre-conference workshop What Makes Encaustic Different In Creating Color Effects with R&F founder Richard Frumess.

Can’t attend the conference but are interested in one of the workshops? Don’t worry! It is not necessary that you attend the conference in order to register for a pre- or post-conference workshop.

Image credit: Wayne Montecalvo. Wayne will be teaching a post-conference workshop Unlikely Alternatives.

Pre-Conference workshops include:

5/28 - 5/30: Embodiment - Building Meaningful Content: A Psychological Self-Portrait with Kelly Williams

5/28 - 5/30: Fresco + Encaustic with Bettina Egli Sennhauser

5/28 - 5/30: Organic Abstraction with Values and Color taught by Kelly Milukas

5/29 - 5/30: Making Your Mark With Photo Collage And Color Theory with Jodi Reeb

Image credit: Gabriela Sánchez Apodaca. Gabriela is teaching a pre-conference workshop Zen Painting With Encaustic.

5/29 - 5/30: What Makes Encaustic Different In Creating Color Effects with Leslie Giuliani and Richard Frumess

5/29 - 5/30: Working Large with Jeff Hirst

5/29 - 5/30: Zen Painting With Encaustic with Gabriela Sánchez Apodaca

6/3 - 6/4: Suminagashi and Encaustic with Laura Morarity

6/3 - 6/4: Cyanotype And Encaustic In Harmony with Michele Randall

6/3 - 6/4: Unlikely Alternatives with Wayne Montecalvo

Image credit: David A. Clark. David will be teaching a post-conference workshop Encaustic Prints To The Next Level.

Post-Conference workshops include:

6/12 - 6/13: The Joy of a Limited Palette with Julie Snidle

6/12 - 6/13: Material World: Transforming Fabric & Wax! with Susan Lasch Krevitt

6/12 - 6/13: 100 Pieces In 3 Days? Loosen Up and Let Go with Lisa Pressman

6/12: Using Procreate for Editing Artworks with Anna Wagner-Ott

6/12 - 6/14: Encaustic, Assemblage, Multiples & Meaning with Stephanie Hargrave

Image credit: Jeff Hirst. Jeff will be teaching a pre-conference workshop Working Large With Encaustic.

6/12 - 6/14: Photographs, Transfer Film, and Encaustic with Patti Russotti

6/12 - 6/14: Encaustic Meets Fresco with Bettina Egli Sennhauser

6/13: Zen Painting with Gabriela Sanchez

6/13: Shine! Presenting Your Work and Yourself to the World with Joanne Mattera

6/14 - 6/15: Materiality and Encaustic: Re-Imagining the Substrate with Janise Yntema

6/14: Intentional Content with Kelly Williams

To view a complete list of workshops and to register for the conference, visit castlehill.org.

Image credit: Lisa Pressman. Lisa will be co-teaching a post-conference workshop Conversations In Color: How The Characteristics Of Pigments Affect Color Relationships with R&F founder Richard Frumess.

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R&F Abroad: 2024 International Workshops

Looking to combine travel and education this year? A workshop abroad offers the opportunity to soak up new sights, enjoy different food, and meet fellow artists. There is something special about removing oneself from the familiar and carving time away from work and responsibilities in order to focus exclusively on learning.

Our team of R&F Core and Artist Instructors has you covered with workshops everywhere from Mexico to Ireland. Who are R&F's Core and Artist Instructors, you ask? These are teachers across the country and internationally we work with to provide the highest quality of information about our encaustic and Pigment Stick product lines.

Looking to combine travel and education this year? A workshop abroad offers the opportunity to soak up new sights, enjoy different food, and meet fellow artists. There is something special about removing oneself from the familiar and carving time away from work and responsibilities in order to focus exclusively on learning.

Our team of R&F Core and Artist Instructors has you covered with workshops everywhere from Mexico to Ireland. Who are R&F's Core and Artist Instructors, you ask? These are teachers across the country and internationally we work with to provide the highest quality of information about our encaustic and Pigment Stick product lines.

Check out the line up below and plan your next artist vacation.


Several workshops in San Miguel de Allende and Guanajuato, Mexico will take place this year with instructors Jeff Hirst, Lisa Pressman, and Jodi Reeb.

2/14 - 2/18: Encaustic: Abstract Expression with Bettina Egli Sennhauser, Art Academy Fabrik am See, Gaienhofen, Germany

3/8 - 3/10: Cold Wax: Less Is More with Bettina Egli Sennhauser, Kunstfreiraum, Basel, Switzerland

3/19 - 22: 100 Works In Four Days with Lisa Pressman, Estudio Piramidal, Guanajuato, Mexico

Images from Lisa Pressman’s 100 Works in Four Days class.

4/4 - 8: Express Your Visual Voice Through Printmaking with Jeff Hirst, Estudio Piramidal, Guanajuato, Mexico

4/8 - 4/10: Cold Wax: Less Is More with Bettina Egli Sennhauser, Art Academy Kunstfabrik, Vienna, Austria

4/5 - 7: Explore + Experiment with Megan MacDonald, van der Linde Studio, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Ballinglen Arts Foundation in Ballycastle, County Mayo, Ireland. Both Jeff Hirst and Joanna Kidney will be teaching at Ballinglen this year.

4/5 - 13: Encaustic + Abstraction with Joanna Kidney, Ballinglen Arts Foundation, County Mayo, Ireland

4/11 - 4/15: Encaustic: Abstract Expression with Bettina Egli Sennhauser, Art Academy Kunstfabrik, Vienna, Austria

Villa Koukouvayia Farms, Crete, Greece where retreats will be offered by Kelly Milukas, Bettina Egli Sennhauser, and Dietlind Vander Schaaf.

4/22 - 5/2: Contemporary Encaustic: An Artist Retreat with Dietlind Vander Schaaf and Kelly Milukas, Villa Koukouvayia Farms, Crete, Greece

Brushes in Megan MacDonald’s studio, Kelowna, British Columbia.

5/3 - 5: Depth + Dimension with Megan MacDonald, Megan MacDonald Studio, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada

7/19 - 21: Explore + Experiment with Megan MacDonald, The McTavish Academy of Art, North Saanich, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

7/22 - 28: Exploring New Boundaries In Encaustic With Photo Collage with Jodi Reeb and Bettina Egli Sennhauser, Kunstfreiraum, Basel, Switzerland

9/13 - 15: Sumptuous Surfaces: Pushing The Boundaries with Megan MacDonald, The McTavish Academy of Art, North Saanich, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

9/23 - 29: Bold Territory: Experimental Drawing with Jeff Hirst, Ballinglen Arts Foundation, Ballycastle, County Mayo, Ireland

Kunstfreiraum Studio in Basel, Switzerland.

10/3 - 11: Expanded Approaches Towards Printmaking with Jeff Hirst, Ballinglen Arts Foundation, Ballycastle, County Mayo, Ireland

10/13 - 23: Encaustic Beyond Borders with Kelly Milukas and Bettina Egli Sennhauser, Villa Koukouvayia Farms, Crete, Greece

10/18 - 20: Go Big Or Go Home with Megan MacDonald, Megan MacDonald Studio, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada

10/13 - 19: Italian Encaustic Retreat with Shelley Jean, Buonconvento, Tuscany Italy

11/8 - 15: Encaustic Techniques in Color + Alternative Surfaces with Jodi Reeb and Gabriela Sanchez, Casa Del Noche Resort, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

Dining in Tuscany, Italy at Shelley Jean’s encaustic retreat.

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Brown Pink: Creating Your Own Artist Residency

A residency offers artists at all stages of their development the space to focus exclusively on producing work. It can be a powerful experience to carve time away from one’s life and dedicate it to making. Emerging and mid career artists are often the ones who could benefit from this type of experience the most, but competition for existing residencies can be tough. At Brown Pink, artists can design their own residency taking advantage of the fully stocked studio; curated art collection; and spacious, thoughtfully arranged living quarters to book a week-long stay.

A residency offers artists at all stages of their development the space to focus exclusively on producing work. It can be a powerful experience to carve time away from one’s life and dedicate it to making. Emerging and mid career artists are often the ones who could benefit from this type of experience the most, but competition for existing residencies can be tough. At Brown Pink, artists can design their own residency taking advantage of the fully stocked studio; curated art collection; and spacious, thoughtfully arranged living quarters to book a week-long stay.

Last year artist Lynne Miller created her own residency at R&F’s Brown Pink Studio. We reached out to Lynne to learn about her experience and find out if she’d recommend it to others.


What prompted you to create your own artist residency?

I created my own residency at R&F in November of 2022. I was feeling the weight of sheltered galleries/venues, children doing school from home, fear, and the rest of the challenges our world was facing. I could feel it impacting my work. I paint pretty much every day in my home studio and sell my work in galleries. I knew I wanted to create an artist residency for myself to keep my momentum going forward and bring a spark back into my paintings.

I applied for a creative renewal grant from my local Arts and Science Council to further explore the art of encaustic painting. I planned to surround myself with the trees, mountains, and flora that influence my work. I wanted to learn and push my artwork to the next level; to take a class, to sequester, and to throw myself into my work without the necessary distractions that life requires.

Once I received my grant, I began looking for the perfect place to do my residency. I wasn’t sure where I would go. When I saw that Brown Pink offered a beautifully stocked encaustic studio walking distance to R&F, I could not wait to sign up for a stay. It was the perfect space for what I hoped to accomplish.

How long did you stay at Brown Pink?

I stayed for two full weeks. I rented Brown Pink from November 8th - November 21st and signed up for Kate Collyer’s Malleable Encaustic Printing class for two days during my stay.

While I was there, I poured myself into my practice. I got up early, sketched, hiked, and painted until late in the evening. I tried to spend a minimum of twelve hours a day on my work. I wanted to make the very most of this gift of time. I was taking a break from a lot of family responsibilities, so it was important to me that it be productive. I am fortunate I have a husband who is incredibly supportive, so I was able to leave him, as well as our children and our dogs, behind in North Carolina for a few weeks to focus on myself.

Did you go with a specific project in mind? If so, did that project or goal shift during your time there?

I did not have a specific project, but rather a personal goal. I wanted to create a new body of work; to find inspiration and to return home with a renewed sense of excitement. I wanted to push myself and not gravitate to the same colors that I regularly use. I planned to draw inspiration from my hikes and the books I was reading at the time and start with a blank slate. 

I arrived with a car full of panels and twenty lbs of my own R&F encaustic medium. The nice thing about Brown Pink is that you don’t need to bring much. The studio is fully stocked. While I was there, I fell in love with Blue Ochre, Stil de Grain, Brown Pink, Manganese Violet, Cerulean Grey, Turkey Umber Green, and Malachite. None of these were carried at my local art supply back home.

I pulled inspiration from birch bark, images I had gathered on my hikes, and the quiet around me. I played with the oil sticks, but those would require another stay. I did not want to give up time working with encaustic on that visit.

At the end of my stay, I left with a car full of new paintings and a sense of the work I wanted to create. (And a bunch of new colors I couldn’t leave without buying.)

What was different about working at Brown Pink than being in your own studio at home?

I think the difference is the deep dive without distractions. I am fortunate to have my own studio, but it was stimulating to be in a new city, in a new studio space, with new colors, and meeting new people. It puts you in the mindset of exploration. 

When I look back at my work before my time at R&F and after, there is a shift. It may not be noticeable to others, but it is to me.

What stands out to you the most about your time at Brown Pink?

