Cold Wax Workshop in Tuscany in 2017: Special Offer

I'm so excited to announce here that my dream workshop in Italy next year is definitely a go!  

WATCH THE ABOVE VIDEO TO SEE WHERE YOU CAN BE AND WHAT YOU CAN MAKE WITH ME NEXT YEAR IN BEAUTIFUL AND INSPIRING TUSCANY!

MARK-MAKING AND MEMORIES

SEPT 15-25, 2017 CONTIGNANO, ITALY

JOIN ME IN MAGICAL CONTIGNANO, TUSCANY FOR AN EXCITING WORKSHOP IN MY FAVORITE MEDIUM EVER! YOU’LL HAVE AN AMAZING TRIP, CREATING UNIQUE ART WORKS AND TOURING TUSCANY’S GORGEOUS HILL TOWNS. YOU’LL USE YOUR FAVORITE SHAPES, COLORS, AND MARKS TO CREATE STUNNING AND ATMOSPHERIC PIECES THAT EXPRESS YOUR DEEPEST SELF. YOU WILL EXPLORE USING DESIGNS AND DOODLES THAT HAVE BEEN PART OF YOU FOR MANY YEARS ANMIX COLORS THAT EVOKE THE PLACES YOU HAVE FELT MOST AT HOME.

YOU’LL LEARN MORE ABOUT YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS AND YOU’LL LEAVE THE WORKSHOP AS A CONFIDENT OIL AND COLD WAX PAINTER. YOU’LL ALSO LEAVE WITH A LOT OF AMAZING AND BEAUTIFUL PIECES!

CREATING ABSTRACT ART WITH OIL PAINT AND COLD WAX MEDIUM INVOLVES TAKING A JOURNEY INTO YOURSELF AND YOUR WORLD -WITHOUT A MAP. THE PROCESS IS INTUITIVE, BOLD AND FULL OF DISCOVERY. YOUR PIECES WILL TAKE ON LIVES OF THEIR OWN THROUGH THE MANY LAYERS OF OIL AND COLD WAX YOU APPLY, ADDITION OF MIXED MEDIA ELEMENTS, AND THE AREAS YOU CHOOSE TO SCRAPE AWAY.

THERE ARE MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR HAPPY ACCIDENTS AND UNEXPECTED JOYS. EACH OIL AND COLD WAX PIECE IS A RESULT OF A MOMENT IN TIME AND SPACE WHERE ELEMENTS CONVERGE IN A ONE-TIME- ONLY WAY.

I’LL SHOW YOU LOTS OF TECHNIQUES FOR ADDING LAYERS, TEXTURES, GRAPHIC TOUCHES AND ATMOSPHERE TO YOUR WORK. I LET YOU IN ON THE QUALITIES UNIQUE TO OIL AND COLD WAX. I ENCOURAGE YOU TO MIX AND MATCH TECHNIQUES IN YOUR OWN WAY AND TO DEVELOP YOUR OWN STYLE.

YOU’LL LEARN SEVERAL WAYS TO PREPARE YOUR WOOD SUPPORTS AND WE’LL ALSO PLAY WITH ARCHES OIL PAPER, WHICH NEEDS NO PREPARATION BEFORE YOU DIVE IN WITH PAINT AND WAX. YOU’LL LEARN HOW TO USE ORDINARY HOUSEHOLD TOOLS TO INCISE AND MAKE MARKS, HOW TO SCRAPE BACK FOR A DRAMATIC LOOK, AND HOW TO UNIFY YOUR COMPOSITIONS. YOU’LL LEARN HOW ADDING PERSONAL MARKS WITH OIL BARS AND OIL PASTELS ENHANCES YOUR PIECES.

WE’LL ALSO COVER ADDING COLLAGE, SAND, PLASTER, MARBLE DUST, AND COLLAGE ELEMENTS TO YOUR PIECES. YOU’LL LEARN HOW TO USE SOLVENTS TO ADD UNUSUAL AND UNEXPECTED EFFECTS. WE’LL EXPLORE THE CREATIVE PROCESS AND WAYS TO GET YOUR CREATIVITY FLOWING. YOU’LL BE ABLE TO TAKE INSPIRATION PHOTOS ON OUR VISITS TO NEARBY TOWNS AND TRANSLATE THEM INTO ABSTRACT WORKS THAT EVOKE ALL THAT YOU EXPERIENCE ON THIS ITALIAN ADVENTURE.

SPECIAL OFFER!

REGISTER AND PAY IN FULL BY 9/20/16 AND RECEIVE A SIGNIFICANT TUITION DISCOUNT! FOR MORE INFORMATION ON OUR VILLA WHERE WE'LL WORK AND PLAY AND TO REGISTER VISIT OUR HOST LISA'S SITE.

Ceracolors Class at Artiscape: A New Kind of Wax

The third class I taught at Artiscape* was "Ceracolors Still Lifes." Ceracolors are water-soluble wax paints--don't ask me how this is possible, but it is, and it's great! I seem to have photographed only a portion of the pieces created in this very fun class, but the images posted here will give you an idea of the variety of effects you can get with this paint. 

*See my Artiscape collage class information and photos on my other blog.

Ceracolors can be used with water, like gouache or watercolor, or mixed with Ceracolors fluid and gel mediums. Several students have told me they are going to continue in this medium after class. In class we used this paint on paper and on panel. Amazingly, the birch panels didn't have to be gessoed before painting! 

Creating Oil and Cold Wax Pieces in 5 Hours

Putting down the first layers

I recently returned from teaching at Artiscape, an amazing retreat organized by European Papers. I had so much fun at this retreat in Dublin, Ohio. 

The format of the retreat is to have shorter classes with a five hour maximum. Did I dare have just five hours to teach oil/cold wax painting? Well, I've gotten more daring the older I get, so I went for it and it worked out. Students quickly got it that they needed to work on a whole bunch of pieces at once. They worked on Arches oil paper and stone paper and they learned how to use a solvent to create a looser paint film while still retaining the cold wax look. 

Students also made good use of the techniques of incising into a wet or partially dry paint layer and of scraping back paint with a pottery tool to reveal previous layers. The shiny areas you'll see in some of the pieces were made by adhering Mona Lisa Simple Leaf onto the support using the cold wax as a glue. Some of the pieces incorporate collage, using a variety of lightweight papers.

I didn't do so well at photographing the work, unfortunately. I've made heavy use of the "unsharp mask" filter in many of the images, and there's my shadow quite visible in most pictures. Still, I hope you can get an idea of the boldness and gusto of the class participants!

  One of the best parts of the class is when we tear off the frog tape masking the edges of the painting. (See above and below.)

Here's some bold abandon!

It's important to comb your painting!

Okay, I'm realizing how long this post is going to be. But it's almost all pictures, so keep scrollin' and enjoy the variety of joyous work.

Yes, Virginia, you can add rubber stamping to your piece.