R&F Handmade Paints

One of the great things about our visiting artist workshop program is the opportunity to acquaint other artists with unique approaches to encaustic painting.

Francisco Benitez, from Santa Fe, taught a class on encaustic portraiture June 2nd thru 4th here at R&F.  Switching from oils to encaustics a number of years ago prompted him to pursue his long time fascination with the encaustic Fayum funeral portraits of ancient Egypt and explore the techniques that produced them.

Using metal tools and heated tips that he had designed to duplicate the ancient bronze spatulas used by the Fayum painters, Francisco demonstrated how direct manipulation of the encaustic can create very controlled and at the same time rich impressionistic effects. This is largely due to the sensitive flexibility that give the tools the feel of being an extension of the fingers. These tools, by the way, are being manufactured for R&F by Sculpture House, and will be available in August.

Another feature of Francisco’s technique is the recreation of the four-color palette. Developed around the 5th century BC, the four color system, known as tetrachromy, utilizes black, white, red ochre, and yellow ochre (equivalent to mars red and yellow). When skillfully mixed, they can create a full color range that is both harmonious and elegant in its economy of color.  Following the Greek tradition of portraiture, the painting is begun on a dark ground and the layers of color progress from dark to light in a process that is like bringing the face from out of the shadows.

Compare Benitez’ method in one of his demonstration pieces below with a Fayum portrait from the 1st Century AD.

Portrait created during workshop by Francisco Benitez

Fayum Portrait, circa 100 AD

In conjunction with Francisco’s workshop he also has a solo exhibition at R&F entitled Ancient Voices through Modern Eyes: Encaustic Figurative Paintings by Francisco Benitez on view through July 24th, 2010.

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…)

Lynn Behrendt and Rachel Levitsky will read in Cadmium Text Series on Saturday, November 21st, 2009 at 2pm.  (more…)

Elizabeth Bryant and Max Winter will read in Cadmium Text Series on Saturday, October 17, 2009 at 2pm.  Cadmium Text is curated by local poet and book artist Anne Gorrick and focuses on innovative writing from in and around the Hudson Valley.  The Gallery at R&F provides the backdrop for the readings. 

Elizabeth Bryant is a writer living in Red Hook, NY. She edits Defeffable and co-curates the Bard Roving Reading series. Her most current publications include a chapbook, Fluorescence Buzz (Dusie, 2009), and a new full-length serial piece, (nevertheless enjoyment… (Quale Press, 2010). She has new writing in Wheelhouse, and upcoming in Coconut.

Max Winter’s The Pictures was published by Tarpaulin Sky Press in 2007. He has also published poems in New American Writing, Denver Quarterly, Boston Review, Ploughshares, Boulevard, The Paris Review, and elsewhere. His reviews have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Newsday, Bookforum, The San Francisco Chronicle, and other publications. He has been a Poetry Editor of Fence Magazine since 2001.

Previous poets have included:  Lynn Behrendt, Celia Bland, JJ Blickstein, Dennis Doherty, Anne Gorrick, Lea Graham, Kate Greenstreet, Joshua Harmon, Jane Heidgerd, Steve Hirsch, Jennifer Wai-Lan Huang, Geof Huth, Robert Kelly, Maryrose Larkin, Charlotte Mandel, Susan McKechnie, PF Potvin, Richard Rizzi, Carly Sachs, Lorna Smedman, Maureen Thorson, R. Dionysius Whiteurs, and Rebecca Wolff.

A $5 donation to Cadmium Text is suggested to help support this reading and goes directly to the writers.

Cadmium Text is curated by local poet and book artist Anne Gorrick and focuses on innovative writing from in and around the Hudson Valley.  The Gallery at R&F provides the backdrop for the readings.  Don Byrd and Chris Piuma will read in Cadmium Text Series on Saturday, September 19th, 2009 at 2pm.    

Don Byrd lives in Albany, NY, and teaches at the State University. His publications include Aesop’s Garden, Charles Olson’s Maximus, Technics of Travel, The Great Dime Store Centennial, and The Poetics of the Common Knowledge. In the mid-1990s, having decided that something had gone terribly wrong, and for the most part, quit publishing. He has been working intently on a writing of ambiguous genre during these many years. It is entitled “Abstraction.” It is now nearing completion. Thousands of pages have been written and most of them filed away, some on electronic media that would now be hard access.

Chris Piuma is thinking about nouniness. Chris Piuma has had a few chapbooks published, but they’re out of print, so you can’t have any. Chris Piuma wishes it weren’t so hot out. Chris Piuma just added a new post on his poety blog, Buggeryville, at: http://www.buggeryville.blogspot.com/ Chris Piuma is accustomed to the third person. Chris Piuma and how grammar enables affective connections with the dead. Chris Piuma misses Portland and co-organizing the Spare Room poetry series, but enjoys Toronto and grad school. Chris Piuma is learning yet another language! Chris Piuma remembers when life provided cocktail party anecdotes, but now it’s all Facebook status updates.