My first day in Kingston, while I was waiting to check in, I drove up to North South Lake. I wanted to get out in nature and start my stay off right.

It was so quiet. We were just coming out of a year when everything was about togetherness because everything else was closed. I realized how much I needed that time. I had gotten so used to the rush of life that being alone had become foreign without me even realizing it. That was the perfect moment of reflection I needed to begin my two-week hiatus with.

Did you take advantage of the larger arts community in the Hudson River Valley?

Not as much as I could have or would do on a return trip. I visited a few galleries and used bookstores. I enjoyed a bit of time exploring Kingston; the Dutch Church; North South Lake; Poets’ Walk; Woodstock; Opa for some avgolemono (a Greek lemon chicken soup) on one snowy day. I did a quick browse of Zaborski Emporium to see Stan the Junkman’s collections (that is something to see if you haven’t been), but mostly I wanted to take advantage of every available moment in the studio.

I am glad I took a class with Kate Collyer. It offered a little break from the solitude. She is an incredible teacher and it was nice to be around other artists. Her class opened my eyes to the many uses of encaustic and oil sticks. I haven’t bought a toner copier yet… but it is on my list of must haves. Kate joined me on a hike at Elenore Roosevelt National Park on my last day in Kingston. It was the perfect way to cap off my time at Brown Pink.

What was important to you about the solitude you experienced at Brown Pink?

Life is busy. Work is busy. We all experience that. I love my family and busy life, but it is hard to drop that at the studio door sometimes. It was so nice to push past the rush and just create in quiet for a few days. To walk into a wonderland of color, steps away without the restraint of purchasing each cake of paint to play with was so freeing. There was no need to go anywhere if you didn’t want to. 

Is this an experience you'd recommend to others? Do it again? 

In a heartbeat. I think the gift of time is the most important thing anyone can give themselves or to others. It restores you. It reminds you to breathe and create from a different place. Brown Pink is the perfect place to do that. I accomplished months worth of paintings in two weeks and returned home full of inspiration.

My little home away from home at Brown Pink was just what I needed. It was the best gift I could have given myself. I was able to return to Kingston again this winter to take the Advanced Teacher Training course and I look forward to my next visit.

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R&F's 2024 Artists-In-Residence: Julie Easton, Eric Hesse, and Aineki Traverso

Competition for our three artist residencies at Brown Pink this year was tough. With over 60 submissions, the panel of anonymous jurors had their work cut out for them. Thank you to all the artists who applied.

We’d like to introduce you to our 2024 Artists-In-Residence: Julie Easton, Eric Hesse, and Aineki Traverso. We are honored to welcome these talented artists to Brown Pink for a two week residency and look forward to seeing what they make.

Competition for our three artist residencies at Brown Pink this year was tough. With over 60 submissions, the panel of anonymous jurors had their work cut out for them. Thank you to all the artists who applied.

We’d like to introduce you to our 2024 Artists-In-Residence: Julie Easton, Eric Hesse, and Aineki Traverso. We are honored to welcome these talented artists to Brown Pink for a two week residency and look forward to seeing what they make.


JULIE EASTON

Born in Los Angeles, Julie Easton earned her B.A. Fine Arts at California State University, Long Beach and her M.A. Linguistics at California State University, Northridge.

Cigarette butts, cash register receipts, dry cleaning tags, mini video screens, and plastic are just some of the materials she uses to create work that radiates beauty and elegance.

Her sculpture, works on paper, and installations exemplify her view of the world in which the mundane often becomes extraordinary. As she notes, I Ching says: "The most perfect grace consists not in external ornamentation, but in allowing the original material to stand forth, beautified by being given form."

Trained as a formalist, Julie’s work is substantially about texture and structure; however it is the concept, whether conceived or intuited, that informs and directs her use of materials. In viewing her work, the audience is propelled to question current environmental and social practices. julieeaston.com

Julie Easton, White Frosting, 41” x 32”, cash register receipts and encaustic, 2022


Eric Hesse

Eric Hesse was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As a student, he was introduced to encaustic and became fascinated with the malleable and durable nature of wax and pigment until it became his primary painting medium.  

After attending Temple University in Philadelphia, Eric transferred to St. Olaf

College in Northfield, Minnesota where he received a B.A. with Departmental Distinction. He has received awards from the National Foundation for the Advancement in the Arts, the Ballinglen Arts Foundation, and the Pollock-Krasner Foundation.

Eric has exhibited in galleries throughout the United States, including the Corcoran Museum in Washington DC, and is currently represented by the George Billis Gallery in Los Angeles, CA. In 2018 and 2023, Hesse received artist residence permits from the French government. He lives with his wife and son in a village in the department of Tarn. erichesse.com

Eric Hesse, HighLit, 30” x 40”, encaustic on panel, 2021.


Aineki Traverso

Aineki Traverso is a painter living and working in Atlanta, GA. Aineki graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in 2013 with a concentration in cinema studies.

Aineki’s work uses the rhetoric of painting to echo the way memories, fantasies, and identities are transformed, constructed, and intertwined. Aineki has exhibited at spaces such as Whitespace Gallery (Atlanta, GA), Tiger Strikes Asteroid (Greenville, SC), and Swivel Gallery (Brooklyn, NY).

Aineki has attended residencies at the Vermont Studio Center, the Hambidge Center for Creative Arts, and Volatile House. She was recently named the recipient of the Edge Award from the Forward Arts Foundation and will be exhibiting at Swan Coach House Gallery in 2024. Aineki is the recipient of a residency at Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, where she was awarded a 50th Anniversary Fellowship. aineki.com

Aineki Traverso, The Last Dream, 24” x 36”, oil on panel, 2023

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Workshops with R&F Instructors

Looking for an opportunity to study? There are loads of workshops coming up taught by knowledgable R&F-affiliated instructors. Check out the line up below and see if something works for you!

R&F Artist Instructor Bettina Egli Sennhauser

Looking for an opportunity to study? There are loads of workshops coming up taught by knowledgable R&F-affiliated instructors. Check out the line up below and see if something works for you!

You can also use the link below to visit our Resources page and download our Teaching Artist List. This is a list we maintain of artists who teach with our materials across the country and internationally. Use it to find a workshop instructor in your area.

January
1/9: Basically: The Very Basics Encaustics Demonstration with Lorraine Glessner, live virtual demonstration

1/10 - 2/7: Contemplative Practices in Art with Lisa Pressman and Susan Stover, virtual online workshop 

1/12: Introduction to Encaustic with Jodi Reeb, Minneapolis, MN

R&F Core Instructor Julie Snidle

1/12 - 1/14: Encaustic: Color + Composition with Dietlind Vander Schaaf and Kelly Milukas, Kelly Milukas' Studio, Tiverton, RI

1/13: Abstract Encaustic Painting with Denise Richards, Flowing Lake Studios, Snohomish, WA

1/15 - 2/12: Refine Transformations: A Master Encaustic Workshop with Jeff Hirst, virtual online workshop

1/16 - 4/2: Mark-Making as Practice with Lorraine Glessner, live Zoom workshop

1/16 - 3/26: Focus: Studio and Professional Practices with Lisa Pressman and Susan Stover, virtual online workshop

R&F Artist Instructor Denise Richards

1/18 - 1/20: Discovering Oil and Cold Wax with Julie Snidle, Paint Space NOLA, New Orleans, LA

1/19: Think Tank: Encaustic Workshop with Jeff Hirst, Chicago, IL

R&F Core Instructor Leslie Giuliani

1/20 - 1/21: 2 Day Introduction to Encaustic with Megan MacDonald, Crows Nest Studio, Kelowna, British Columbia

1/22 - 1/24: Cold Wax: Less Is More with Bettina Egli Sennhauser, Kunstschule Musebrink, Essen, Germany

1/31: Drawing with Horse Hair in Encaustic with Lorraine Glessner, virtual self-guided workshop

February
2/3 - 2/4: Abstract Encaustic Painting with Denise Richards, Picket Fence Art Studio, Woodinville, WA 

R&F Artist Instructor Lorraine Glessner

2/3 - 2/4: Sexy Valentine's Photo-Encaustic and Mixed Media with Kelly Williams, Kelly Williams' Studio, Portland, OR

2/9 - 2/11: Monotype Printing: Painterly Prints with Jeff Hirst, McColl Center, Charlotte, NC

2/10: Heart of My Heart Encaustic Workshop with Megan MacDonald, Crows Nest Studio, Kelowna, British Columbia

2/14 - 2/18: Encaustic: Abstract Expression with Bettina Egli Sennhauser, Art Academy Fabrik am See, Gaienhofen, Germany

2/16 - 2/18: Silkscreen onto Encaustic with Jeff Hirst, Jeff Hirst Studio, Chicago, IL

2/22 - 2/24: Encaustic on Paper with Julie Snidle, Forstall Art Center, Birmingham, AL

R&F Artist Instructor Kelly Milukas

R&F Artist Instructor Kelly Williams

March
3/2 - 3/3: Island Art Association 2 Day Workshop with Shelley Jean, Fernandina Beach, FL

3/2 - 3/3: Encaustic Essentials with Kelly Williams, Kelly Williams' Studio, Portland, OR

3/4 - 3/8: The Moody Blues: Instant Indigo & Encaustic with Lorraine Glessner, Aya Fiber Studio, Stuart, FL

3/8 - 3/10: Cold Wax: Less Is More with Bettina Egli Sennhauser, Kunstfreiraum, Oberwil, Switzerland

3/15: Introduction to Encaustic with Jodi Reeb, Minneapolis, MN

R&F Artist Instructor Megan MacDonald

R&F Core Instructor Jeff Hirst

3/15 - 3/17: The Shape of Painting with Susan Stover, Susan Stover Studio, Kingston, NY

3/19 - 3/22: One Hundred Works in Four Days with Lisa Pressman, Guanajuato, Mexico

3/20 - 3/22: Encaustic Printmaking Without A Press with Leslie Giuliani, Center for Contemporary Printmaking, Norwalk, CT

3/21 - 4/25: Encaustic & Mixed Media: A Little Bit Of Everything with Kelly Austin Rolo, Art Students League of Denver, Denver, CO

3/30 - 3/31: Encaustic with Photo Collage with Jodi Reeb, Tubac School of Fine Art, Tubac, AZ

R&F Artist Instructor Joanna Kidney

R&F Artist Instructor Kelly Austin Rolo

April
4/4 - 4/8: Express Your Visual Voice Through Printmaking with Jeff Hirst, Estudio Piramidal, Guanajuato, Mexico

4/5 - 4/7: Explore + Experiment with Megan MacDonald, Crows Nest Studio, Kelowna, British Columbia

4/5 - 4/13: Encaustic & Abstraction with Joanna Kidney, Ballinglen Arts Foundation, Ballycastle, Ireland

4/8 - 4/10: Cold Wax: Less Is More with Bettina Egli Sennhauser, Art Academy Kunstfabrik, Vienna, Austria

4/10: Mixed Media Mark-Making Mastery with Lorraine Glessner, virtual self-guided course

R&F Core Instructor Lisa Pressman and R&F Artist Instructor Susan Stover

R&F Artist Instructor Shelley Jean

4/11 - 4/15: Encaustic: Abstract Expression with Bettina Egli Sennhauser, Art Academy Kunstfabrik, Vienna, Austria

4/12: Encaustic with Photo Collage with Jodi Reeb, Minneapolis, MN

4/12 - 4/16: Finding Your Voice: Oil and Cold Wax with Lisa Pressman, Sedona Arts Center

4/18 - 4/20: Alternative Materials Printmaking: Carborundum Viscosity Printing, Chine Colle & Found Materials with Jeff Hirst, Asheville Studio, Asheville, NC

4/19 - 4/21: Embodiment: Psychological Self-Portrait with Kelly Williams, Kelly Williams' Studio, Portland, OR

4/22 - 5/2: Contemporary Encaustic in Greece: An Artist Retreat with Dietlind Vander Schaaf and Kelly Milukas, Crete, Greece

R&F Core Instructors Dietlind Vander Schaaf and Jodi Reeb

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C2C Art Projects: Community + Conversation

C2C Art Projects was formed several years ago by friends and colleagues Lisa Pressman and Susan Stover, both R&F affiliated instructors. We interviewed them to learn more about their partnership and what is on the horizon for 2024 in terms of workshops.

