R&F Handmade Paints

Charles Forsberg demonstrates how Pigment Sticks are both a drawing and painting medium like no one else.

Charles frequently returns to drawing, forcefully striking marks into the heavily manipulated buttery paint, then tearing it apart, alternating in a push-pull sequence of drawing and smearing, scraping back, revealing previous drawing marks, and piling what he has scraped up into thick sculptural mounds.

It is an amazing and unceasing gestural exercise over many hours, as Forsberg turns the formless ooze he started with into a powerful structure of shapes and sharply accented marks.

Anyone attending Forsberg’s Pigment Stick workshop on August 10-12 will experience the thrill of sharing  his method of working paint with utter abandon and confident control.

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There’s still time to sign up…

Our 2010 Workshop Schedule is now available.  We are excited to add new workshop locations, including the new Encaustic Art Institute in New Mexico, Penninsula Art School in Fish Creek, Wisconsin, and Seattle.  Our Visting Artist Series was such a hit this past year that we had to do it again - it is so much fun to have these wonderful artists come and spend time with us. The workshops are custom designed by each visiting artist, according to their own unique talents. This years’ line-up of artists includes figure painting with Francisco Benitez, oil stick painting with Charles Forsberg, and encaustic exploration with Cari Hernandez.  We have also added new one-day intensives that will focus on specific techniques.
Click here to view the full schedule.

Give the gift of a fabulous encaustic workshop and save!  R&F is offering a special 10% tuition discount for early registrants. To take advantage of this offer, just give us a call at (845) 331-3112, and say “I want the Early Registration Discount”. Please note that this offer is only good for workshops administered by R&F.  We have extended this discount from now until January 8th, 2010, so you don’t have to worry about signing up before the holiday rush.

Ultramarine Blue Pigment

Ultramarine Blue has a fabled history. It is naturally derived from the semiprecious gemstone lapis lazuli. It gets its name from the Latin, meaning beyond the sea, since the best source of lapis was in the northeastern corner what is now Afghanistan. (more…)

The staff at R&F Handmade Paints would like to send a big THANK YOU to all of our friends who came out Saturday night for the opening of DAYDREAMERS, the R&F staff show.  (more…)

Judy Sigunick, African Wild Dog, monotype

A wonderful exhibit took place this November at the Spencertown Academy Arts Center in Spencertown, NY. The exhibit was a fundraiser for Art for Animals and included works by professional artists and students from the Taconic Hills Middle School. (more…)

Michelle Marcuse, Unaware of Daylight, encaustic on masonite, 16"x16"

Dick Blick in Philadelphia, PA will be hosting an encaustic and pigment stick demonstration on Thursday November 12th, 2009 from 4 - 6 pm. (more…)

Tracy Spadafora, Untitled, mixed media encaustic

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Richard attended this year’s conference which was held in Mobile, Alabama October 22nd - 24th, 2009.   It was an opportunity to see old and new friends - artists, art historians, encaustic painters and oil painters.

The keynote speaker was Joel-Peter Witkin.  Witkin presented a survey of his work and is known for his photographs of amputated body parts, cripples, distorted figures and composite compositions. They are often hard to take, but they are often directly linked (and often take off of) classical imagery, particularly old-master paintings.  Witkin uses wax, at times, to develop surface effects on his photos.

An exhibit of work by SECAC artists contained about 50-70 pieces of which 5 works were encaustic. The artists were Erin Anfinson, Jane Allen Nodine, and Cliff Tierney. 

The next SECAC conference will be held at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA.  VCU is a hotbed of encaustic, thanks to Reni Gower and her Divas and Iron Chefs of Encaustic events. Plans are in the making for another encaustic event there for next year’s SECAC conference. Check back in 2010 for more info.

Leslie Giuliani "EVOLUTION"

Jerry’s Artarama in CT will host an Encaustic and Pigment Stick demonstration on Saturday October 17th from 1-4pm.  Artist Leslie Giuliani will be on hand to teach you techniques and answer your questions.  Contact Jerry’s Artarama at 1-860-232-0073 for more information.   

About the Artist:  “When people view my work they are surprised by its individuality.  That the work represents a unique voice is very important to me.  The work is intriguing in many different ways: the structure- how it’s shaped and built; the imagery- light hearted and darkly primal simultaneously; texture- use of a variety of materials; the interplay of color; and good design.  This way as people look deeply into the work it changes with each viewing- the piece evolves, never settling into one specific interpretation- a work that invites visit after visit.”