International Workshops: Lyn Kirkland & Julie Ann Wrathall
Artist and teacher Lyn Kirkland at the entrance to her studio. Lyn recently represented R&F in an instruction video for Jackson’s Art, one of the UK’s largest art suppliers.
This week - in keeping with our ongoing international focus - we highlight two UK artists who teach encaustic painting. This might be of interest if you live in the region, are planning a trip to the area and want to tack on a workshop, or even if you are just looking to escape for a moment and travel vicariously. Lyn Kirkland and Julie Ann Wrathall share a bit about their backgrounds and teaching in their own words below.
LYN KIRKLAND
I grew up in the Midlands, about as far away from the coast as you can get in England, and my early artistic inspiration came from the likes of J.M.W Turner, his seascapes in particular. I never imagined that one day I would be living on the Isle of Portland on the Jurassic Coast of Dorset in the UK. I have always painted, sketched, created, but like a lot of us (of a certain vintage) was told when I left school that there were no prospects for artists, so I pursued a career in IT Marketing with IBM (UK).
After my youngest son was diagnosed with leukemia, I needed an outlet to stay sane. I pursued a diploma in Art, Design, and Media at a local college. My study focused on the merging of art and science, which culminated in a 3D wax piece called Chimerism (image above). Using wax was a revelation, a full sensory experience, and got me on the road to painting with encaustic.
The island environment of Portland offers much in the way of inspiration. From the geology and history, fossils, abandoned and working stone quarries (Sir Christopher Wren chose Portland stone to rebuild the City of London after the Great Fire in 1666), to the wild seas, hidden coves and folklore. My current work is focused on the sparse trees on the Island, and was inspired by the work of Regina B. Quinn.
Studio space is at a premium on Portland. I was lucky enough to secure a studio that sits in a courtyard behind an old school. It is home to a ceramicist, jeweler, printmaker, woodcarver, and film-maker. Such a fabulous environment, fizzing with creativity.
I offer one-on-one and small group instruction, and am currently mentoring one of my previous students who obtained Arts Council funding to support her emergence as an encaustic painter.
Last year I took part in a project with New England Wax and the European Encaustic Artists group called Transatlantic Fusing 21. Work from this project will be on view as part of the International Encaustic Conference this year.
Visit lynkirklandart.artweb.com to learn more and find out about upcoming classes.
Artist and instructor Julie Wrathall in her studio.
JULIE ANN WRATHALL
I live in Hertfordshire in the UK, (about 40 minutes NW of London) although I’m currently in the process of moving back to Cornwall, where I grew up. I’m a self taught artist; I drew, painted, and created non-stop as a child. When I became a teenager, art was deemed to be a hobby, and I subsequently worked in office and project management roles. I eventually found my way back in 2011, when I joined an art group that offered me encouragement and direction.
I've been working in the arts full time since 2012. After entering an art competition in September 2011 in which I won a place on a project at Tate Modern, I had the confidence to take my art more seriously. It gave me the push to quit my job and get an art studio.
I started encaustic with the lower heat wax, iron, and paper style, as that's all I'd seen. Then I came across a YouTube video with Patricia Baldwin Seggebruch setting fire to an encaustic panel with shellac on it, which I found exciting. I e-mailed Patricia, who was really helpful, and bought her books. I also attended a portrait master class in London with Lora Murphy in 2016. After a lot of testing and research, I started to introduce the wax and dammar workshops to my studio offerings as well.
I rarely work in other mediums now; I love encaustic too much to move back to pastels, watercolours, or oils, although I enjoy introducing those mediums into my encaustic work in mixed media styles.
I love having students in my studio. Watching the wax melt, helping them find the materials they need, giving them the confidence to go it alone, drinking tea, laughing, and sharing time together makes for a truly exceptional experience.
I have a lot of information on my website www.artyheaven.com. My current workshop offers are either via my online courses or 1-1 sessions over Zoom at this time. I will announce in person workshops once I'm settled in Cornwall.