C2C Art Projects was formed several years ago by friends and colleagues Lisa Pressman and Susan Stover, both R&F affiliated instructors. We interviewed them to learn more about their partnership and what is on the horizon for 2024 in terms of workshops.

Why did the two of you start C2C?

We were teaching online and wanted to collaborate on offering classes, as well as an affordable option for a resource-based inspiration library of sorts. Instead of the usual “community membership” where there are demos and more teaching, we wanted to elevate the conversation around art and create an awareness of what other artists are doing. We feel the sharing of information and inspiration is crucial to the growth of artists at any level.

Artwork by Susan Stover

What do you each bring to C2C in terms of a speciality?

We are both well versed in a variety of mediums and approaches to art making. We bring historical, cultural, and contemporary perspectives into the mix.

Sue’s background in textiles, painting, and sculpture broadens the conversation around “craft” and “art,” as well as exploring the possibilities of mixing different media. Lisa’s experience in ceramics, sculpture, and painting contributes to discussions around color and materiality. Through our combined experiences, we look to see connections in artists’ work and provide them the means to find their unique voices.

C2C co-founder Susan Stover.

Tell us about the courses you offer.

We offer a variety of courses in different mediums. We focus on the concepts and what’s behind the making, while giving critical feedback on the work. One example is our ongoing “Focus: Studio and Professional Practices” course that is critique-based and highlights a different topic each quarter.

Artwork by Lisa Pressman.

In January, we’re offering “Contemplative Practices in Art.” It’s a dive into meditative approaches and processes to creating. We will both be teaching at Essence of Mulranny in May. Lisa will be teaching “Narrative Abstraction: Confluence of Imagery and Materials” with R&F Pigment Sticks and cold wax and Sue will be teaching “Exploring Narrative through Symbols, Shapes, and Motifs” in encaustic.

We have Associate Instructors as well. In February 2024, Bonny Leibowitz will be teaching a mixed media course “Collage and Composition.”

C2C Art Projects is a two-fold operation. One side is online or in person teaching. The other side is the C2C Art Collective, which is an inspiration hub that includes videos, books, podcasts, artist talks, events, and community forums. We feature our artists on social media, newsletters, and our website.  

What have you learned about teaching online the past few years? 

We have been able to offer class once a week or every two weeks, which affords students more time to develop a project while receiving feedback. Being in your own studio and not having to travel is also appealing to many students. Having that longer continuum with students builds relationships and community. Several students who have repeatedly taken courses over the last few years have not only built a history with us, but with each other.

C2C co-founder Lisa Pressman.

You offer mentoring as well as instruction. What does a typical mentoring session include?

Mentoring is a valuable tool that can greatly benefit students in their artistic development. One of the primary advantages of having a mentor is the guidance and support they provide. A mentor can offer advice on technique, conceptual development, or preparing for a show. Mentoring offers a student the opportunity to receive individual feedback over a period of time. It’s a chance to ask specific questions and seek guidance.

We mentor together as well as individually and offer extended programs and single feedback sessions.

How do students benefit from having two instructors vs. one?

Having two instructors in a classroom setting can greatly benefit students in numerous ways. With two instructors, students are exposed to different teaching styles and perspectives. Each of us brings our own unique approach to teaching, which allows students to learn in a more varied and comprehensive manner. We love to collaborate on curriculum, resources, and concepts, offering students more than just technique.

Artwork by Susan Stover.

You can find all our upcoming courses at c2c-art.com/courses.

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Artist Spotlight: Joanna Kidney

R&F Artist Instructor Joanna Kidney was born in Dublin and is based in County Wicklow, Ireland. Her practice considers the immensity and the mystery of being human. It is a web of interrelated ideas around consciousness, perception, temporality and holism. Through drawing, painting and installation, her work offers open, poetic prompts and a contemplative space.

Artist Joanna Kidney in her studio.

R&F Artist Instructor Joanna Kidney was born in Dublin and is based in County Wicklow, Ireland. Her practice considers the immensity and the mystery of being human. It is a web of interrelated ideas around consciousness, perception, temporality and holism. Through drawing, painting and installation, her work offers open, poetic prompts and a contemplative space.

In addition to exhibitions in New York, Germany, New Mexico, and Virginia, Joanna has had a number of solo exhibitions throughout Ireland. She is the recipient of a Cooper Foundation Grant; funding from the Arts Council of Ireland and Wicklow County Council; and an RHA Studio Award, among others. International residencies include time in Kiðjaberg, Iceland and Brigham Young University, Utah.

Joanna’s work is in many collections including Allied Irish Banks; The Ballinglen Museum of Art; The Central Bank of Ireland; Department of the Environment, Northern Ireland; Fleschmann Hilliard PR; Lee Hotels; and O’Connor Sutton Cronin Engineering, as well as private collections in Ireland, USA, UK, Spain, France, Switzerland.


Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I grew up and studied in Dublin. After college, I took off with my backpack seeking broader horizons, travelling and working in Australia, South East Asia, and India for 18 months. Whilst this was a truly formative time, I chose to return to this island called home to begin my life as an artist and have been based here since. Now, twenty five years on, I live on the East Coast with my family an hour south of Dublin, by the sea and mountains, and work from a studio in our back garden.

Buíochas 5, 2023, encaustic on panel, 15x15cm.

How did you get your start as an artist?

My uncle was an artist and filmmaker. I idolised him. He died when I was 10. I poured over his notebooks, which contained colourful abstract drawings, growing up. I studied Visual Communications (graphic design, illustration, photography, print) in college, finishing up knowing I wanted to be an artist and not a designer. For the following decade, my bread and butter was part time illustration alongside making my own work. Then, as I had anticipated, I arrived at a point where I needed to commit fully to my own work and stop doing the commercial work. I began teaching around that time.

Being part of a number of different artists studios over the years has been very important. From the start, I exhibited regularly in solo and group shows in Ireland and abroad in France, Germany, the UK, and the United States. A couple of significant exhibition opportunities came about through residencies.

Buíochas 2, 2023, encaustic on panel, 15x15cm.

What are you currently working on in the studio?

The work is in a glorious grapple at the moment! I’m working through a series of encaustic paintings that seek openness, painterliness and an energetic charge. The immediacy and purity of a series of tangential watercolour drawings is helpful as I grapple with the paintings. I’m also working on an ongoing funded research project about the mark, the line, and the work’s concerns.

How has your work evolved over the years?

My work has always been non-representational, derived from a language of marks, lines, and shapes. It arises from a belief that we are part of something much bigger than ourselves; it is a reflection on impermanance and the interconnectedness of living matter. Drawing formally and/or conceptually is central. Materiality has also always been important - the possibilities of a medium or a material, how they interact, the act of making, working with the hands and the sense of touch.

Around 2010, I became fascinated by the possibilities of drawing and began to work 3 dimensionally for the first time. The work went through a transformation - expanding in thinking, scale, surfaces, materials, and processes. Since then, my work has moved between 2 and 3 dimensional worlds, exploring drawings’ boundaries with painting, sculpture, installation, and movement.

Metamurmuration, 2015-2018, felt and monofilament, dimensions variable.

Tell us a little bit about your 2024 workshop at Ballinglen. What is the workshop focused on? What can students expect to leave with?

I love giving this this course annually at Ballinglen. The 9 days allows deep exploration, immersion in nature, the senses, and group sharing. There will be a focus on building paintings with optical depth and luminosity through layering, translucency, opacity, and subtraction. The days are full with experimental exercises and prompts lead to a more playful and intuitive use of techniques and tools for adding/subtracting/manipulating layers.

Colour exploration, composition, and resolving a painting will be emphasized. Students can expect to leave support, field trips, demos and presentations, plentiful painting time, and with a deepened relationship with paint, as well as an expansion of your visual vocabulary and your approach to abstraction. Also, invigorated by new friends and the light and stories of this special place.

For anyone interested but not able to attend this in person workshop in Ireland, I’m looking forward to starting another 5 week intensive online course with C2C Art on 6th November. Titled “Encaustic and Abstraction,” this course will be jam packed, covering similar content in the ease of your own studio.

The miniscule and the immense, 2022, encaustic on panel, 100x100cm.

What is your typical studio day like?

I tend to keep quite regular daytime hours (years of being an artist mother), blocking off a chunk of the day for concentrated painting/making without distraction, phone on silent, and music on. I bookend the admin/other project work at start or end of this. Swimming in the sea with sunrise is my ultimate best start to a day!

What keeps you motivated in the studio?

Being unmotivated is rarely an issue actually. The work is always calling (and always the juggling act of balancing creating/survival/being a parent). Keeping curious and looking outward is important sustenance. For me this includes reading, listening, writing, conversations with artist friends. Swimming and spending time with the natural world resource me.

Recent paintings, studio wall, 2023.

What’s next on your horizon?

Two long running projects culminated recently enough, so right now I’m enjoying an incubation period making new paintings and drawings. Soon I will return to a 3D linear sculptural project using armatures and encaustic paint that I received funding to develop.

Over the next month, I’m presenting and teaching at the Celtic Convergence retreat (delighted to have this happening at Mulranny Arts in Ireland) and starting the C2C online course, so I’m preparing for them also.

Digging Deeper workshop at the Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin, 2023.

Anything else you’d like our readers to know?

If you’d like to join my mailing list to keep updated on my classes, feel free to send me your email. You can reach me at joanna@joannakidney.com.


To see more of Joanna’s work, visit her website joannakidney.com. You can follow her in Instagram @joanna_kidney. Classes and workshops are listed here.

UPCOMING WORKSHOPS:

November 6 - December 4, 2023: 5 Week Online Course: Encaustic and Abstraction with C2C Art

Class meets November 6, 13, 20, 27, and December 4

c2c-art.com/p/encaustic-and-abstraction

April 5 - 13, 2024: Encaustic and Abstraction: 9 Day Retreat Course

Ballinglen Arts Foundation, Co. Mayo

ballinglenartsfoundation.org

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Artist Spotlight: Henry Curchod

We chatted recently with 2023 artist-in-residence Henry Curchod about his time at Brown Pink in August. He was honest about both the challenges and benefits of solitude, and of doing an artist residency. We found the conversation interesting and hope you do too.

Artist Henry Curchod. Image credit: Scott Stirling

We chatted recently with 2023 artist-in-residence Henry Curchod about his time at Brown Pink in August. He was honest about both the challenges and benefits of solitude, and of doing an artist residency. We found the conversation interesting and hope you do too.


Born in 1992 in Palo Alto, CA, Henry earned his BFA from the University of New South Wales. An early encounter with Persian miniature painting prompted an interest in figurative art that persists today.

