I have received so many emails and questions asking about my encaustic studio set-up and the equipment in it, I decided to write a post about it so it’s all right here for everyone to reference.
Happy New Year! A little late, but better late than never.
The past few years have brought about many changes in everyone’s lives and as evidenced by the amount of questions I have received on the subject, it seems that many are relocating, downsizing and/or updating their encaustic studio spaces. I have received so many emails and questions asking about my personal encaustic studio set-up and the equipment in it, I decided to write a post about it so it’s all right here for everyone to reference.
My studio space is a little over 300 square feet and about a third of it is devoted to encaustic and cold wax, so a lot of magic happens in a very small space. I have never boasted a fancy space, you’ll not see me in a pristine Instagram photoshoot making paintings while donned in roller skates and a bikini-I’m a real person, making real art in a real studio, down and dirty. So if you’re here to look at an amazing studio space, this ain’t the place to do that. I’m here to show you that you don’t need anything especially fancy, large or expensive in order to make good art.
It seems that many artists have been inquiring about downsizing rather than upgrading and my studio is definitely a downsize from most, so I think this article will be helpful. For space organization and equipment ideas, see the images below as well as a list with purchase links. If you see something in the photos that I don’t list, please email me or leave a comment. Everything listed below can be purchased at my Everything Encaustic Amazon Store unless otherwise noted.
Studio Furniture & Design
Tables Ikea is a wonderful place, as you all know. The table in front of the window is similar to this one and I really love the shelf at the bottom, plus the table itself is adjustable. The table to the left is from Amazon and is your basic, sturdy, good quality table. I also highly recommend stainless steel tables which can just be heated and wiped when wax drips, plus you don’t have to spend extra money on silicone sheets to cover the tabletop.
Electricity If you’re lucky enough to be upgrading your electricity, install 200 amp service on 2 or more separate circuits around the room.
Chair Basic tall desk chair if you prefer to sit..make sure it’s adjustable. I prefer a chair without arms because they just get in the way.
Mats Better for your back than sitting is to stand at a tall table, but make sure you have good cushioning under your feet. These mats are a great value and your feet and lower back will thank you years from now. My studio assistant kitties love to sharpen their claws on them, so unless you want holes in yours, keep them away from your furry friends.
Paint Storage I recommend storing your paints in drawers to keep them dust free-so the dust doesn’t get in your paintings, of course. I wish I could share where to purchase my paint storage cabinet, but I’m not sure where to buy one.. I purchased it used from Craigslist-it’s very old, very heavy and exactly what I needed when I was shopping. Try Facebook Marketplace in addition to Craigslist, I find amazing deals from locals in my neighborhood on there.
Studio Encaustic Equipment
Roland Hot BoxUse for encaustic monoprints. This is available from Vent a Fume and the link will take you to their very comprehensive information page. I have the double size box and it’s sufficient for many things. I know many people who have the single and wish they had a double size, but you’ll have to make that decision based on the size of work you’re comfortable making. R&F has encaustic monoprint classes and everyone gets a hotbox to try, so maybe you should take a class first to figure out what size you like.
Vent a Fume portable ventilation system that can be installed via casement window in basement or through wall. Consult Vent a Fume initially for advice and HVAC to install. If you have a window, these window exhaust fans are an excellent supplement to the VAF. Make sure any fresh air ventilation is in front of you-meaning the fumes are being pulled away from you as you stand at the encaustic work table.
Extra Large Pancake Griddle I can’t tell you how many people ask me about my griddle! It’s much larger than your basic pancake griddle and allows much more room for paint mixing.
Small Electric Skillet I like to keep my medium separate from my colors so this little 7×7 inch skillet is perfect.
Paint Pans I use these disposable mini bread pans for my medium and bulk colors and these cupcake pans for smaller amounts of color-I like that they are extremely economical and I can easily form them into a spout for pouring. Just a note that R&F does not recommend aluminum pans for paints as they can sometimes discolor them. When I taught with Dietlind Vander Schaaf last summer she had these extra large paint pans for medium and I’ve actually started to collect them in my studio as well.
Embossing Heat Tool I prefer these tools to larger heat guns-I can turn them on/off with one hand, they’re much lighter and they take up less room. They don’t get as hot as the larger ones, but they work just fine for encaustic purposes.
Silicone SheetsI used paper for years to cover my work surface and absolutely hated changing it. Silicone baking sheets are so easy to clean and pay for themselves as they rarely need to be replaced. I have smaller sheets, but now you can get a larger silicone mat here.
Irons For collage and small paintings, I use the Clover Mini Iron and the Dritz Petite Press. The Petite Press goes in and out of a favor on Amazon, so if it’s not available there, search it on Google. These are my go-to irons and are also available at Joanne’s, Walmart and Michaels. For larger areas and larger paintings, I use the Hangar 9 Sealing Iron.
Hake BrushesMost encaustic painters use these goat’s hair brushes and they are available in a wide range of sizes, quality and prices at Michaels and other art supply stores as well as my Amazon Encaustic Store. I would recommend starting out with .5 inch, 1 inch, 1.5, 2, 2.5. Any larger than that is too big and not necessary. Also good to have around are hogs bristle brushes in those sizes as well as very small sizes. Whatever you purchase, make sure it is a natural hair brush and not a synthetic as these will melt.
Students of all levels are encouraged to participate in this professional development workshop that will focus on the thoughtful creation of art, ways to improve content and how to self critique, while also expressing personal values, beliefs and aesthetic interests.
Great things are done by a series of small things brought together. – Vincent van Gogh
What Finding Your Creative Truth: Artist Professional Development Retreat
When July 25-28, 2022
Monday 7-9pm Orientation Tuesday-Wednesday, 9am-4:00pm Workshop Hours Thursday, 9:00am-2pm Workshop Hours (Scroll down for detailed daily itinerary)
Limited to 12 participants! Level: All Levels $1500 includes accommodations** (See the list of available rooms below), breakfast and lunch and most workshop materials (see supply list below)
Not Interested in Railroad Inn Accommodations, breakfast or lunch? $1000 includes workshop fee and most materials (see supply list below)
Registration Instructions if staying at Railroad House: 1. See the list below for available rooms and brief description of each. You can get a sense of the rooms by viewing the images below or visiting the Railroad House Website. DO NOT book the room from the Railroad House website!!! 2. Contact Lorraine via email lorraineglessnerstudio@gmail.com with the number of the room you’d like to book and for payment details.
Available Rooms at Railroad House as of December 22, 2021 *NOTE* All rooms include a private bath and TV unless otherwise noted.
Room #3: Queen bed
Room #4: King bed/balcony
Room #5: King bed/mini fridge/ largest room
Room #7: Queen bed
Room #8: Queen bed
Room #9: Queen bed
Room #10: King bed
Room #11: King bed
Room #12/Suite: Shared Room…King bed with 2nd roll-in bed, bathtub and mini fridge. No TV. *NOTE* Because this room is double occupancy, two participants who choose this room will pay $1350 total for the workshop.
Payment Payment of 50% of the workshop fee + materials + accommodations ($750 if paying via check or Venmo, $777 if paying via Paypal) is due at the time of registration with the remaining 50% ($750) due approximately 6 weeks before the workshop date. Please contact Lorraine for payment details.