Previous poets have included:  Lynn Behrendt, Celia Bland, JJ Blickstein, Dennis Doherty, Anne Gorrick, Lea Graham, Kate Greenstreet, Joshua Harmon, Jane Heidgerd, Steve Hirsch, Jennifer Wai-Lan Huang, Geof Huth, Robert Kelly, Maryrose Larkin, Charlotte Mandel, Susan McKechnie, PF Potvin, Richard Rizzi, Carly Sachs, Lorna Smedman, Maureen Thorson, R. Dionysius Whiteurs, and Rebecca Wolff.

Last week the joint was jumpin’ as Russell Thurston came to town from Santa Fe to lead his advanced workshop, ‘Breaking the Rules’.  Russell shared a wealth of non-traditional techniques with participants from around the country, including working with dry pigments, painting on a variety of alternative surfaces, mixing media, and experimenting with different ways of heating the surface using irons and implements.

Russell’s solo show, Deus ex Machina, opened right on the heels of the workshop.  The show features an overview of recent works, some that are mandala-like patterns, others that have a more narrative thread.

Russell brought such excitement, generosity and good cheer to R&F - we miss him already!

"Piri's Voyage" / encaustic and pigment on paper / 30" x 40" / 2009

Join us for the opening of Sara Mast, “Excavating Wonder”, on Saturday June 13th from 5-7pm.  Sara will be traveling all the way from Bozeman, Montana to give an artist talk at 5pm.

The paintings of Sara Mast explore a remote view of the world, as if seen through the technological eye of a satellite, or high-powered telescope. Masts’ work is wholly imagined, yet appropriates a range of scientifically accurate data from star charts to magnetic resonance images of neuronal dendrites. Elements of ancient languages intermingle with navigational artifacts of both sky and sea. The artist embeds layers of information that are revealed as if seen through geologic or archaeological strata. In Masts’ work, flecks of naturally pigmented wax gather and dissolve in forms that reference landmasses, clouds or cosmic dust and stars, expanding and contracting like living organisms.  For more information or to view more of Sara’s work, click here.

R&F is excited to be attending the Third Annual Encaustic Painting Conference at Montserrat College of Art.  With 3 days of vendors, demonstrations, lectures, and over 200 attendees, all will be a buzz.

So stop by our vendor booth and say hello to Darin and Anne.  In addition to special conference prices, there will be special colors: Aquamarine Blue, Stil de Grain and Blood Orange.

R&F President Richard Frumess will be giving a lecture entitled What is Paint?  Instructor Danielle Correia will be demonstrating on Photograhy and Encaustic and Instructor Cynthia Winika will be demonstrating on Paper and Encaustic.

The conference runs Friday June 6th - Sunday June 8th.  This is sure to be the encaustic event of the year so don’t miss out.

R&F is pleased to announce the launch of our new website. Over the last few months, you may have noticed our new logo, new blog posts, and new literature. Our website brings all of these features under one roof along with a new and improved online forum and store.

SHOPPING CART

Our user friendly online store is your one-stop shop for everything Encaustic and Pigment Stick related. Our colors page is a fun way to explore our richly pigmented waxes and oil sticks. We now have brushes and oil paint tools and we will be adding products based on what our customers have requested.

WORKSHOPS

You can now search our workshop schedule based on location of the class, the subject, the instructor, or the date. You will not be able to stop clicking once you start. Explore the diverse range of workshops we teach both here in our Kingston location and regionally through the U.S.

RESOURCE CENTER

This is a brand new section of our site, designed with our customers in mind.

Encaustic and Pigment Stick Resource Center

• Get technical information and instruction on these techniques.

Workshop Resource Center

• Find out specific information about each workshop we offer or get details on a class you are already signed up for.

Artist Resource Center

• Learn what R&F has to offer artists and find information about artists working in Encaustics and Oil Sticks.

Exhibitions

• Discover the many ways in which artists are using Encaustic and Pigment Sticks. Check out the current exhibition in our gallery or the R&F Artist of the Month. Find out what is happening with Encaustic Works, our biennial juried exhibition.

PREVIOUS R&F SITE USERS
If you are a previous user on our site, please click here to read our article on registering. You will be able to keep the same user name and password that you used on our forum and it will now work for the shopping cart and the rest of the site.

EXPLORE
So take a look around the new site. To get all the benefits of our site and community make sure you Create an Account with us. Explore all the Informational Resources, the Exhibitions and the Blog news and remember to share your own information in the Forum. When you are ready to try some Pigment Sticks or Encaustic Paint don’t forget to check out all of R&F’s Products. Stop back often, as the site grows and changes, you wouldn’t want to miss anything.
Share and Enjoy!

Joanne Mattera is well known for having authored the popular book: The Art of Encaustic Painting: Contemporary Expressions in the Ancient Medium of Pigmented Wax. She also keeps an informative blog that addresses many of the issues contemporary artists face today. In her ongoing series, “Marketing Mondays” she deals with the business (career) side of being an artist. Her blog caught my attention this Monday when she chose to write about pie. Of course, the pie she is referring to represents an artist’s time. If you find yourself juggling multiple tasks and have been wishing you had more time in the studio, it will be worth checking out - you may get some valuable tips on how to slice your pie more effectively while also coming to terms with the slices you have to give away.