Influenced by his Western upbringing and Iranian heritage, Henry’s paintings are alive with turmoil and energy. Drawing is key to Henry’s work. He begins by sketching lightly with oil stick, followed by turpentine-dipped brushes that are pushed into the gestural marks, with final charcoal lines bringing greater clarity to the figures.

Henry has had solo exhibitions in Australia, New Zealand, England, the United States, and the Philipines. Later this year he will have his first solo show in Paris. He was a finalist for both The Ramsay Prize and The Sulman Prize in Australia. In addition to being selected for a residency at Brown Pink, he has done the PPP/Oostmeijer residency in The Netherlands.

Trouble on the event horizon installation view. Image credit: Mamoth.

Please tell us a little bit about your experience as an artist in residence at Brown Pink. What were you planning to work on and how did that change when you got there?

Initially I’d planned to make a sort of scroll, just one roll of linen where the work over the residency kind of meandered chronologically, but from right to left. This is something I’d been wanting to do for a while.

Studio portrait. Image credit: Vladimir Kravchenko.

But I had a serious bicycle crash in France a few weeks prior, which left me temporarily disabled with no movement in my left hand due to a wrist fracture, so my plans for the residency kind of disintegrated. I decided to take it one day at a time. I brought ten rectangular canvases to allow maximum mobility across the surface in spite of my condition.

Ultimately, I found the solitude very helpful in reinvigorating my practice after my accident. The live/work arrangement forced me to work from dusk until dawn each day, allowing myself the pleasure of severely overworking things. 


Were you able to experiment with new materials? Or were you already familiar with R&F Pigment Sticks?

I was broadly familiar with Pigment Sticks, but the freedom of the residency meant I could indulge in them in ways I had not before. I applied them much heavier, finding new dimensions in the surface and playing with the range of effects that could be achieved with the high-quality pigments.

I typically work with a mixture of oil stick products from other companies, as well as R&F, but restricting my materials in this way meant that the works achieved a vibrance that was at times spectacular and other times overwhelming. When necessary I managed to pull back and find a way to subdue them, mostly through light application and leaving the linen more bare than I usually do. 

It has been my doorway to perception and the house that I live in, 2023. Image credit: Mamoth. (This piece was created during Henry’s residency at Brown Pink.)

Do you see yourself continuing to use these for future projects? Any breakthroughs in terms of your own work? 

I have always used Pigment Sticks and I do not see that changing in the near future. I must say that since the residency I have been using them more. I did discover that using the Blending Medium with Drier was extremely helpful in reducing drying time and I have adopted that technique in my practice. 

Unnatural disasters, 2023. Image credit: Mamoth.

Can you share a highlight of your residency? What makes doing a residency like the one at Brown Pink a worthwhile experience for an artist?

It wasn’t a holiday. I think it’s important to acknowledge that I personally find residencies to be complex and disruptive experiences — in both good and bad ways. There is a sense of anticipation and expectation. You arrive to a new studio and a new home with new smells, appliances, sheets, tools, and materials.

I am always reminded of how important a sense of routine and familiarity can be to art making. Then you are alone and quickly manufacture comfort and deep dive into your practice. Residencies isolate the artistic process so that there is nowhere to hide. The pressure of making the most of my experience left me to question almost every aspect of my practice. This is a good thing, but it can also be frustrating and painful.

I enjoyed exploring the Kingston area and found the sense of community very encouraging. Ultimately it was an extremely valuable exercise. 

Animals, 2022. Image credit: Mamoth.

Did you bring reading materials to support your residency or take advantage of the many galleries and museums in the Hudson River Valley?

I’m embarrassed to say I didn’t do a whole lot of reading because I was working so much that when I wasn’t working, I was cooking, eating, and sleeping. I had just finished Against The Written Word by Ian Svenonious, which is an anthology of satirical essays. I recommend it. Other than that I only visited Dia Beacon, which is hardly inspiring as a painter, but was an enjoyable excursion nonetheless. 

Why is solitude necessary for artists? 

I am not sure I enjoy intense solitude that much, but I can appreciate its benefits. I enjoy community and laughter and the lightness of frequent social interaction. For me, solitude is like eating healthy and exercising — I force myself into it because I know how beneficial it can be. It is important to take time to reflect and experience perspectival change.

Doctor hard love, 2023. Image credit: Mamoth. (This piece was created during Henry’s residency at Brown Pink.)

Anything else you'd like to share?

In a way I wish I hadn’t worked so much… and maybe I was using work to distract myself from being truly alone. It was a fantastic experience and could not recommend it enough, especially for anybody who already loves to use the materials.

To see additional images of Henry Curchod’s work, visit henrycurchod.com.


R&F is currently accepting applications for our 2024 Artist-In-Residencies. To learn more and apply, visit brownpinkstudio.com/apply.

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Artist Spotlight: Kelly Milukas

Kelly Milukas began as a sculptor and expanded to work in a range of media including watercolor, photography, cast resin, pastel, and encaustic. Many of her projects include a focus on the intersection of creativity and science, such as her nationally exhibited “Keys to the Cures” series. Despite her abiding and deeply-rooted love of science, Kelly’s work is rarely dry. Her story telling and interpretations of abstracted realities are imbued with whimsy and play. Kelly wants her paintings to be experiential, to lead to curiosity, and to invite the viewer look more deeply.  

Kelly in her Tiverton studio preparing for her residency.

Kelly Milukas began as a sculptor and expanded to work in a range of media including watercolor, photography, cast resin, pastel, and encaustic. Many of her projects include a focus on the intersection of creativity and science, such as her nationally exhibited “Keys to the Cures” series. Despite her abiding and deeply-rooted love of science, Kelly’s work is rarely dry. Her story telling and interpretations of abstracted realities are imbued with whimsy and play. Kelly wants her paintings to be experiential, to lead to curiosity, and to invite the viewer look more deeply.  

An Artist Instructor for R&F Handmade Paints, former president of the Providence Art Club, and President Emerita of the South Coast Artists Open Studio Tour, Kelly is also a Juried Artist Member of the Salmagundi Art Club, a Masters Circle Pastel Artist of International Association Pastel Societies, and a Signature Member of both the Rhode Island Watercolor Society and the Connecticut Pastel Society. Her artwork can be found in museums, private and corporate collections, such as The Boston Group, Intarcia Therapeutics, and Simpson Healthcare. She has been featured in a number of publications including New England Home, Artscope, Newport Life Magazine, and The Pastel Journal.

Polishing a 32” x 48” encaustic painting before a 2022 solo exhibition at Taste in Newport, RI.

Can you tell us a little about yourself? How did you get your start as an artist?

From as early as I can remember, I made things. At age 9, I taught myself calligraphy, which I’ve stuck with to this day. I loved construction projects with my papa, climbing up on the roof banging nails in my teens, and took multiple semesters of shop class.

I played many instruments growing up, including guitar, flute, oboe, and was in theater and chorus. I learned how to fly planes too. Floating over the aerial views of nature blew me away. Art in all forms has always appealed to me.

I went off to college with a full ride basketball scholarship, a declared major in marine biology and a minor in psychology. I soon discovered that I wasn’t being me, and I transferred from Oklahoma to the University of Southern Maine to major in sculpture.

What are you currently working on in the studio?

I completed a series of fifty small (6” x 8”) paintings for a residency recently. They were all created with the idea of scaling them up to 30” x 40” with encaustic. I frequently use water-based media to make underpaintings and then work on top of that with encaustic.

How has your work evolved over the years?

When I discovered encaustic 12 years ago, it was an epic art material moment. I found I could expand the layered anatomy of my paintings through carving, excavation, inscribing, and embedding, which enabled me to transcend the 2D surface of a painting.

Encaustic really helped me to return to a stronger sculptural voice. I continue to evolve in terms of thinking dimensionally with my work, including with other mediums.

Kelly’s studio in Tiverton. The hot boxes seen in this photo have all been replaced with 16” R&F palettes.

You will be teaching two Color & Composition workshops in your Tiverton, Rhode Island studio in 2024. Tell us a little bit about these workshops.

I will be offering two Color & Composition workshops in collaboration with Dietlind Vander Schaaf. Co-teaching is something that offers students a number of different benefits. They get the experience of being exposed to different perspectives on the elements of painting from two professional painters. It also offers an incredible experience for us as co-instructors in that we learn and respond to each other in real time. I am an experiential learner - I want to create dynamic experiences for students that help to enrich and inform them and that are also fun.

My space in Tiverton was designed to be an encaustic teaching studio. It is 1,200 square feet and supplied with plenty of electricity to support 12 encaustic work stations. I have lots of different media that is compatible for working with encaustic, as well as an incredible library of art books and a kitchenette. It also has a loft for hosting visiting artists.

Our first workshop is a 3 day in January for students who can’t attend the 5 day immersive retreat-style version in July. Both of these workshops are grounded in color. We begin with a day on value - learning to see light and creating tools to help see it. This allows us to develop a better understanding of both color and form.

With both workshops, Dietlind and I will include mindful movement, a continental breakfast, and a delicious lunch. Our first collaborative workshop last spring filled very quickly and students loved it.

Bucket of cleaned favorite brushes.

What keeps you motivated in the studio?

Insatiable curiosity. I call it my science lab. I’m fascinated with learning - so being in the studio satisfies that to an extent.

What is your typical studio day like?

I am a full time artist and teacher. I work with scientific communities so paperwork and proposals make up a big part of my week. I paint primarily at night. I have a daughter - so I have to factor in that really important mother/daughter time.

What's next on your horizon?

Just prior to Covid, I began developing the idea of an artist retreat in Greece. I was fortunate enough to be involved with the building of the art studio at the villa in Crete so it was developed with enough power to support an encaustic retreat.

I am excited to share that the first session of Contemporary Encaustic on Crete will be co-taught with Dietlind Vander Schaaf and will take place in late May and early April 2024. The second session will be co-taught with Bettina Egli Sennhauser and will be offered in October of 2024. These bi-annual retreats will offer an even more immersive experience for artists interested in deepening their understanding of color, composition, and surfaces.

Kelly sharing her passion for values and color.

Anything else you’d like our readers to know?

The definition of play is doing something different than what you do on a daily basis for at least twenty minutes without any outcome. I create situations that employ play. I believe that learning is best done with a fun thread pulled through it - that people learn more and better when they are in a loose, receptive state.

All of my workshop experiences are created with this in mind. They are content-driven. Students leave with a ton of technical skill and “aha” moments, but they are delivered with laughter and fun. Plus good snacks!


Kelly doing a color mixing demo for a workshop.

To see additional images of Kelly’s work, visit kellymilukas.com. You can follow her on Instagram @kellymilukas.

Kelly has a number of upcoming workshops in her Tiverton, Rhode Island studio, including:

ENCAUSTIC 101 BOOTCAMP: 11/3 - 11/5/23

ENCAUSTIC EXPLORATIONS: 1/12 - 1/14/24

ENCAUSTIC DEEP DIVE: A RETREAT: 7/8 - 7/12/24

CONTEMPORARY ENCAUSTIC IN CRETE: 4/22 - 5/2/24

To learn more and register, visit kellymilukas.com/events.

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WORK IN PROGRESS: Pigment Stick® Drying Test

The number one question we get at R&F on the daily is - “How long do Pigment Sticks® take to dry?” We answer as best we can, pointing out that drying times are affected by a number of factors including: how thickly the paint is applied, the absorbency of the surface, the ambient temperature, exposure to light, and even the surrounding colors.