Create, reflect, rejuvenate and connect with other artists in an inspiring atmosphere full of history and nature. Students of all levels are encouraged to participate in this professional development workshop that will focus on the thoughtful creation of art, ways to improve content and how to self critique, while also expressing personal values, beliefs and aesthetic interests. Daily walks led by the instructors explore the natural beauty of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and the Susquehanna River and provide inspiration for expressive mark-making, journaling and meditation in situ as well as subsequent mixed media studio experimentation to further your practice. Daily readings, writing prompts and group discussions encourage self reflection and help identify and conceptually develop your ideas. Participants are invited to expand upon a current body of work or begin a new series based on techniques learned in the workshop. Optional individual critiques with both instructors is offered to all participants.
**Please note that participants should be prepared to spend time outside as well as in the studio. Any participant unable to take part in the outdoor activities are welcome to opt out and alternative indoor creative exercises will be provided.
DetailedWorkshop Itinerary
Monday 6-8pm Orientation Introductions, Overview of the retreat. Wine/snacks by the fire pit in the courtyard of the RailRoad House Inn. Brief discussion about finding your artistic voice.
Tuesday Breakfast 7-8am, Lunch 11-12, Dinner on your own 9-4:00 Workshop Brief writing discussion and presentation of Art Inspired by Nature. Walk along the Susquehanna River and/or carpool to Chickie’s Rock. Sketchbook activity, journaling by the water exploring water as subject matter. After lunch, we will return to the studio to expand on the morning sketches and written exercises to explore your personal relationship with nature. Evening reading and writing prompts to organize your thoughts.
Wednesday Breakfast 7-8am, Lunch 11-12, 7:00pm Dinner on your own or Optional Group Dinner 9-4:00 Workshop Morning journaling in courtyard, reading discussion and discussion of Art Inspirations from Environment, Objects & Architecture. Walks around Marietta to take photos, work in sketchbooks, develop ideas. After lunch studio exploration works on paper, journaling and individual talks with both instructors. Evening reading and writing prompts to organize your thoughts.
Thursday Breakfast 7-8am, Lunch 11-12 9-2:00 Workshop After morning discussion, we will continue with uninterrupted work time to further explore new ideas and relate them to current ideas, develop conceptual ideas, read, write, walk by the river and informally discuss your progress with both instructors. After lunch we will have a show and tell discussion of the work created this week, share inspiration images and journal writings.
What
Else?
Color relationships, composition, application, content, proportion, scale as an effective foundation for other painterly information.
Mark-making exercises geared toward making simple or complex marks to generate a personal language.
The option of an Individual Consultation/Critique discussion with each instructor. Bring a piece of work, a question, a concern, a problem and discuss it with Terri and Lorraine.
Some guided meditation time and planned hikes will relax and open your mind and spirit to the land, helping to support and nurture your unique creative voice.
A slide talk with examples of contemporary artists whose work applies the ideas and concepts discussed in the workshop is offered for inspiration.
Lots of open studio time to explore and interpret the inspiration gained from the meditations and hikes. Work on a current body of work or start a new project.
SCROLL DOWN TO THE END OF THIS POST TO SEE Images of student work and fun scenes from encaustic retreats at Lareau Farm Inn in 2021, student work and images from other workshops taught by Terri and Lorraine. For more images of past Artist Retreats co-taught by Lorraine visit here, here and here. Additional blog posts related to artist retreats co-taught by Lorraine are here, here and here..
Images of Historic Railroad House Inn& Marietta For more images and information visit the Railroad House website.
About Terri Yacovelli
http://www.terriyacovelli.com/ Instagram @tyacovelli Terri Yacovelli holds a MLA from McDaniel College and a BSE from Millersville University. As a long time Adjunct Professor of Art at York College of Pennsylvania and studio art teacher, she has had the opportunity to share her love of art and art history with a diverse group of students. Her explorations with textured surfaces in mixed media led her to the exciting world of encaustic painting. Terri’s art embodies the inherent abstract characteristics in which an interplay of shape, texture, color and line quality explore physical and spiritual journeys. Additionally, her appreciation for the natural world enlivens her art with a relatable experience for the viewer. Her work has been exhibited locally and regionally in galleries and juried exhibitions. She is a recent recipient of a Professional Development Grant from the Cultural Alliance of York and received an Award of Distinction from the 2021 YorkFest Juried Art Exhibition.
About Lorraine Glessner
lorraineglessner.net Instagram @lorraineglessner1 Lorraine Glessner’s love of surface, pattern, markmaking, image and landscape has led her to combine disparate materials and processes such as silk, wood, wax, pyrography, rust, paper and more in her work. Lorraine is a former Assistant Professor at Tyler School of Art, Temple University, a workshop instructor and an award-winning artist. She holds an MFA from Tyler School of Art, Temple University, a BS from Philadelphia University, and an AAS in Computer Graphics from Moore College of Art & Design. She has a diverse art background with skills that include painting, sculpture, graphic design, interior design, textile design, photography, digital imaging and much more. Among her most recent professional achievements is a Second Place award in Sculpture from Art of the State at the State Museum in Harrisburg, PA, a recently completed artist residency at Jentel Foundation and an acquisition by Kelsey-Seybold Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. Lorraine’s work is included in the recently released Encaustic Art in the 21st Century by Ashley Rooney and Nuance, a curated book by artist, Michelle Stuart. Lorraine frequently lectures and participates on academic panels at various Conferences including The International Encaustic Conference, SECAC and The College Art Association Annual Conference. Her work is exhibited locally and nationally in galleries, museums, craft centers, schools, libraries, universities, and more. Like her work, Lorraine brings to her teaching a strong interdisciplinary approach, mixed with a balance of concept, process, history, experimentation, problem solving and discovery.
Workshop Supplies & Materials Materials Included: The following list of materials is provided for the student
Paper Towels, Watercups
India Ink
Lyra Water Soluble Graphite Pencils
Charcoal
Some collage papers
Colored Pencils/Markers
Pastel Chalk, Oil Pastels
Extra Brushes
What to bring: the following is a list of materials for the student to bring to the workshop (Visit Lorraine’s Amazon Store for Art Supply/Portable Art Supply Ideas)
Sketchbook/notebook, pencil or pen for note taking
Drawing Pencils, Black Sharpie Marker
Portable watercolor sketchbook (lay flat size 9 x 12, mixed media or watercolor sketchbook, heavy stock to withstand wet media, (Strathmore 300 Mixed Media (117 lb) is an excellent choice)
Watercolor Paint Set, Brushes
1-2 drawing media of your choice (pencil, pastel, conte charcoal, oil pastel, Crayon, graphite, Sharpie felt pen, etc.)
Closed toe shoes for safety in the studio
2-4 actual OR images of your work, digital prints or phone/iPad sharing is fine
materials for collage (fabric, papers, magazine images, photos, etc.)
Cancellation Please note a $100 cancelation processing fee will be deducted from any refund. In the event that you need to cancel your workshop, please notify Lorraine via email. Cancelations made 30 days or more from the workshop start date will be refunded their deposit (minus $100 processing fee). Cancelations made 30 days or less from the workshop start date will be refunded their deposit (minus $100 processing fee) only if the space can be filled. If the space cannot be filled, no refund will be issued.
Images of student work and fun scenes from encaustic retreats at Lareau Farm Inn in 2021, student work and images from other workshops taught by Terri and Lorraine. For more images of past Artist Retreats co-taught by Lorraine visit here, here and here. Additional blog posts related to artist retreats co-taught by Lorraine are here, here and here..
