Encaustic Workshop

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Today's workshop at R and F Encaustics was a good distraction from my life. I spent a few hours making ornaments (or trying to figure out how) for my upcoming holiday show. I made a set of 5 ornaments which combined hand painted lithographs from 1835 with encaustic on a small wooden rectangle. I still have to drill and add the chain, but this is one of the pieces. They all look pretty cool, and I was pleased with the outcome considering I only had a few hours to figure something out.

If you live in the area, they offer mini-workshops for 40.00 for a class that is 4 hours long, AND you get to use their set up and materials! It is one of the areas best kept secrets. The process is quite complex and hard to control. An over simplification of the process is that you paint with liquid wax onto an absorbant ground, and fuse with heat. You can collage with papers, and do transfers etc., but it is hard to control it and get something good. I have done this workshop several times and do enjoy it. It is a medium that I won't do much of at home as I do not have the venting system that you need to keep the area fume free, and it is a really expensive medium to work in. But it is FUN and the process is amazing, and worth every bit of the 40.00 to do. I usually end up selling a piece or two that I make each time I do the workshop, so it pays for itself.

I have either bad allergies or am getting sick. I feel like crud is choking me and now my chest hurts. I took some cold meds which always make me tired, and I think I am heading to bed early. Sleep never hurts. I am getting out the ole trusty heating pad and putting on the TV and going to the zone. See you all tomrorow! Patti

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