The number one question we get at R&F on the daily is - “How long do Pigment Sticks® take to dry?” We answer as best we can, pointing out that drying times are affected by a number of factors including: how thickly the paint is applied, the absorbency of the surface, the ambient temperature, exposure to light, and even the surrounding colors.

So, what exactly is this? This is a Pigment Stick® drying test. A true “Work in Progress.”

As you read this, a natural process is occurring right before our eyes. We can’t see it or hear it, but the process of oxidation is slowly (sometimes very slowly) turning linseed oil and pigment (and in our case, wax) into a solid film.

R&F Pigment Sticks® are made with just three ingredients: linseed oil, pigment, and natural wax. We don’t add any driers or fillers that might affect the natural drying process and because of this, each of our colors dries at a different rate.

This test, one we’ve conducted many times before, is to better determine exactly how long each color takes to dry under very specific conditions. In this case, a 4 mil draw down on a coated surface.

We’re doing this for two reasons:

1. Because raw materials (linseed oil, pigment, natural wax) are always changing and so we need to test again (and again).

2. Because we want to tell you, the artist, with confidence and clarity, just how long it will take for each Pigment Stick® to dry.

Come see for yourself (but please don’t touch).

On view now at WORK IN PROGRESS, our project space at 84 Ten Broeck Ave, Kingston, NY.

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Lora Murphy On Painting With Fire + Essence Of Mulranny

Lora Murphy was born in Ireland and educated in Ireland, the United States, and Italy. Trained as an oil painter, she now works primarily in encaustic and mixed media, describing her inspiration as stemming from “what drives us, as human beings, and our consciousness.” Her work is infused with the connection she feels to her female ancestors and a desire to honor their struggle. It is often layered with symbolism that draws upon her studies in Jungian and archetypal psychology and alchemy.

View of Keem Bay, County Mayo, Ireland.

Lora Murphy was born in Ireland and educated in Ireland, the United States, and Italy. Trained as an oil painter, she now works primarily in encaustic and mixed media, describing her inspiration as stemming from what drives us, as human beings, and our consciousness.” Her work is infused with the connection she feels to her female ancestors and a desire to honor their struggle. It is often layered with symbolism that draws upon her studies in Jungian and archetypal psychology and alchemy.

Lora teaches workshops in contemporary portraiture using encaustic and serves as director of Essence of Mulranny, an art school in County Mayo, Ireland.

In 2021, Lora launched Painting With Fire, an online-year round course that features 26 instructors and over 50 hours of content.

We chatted with Lora to learn more about Painting With Fire, the retreats she offers through Essence of Mulranny, and the upcoming International Encaustic Artist retreat.


What gave you the idea for Painting With Fire? 

I was inspired by the loss of our community through the pandemic and by the losses that all of us sustained whether we were teaching or taking workshops. I was also very conscious of the loneliness of many artists during this time and I hoped that Painting With Fire would offer an opportunity to reconnect and support each other. 

How has the response from students been? 

It has been hugely successful. When we started, I hoped that we would have at least 200 participants and when we reached that number within minutes of launching, I realized that it was an idea that was resonating with a lot of people.

I get emails all the time, even now, from people who tell me how much it meant to them to have the connection with each other and how much they have learned.

“I love this community. Thank you to Lora Murphy for putting this together and to the wonderful instructors for sharing their ideas. My head is exploding with ideas. I cannot wait to get into my studio.”
— Sue Connor, Painting With Fire student

Do you run Painting With Fire on your own? How do you select teachers to feature? 

I have a wonderful assistant, Lee Lopez, who is on hand to answer technical questions and is amazing to work with. Having been this long in the field of encaustic, I am familiar with many of the greatest teachers and innovators. I have been extremely fortunate that they have wanted to participate.

A former convent serves as "Casa Azul" - the home of Essence of Mulranny.

When did you come up with the idea for hosting art retreats at Essence of Mulranny? 

This is something I have always wanted to do and I was very fortunate to meet Cheryl Cobern Browne, the owner of all the infrastructure, who worked with me to develop the school in Mulranny. I had selected a different location initially, but when Cheryl asked me to develop the idea here instead, I jumped at the chance.

The painting studio featuring a recent retreat with R&F Core Instructor Jodi Reeb.

Who has taught there and who will be coming in the future? 

We have hosted a number of very prominent teachers including: Lisa Pressman, Graceann Warn, Lyn Belisle, Michelle Belto, Gabriela Sanchez, Jodi Reeb, Linda Robertson, and Christina Lovisa. Most of them will be returning for another year. I am so looking forward to welcoming Dietlind Vander Schaaf, Regina Quinn, Pamela Caughey, Sue Stover, and Paco Benitez in the future.

What types of workshops do you offer? 

We have all kinds of mixed media workshops, including teachers such as Lesley Riley, (TAP Transfer Artists Paper) MaryBeth Shaw (Stencil Girl), and Catherine Anderson (Soul Collage), just to name a few.

Since we have a full glass art set up, there are glass and mosaic workshops too. We run many one, two, and three day classes for locals and Irish artists and host meditation, Irish language classes, creative writing, life drawing, cinema club, music lessons, drum circles, yoga and children’s art classes on a regular basis.

Essence of Mulranny’s onsite store carries a range of art supplies including R&F encaustic paint and Pigment Sticks®.

What do you think makes taking a workshop or retreat at Essence of Mulranny special/ unique/ worth traveling to do so? 

Mulranny is a wonderful place. It is very inspiring and soulful and the scenery is out of this world. We work with storytellers, musicians, and artists to curate extra special experiences for people to enjoy when they visit. 

View of Clew Bay, County Mayo, Ireland.

What other types of activities do you offer in addition to painting?

We have a gorgeous labyrinth, a yoga studio, beautiful walks, visits to local eateries, pub music, storytelling, bicycling on the greenway, sea swimming, seaweed collecting for seaweed baths, trips to Achill Island, a trip to visit the Old Irish Goats, meditation and reflexology, great food, and if you are there on a Wednesday, a chance to join our life drawing class.

You are hosting the annual International Encaustic Artists (IEA) retreat this year. Can you tell us a little bit about Celtic Convergence?

This promises to be an amazing event. We expect that there will be a full house and at the moment there are over 60 attendees registered. The gathering will offer opportunities to learn, to meet and be inspired by fellow creatives, to explore the region, and to enjoy Irish culture.

In keeping with the ethos and tradition of IEA's retreats, it will be an intimate event where artists can really connect and get to know one another. This year’s retreat features a remarkable lineup of presenters including Cheryl Browne, Isabelle Gaborit, Lorraine Glessner, Joanna Kidney, Regina B Quinn, Linda Robertson, Patricia Russotti, Bettina Egli Sennhauser, Dietlind Vander Schaaf, Melanie Williams, and Janise Yntema.

And we have some great workshops this year. Pre-retreat workshops that still have space include: Lasting Impressions with Linda Robertson; Mixed Media Encaustic: Line with Lorraine Glessner; The Mark and Line with Encaustic Paint with Joanna Kidney.

Post-retreat workshops with available spots include: Expressive Portraiture with Encaustic taught by Lora Murphy; Artists Who Use A Camera: Photographs, Transfer Film, and Encaustic with Patti Russotti; Layers: Translucency & See Throughs with Dietlind Vander Schaaf; and Materiality and Encaustic: Re-Imagining The Substrate with Janise Yntema.

Footbridge outside the studio at Essence of Mulranny.

Do people have to be part of IEA to come and take a workshop?

People do not have to be members of IEA to attend but if they are, they receive a discount. There are a few spots left in the pre and post retreat workshops, but sign up in soon if there are some classes that interest you!

To learn more about Essence of Mulranny or Painting With Fire, visit essenceofmulranny.com. Interested in attending this year’s IEA retreat? You’ll find all the details here.

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Artist Spotlight: Mike Tapogna

This week we feature artist Mike Tapogna. Mike’s work is vibrant and driven by color. In his artist statement he describes his process as one of change and discovery. “Consciously or otherwise, I paint for a balance between subject and surface. Through addition, deletion and sometimes total destruction of the painted canvas, I am able to find new and unexpected possibilities.”

This week we feature artist Mike Tapogna. Mike’s work is vibrant and driven by color. In his artist statement he describes his process as one of change and discovery. “Consciously or otherwise, I paint for a balance between subject and surface. Through addition, deletion and sometimes total destruction of the painted canvas, I am able to find new and unexpected possibilities.”

R&F is proud to have a piece of Mike’s work in our permanent collection.


How did you get your start painting?

I got my start in painting in 1992 at SUNY New Paltz.  I was an art major at the time, then became a painting major after a freshman oil painting class.

What is your work about? Do you have a specific process or subject matter in mind while you work?

My work is about color and space, abstract but loosely based on the idea of landscape.  I begin with large blocks of color and layer from there.  I also use drawings and collage as part of the process.  Texture is very important in my work and the evidence of my process becomes part of the final picture.


Do you paint primarily with our Pigment Sticks® or do you use other mediums as well?

R&F Pigment Sticks® are crucial to my paintings.  I use them throughout the entire process and combine them with paint from a tube.  I use them as drawing implements or as a means to lay down large areas of color.  I will often apply Pigment Stick to the canvas and then use a brush and linseed oil to spread it around.  I have been using R&F Pigment Sticks® since my New Paltz days (1992 - 1996).  They truly are the best.

What's your studio/ work space like? Describe what you appreciate about it?

My studio is in the garage of my home in Port Townsend, Washington.  I often paint with the garage door open to have lots of natural light. It is a space I have put a lot of thought into and the layout is quite comfortable.  The fact that it is in my home is a bonus as I don't need to go very far to paint.

Is color a driving force in your work?

Color is central to my work.  It really is the most important thing to me.  I am nostalgic for my eighties childhood, especially BMX bikes and skateboards, which experienced an explosion of color back then - pinks, blues, neons, etc.  That all shows up in my paintings.

What do you do when you aren't in the studio painting?

I am a stone mason by trade, so when I'm not painting, I work with stone and hardscape.  I ride bicycles quite a lot, visit the local skatepark as much as I can, and play ice hockey from time to time.  I also spend a lot of time with my wife, my 15 year old son, and our dog and cat.

Anything else you'd like our readers to know?

My favorite artists are de Kooning, Basquiat, Degas and Toulouse-Lautrec. 

To see additional images of Mike’s work, visit his website miketapogna.com or follow him on Instagram @mikestro_industries.

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R&F Blending Medium: With and Without Drier

R&F Blending Medium is essentially Pigment Stick® without the pigment. It is ideal for glazing colors, can be worked directly into a color to increase the color's transparency, or used to blend colors together on the surface. R&F Blending Medium with Drier contains a small amount of Cobalt Manganese drier to speed up drying time. The use of a drier can affect color, so it is best used under a layer of Pigment Stick®.

R&F Blending Medium is essentially Pigment Stick® without the pigment. It is ideal for glazing colors, can be worked directly into a color to increase the color's transparency, or used to blend colors together on the surface. R&F Blending Medium with Drier contains a small amount of Cobalt Manganese drier to speed up drying time. The use of a drier can affect color, so it is best used under a layer of Pigment Stick®.

Both our Blending Mediums come in 8 oz., 16 oz., or 32 oz. jars, as well as in stick form. It is available with drier or without.