Start the New Year off right by doing what you’ve always wanted to do: learn encaustic painting!
Basically, the Very Basics Encaustic A Live Virtual Zoom Workshop Registrants receive a Zoom link to join the workshop & have access to the recorded session for a limited time following the workshop. Level: Beginner
When January 6, 2022 1:00pm-3:30pm EST *We will take a short break during the session
Price FREE
To Register Just send an email with a request to register
Who For Lorraine’s bio, portfolio, exhibitions, teaching and anything else you might want to know, please visit her web site.
WorkshopDescription
Start the New Year off right by doing what you’ve always wanted to do: learn encaustic painting! This is an extremely comprehensive LIVE Virtual Demonstration jammed packed with everything you need to know to start painting with this inspiring medium. It’s all here, plus some additional advanced techniques for those who may want a bit more. Also…a LIVE Q&A will immediately follow the demonstration.
If you’re ready to take your encaustic painting knowledge to the next level, then this is the workshop for you. Designed for those with some encaustic painting experience, this workshop takes a deeper dive into progressive painting and mixed media encaustic techniques to include color mixing, transparency and opacity, blending and gradations and how to organize layers of color and visual information.
If you could say it with words, there would be no reason to paint. –Edward Hopper
Beyond the Basics Encaustic Painting A Live Virtual Zoom Workshop Registrants will receive a Zoom link to join the workshop & will have access to the recorded sessions for a limited time following the workshop.
Limited to 10 participants! Level: Intermediate to Advanced
When 3 Days-April 5, 7, 12, 2022 1:00pm-3:30pm EST each day *We will take a short break during the session
Price $450 Venmo or Check $466 Paypal
3 Ways to Register 1. *PREFERRED* Venmo: Send to @Lorraine-Glessner 2. Paypal: Send to lorraineglessnerstudio@gmail.com 3. Check (please contact Lorraine for mailing address)
Who For Lorraine’s bio, portfolio, exhibitions, teaching and anything else you might want to know, please visit her web site.
WorkshopDescription
If you’re ready to take your encaustic painting knowledge to the next level, then this is the workshop for you. Designed for those with some encaustic painting experience, this workshop takes a deeper dive into progressive painting and mixed media encaustic techniques to include color mixing, transparency and opacity, blending and gradations and how to organize layers of color and visual information. Organized into three comprehensive segments with time in between for experimenting with the techniques at your leisure, this workshop is designed to offer you the group workshop experience without leaving home. Segment one is focused on encaustic color mixing, translucency, opacity, alternative application techniques and tools. Segment two is an even deeper dive into encaustic painting techniques, layering, blending, gradations and comprehensive scraping and layer manipulation techniques. The third segment is a deep dive into encaustic collage, including seamless placement, application and fusing, image transfer, mixed media and composition. It is helpful, but not necessary to have had any previous experience with the encaustic medium to take this workshop.
You’ve worked in encaustic for a while and have never used its transparency and layering possibilities to full advantage.
You’ve worked in encaustic for a while and have never scraped your layers(!) to reveal the awesomeness underneath.
You want to express yourself in a more meaningful way with your work.
You want to create consistency, a personal voice, your own mark, in your paintings and body of work as a whole.
Your creative process is stagnating and you need to learn a new process, idea or technique.
You love image and collage, but when you embed these elements into encaustic, the collage is blurred, burned or looks clunky.
You love painting with the intensely pigmented color of encaustic and want to learn how to effectively apply it-how to mix color, how and when to use glazes, what brushes and tools to use.
You are frustrated with your current body of work, your process(es) and want to create consistency, and a cohesive portfolio.
You are a semi-beginner to advanced painter (encaustic or other) who often finds their paintings rife with color, paint, collaged, etc. information, but can’t put a finger on what is lacking or how to finish it.
You have great ideas but your compositions are scattered, nothing connects or works together to tell your story.
What happens in this workshop? What will I learn?
Learn tips for getting out of your own way so your painting process flows.
Learn how to apply encaustic paint in layers and in various levels of transparency, as well as how and when to scrape back to reveal exciting forms and patterns within the layers.
Learn how to use the transparency of the wax to allow pattern and information to combine and ‘talk’ within the painting.
How to effectively use the palette for mixing and painting in encaustic.
Learn alternatives to the tools, painting and scraping methods from the ‘usual’ encaustic techniques.
Included in all of my encaustic workshops
Color, composition, application, content-the basics, the intermediate, the advanced.
Using color relationships, proportion, scale as an effective foundation for other painterly information.
Learn how to use encaustic’s strengths (layering, transparency, luminosity) to tell your story.
Group sharing and discussion-always an amazingly helpful time for participants to share their victories and struggles.
A slide talk with examples of contemporary artists whose work applies the concepts discussed in the workshop is offered for inspiration. Some examples of the slides included in the talks for this workshop is just below.
Individual and group instruction/critique throughout the workshop.
SUGGESTED MATERIALS PARTICIPANTS HAVE IN THEIR STUDIO
2-4 wooden painting panels (your preference of 8×8 or 10×10, but no larger or smaller, please) (nothing coated in acrylic or acrylic gesso!!)
3-5 natural hair brushes for encaustic painting (1 smallish-no bigger than 1.5” brush will be designated your medium brush, so it must be free of color.
1lb encaustic medium from any company
Heat gun and/or Iwatani torch
Sketchbook or Drawing paper
Package of razor blades or clay scraper
Any small sharp-ended tool for incising/writing/drawing into the wax (sewing or knitting needles are great)
My 2022 Virtual & In-Person Encaustic Workshop & Retreat Schedule
2022 VIRTUAL ENCAUSTIC WORKSHOPS
BASICALLY THE VERY BASICS ENCAUSTIC Live Zoom Demonstration January 6, 2022, 1:00-3:30PM EST WORKSHOP WEBSITE & REGISTRATION
BEYOND THE BASICS ENCAUSTIC: LAYERS, TRANSLUCENCY & COLLAGE Live Zoom Workshop April 5, 7, 12, 2022 1:00-3:30PM EST WORKSHOP WEBSITE & REGISTRATION
PAINTING WITH FIRE ONLINE ENCAUSTIC WORKSHOPS WITH ESSENCE OF MULRANNY 26 Instructors/52 Lessons for One Low Price of $249 ITS NOT TOO LATE TO SIGN UP AND YOU’LL HAVE FOREVER ACCESS TO THE VIDEOS! CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
ALTERNATIVE METHODS & MATERIALS ENCAUSTIC: EXPLORING LINE 15th International Encaustic Conference June 6-7 Truro Center for Arts at Castle Hill, Truro, MA WORKSHOP WEB SITE & REGISTRATION
EXPLORING LANDSCAPE IN ENCAUSTIC & THE MARK: A VERMONT ARTIST RETREAT W/DIETLIND VANDER SCHAAF So thankful to RF PAINTS for donating their exceptional products to this workshop!! June 20-24 Lareau Inn & Farm, Waitsfield, Vermont WORKSHOP WEB SITE & REGISTRATION
EXPLORING LANDSCAPE THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHY, THE FIGURE & ENCAUSTIC: A VERMONT ARTIST RETREAT W/LEAH MACDONALD So thankful to RF PAINTS for donating their exceptional products to this workshop!! Equally thankful to HAHNEMUHLE PAPERS for partially sponsoring this retreat!!! July 11-15 Lareau Inn & Farm, Waitsfield, Vermont WORKSHOP WEB SITE & REGISTRATION
ABSTRACTING THE LANDSCAPE EN PLEIN AIR WITH ENCAUSTIC: A VERMONT ARTIST RETREAT W/KELLY MILUKAS So thankful to RF PAINTS for donating their exceptional products to this workshop!! August 15-19 Lareau Inn & Farm, Waitsfield, Vermont WORKSHOP WEB SITE & REGISTRATION
MIXED MEDIA ENCAUSTIC: LAYERS & TRANSLUCENCY October 21-23 The Encaustic Center, Richardson, Texas WORKSHOP WEB SITE & REGISTRATION
Using Vermont’s ever-changing light and stunningly diverse landscape as muse, this retreat experience is designed for artists interested in transitioning to an abstract encaustic painting style while also developing a unique creative voice.
