Introduction to Encaustic Painting, with Hélène Farrar

Drip, pour, drag, layer, heat, and incise! Investigate the art of encaustic painting in this very hands-on workshop using pigmented wax, and a heated palette! Explore a rich variety of marks and surfaces while doing image transfer, etching, and collaging in this seductive medium.

Take both your flat collections of drawings, collected papers, pictures and incorporate found objects. Class time will be divided between demonstrations, individual work time, and discussion about historical and contemporary practices. We will also touch on proper studio ventilation, wax safety, and how to “finish” artworks in terms of framing and care.

Students will leave with multiple finished pieces and the understanding of proper studio set-up. This class is suitable for ALL levels!

Instructor Bio:

Hélène Farrar has taught and worked in the visual arts for over twenty years while actively exhibiting in commercial, nonprofit and university galleries in New England, New York City, Pennsylvania, Italy, and England. Farrar has a BA in Studio Art from the University of Maine and a Masters of Fine Art Degree in Interdisciplinary Arts from Goddard College in Vermont. Hélène currently owns and operates her own private art school in Maine out of her “Farmhouse” studio, where she holds varied workshops and classes. Her paintings have most recently been accepted into curated exhibits at the at the Maine Jewish Museum, Cape Cod Community College, Fuller Craft Museum, the Saco Museum, the University of New England Art Gallery, and Twiggs Gallery in New Hampshire. Farrar is represented by Archipelago Fine Arts in Rockland, and the Center for Maine Craft in West Gardiner, Maine. Her work as an educator has brought her across New England and further including the Haystack Mountain School or Crafts, the Farnsworth Museum, the International Encaustics Conference and the Sedona Arts Center. Farrar is the President of New England Wax.