How do you know which one you are choosing? In the image below the Blending Stick on the right has the words "With Drier" located just below the word "Blending Stick." Make sure you look at the label carefully so you select the correct Blending Medium for your project.

HOW TO USE R&F BLENDING MEDIUM:

1. When working with R&F Pigment Sticks® on top of a finished encaustic painting, it is best to allow the painting to cool and harden a bit beforehand. This enables you to apply more pressure when wiping without affecting fine lines and details. R&F Blending Medium acts as a barrier or release on the surface of your work, preventing oil paint from staining the wax and enabling you to easily wipe away excess Pigment Stick®.

Apply a thin layer of R&F Blending Medium on the surface of your painting. Coat your painting thoroughly with R&F Pigment Stick® and gently wipe it away with a paper towel. If you wish to remove additional Pigment Stick®, add more Blending Medium to reactivate the Pigment Stick® and give it a second wiping.

There is no need to fuse Pigment Stick®. R&F Pigment Sticks® are oil paint with just enough wax to make them solid at room temperature. They will cure over time naturally just like an oil painting.

2. Another way to work with R&F Blending Medium is to add a small amount to some Pigment Stick® to increase translucency, extend the paint, and make a glaze that can be applied to the surface of an oil and cold wax painting. Use a palette knife on a piece of plexiglass or palette paper. Work the Blending Medium into the Pigment Stick® until it is incorporated. Apply it to the surface of your painting and use a squeegee to draw it across over the surface.


3. R&F Blending Medium with drier offers a helpful way to speed up drying time. Add a thin layer to the surface of your painting or support and then work with Pigment Stick® on top of it. This is particularly helpful with the slower drying Pigment Sticks®.

To learn more about approximate drying times, check out the index on the back of our color chart. You can find a color chart at your local retailer or download from the Resources page on our website.


Haven't checked out our YouTube channel yet? We've got a demo video that illustrates three ways to use R&F Blending Medium: to create a rich patina on an encaustic painting; as a glaze for an oil and cold wax painting; and underneath a layer of oil paint to dry the painting from below.

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How To Pick A Palette with Julie Snidle

We’re kicking off a “how to” series with a guest blog by R&F Core Instructor Julie Snidle. Julie has been working with wax-based media since 2004. An artist with both classroom teaching experience and a corporate training background, Julie has taught at Penland School of Craft and teaches workshops nationwide. Her work has received numerous awards and can be found in private collections and public spaces.

We’re kicking off a “how to” series with a guest blog by R&F Core Instructor Julie Snidle. Julie has been working with wax-based media since 2004. An artist with both classroom teaching experience and a corporate training background, Julie has taught at Penland School of Craft and teaches workshops nationwide. Her work has received numerous awards and can be found in private collections and public spaces.

Julie is an Artist Ambassador for Ampersand Art Panels and is represented by Kolman and Reeb Gallery in Minneapolis, MN, which recently awarded her a grant for their Project Space in 2022.

Enjoy Julie’s thoughts on color and how she fine tunes her color palette below.


For my painting Old Faithful, I used Cobalt Blue, Green Gold, Alizarin Orange, and Titanium White.

I love color. Like many artists, color is what drew me to art in the first place. When I’m between projects in my studio, I enjoy mixing different color combinations, maybe two or three at a time, to see what happens and keep a record of the results.

Adding white to create tints and then discovering the range of neutrals that emerge is very exciting. The possibilities available to us are exponential. Since my paintings are created from memory and/or feelings about a place, my palette will vary according to the mood I want to create.

The color choices I make come either from previous experience with those colors or from color combinations I would like to explore further. I use my camera to collect color vignettes that inspire me. Below are three examples.

Can you guess which of the color vignettes above inspired my painting Bennington?

Julie Snidle, Bennington, 12” x 9”, oil and cold wax on panel.

I’m not referring to the subject matter of beach glass or shells or macaroons, I’m responding to the combination of colors that catch my eye and inspire me to paint. The very act of noticing, focusing, and snapping a photo connects us to these moments. Over time our photo collection tells us a great deal about our preferences, whatever they may be.

I don’t feel bound to any particular palette. I have many favorites. And since I don’t have a preconceived idea about what the finished painting will look like, color decisions are often made as the painting progresses. I’ll add a darker value or a warmer hue if the painting calls for it. Sometimes black is too strong for my lighter paintings so I turn to Turkey Umber Greenish, Graphite Grey, Prussian Blue, or Indigo instead.

Not all encaustic set-ups are alike. I learned to paint on a hot palette without individual tins. The paints simply melt into each other and create other yummy colors almost automatically. Personally, I wouldn’t want it any other way.

R&F has a wide variety of beautiful colors to work with. I enjoy experimenting with color palettes using either encaustic or Pigment Sticks®. Keeping a chart of possibilities and a record of favorites helps me a great deal, and is so much easier to refer to than reinventing the wheel each time. “How did I make that color again?”

Some of Julie’s color mixing notes.

Two of my favorite limited palettes are shown below. Each limited palette has only three ‘parent’ colors (listed) plus Titanium White. Mixing the ‘parents’ in different proportions will yield dozens of harmonious ‘offspring’ colors. If you’re unsure about mixing colors, this is a great way to start.

Blue Ochre, Alizarin Orange, and Olive Yellow.

Payne’s Grey, Cadmium Red Medium, Cadmium Yellow Light.

My “go to” colors are blues and grey greens; off-yellows, and greyed pinks. I love neutrals and whites. I prefer colors that are higher in value (lighter), lower in intensity (less saturated, greyed versions). I have tried working with darker, bolder, and more intense colors, but I usually end up painting over them. I may, however, use a surprising color as an accent.

The more you paint, you more you get to know yourself.

Julie Snidle, Vessel, 6” x 9”, encaustic on panel.


Julie will be teaching “Authentic Abstracts”- a Pigment Stick workshop designed to help you express your true self at the Eastern Shore Art Center in Fairhope, Alabama July 20-23, 2023.

She will also be offering a 5-day workshop “Encaustic and Mixed Media” at Touchstone Center for Crafts in Farmington, PA August 7 - 11, 2023.

To view Julie’s complete upcoming schedule and subscribe to her newsletter, visit juliesnidle.com.

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Artist Spotlight: Kuzana Ogg

Kuzana Ogg was an artist in residence at Brown Pink last month. Born in Bombay, the first years of her life were divided between the ancestral home of her grandfather, surrounded by lush gardens and groves of coconut trees, and her grandmother’s exquisite Worli residence on the coast. Along with her family, Kuzana immigrated first to England, and then to New York. As an art student at SUNY Purchase, Kuzana met her husband. They married in 1995, and moved to South Korea, spending six years teaching English in Kyung Ju.

Kuzana Ogg was an artist in residence at Brown Pink last month. Born in Bombay, the first years of her life were divided between the ancestral home of her grandfather, surrounded by lush gardens and groves of coconut trees, and her grandmother’s exquisite Worli residence on the coast. Along with her family, Kuzana immigrated first to England, and then to New York. As an art student at SUNY Purchase, Kuzana met her husband. They married in 1995, and moved to South Korea, spending six years teaching English in Kyung Ju.

Kuzana has participated in residencies in Minnesota, Sri Lanka, China, Scotland Latvia, and Iceland. In 2021, Kuzana completed a 4 year residency at El Zaguan on Canyon Road, and moved to Los Alamos. Her paintings have been included on the sets of television shows and feature films — the most recent of which are Sprung, Bloodline, Where’d You Go Bernadette, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, Southpaw, and My All-American. She has exhibited internationally and had solo exhibitions at the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art and the Bakersfield Museum of Art.

The principles that govern Kuzana’s aesthetic are balance and restraint and she draws her visual language from the “general pandemonium” of her childhood in early 1970s Bombay. As she notes in her artist statement, “Bombay is steeped in perfume—from yards of jasmine and roses garlanding doors, to sandalwood burning at the fire temple, to a hundred different lunches cooking at the same time—there is always fragrance in the air...Its presence everywhere instilled the conviction in me that just as fragrance occupies a stratum deeper than sight or sound, majesty is also hidden beneath the surface of things, and majesty is an anchor that restrains and balances the chaos of experience. It is the primordial root that underlies even the most discordant things.” 

Composite portrait of artist Kuzana Ogg with the train that goes by R&F factory.

Please tell us a little bit about your experience as an artist in residence at Brown Pink. What were you planning to work on and how did that change when you got there?

I hoped to work with Pigment Sticks® to develop and incorporate gestural marks to my work. I soon realized that the paper and collages I brought to use as substrates were far too small to even begin fully expressing the capabilities of the Pigment Sticks®.

Were you able to experiment with new materials?

I ended up taping several sheets of paper together to make larger sheets, and I also used Pigment Sticks® on tracing paper. The second had an ethereal quality as the paper was so delicate in comparison to the heavy luscious quality of the oil on its surface.

I had the pleasure of meeting Leslie Giuliani who generously gave me a refresher lesson on encaustic. I used the previously collaged work on Khadi paper I’d brought with me, as substrates for some experimental encaustic work on paper.

Do you see yourself continuing to use these for future projects? Any breakthroughs in terms of your own work? 

Yes! In addition to the mark making capabilities of Pigment Sticks®, their unique color composition lends itself to a more sophisticated layering of color. I have started using them in my new work already. I’ve blotted and scrubbed them off the canvas in some parts, leaving stains of mysterious color.

Can you share a highlight of your residency? What makes doing a residency a worthwhile experience for an artist?

I very much enjoyed meeting the owners and founders of R&F, and hearing them talk about paint and the origins of certain colors. The factory and the paintmakers were fascinating to watch as well. The colors are so scrumptious as they are milled. I don’t know how people resist just having a tiny taste, as they work on them!

Did you bring reading materials to support your residency or take advantage of the many galleries and museums in the Hudson River Valley?

I visited the DIA Beacon which was gorgeous! I also went for several walks around Kingston’s varied neighborhoods. The Victorian houses, sprawling gardens, river views, and presence of the cargo train were a picturesque experience...I imagine they will find their way into my paintings too. The grey skies and frequent rain was also particularly thrilling for me as a desert dweller.

Why is solitude so necessary for artists? 

When you’re alone in studio; nothing matters other than the materials and process.


Anything else you'd like to share?

 The kind generosity of R&F is evident in the beautiful Brown Pink home/studio, and the welcoming nature of everyone at the factory, made this residency truly special. Thank you.


To see additional images of Kuzana’s work, visit kuzanaogg.com. You can also follow her on Instagram @kuzanaogg.

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OZNZ: Encaustic in Australia and New Zealand

This week’s blog features a guest post by Sue Baker and Sharon DeValentin, admin for the encaustic group OzNz formed to support artists in Australia and New Zealand.

This week’s blog features a guest post by Sue Baker and Sharon DeValentin, admin for the encaustic group OzNz formed to support artists in Australia and New Zealand.

Australia and New Zealand are relatively new to encaustic and many artists have been practicing the medium in isolation, unaware of who else was out there. About eight years back, Patricia Baldwin Seggebruch toured the regions facilitating workshops and started a small wave of "hooked" artists.

In 2021 a couple of Australian encaustic artists found each other via Instagram, and started chatting about ways to connect with others. It was from friendly little beginnings that Sue Baker (@suebakerartist) and Sharon De Valentin (@sharondevalentin) created an Instagram chat group, and an account to showcase encaustic work done by artists in Australian and New Zealand, while reaching out to our international encaustic community.