Treat nature by the sphere, the cylinder and the cone… Sometimes I imagine colors as if they were living ideas, being of pure reason with which to communicate. Nature is not on the surface, it is deep down. ~Paul Cezanne Image: Kelly Milukas
What Abstracting the Landscape En Plein-Air with Encaustic: A Vermont Artist Retreat
When August 15-19, 2022
Monday 7-9pm Orientation Tuesday-Friday, 9am-4:00pm Workshop Hours Tuesday-Thursday, 6:00-9pm optional night studio hours (Scroll down for detailed daily itinerary)
Where Lareau Farm Inn, Waitsfield, Vermont
Limited to 12 participants! Level: Intermediate to Advanced $1800 includes accommodations** (See the list of available rooms below), breakfast and lunch and most workshop materials (see supply list below)
Not Interested in Lareau Inn Accommodations, breakfast or lunch? $1000 includes workshop fee and most materials (see supply list below)
Registration Instructions if staying at Lareau Inn: 1. Visit the Lareau Inn web site and choose your room. See the list below of available rooms. DO NOT book the room from the Lareau Inn web site!!! 2. Contact Lorraine via email lorraineglessnerstudio@gmail.com with the name of the room you’d like to book and for payment details.
Available Rooms at the Inn as of January 14, 2022
Forgiveness Patience Beauty Love
Additional Accommodations are available at Waitsfield Inn and Featherbed Inn which are within one mile of Lareau Inn. **Please Note Although the workshop continues through Friday, you must check out of Lareau Inn on Friday morning. If you would like to stay in the area Friday evening or beyond, there are many places in the town of Waitsfield and in nearby Stowe.
Payment Payment of 50% of the workshop fee + materials + accommodations ($900 if paying via check or Venmo, $932 if paying via Paypal) is due at the time of registration with the remaining 50% ($900) due approximately 6 weeks before the workshop date. Please contact Lorraine for payment details.
Who A collaborative teaching venture withKelly Milukas & Lorraine Glessner (Scroll down for more about Lorraine and Leah)
Workshop Description Using Vermont’s ever-changing light and stunningly diverse landscape as muse, this retreat experience is designed for artists interested in transitioning to an abstract encaustic painting style while also developing a unique creative voice. Traditional en plein air image gathering techniques are combined with guided studies exploring new ways of seeing and simplifying color, value, texture and form. Outdoor studies are then translated into encaustic paintings using comprehensive translucency, layering and color mixing techniques, which may be combined with collage and/or mixed media to make the abstract landscape your own. Considerations of our body’s connection and its direct relationship to landscape will also be discussed through journaling, readings and expressive mark-making exercises. Optional individual critiques with both instructors will be offered to all participants.
**Please note that participants should be prepared to spend time outside as well as in the studio. Any participant unable to take part in the outdoor activities are welcome to opt out and alternative indoor creative exercises will be provided.
DetailedWorkshop Itinerary
Monday 7-9pm Orientation Meet & Greet Wine and Smores by the Lareau Farm Fire Pit
Tuesday 9-4:00 Workshop, 6:00-9:00pm Optional Night Studio We will start the day en plein air, learning how to select a composition, rough out the values, identify and combine forms within the landscape. Back at the studio a comprehensive discussion and demos of encaustic color mixing, color to value color matching, translucency and layering is the main focus for the afternoon. Lorraine will introduce a series of fun encaustic painting exercises designed to sharpen your encaustic color, application and layering expertise. Kelly and Lorraine will begin conducting personalized individual mentoring sessions.
Wednesday 9-4:00 Workshop, 6:00-9:00pm Optional Night Studio A deeper dive into the plein air image gathering experience to include a more complex visual area, a focus on texture as well as further exploration of synthesizing form, value and layering color to capture mood. Continued color and value matching to amplify or mute your abstract compositions. Later, Lorraine and Kelly will introduce encaustic collage, texture, surface manipulation and mark-making exercises, encouraging students to think creatively, symbolically and intuitively throughout the creative process. Kelly and Lorraine will continue conducting personalized individual mentoring sessions.
Thursday 9-4:00 Workshop, 6:00-9:00pm Optional Night Studio After morning discussion, we will continue with uninterrupted work time to further explore abstracting the landscape using encaustic collage, surface manipulation, translucency, layers and mark-making to build a series that expresses your personal connection to the landscape. Take the rest of the afternoon to experiment with marks, make color studies, ask questions, request informal demos, and continue with individual discussions with Kelly and Lorraine.
Friday 9:00am-1:00pm Workshop Morning work time to complete projects, look at books, journal your thoughts and continued individual mentoring with Lorraine and Kelly. Late morning project show and tell with the group, lunch, clean up and good-byes.
What
Else?
Color relationships, composition, application, content, proportion, scale as an effective foundation for other painterly information.
Learn how to use encaustic’s strengths (layering, transparency, luminosity) to tell your story.
Mark-making exercises geared toward making simple or complex marks to generate a personal language.
The option of an Individual Consultation/Critique discussion with each instructor. Bring a piece of work, a question, a concern, a problem and discuss it with Kelly and Lorraine.
Some guided meditation time and planned hikes will relax and open your mind and spirit to the land, helping to support and nurture your unique creative voice.
A slide talk with examples of contemporary artists whose work applies the ideas and concepts discussed in the workshop is offered for inspiration.
Lots of open studio time to explore and interpret the inspiration gained from the meditations and hikes.
SCROLL DOWN TO THE END OF THIS POST TO SEE Images of student work and fun scenes from encaustic retreats at Lareau Farm Inn in 2021, student work and images from other workshops taught by Kelly and Lorraine. For more images of past Artist Retreats co-taught by Lorraine visit here, here and here. Additional blog posts related to artist retreats co-taught by Lorraine are here, here and here..
About Lareau Farm Inn & Barn Nestled on 25 acres of natural beauty, with the Mad River just steps away as well as trails for walking, hiking, mountain biking, Lareau Farm Inn and Barn is the perfect place to spark and inspire your artist vision. Our workshop studio is in the Historic Dairy Barn on the Lareau property, featuring rough-hewn beams, centuries-old hardwood floors and tons of space in which to create. The rooms at Lareau Inn feature antique furnishings, comfortable beds, and charming baths in a Vermont farmhouse setting with delicious farm to table dining. There is plenty of room to relax and enjoy the view in the common areas including a charming dining room, back porch and backyard fire pit. Visit Lareau Farm InnWeb Site for more images and information.
