Meet R&F's Tier Artists: Debra Claffey, Lorraine Glessner, Shelley Jean, Sara Post, & Kelly Williams
In 2020, we formalized our commitment to supporting teachers by launching our Tier Artist Program. A subset of our Core Artist Program, the Tier Artist Program was designed to help instructors make strong local and regional connections, broadening the reach of their teaching, and sharing our materials with their students. Teachers are selected based on their experience providing high quality instruction, region, and area of focus.
Today we are pleased to introduce you to our five Tier Instructors - Debra Claffey in New Hampshire, Lorraine Glessner in Pennsylvania, Shelley Jean in Florida, Sara Post in California, and Kelly Williams in Oregon. We encourage you to check out their offerings and consider taking an online or in person workshop with one of them.
DEBRA CLAFFEY is a visual artist who uses encaustic, oil, and mixed media in her work. The former president of New England Wax, she holds a BFA in Painting from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and Tufts University and an Associate’s Degree in Horticultural Technology from the University of New Hampshire. The recipient of an Artist Entrepreneurial Grant from the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts, Claffey’s work has won several awards, including the Monotype Guild of New England’s Fifth National Monotype Exhibition and the Juror’s Award at Truro Center for the Arts at Castle Hill. debraclaffey.com
DEB specializes in combining printmaking and drawing techniques that use both encaustic and Pigment STick. She OFFERS ONLINE AND IN PERSON WORKSHOPS. CHECK OUT HER UPCOMING CLASSES HERE.
LORRAINE works with a range of materials and often combines an exploration of drawing with being in the natural world. YOU CAN FIND ALL OF HER 2021 workshops and retreats ONLINE HERE.
LORRAINE GLESSNER’s love of surface, pattern, mark making and image has led her to combine disparate materials and processes in her work. Lorraine is a former Assistant Professor at Tyler School of Art, a workshop instructor and an award-winning artist. She has a diverse art background with skills that include painting, sculpture, photography, digital imaging and much more. Lorraine brings to her teaching a strong interdisciplinary approach, mixed with a balance of concept, process, experimentation and discovery. You can follow Lorraine on YouTube and she has a great blog called Art Bite. lorraineglessner.net
SHELLEY JEAN studied at Florida School of the Arts. She graduated from the University of South Florida with a B.S. in Art Education and has taught in the public and private sector for over 30 years. She is the founder and president of Florida Wax, a chapter of International Encaustic Artists. Currently she teaches encaustic painting at the Maitland Museum of Art and History and Art Studios of Cocoa Beach, as well as at her own Secret Place Studio in Orlando, Florida. Shelley Jean leads encaustic retreats annually in Asheville, North Carolina; New Mexico’s Ghost Ranch; Hawthorne, Florida; and Tuscany, Italy. shelleyjean.com
SHELLEY JEAN is an abstract painter and teaches courses specializing in monotype as well. She OFFERS PRIVATE MENTORING, ONLINE AND IN PERSON WORKSHOPS. CHECK OUT HER upcoming classes ON HER WEBSITE.
SARA POST earned her Master’s degree in ceramics and art education from Northern Arizona University. Her ceramics have been exhibited in galleries across the United States, including the American Craft Museum and the Smithsonian, as well as in Canada, Italy and Japan. Post combines printmaking, drawing, and collage with oil and cold wax. Her work was featured in Cold Wax Medium by Rebecca Crowell and Jerry McLaughlin. Sara is represented by Sparrow Gallery in Sacramento, California and Sager-Braudis Gallery in Columbia, Missouri. sarapostart.com
KELLY WILLIAMS’ background in social work influences her art and teaching style. She has received multiple Project Grants from Portland’s Regional Arts and Culture Council to work with disenfranchised populations using art as a healing tool. A presenter at the International Encaustic Artists’ annual retreat, Kelly has taught workshops at Arts & Communication Magnet Academy, and served on the educational committee of Sitka Arts & Ecology Center and the board of Portland Open Studios. She has shown at Portland Center Stage, Portland Center for the Performing Arts, and George Fox University, and is currently represented by J. Pepin Gallery in Portland, OR. kellywilliamsart.com
KELLY is particularly interested in using art as a tool for healing. She OFFERS MENTORING AND PRIVATE LESSONS, AS WELL AS ONLINE AND IN-PERSON WORKSHOPS OUT OF HER STUDIO IN PORTLAND, OR. FIND OUT WHAT’S COMING UP HERE.
Looking for a workshop instructor in your area? Download our Teaching Artist list.
Keep painting.