 

The group (now around 25 strong) shares their art practice, new work, ideas, resources and questions. Member Deanne Palmer says, "OzNz has created a great sense of community in this part of the world for artists who work with encaustic. The vibe is relaxed, inclusive, and enthusiastic in support and promotion of one another’s projects and passions."

In early 2022, they held an OzNz 3-colour challenge via Instagram. The group connects from time to time via Zoom, and they enjoyed having renowned Western Australian landscape encaustic artist Carly LeCerf (@carlylecerf) as a Zoom guest.

For many, the power of social media is its function to connect like-minded people, to celebrate their common and diverse backgrounds and interests. Member Paula Josling notes that "OZNZ encaustics is a new, delightful, and supportive group of artists determined to inspire, share and spread the word about encaustics to a new generation."

If you haven't already, you can follow their account on Instagram @oznzencaustic.

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Artist Spotlight: Jeff Hirst

Jeffrey Hirst earned his MFA at Louisiana State University and BFA at the University of Minnesota. His work has been exhibited at national and international venues including the Minneapolis Institute of Art; McLean Projects for the Arts, VA; McKinney Contemporary, Dallas; and Bienal do Douro, Portugal. 

Jeff Hirst, Fade Away View, 57” x 57”, encaustic on shaped panel.

Jeffrey Hirst earned his MFA at Louisiana State University and BFA at the University of Minnesota. His work has been exhibited at national and international venues including the Minneapolis Institute of Art; McLean Projects for the Arts, VA; McKinney Contemporary, Dallas; and Bienal do Douro, Portugal. 

The recipient of numerous grants, including a fellowship at the Ballinglen Arts Foundation in Ireland where he has gone on four residencies, Jeff is represented by Addington Gallery and Brandt-Roberts galleries. 

Jeff is an R&F Core Instructor. In 2021, Hirst co-founded Catalyst Art Lab. He regularly teaches encaustic and printmaking workshops across the U.S. Canada, Mexico, and Ireland.

Can you tell us a little about yourself? How did you get your start as an artist?

I got my start as an artist working next to my dad who was an engineer, singer, and a great mentor. I started building things at a very early age, and it’s spilled over into how I approach creating to this day.

I’ve been a professional artist since 1990 when I received my MFA in printmaking and painting. I have lived in Chicago since 2016, where I work with encaustic, acrylic, and print processes. I am particularly interested in how painting and printmaking cross-over and merge. In 2003, I developed the process of silkscreening onto encaustic.

Jeff Hirst, Glimmer, 25” x 23”, encaustic on shaped panel.

What are you currently working on? How has your work evolved?

I started working with encaustic in 1995. My encaustic painting has become more reductive in recent years with a greater emphasis on the sublime and color.

At the moment, I am making new work that will be in a 2-person show next fall in Ireland. After spending prolonged time in Ireland, I have started adding more of elements of line and shape that exist in nature along with my long-running interest in architecture.

Jeff Hirst, Wave, 30” x 22”, carborundum and drypoint on Rives BFK.

You will be teaching Silkscreen Monotype and Encaustic June 7 - 8 at Truro Center for the Arts at Castle Hill. Tell us a little bit about this workshop. What can students expect to leave with?

Silkscreen Monotype involves drawing and painting with water-based media directly onto a screen and then printing onto paper. The process is very low-tech yet spontaneous. During the screenprinting, color interactions are achieved through overprinting imagery. Encaustic is then painted onto the silkscreen prints and further manipulated from a painting process.

This workshop represents a type of creative collision course and highlights my interest in merging printmaking and painting. We will cover some of the processes I developed with printing media onto encaustic as well. It’s a very fast paced class where you can make prints quickly.

Jeff Hirst, Bio Shimmer, 20” x 17”, encaustic on shaped panel.

What keeps you motivated in the studio? What is your typical studio day like? What's next on your horizon?

Heading to my studio is always an easy place to go…probably one of my favorite places to be.

A typical day for me is to arrive, make some coffee, look at some work, go through emails, putter around, and look at work, again. Then I’ll start working on actual art.

I used to paint at night, but now I prefer working in the afternoon. The light in my studio is great in mid-afternoon. If I am working on prints rather than painting, it’s very ritualistic. I go through certain processes almost like a mantra, which keeps everything moving forward.

Moving forward I want to revisit some previous ideas. I made a series of wood and mixed media sculptures about 10 years ago, and I want to make a series of sculpture that will be dedicated to my dad who passed away recently at 90. I am thinking the pieces will be more refined than my previous sculpture, but we’ll see what happens when I actually start making things. 

I have access to a large woodshop that has fabulous equipment, and it makes the creative process meditative when I am wearing my dusk mask, eye protection and ear plugs. All the roaring sounds are cut out by the ear protection and making becomes very step by step by step.

Image courtesy of Jeff Hirst.

Anything else you’d like our readers to know?

I am a co-founder of Catalyst Art Lab, which is an online art school and community membership. Numerous classes are offered and most range from 4 - 7 weeks. The classes are structured like college art courses with weekly assignments, and learning happens through making and evolving.

In May, I am teaching a newly designed class Luminosity: Exploring Encaustic Color. The class size is small, and each artist receives weekly feedback on their work.

In September, I will return to Ballinglen Arts Foundation to teach two classes: a printmaking class and an experimental drawing workshop. Each class is 7 days, and along with class work, we also explore the local culture around northern county Mayo that includes an archaeological tour and daily walks to the beach along the northern Atlantic. It’s an amazing location that’s very tranquil and a special place to create.


Jeff Hirst, Slight View, 27” x 26”, encaustic on shaped panel.

Jeff’s upcoming workshops include:

July 21-23 Encaustic Painting Think Tank: Explorations and Beyond, Hirst Studio, Chicago 

Sept 2-10 Expanded Approaches towards Printmaking, Ballinglen Arts Foundation, Ireland

May 1, 8, 15, 22  Luminosity: Exploring Encaustic Color, 1:00-2:30 pm CST (online)

To see additional images of Jeff’s work, visit jeffreyhirst.com. You can also follow him on Instagram @jeffreyhirst.

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Artist Spotlight: Halim Flowers

In 1997, Halim A. Flowers was arrested at the age of 16 and sentenced to two life sentences in the District of Columbia. Deemed a “SUPERPREDATOR,” he turned to artistic expression as a way to find a sense of peace in prison. Halim was released after serving 22 years in 2019. His experiences were filmed in the Emmy award-winning documentary Thug Life In DC. In 2005, he started his own publishing company SATO Communications, through which he has published eleven books.

Image courtesy of Halim A. Flowers.

In 1997, Halim A. Flowers was arrested at the age of 16 and sentenced to two life sentences in the District of Columbia. Deemed a “SUPERPREDATOR,” he turned to artistic expression as a way to find a sense of peace in prison. Halim was released after serving 22 years in 2019. His experiences were filmed in the Emmy award-winning documentary Thug Life In DC. In 2005, he started his own publishing company SATO Communications, through which he has published eleven books.

Halim uses photography, painting, poetry, and spoken word to further what he refers to as his ‘love revolution.’ “My mission is to love everyone unconditionally all of the time. My purpose is to live the love that I want to see in the world to inspire others to love radically beyond the superficial barriers that serve to separate us from seeing how we are all connected to each other.”

The recipient of the Halcyon Arts Lab and Echoing Green fellowship awards, Halim is represented by DTR Modern Galleries. His work has been exhibited at the MoMA PS1 and the National Arts Club in NYC. In 2022, he started his own releasing exclusive limited collections of streetwear designs.

Image courtesy of Halim A. Flowers.

Can you tell us a little about yourself? How did you get your start as an artist?

I started out as a freestyle rap artist at the age of 11. Through listening to hip hop music, in particular JAY-Z, I became interested in the visual arts. Hearing him rap about Jean-Michel Basquiat, and reading an article on Basquiat in the Wall Street Journal is what influenced me to consider painting.

It was not until the quarantine in March 2020 at the age of 39 that I began my career as a visual artist. Up until then, I was a poet and spoken word artist. I had never sketched or drawn or painted before.

Image courtesy of Halim A. Flowers.

What are you currently working on? How has your work evolved?

I paint and draw everyday. Even when traveling, I draw and paint in hotel rooms and airports. Entering my fourth year as a painter, I am currently working on expanding the form and function of my unique visual language that is often encyclopedic and informed by my global nomadic experiences.

With an insatiable interest in subjects like physics, economics, mathematics, time traveling, genuine equity, and unconditional love, along with my practices of mindfulness and non-judgment, my current focus is how to transfer it all onto the canvas in a way that gracefully combines the soul of intellectual and visual aesthetics. 

Image courtesy of Halim A. Flowers.

Working with R&F Pigment Sticks® seems to be a big part of your drawing/ painting process. Can you tell us a little bit about how you discovered them?

When I started painting during the quarantine, the only reference books that I had were publications that I acquired from museums about Jean-Michel Basquiat and his works. I never read the books until I started painting.

Through studying this literature, I kept reading ‘oil sticks.’ I didn’t know what they were at that time, so I hit up different artists on Instagram that I knew about them. I began to order different brands of them online, but the quality of R&F Pigment Sticks® are unmatched. I never do a painting without using them!

Image courtesy of Halim A. Flowers.

What keeps you motivated in the studio? What is your typical studio day like? What's next on your horizon?

The two things that I value most in life are my relationships and experiences. The arts have afforded me the opportunity to develop genuine relationships with some of the most exceptional people in all walks of life from all over the world. Having access to such incredible individuals and institutions has gifted me the blessing of having an endless connection to the most dynamic conversations and gatherings.

Through these thought provoking engagements, I am constantly able to tap into how much I do not know, and that’s what drives me and my creativity: the humility and desire to lean into what I don’t know. Most people are ashamed of what they are not aware of, but I relish in my ignorance. It informs my imagination, fuels my creativity, and makes my ability to experience dynamic inspiration permanent. I never experience writer’s or artist’s block.

Image courtesy of Halim A. Flowers.

Anything else you’d like our readers to know?

I am often asked by other artists for advice on how to become successful in the art world. I let them know that you have to begin with the end in mind, and that success for me is being globally recognized as a prolific, intellectual and conceptually-influential artist, and not just commercial profit.

I also encourage artists to be as enthusiastic about the business of art, if they want to make a career out of it, as they are passionate about creating art. I think that it’s important for not only their career, but their legacy to be equally efficient in the creation and business of art.

On some level, every artist is an entrepreneur that manufactures assets that add intrinsic value to the human experience - more than fiat currency, which is only a medium of exchange.


Image courtesy of Halim A. Flowers.

To see additional images of Halim’s work, visit halim-flowers.com. You can also follow him on Instagram @halimflowers.

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Artist Spotlight: Jodi Reeb

Jodi Reeb has been a full-time working artist and teacher for over 27 years. She has taught printmaking, acrylic and encaustic painting, as well as book arts at colleges and art centers regionally and nationally including the International Encaustic Conference, Arrowmont, and Haystack School of Art. A two time recipient of the Minnesota State Arts Board Grant, Jodi received her BFA from the Minneapolis College of Art & Design, where she taught for 9 years. In 2020, she received a Hinge Arts Residency through the Springboard for the Arts.