About Kelly Milukas
http://kellymilukas.com Instagram @kellymilukas Kelly Milukas, professional working and teaching artist, art & science residency collaborator, is an award-winning multi-media artist whose practice began as a sculptor and has expanded her art making include pastel and encaustic painting. Big, bold, brave color, shape and texture, define her broad and diverse subject matter. Her “Keys to Cures” have been exhibited in many venues including the International Encaustic Museum, Sante Fe, NM, her solo exhibitions at the Ronald Reagan International Forum, in Washington, DC, the Museum at Palm Beach Photographic Centre, FL, and the Regenerative Medicine Forum in Berkeley, CA. Her artwork is in national museums, international private and corporate collections, and been visible at international art fairs such as Red Dot Miami, and Boston International Art Fairs. She has served as a curator and juror, and her ability to communicate her ideas has established her as a respected and sought-after instructor and speaker in museums, arts and science forums, universities, and arts organizations. She is a juried artist member of the Salmagundi Club, the founding President Emerita and member of the South Coast Artists, RI & MA, and a past President of the Providence Art Club, the 3 rd oldest art club in the United States founded in 1880.
lorraineglessner.net Instagram @lorraineglessner1 Lorraine Glessner’s love of surface, pattern, markmaking, image and landscape has led her to combine disparate materials and processes such as silk, wood, wax, pyrography, rust, paper and more in her work. Lorraine is a former Assistant Professor at Tyler School of Art, Temple University, a workshop instructor and an award-winning artist. She holds an MFA from Tyler School of Art, Temple University, a BS from Philadelphia University, and an AAS in Computer Graphics from Moore College of Art & Design. She has a diverse art background with skills that include painting, sculpture, graphic design, interior design, textile design, photography, digital imaging and much more. Among her most recent professional achievements is a Second Place award in Sculpture from Art of the State at the State Museum in Harrisburg, PA, a recently completed artist residency at Jentel Foundation and an acquisition by Kelsey-Seybold Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. Lorraine’s work is included in the recently released Encaustic Art in the 21st Century by Ashley Rooney and Nuance, a curated book by artist, Michelle Stuart. Lorraine frequently lectures and participates on academic panels at various Conferences including The International Encaustic Conference, SECAC and The College Art Association Annual Conference. Her work is exhibited locally and nationally in galleries, museums, craft centers, schools, libraries, universities, and more. Like her work, Lorraine brings to her teaching a strong interdisciplinary approach, mixed with a balance of concept, process, history, experimentation, problem solving and discovery.
Materials Included: The following list of materials is provided for the student
All encaustic paints, encaustic medium, tools and equipment
a variety of pigment sticks
Sumi ink & other misc. drawing media
Misc. drawing papers
Paper towels/rags
Extra encaustic brushes
Stencils and other textures
Misc. collage materials
Extra rice/printing papers for encaustic monoprint
What to bring: the following is a list of materials for the student to bring to the workshop (Visit Lorraine’s Amazon Store for Art Supply/Portable Art Supply Ideas)
Sketchbook/notebook, pencil or pen for note taking (you need this sketchbook only in the case that like your notes separate from your sketches)
Portable watercolor sketchbook (lay flat size 9 x 12, mixed media or watercolor sketchbook, heavy stock to withstand wet media, encaustic sketching and color matching, Strathmore 300 Mixed Media (117 lb) is an excellent choice)
1-2 drawing media of your choice (pencil, pastel, conte charcoal, oil pastel, Crayon, graphite, Sharpie felt pen, etc.)
Tombow 56171 Dual Brush Pen Art Markers, Grayscale, 10-Pack. Blendable, Brush and Fine Tip Markers
Portable gouache or watercolor drawing media of your choice for plein air (make sure you have black watercolor and/or black and white gouache)
Color Wheel The Artist’s View Catcher
Water brush (1/2 to 1 inch flats to paint simple shapes)
Low tack masking tape
Absorbent papers for encaustic monoprinting (rice, masa, other printing papers)
Closed toe shoes for safety in the studio
4-6 wooden painting panels (your preference of 8×8 or 10×10, but no larger or smaller, please) Other suggested substrates are: masonite (coated with encaustic gesso), Ampersand Encausticbord, MultiMedia Art Board. If you decide to bring something other than what is suggested here, it must be rigid and not coated in acrylic or acrylic gesso!!
2-4 actual OR images of your work, digital prints or phone/iPad sharing is fine
5-7 hake or hog’s bristle natural hair brushes in 1-2 inch sizes for encaustic painting (1 brush will be designated your medium brush, so it must be free of color if you are bringing used brushes)
materials for collage (fabric, papers, magazine images, photos, etc.)
Optional Materials Smock, any encaustic paint color or pigment stick color you favor, Iwatani torch with extra butane, any tool or material for any technique that you normally employ while working with encaustic, textured objects and/or sharp ended tool for pressing into/incising/writing/drawing into wax, flat edge catalyst wedge for mixing color palettes, 1-2 inspiring books to share with the class.
Cancellation Please note a $100 cancelation processing fee will be deducted from any refund. In the event that you need to cancel your workshop, please notify Lorraine via email. Cancelations made 30 days or more from the workshop start date will be refunded their deposit (minus $100 processing fee). Cancelations made 30 days or less from the workshop start date will be refunded their deposit (minus $100 processing fee) only if the space can be filled. If the space cannot be filled, no refund will be issued.
Workshop Image Gallery Images of student work and fun scenes from encaustic retreats at Lareau Farm Inn in 2021, student work and images from other workshops taught by Kelly and Lorraine. For more images of past Artist Retreats co-taught by Lorraine visit here, here and here. Additional blog posts related to artist retreats co-taught by Lorraine are here, here and here.. Image Credit: Kelly Milukas & Lorraine Glessner
Explore the photographic possibilities of a live model within the rugged natural beauty of Vermont. Along with daily journaling, meditation, readings and expressive mark-making exercises, hikes and photo shoots will provide the inspiration for which to develop ideas and provide areas of focus for series based work while also developing your personal artistic voice.
I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.
-Robert Frost Image: Leah MacDonald
So grateful to Hahnemuhle Papers for partially sponsoring this workshop!
So grateful to R&F Paints for partially sponsoring this workshop!!!
What Exploring Landscape Through Photography, The Figure & Encaustic: An Artist Retreat
When July 11-15, 2022 (Scroll down for detailed daily itinerary) Monday 7-9pm Orientation Tuesday-Friday, 9am-4:00pm Workshop Hours Tuesday-Thursday, 6:00-9pm optional night studio hours
Where Lareau Farm Inn, Waitsfield, Vermont
Limited to 12 participants! Level: Intermediate to Advanced $1800 includes accommodations** (See the list of available rooms below), breakfast and lunch and most workshop materials (see supply list below)
Not Interested in Lareau Inn Accommodations, breakfast or lunch? $1000 includes workshop fee and most materials (see supply list below)
Registration Instructions if staying at Lareau Inn: 1. Visit the Lareau Inn web site and choose your room. See the list below of available rooms. DO NOT book the room from the Lareau Inn web site!!! 2. Contact Lorraine via email lorraineglessnerstudio@gmail.com with the name of the room you’d like to book and for payment details.
Available Rooms at the Inn as of November, 2021 Respect Compassion Forgiveness Peace Kindness Patience Beauty Gratefulness
Additional Accommodations are available at Waitsfield Inn and Featherbed Inn which are within one mile of Lareau Inn. **Please Note Although the workshop continues through Friday, you must check out of Lareau Inn on Friday morning. If you would like to stay in the area Friday evening or beyond, there are many places in the town of Waitsfield and in nearby Stowe.
