Wednesday and Thursday, Oct 25 and 26, 2023, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Investigate the ancient medium of encaustic in this very hands-on workshop, and develop sketches/photographs/ideas about the fall landscape into encaustic paintings. While making choices in how to approach the landscape, students will explore a rich variety of marks, transfer, and stencil techniques. Class time will be divided between demonstrations, individual work time, and discussion about Maine’s strong contemporary and historical connection to the landscape genre. 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.
Hélène Farrar is a contemporary American artist who works primarily in encaustic. Her colorful paintings draw themes from both the natural world and her observations of people, and they have a depth and luminousness achieved through careful attention to texture and surface quality. She considers her work part of a conversation about humanity, beauty, and nature. Farrar’s unique style is playful but also serious. Farrar’s art has been exhibited at galleries around Maine and her What We Carry series was featured in a solo exhibition curated by Nancy Davidson at the Maine Jewish Museum in 2022. Farrar comes from a family of self-taught artists and designers. She was raised in Farmington, Maine, and is influenced by the natural beauty of her home state, as well as her parents’ New York City backgrounds and her travels around the world. She has art degrees from the University of Maine, and Goddard College in Vermont, and she is the president of New England Wax. She lives in Manchester, Maine, with her husband and daughter
Materials note: Starter panels will be provided by the instructor, but students are expected to bring their own panels for finished works or developed drafts. Upon registration, you will receive further details about panel choices, along with a list of additional materials that you are invited to bring to the course.
https://www.farnsworthmuseum.org/event/the-golden-hour-painting-the-warmth-landscape-painting-in-encaustic/2023-10-25/