Jodi Reeb, Ochre Fusion, 40" x 60" x 2", encaustic with metallic paint, 2022

Jodi Reeb has been a full-time working artist and teacher for over 27 years. She has taught printmaking, acrylic and encaustic painting, as well as book arts at colleges and art centers regionally and nationally including the International Encaustic Conference, Arrowmont, and Haystack School of Art. A two time recipient of the Minnesota State Arts Board Grant, Jodi received her BFA from the Minneapolis College of Art & Design, where she taught for 9 years. In 2020, she received a Hinge Arts Residency through the Springboard for the Arts.

Jodi is a CORE Artist Instructor for R&F Handmade Paints, an Ampersand Ambassador and a teaching artist for Silverbrush Ltd. She offers encaustic painting workshops in her studio at Traffic Zone Center for Visual Art in Minneapolis.

Can you tell us a little about yourself? How did you get your start as an artist?

Art has transformed my life since I was very young. At the age of 5, I created poster drawings using crayons on blue-lined newsprint and sold them throughout our neighborhood in North Dakota for a dollar. That’s when the idea was planted that I could make a living making art. This became my identity: I was an artist.

I began developing my voice as an undergraduate printmaker at Minneapolis College of Art & Design. Since 1996, I have been a full-time artist and teacher. I feel incredibly lucky to support myself by sharing what I love to do.

What are you currently working on in the studio? How has your work evolved over the years?

My work has always been rooted in nature, whether abstract or representational. I generally work in series and enjoy creating abstracted landscapes using photographs and circular large-scale art installations. To create in my viewers a physical sensation, my work oscillates between painting and sculpture in terms of both dimension and negative space. I started as a printmaker and am now going into more works coming off the wall.

Jodi Reeb, Ochre Fusion (side view).

You will be teaching a pre-conference workshop Encaustic with Alternative Surfaces at Truro Center for the Arts at Castle Hill on June 7 & 8. Tell us a little bit about this workshop. What can students expect to leave with?

This workshop is designed to expand artists’ toolbox to combine elements as rust, copper, bronze, and pewter with encaustic. Participants will work with Sophisticated Finishes paint, which creates beautiful rusted and patina affects and can be combined under or over encaustic paint. Surface treatments including powdered graphite and metal leafing will be explored as well. These surfaces can be layered or serve as a final finish, as metallic paints bind on porous and non-porous surfaces.

Artists will develop design and color skills to be used in any medium, in addition to strategies that will help them look at their work critically and discover when a work is finished. There will be lots of studio time and 1:1 with me for feedback and support. The workshop is great for beginners as well as experienced artists.

Jodi Reeb, Summer Series, 54" x 54" x 2', encaustic with metallic paint, 2023

What keeps you motivated in the studio? What is your typical studio day like? What's next on your horizon?

I am so lucky to be able to do what I love everyday as a full-time artist. I’m in my Minneapolis studio each day during the week and enjoy both aspects of my job - creating and teaching. For me, it’s about connecting with others either through my art or helping others creating their own work. I enjoy adventures and have a busy teaching schedule this year in the US and Ireland this summer.

For the past few years, I have offered mentoring and art study coaching to artists that want to push their studio practice further, be supported and held accountable. I support artists in-person and around the country by giving feedback on their art, teaching encaustic painting, sharing best business practices in terms of marketing and sales, as well as how to utilize social media platforms to find new audiences for your work.

Jodi Reeb, At Dawn, 18" x 18", encaustic, oil and photo collage, 2022

Anything else you’d like our readers to know?

I think art is a total thing; a total person giving a contribution. It is an essence, a soul.  In my inner soul, art and life are inseparable.” -Eva Hesse

I am also interested in site-specific, temporary sculptural installations and began exploring this idea during a week-long workshop at Truro Center for the Arts at Castle Hill. Taking over a corner of the studio, I created eight sculptures using wire, newspaper, encaustic-dipped string, tape, and driftwood. I gave myself the freedom to work quickly and with simple materials. It was freeing to create a piece, tear it down, and create another.  

In 2018, I received the Artist’s Initiative Grant and was able to spend time developing a new body of work that incorporates my photographs printed on tissue paper and embedded in encaustic. I’ve always had an interest in photography, but don’t consider myself a photographer. For me, it is another image-making tool, one that I collaborate with to create a balance between painting and photography. 

My ideas concerning beauty, abstraction, nature, and art are given form through the mediums of encaustic and sculpture. Tactile painting and repetitive mark-marking serves as a record of my experience. I hope my work is a sensory experience for those that view it.


To see additional images of Jodi’s work, visit jodireeb.com. You can also follow her on Instagram @jodireeb.

Jodi has a number of upcoming workshops including in her Minneapolis studio, Grand Marais Art Colony, Wild Rice Retreats, Essence of Mulranny Studios in Ireland, Penland School of Crafts, at Wet Paint, and at R&F Handmade Paints.

To learn more and register, visit jodireeb.com/news.

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Dietlind Vander Schaaf Dietlind Vander Schaaf

Artist Spotlight: Julie Snidle

Julie Snidle is a self-taught artist with a background in public school teaching and corporate administration. She was introduced to encaustic in 2004 and has worked primarily with wax-based paints, including oil and cold wax, since then. Julie has received numerous awards for her abstract work which can be found in public spaces and private collections throughout the world. In addition to serving as a Core Instructor for R&F Handmade Paints, she is also an Artist Ambassador for Ampersand Art Supplies.

Julie Snidle, Abundance, encaustic on panel, 24” x 24”.

Julie Snidle is a self-taught artist with a background in public school teaching and corporate administration. She was introduced to encaustic in 2004 and has worked primarily with wax-based paints, including oil and cold wax, since then. Julie has received numerous awards for her abstract work which can be found in public spaces and private collections throughout the world. In addition to serving as a Core Instructor for R&F Handmade Paints, she is also an Artist Ambassador for Ampersand Art Supplies.

Julie is represented by Kolman & Reeb Gallery in Minneapolis, Minnesota; Dauphin Gallery on Dauphin Island, Alabama; and Canary Gallery in Birmingham, Alabama. She teaches workshops nationwide and also at her home studio in Fairhope.  

Can you tell us a little about yourself? How did you get your start as an artist?

I grew up in the suburbs of Minneapolis in the 60’s. I had the good fortune of having parents with a strong work ethic who enjoyed camping, hiking, and do-it-yourself projects. My mother was artistic and my father mechanical, a winning combination. I entertained myself by drawing, sewing, making my own paper dolls, and creating miniature houses out of cardboard.

In 7th grade I wrote a paper about what I imagined to be my future career; I wanted to be an art teacher. I did earn my degree in elementary education and taught school for 5 years.

Life happens and I found myself in Dallas working for an insurance company as a corporate trainer and administrator. I never lost my artistic desires but they were relegated to hobby status. By 1994, I was married with two young daughters. Art retreats, creative workshops, and painting classes fed my soul. The more I learned the more I wanted to know. Fortunately the learning never ends.

Julie Snidle, Bennington, oil and cold wax on panel, 9” x 12”.

What are you currently working on in the studio? How has your work evolved over the years?

There are a lot of moving parts in my studio right now. I’m finishing a 36” x 45” commissioned oil and cold wax painting for a local couple; packing materials for a 3-day workshop I’ll be teaching this week in Birmingham & delivering 6 paintings to Canary Gallery also in Birmingham; meeting a photographer here tomorrow, a potential new member of a local art group I started a year ago; and setting up my studio to accommodate an artist friend who will spend the first week of March with me.

My work has grown more confident over the years. I have shed much of the hesitancy and doubt that accompanies early work. I am more trusting of myself to make the right decisions. My self criticism has become focused and useful as I continue to expand and experiment. The more I paint, the better I know what I like, what I want in my work, and the more comfortable I feel with my art practice. This trust and believing in positive outcomes has become my way forward. Not always easy but I enjoy the challenges and I am having more fun all the time.

Julie Snidle, Alla Prossima (until next time), encaustic on panel, 24” x 24”.

This June 12 - 13 you will be teaching Joy of a Limited Palette at Truro Center for the Arts at Castle Hill. What does this workshops focus on and what can students expect to leave with?

This workshop will give students a chance to ‘test drive’ new color combinations and discover the dozens of uniquely beautiful colors that can emerge from just 2 or 3 parent colors and white. Although not technically a color theory workshop, terms like hue, value, intensity, opacity, and temperature will become part of our vocabulary as we explore the wide range of possibilities.

We will be working with encaustic on Ampersand’s smallest encausticbords and 300# watercolor paper so that work can be easily transported home. R&F will provide a wide variety of encaustic paint colors to choose from so that you can find your favorites. You’ll find that less really is more.

Julie’s studio set up to teach painting with R&F Pigment Sticks.

Julie’s studio set up to teach encaustic painting.

What keeps you motivated in the studio? What is your typical studio day like? What's next on your horizon?

I’m a planner. I love assignments and deadlines. So whatever I’ve scheduled for myself, whether it’s a workshop, a commission, or paintings for a gallery, I’m motivated to keep moving forward. A friend of mine gave me a framed quote, “Do what you love, love what you do.” I feel very fortunate to live a creative life and to share my passion for painting with others.

Julie Snidle, Travel Plans, encaustic on panel, 16” x 20”.

We moved to Fairhope, AL from St. Louis, MO in 2018. Fairhope is a beautiful little community on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay. It is a haven for artists and writers and I have been inspired and nurtured by my experiences here and the people I’ve met.

We found the perfect home with an attached mother-in-law suite that we converted into my studio. High ceilings, good light and ventilation provide a safe and comfortable place to work and teach. It’s separated from the main house by a large, white rolling barn door.

My painting studio and classroom are in one room with my office, library, bath, and storage closet in the adjacent room. That’s where you’ll find me during the day unless I’m traveling, golfing or having lunch with friends.

I’m usually up by 7. Morning routine is pretty much the same; coffee, read emails, solve a puzzle or two, and take a walk. I’ll be in my studio by 9 or so. When working with encaustic, I’ll usually paint on one piece at a time. With oils, I’ll have several paintings going at once. Occasionally I’ll construct a blank journal that I’ll use with watercolors when traveling. Whether I’m painting or doing art-related administrative tasks, I’m wrapping it up by 5. Then it’s time to clean up and join my husband for dinner. He does most of the cooking these days.

Julie Snidle, Precarious, oil and cold wax on panel, 9” x 12”.

I am currently reading The Creative Act: A Way of Being, a book by Rick Rubin. He says, “Beware of the assumption that the way you work is the best way simply because it’s the way you’ve done it before.” After almost 20 years of painting with encaustic, I still find it to be a fascinating medium. I’m not sure what direction my work will take next, but I do want to keep learning, taking risks, and pushing myself. Staying curious.


To see additional images of Julie’s work, visit juliesnidle.com. You can also follow her on Instagram @juliesnidle.

Julie has a number of upcoming workshops including:

3/9 - 11: Advanced Encaustic, Eastern Shore Art Center, Fairhope, AL

6/12 - 13: The Joy of a Limited Palette - with R&F Encaustic Paint, Truro Center for the Arts at Castle Hill, Truro, MA

6/23 - 24: The Joy of a Limited Palette - with R&F Pigment Sticks, Eastern Shore Art Center, Fairhope, AL

7/19 - 22: Authentic Abstracts with Oil and Cold Wax: Express Yourself!, Eastern Shore Art Center, Fairhope, AL

8/7 - 11: Encaustic and Mixed Media, Touchstone Center for Crafts, Farmington, PA

10/18 - 21: Discovering Encaustic, Eastern Shore Art Center, Fairhope, AL

To learn more and register, visit juliesnidle.com/all-workshops.

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