Payment Payment of 50% of the workshop fee + materials + accommodations ($900 if paying via check or Venmo, $932 if paying via Paypal) is due at the time of registration with the remaining 50% ($900) due approximately 6 weeks before the workshop date. Please contact Lorraine for payment details.
Workshop Description The mark of nature combined with encaustic painting creates timeless works which reference memory, change and time. Utilizing the natural luminosity, textural and layering possibilities of encaustic, participants will experiment with photographic imagery, collage and marks to depict the spirit and essence of the land. Easy to moderate hike(s) exploring the rugged natural beauty of Vermont are led by Lorraine and Leah, during which students will explore the photographic possibilities of a live model within a landscape environment. Along with daily journaling, meditation, readings and expressive mark-making exercises, these immersive hikes and photo shoots will provide the inspiration for which to develop ideas and provide areas of focus for series based work while also developing your personal artistic voice. Considerations of our body’s connection and it’s direct relationship to landscape will also be discussed. Optional individual critiques with both instructors will be offered to all participants.
DetailedWorkshop Itinerary
Monday 7-9pm Orientation Meet & Greet Wine and Smores by the Lareau Farm Fire Pit
Tuesday 9-4:00 Workshop, 6:00-9:00pm Optional Night Studio The first day of the workshop will be a two-part photo shoot — students will photograph a model in the studio (our “main character”) and then we will go out on an easy hike to photograph on location in the landscape environment. Leah will teach you techniques and tips for working with a model, arranging props, and creating interesting compositions. Students will review their images and have a personalized editing session with Leah and Lorraine to discuss ideas for a visual narrative and select images that will work best in a composition.
Wednesday 9-4:00 Workshop, 6:00-9:00pm Optional Night Studio Leah will discuss and give students tips on the best types of ink jet papers for printing photographs on your home printer. Lorraine and Leah will introduce photo transfer, collage, texture, surface manipulation and mark-making exercises, encouraging students to think creatively, symbolically and intuitively throughout the creative process.
Thursday 9-4:00 Workshop, 6:00-9:00pm Optional Night Studio Lorraine and Leah will continue with photo transfer, collage, texture, surface manipulation and mark-making demos and exercises, encouraging students to develop a personal artistic voice. Leah and Lorraine will be conducting personalized individual mentoring sessions.
Friday 9:00am-1:00pm Workshop Morning work time to complete projects and individual mentoring with Lorraine and Leah, project show and tell with the group, clean up and good-byes.
What
Else?
Color relationships, composition, application, content, proportion, scale as an effective foundation for other painterly information.
Learn how to use encaustic’s strengths (layering, transparency, luminosity) to tell your story.
Mark-making exercises geared toward making simple or complex marks to generate a personal language.
The option of an Individual Consultation/Critique discussion with each instructor. Bring a piece of work, a question, a concern, a problem and discuss it with Leah and Lorraine.
Some guided meditation time and planned hikes will relax and open your mind and spirit to the land, helping to support and nurture your unique creative voice.
A slide talk with examples of contemporary artists whose work applies the ideas and concepts discussed in the workshop is offered for inspiration.
Lots of open studio time to explore and interpret the inspiration gained from the meditations and hikes.
SCROLL DOWN TO THE END OF THIS POST TO SEE Images of student work and fun scenes from this encaustic retreat at Lareau Inn in 2021. For more images of past Artist Retreats co-taught by Lorraine visit here, here and here. Additional blog posts related to artist retreats co-taught by Lorraine are here, here and here..
About Lareau Farm Inn & Barn Nestled on 25 acres of natural beauty, with the Mad River just steps away as well as trails for walking, hiking, mountain biking, Lareau Farm Inn and Barn is the perfect place to spark and inspire your artist vision. Our workshop studio is in the Historic Dairy Barn on the Lareau property, featuring rough-hewn beams, centuries-old hardwood floors and tons of space in which to create. The rooms at Lareau Inn feature antique furnishings, comfortable beds, and charming baths in a Vermont farmhouse setting with delicious farm to table dining. There is plenty of room to relax and enjoy the view in the common areas including a charming dining room, back porch and backyard fire pit. Visit Lareau Farm Inn Web Site for more images and information.
About Leah and Lorraine
About Leah MacDonald https://www.lostlightluv.com/ Instagram @Leahwax1 My work is a dialogue between my imagination, my curiosity, my imperfections and my desires. I express the tales of womanhood, sharing stories through form, color and texture. I am a portrait artist. I primarily photograph women and embellish the photographs with layers of beeswax, colored wax, painting and drawing. Adding wax for texture and color for mood changes the black and white photographs. Wax embellishes and veils my subjects and I draw to decorate and control the image. The ability to layer mediums and constantly change appearance and texture allows me to stray from reality and reach the playground of imagination. I am interested in images from nature and designs that have floral and intricate forms. I have enjoyed a varied career path within the arts. I shoot digital commercial photography and I owned a small company that designed handmade art books and wedding albums. I taught photography for 7 years at the Art Institute of Philadelphia. I am currently the Education Curriculum Director at the Manayunk-Roxborough Art Center. In 2017 I was selected as the recipient of the NewCourtland Fellowship by The Center for Emerging Visual Artists. Now, over twenty years into my career as an artist and art educator, I have taught and exhibited all over the world — from being invited to do a live encaustic painting demonstration on the Martha Stewart show to working in the theater as the scenic director of In My Body: The Musical. My passion is sharing my art and creativity with others. I have taught workshops as large as thirty-five students and as small as one-on-one private sessions — from private workshop retreats in France to teaching groups of elementary students in my backyard studio. I have grown to appreciate teaching all age groups for their unique needs and perspectives.
lorraineglessner.net Instagram @lorraineglessner1 Lorraine Glessner’s love of surface, pattern, markmaking, image and landscape has led her to combine disparate materials and processes such as silk, wood, wax, pyrography, rust, paper and more in her work. Lorraine is a former Assistant Professor at Tyler School of Art, Temple University, a workshop instructor and an award-winning artist. She holds an MFA from Tyler School of Art, Temple University, a BS from Philadelphia University, and an AAS in Computer Graphics from Moore College of Art & Design. She has a diverse art background with skills that include painting, sculpture, graphic design, interior design, textile design, photography, digital imaging and much more. Among her most recent professional achievements is a Second Place award in Sculpture from Art of the State at the State Museum in Harrisburg, PA, a recently completed artist residency at Jentel Foundation and an acquisition by Kelsey-Seybold Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. Lorraine’s work is included in the recently released Encaustic Art in the 21st Century by Ashley Rooney and Nuance, a curated book by artist, Michelle Stuart. Lorraine frequently lectures and participates on academic panels at various Conferences including The International Encaustic Conference, SECAC and The College Art Association Annual Conference. Her work is exhibited locally and nationally in galleries, museums, craft centers, schools, libraries, universities, and more. Like her work, Lorraine brings to her teaching a strong interdisciplinary approach, mixed with a balance of concept, process, history, experimentation, problem solving and discovery.
Materials Included: The following list of materials is provided for the student
All encaustic paints, encaustic medium, tools and equipment
a variety of pigment sticks
Sumi ink & other misc. drawing media
Misc. drawing papers
Paper towels/rags
Extra encaustic brushes
Stencils and other textures
Misc. collage materials
Hahnemuhle photo papers
Printing of images
What
to bring: the following is a list of materials for the student to bring to the
workshop
Sketchbook/notebook, pencil or pen for note taking
1-2 drawing media of your choice (pencil, pastel, conte charcoal, oil pastel, Crayon, graphite, felt pen, etc.)
Closed toe shoes for safety in the studio
6-8 wooden painting panels (your preference of 8×8 or 10×10, but no larger or smaller, please) Other suggested substrates are: masonite (coated with encaustic gesso), Ampersand Encausticbord, MultiMedia Art Board. If you decide to bring something other than what is suggested here, it must be rigid and not coated in acrylic or acrylic gesso!!
2-4 actual OR images of your work, digital prints or phone/iPad sharing is fine
5-7 hake or hog’s bristle natural hair brushes in 1-2 inch sizes for encaustic painting (1 brush will be designated your medium brush, so it must be free of color if you are bringing used brushes)
materials for collage (fabric, papers, magazine images, photos, etc.)
Digital Camera or smart phone or point and shoot camera or DSLR
Laptop with photoshop or another photo editing program (There will be a laptop in the studio if you don’t have your own laptop.)
Scissors
Pva glue
Optional Materials Smock, any encaustic paint color or pigment stick color you favor, Iwatani torch with extra butane, any tool or material for any technique that you normally employ while working with encaustic, textured objects and/or sharp ended tool for pressing into/incising/writing/drawing into wax, 1-2 inspiring books to share with the class.
Cancellation Please note a $100 cancelation processing fee will be deducted from any refund. In the event that you need to cancel your workshop, please notify Lorraine via email. Cancelations made 30 days or more from the workshop start date will be refunded their deposit (minus $100 processing fee). Cancelations made 30 days or less from the workshop start date will be refunded their deposit (minus $100 processing fee) only if the space can be filled. If the space cannot be filled, no refund will be issued.
Workshop Image Gallery Images of student work and fun scenes from this encaustic retreat at Lareau Inn in 2021. Image Credit: Leah MacDonald & Lorraine Glessner
MORE IMAGESImages of student work and fun scenes from artist workshop retreats hosted and taught by Lorraine and workshops taught by Leah. For more images of past Artist Retreats co-taught by Lorraine visit here, here and here and Lorraine’s Workshop Web Site. Additional blog posts related to artist retreats co-taught by Lorraine are here, here and here..
Utilizing the natural luminosity and layering possibilities of encaustic, participants will experiment with materials, drawing and marks to depict the spirit and essence of gorgeous rural Vermont.
Between every two pines there is a doorway to a new world. – John Muir
So thankful to RF Paints for partially sponsoring this Retreat by donating their exceptional products.
THIS RETREAT IS FULL! PLEASE EMAIL LORRAINE TO BE ADDED TO THE WAITLIST!
What Exploring Landscape in Encaustic & The Mark: A Vermont Artist Retreat
When June 20-24, 2022 (Scroll down for detailed daily itinerary) Monday 7-9pm Orientation Tuesday-Friday, 7-8am Yoga, 9am-4:00pm Workshop Hours Tuesday-Thursday, 6:00-9pm optional night studio hours
Limited to 12 participants! Level: Intermediate to Advanced $1800 includes accommodations**(10 rooms available), breakfast and lunch and most workshop materials (see supply list below)
Not Interested in Lareau Inn Accommodations, breakfast or lunch? $1000 includes workshop fee and most materials (see supply list below)
Registration Instructions if staying at Lareau Inn: 1. Visit the Lareau Inn web site and choose your room. See the list below of available rooms. DO NOT book the room from the Lareau Inn web site!!! 2. Contact Lorraine via email lorraineglessnerstudio@gmail.com with the name of the room you’d like to book and for payment details.
Available Rooms at the Inn as of December 2, 2021 THIS RETREAT IS FULL! PLEASE EMAIL LORRAINE TO BE ADDED TO THE WAITLIST!
Additional accommodations are available at Waitsfield Inn and Featherbed Inn which are within one mile of Lareau Inn.
Payment Payment of 50% of the workshop fee + materials + accommodations ($900 if paying via check or Venmo, $932 if paying via Paypal) is due at the time of registration with the remaining 50% ($900) due approximately 6 weeks before the workshop date. Please contact Lorraine for payment details.
**Additional Accommodations Although the workshop continues through Friday, you must check out of Lareau Inn on Friday morning. If you would like to stay in the area Friday evening or beyond, there are many places in the town of Waitsfield and in nearby Stowe.
Workshop Description The mark of nature combined with encaustic painting creates works that reference memory, change, and time. Utilizing the natural luminosity, textural and layering possibilities of encaustic, participants will experiment with innovative materials, drawing and marks to depict the spirit and essence of the land. Easy to moderate hikes exploring the rugged natural beauty of The Mad River Valley are led by Dietlind and Lorraine. Along with daily journaling, meditation, yoga, readings and expressive mark-making exercises, these immersive hikes will provide the inspiration for which to develop ideas and provide areas of focus for series-based work while also developing your personal artistic voice. Considerations of our body’s connection and its direct relationship to landscape will also be discussed. Optional individual critiques with both instructors will be offered to all participants.
SCROLL DOWN TO SEE images of student work and fun scenes from this encaustic retreat in 2021. Additional blog posts related to artist retreats co-taught by Lorraine are here, here and here..
Workshop Itinerary Monday 7-9 pm Orientation Meet & Greet Wine and Smores by the Lareau Farm Fire Pit
Tuesday-Friday 7-8am Optional Morning Yoga taught by Dietlind Dietlind will lead gentle to moderate yoga each morning designed to leave you feeling strong and grounded. Bring your yoga mat. Straps and blocks provided.
Tuesday 9-4:00 Workshop, 6:00-9pm Optional Night Studio We will begin with brief discussion and meditation, settling and experiencing the moment. We will take an easy hike to begin our first day of experiencing the land, discussion of breath/breathing, listening, drawing, journaling collecting inspiration and materials suitable for brush making. Brief brush making demo. After lunch, Lorraine will introduce a mixed media exercise inspired by our morning hike. We will use collected materials from the hike to make marks and generate ideas. Dietlind and Lorraine will also discuss creating optical depth using encaustic layers and the differences between transparent and opaque paint. The rest of the afternoon is devoted to refining this drawing and the sketches from our hike, free painting time and/or more inspiration gathering.
Wednesday 9-4:00 Workshop, 6:00-9pm Optional Night Studio After another easy morning hike, discussion of drawings and findings from the day before and possibilities for further study. Meditation, journaling, discussion of distancing, isolation, effects of pandemic, separation, silence in relationship to the outdoors and how to express these thoughts in marks and paint. Inspiration slide talk of contemporary artists who effectively use line, mark-making and landscape in their work. Optional individual meetings with Lorraine & Dietlind. After lunch, Lorraine and Dietlind will demonstrate encaustic mark making using horsehair as well as introduce other interesting mark making products suitable for encaustic including India ink, colored pencils, pan pastel, oil pastel and graphite. Encaustic monoprint, work on paper demo. We will continue with uninterrupted work time for refining drawings, painting, working toward a series and individual discussions with Lorraine & Dietlind
Thursday 9-4:00 Workshop, 6:00-9pm Optional Night Studio After a brief group meditation (optional), we will continue with inspiration discussion, discussion of the work already produced and the direction each person would like to take toward a paintings series or works on paper series. Encaustic collage demo. Dietlind will also guide participants through a series of written exercises designed to develop each individual’s artistic voice. Continued individual discussions with Lorraine & Dietlind. After a brief afternoon meeting and discussion, we will continue with uninterrupted work time for refining drawings, painting, working toward a series and individual discussions with Lorraine & Dietlind.
Friday 9:00am-1:00pm Workshop After morning meditation (optional) and discussion, we will continue with uninterrupted work time using mark making and encaustic to build a series, experiment with marks, make color studies, ask questions, request informal demos, and continue with individual discussions with Lorraine. For part of the afternoon, we will continue with uninterrupted work time using mark making and encaustic to build a series. Continue working through part of the afternoon, address your concerns one on one with Lorraine & Dietlind, take some time to journal your thoughts and informally discuss your progress.
What Else?
Color relationships, composition, application, content, proportion, scale as an effective foundation for other painterly information.
Learn how to use encaustic’s strengths (layering, transparency, luminosity) to tell your story.
Mark-making exercises geared toward making simple or complex marks to generate a personal language.
The option of an Individual Consultation/Critique discussion with each instructor. Bring a piece of work, a question, a concern, a problem and discuss it with Dietlind and Lorraine.
What’s your work about? Deepening the conversation. Guided writing exercises to help you focus on the meaning of your work and generate content for your artist statement.
Some guided meditation time and planned hikes will relax and open your mind and spirit to the land, helping to support and nurture your unique creative voice.
A slide talk with examples of contemporary artists whose work applies the ideas and concepts discussed in the workshop is offered for inspiration.
Lots of open studio time to explore and interpret the inspiration gained from the meditations and hikes.
About Lareau Farm Inn & Barn Nestled on 25 acres of natural beauty, with the Mad River just steps away as well as trails for walking, hiking, mountain biking, Lareau Farm Inn is the perfect place to spark and inspire your artist vision. Our workshop studio in in the Historic Dairy Barn on the Lareau property, featuring rough-hewn beams, centuries-old hardwood floors and tons of space in which to create. The rooms at Lareau Inn feature antique furnishings, comfortable beds and charming baths in a Vermont farmhouse setting with delicious farm to table dining. There is plenty of room to relax and enjoy the view in the common areas including a charming dining room, back porch and backyard fire pit. See the gallery belwo of Lareau Farm Inn, Barn and surrounding property. Visit Lareau Farm Inn Web Site for more images and information.
About Lorraine & Dietlind
Dietlind Vander Schaaf Dietlind Vander Schaaf’s paintings convey an emotional tone through texture and pattern and use mark making as a way to communicate what she finds most lovely, haunting, and curious about the human condition. Her work references teachings from Zen Buddhism, Christian mysticism, the poetic traditions, and contemplative practices including yoga and meditation. Dietlind holds an MFA from the University of San Francisco and an MA from the University of Southern Maine. Her work has been described as “the transformation of disparate objects into elegantly simple compositions of pattern and grace” (Artscope). She has exhibited at the Cape Cod Museum of Art, Conrad Wilde Gallery, The Fuller Craft Museum, and On Center Gallery, among others, and been featured in Maine Home + Design, Decor Maine, and Downeast magazines. Dietlind is a Core Instructor for R&F Handmade Paints, an Ampersand Ambassador, and the former president of New England Wax. An annual presenter at the International Encaustic Conference, Dietlind has taught workshops throughout the country, including Haystack, Castle Hill, Snow Farm, Penland, Arrowmont, Maine College of Art, R&F, and internationally at Zijdelings in The Netherlands. She is the recipient of grants from the Maine Arts Commission and International Encaustic Artists, as well as a Tending Space Artist Fellowship from the Hemera Foundation.
lorraineglessner.net Lorraine Glessner’s love of surface, pattern, markmaking, image and landscape has led her to combine disparate materials and processes such as silk, wood, wax, pyrography, rust, paper and more in her work. Lorraine is a former Assistant Professor at Tyler School of Art, Temple University, artist mentor, workshop instructor and an award-winning artist. She holds an MFA from Tyler School of Art, Temple University, a BS from Philadelphia University, and an AAS in Computer Graphics from Moore College of Art & Design. She has a diverse art background with skills that include painting, sculpture, graphic design, interior design, textile design, photography, digital imaging and much more. Recent professional achievements include a Grand Prize Award from the show (re)Building, Atlantic Gallery, New York, NY and a recently appointed position as a Tier Artist at R&F Paints. Lorraine’s work is included in many mixed media and encaustic books including, Encaustic Art in the 21st Century by Ashley Rooney and Nuance, a curated book by artist, Michelle Stuart. Lorraine frequently lectures and participates on academic panels at various Conferences including The International Encaustic Conference, SECAC and The College Art Association Annual Conference. Her work is exhibited locally and nationally in galleries, museums, craft centers, schools, libraries, universities, and more. Like her work, Lorraine brings to her teaching a strong interdisciplinary approach, mixed with a balance of concept, process, history, experimentation, problem solving and discovery.
Materials Included: the following list of materials is provided for the student
All encaustic paints, encaustic medium, encaustic gesso, soy wax, tools and equipment
a variety of pigment sticks and blending medium
Sumi ink & other misc. drawing media
Misc. drawing papers
Paper towels/rags
Extra encaustic brushes
What to bring: The following is a list of materials for the student to bring to the workshop
Sketchbook/notebook, pencil or pen for note taking
1-2 drawing media of your choice (pencil, pastel, conte charcoal, oil pastel, Crayon, graphite, felt pen, etc.)
Closed toe shoes for safety in the studio
Lunch and beverage each day (if not purchasing the accommodation plan with Lareau)
6-10 wooden painting panels (your preference of 8×8 or 10×10, but no larger or smaller, please) Other suggested substrates are: masonite (coated with encaustic gesso), Ampersand Encausticbord, matt board, etc. (nothing coated in acrylic or acrylic gesso!!)
2-4 actual OR images of your work, digital prints or phone/iPad sharing is fine
5-10 hake or hog’s bristle natural hair brushes in 1-2 inch sizes for encaustic painting (1 brush will be designated your medium brush, so it must be free of color if you are bringing used brushes)
Absorbent Papers for encaustic mono-printing (rice, Masa, printing papers)
Optional Materials Smock, any encaustic paint color or pigment stick color you favor, iwatani torch with extra butane, any tool or material for any technique that you normally employ while working with encaustic, textured objects and/or sharp ended tool for pressing into/incising/writing/drawing into wax.
Hiking + Yoga Equipment Recommendations
Sturdy hiking shoes/boots
Comfortable clothing
Butt pack or small backpack
Light rainwear
Hat
Water bottle
Digital Camera or smart phone or point and shoot camera or DSLR
Bag for collecting found materials
A yoga mat, eye pillow, and comfortable layered clothing for yoga practice
Cancellation Please note a $100 cancelation processing fee will be deducted from any refund. In the event that you need to cancel your workshop, please notify Lorraine via email. Cancelations made 30 days or more from the workshop start date will be refunded their deposit (minus $100 processing fee). Cancelations made 30 days or less from the workshop start date will be refunded their deposit (minus $100 processing fee) only if the space can be filled. If the space cannot be filled, no refund will be issued.
