The 15th International Encaustic Conference
Eliaichi Kimaro, Nine Elephants, 36” x 36”, encaustic, watercolor, oil, cold wax, wood glue, gold leaf, 2018. To learn more about the evolution of this piece and it’s meaning, visit elikimaro.com/2018/10/20/9elephants.
If you have been to the International Encaustic Conference you know what a treat it is. Jam packed with instructors and populated with group shows, a hotel fair, and a vendor room, it is something that attendees look forward to every year. This is a place where ideas are generated and techniques are shared. The 15th International Encaustic Conference will take place this year in Provincetown from June 3 - 5. To give newcomers a better sense of the conference, we invited artist Eliaichi Kimaro to share her experience attending the conference and why she returns.
Photo credit: Jennifer Loomis
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your work?
“Over the past 40 years, I have used writing, music, photography, film, storytelling, and art to explore my personal and family narratives. As a queer, mixed, first generation American (Tanzanian father and Korean mother) - and now as a mother of a teenage daughter - I make art to understand my place in the flow of cultural inheritance and legacy.
After working through my 20s as a crisis counselor with survivors of rape and abuse, I was ready for a change. I spent my 30s making an award-winning documentary film about my family on Mt. Kilimanjaro, A Lot Like You.
My 40s brought travel and opportunities to engage audiences around the world in conversations about how our experiences of gender, race, culture, and trauma shape our sense of identity and belonging. These lectures culminated in my 2016 TEDxSeattle talk, Why the World Needs Your Story. And now, happily, my 50s are bringing a quiet return to home and family life as I spend my days painting in my studio.”
Eliaichi Kimaro, Where I Begin, oil and cold wax on panel, 40” x 30”
What was it like for you to attend the International Encaustic Conference for the first time? I understand you will be returning this year as a presenter.
“Four years ago, I received a scholarship from International Encaustic Artists to attend my first International Encaustic Conference. Coming from Seattle, this financial assistance made attending the conference feasible. I felt ready to expand and deepen my understanding of what encaustic could be.
At the conference, I met mentors and teachers whose books and videos had shown me the way. My only task every day was to show up, be open and curious, and soak up the experience like a sponge. My artist community grew exponentially, becoming truly international. And this conference inspired new avenues of exploration (namely working with oil and cold wax) that fuels my work to this day.
Eliaichi Kimaro, When We Were One, encaustic on panel, 24” x 24”
Because my first conference experience was so creatively nourishing, I made it my goal to return every year. The 2019 Conference felt like a homecoming. Then sadly, the last 2 years were mired by the pandemic. But I am eager to return in 2022 and am honored to have been invited to do a demo on the basics of encaustic.
I was just starting to explore the idea of teaching before the pandemic hit. I do a lot of informal skills sharing and coaching with fellow artists, one on one. Doing this demo at the conference will be a welcome challenge in a friendly environment with fellow artists. Having benefited from the generosity of so many teaching artists, I am excited to have this opportunity to pass on what I have learned.”
To see more of Eliaichi Kimaro’s work, visit elikimaro.com.
Image credit: Wayne Montecalvo
So, what exactly happens at the conference, you ask? Here’s a run down of what will be offered this year.
The conference will kick off on Friday morning with demos by Eliaichi Kimaro “Fundamentals of Getting Started” and Cat Crochett “The Elusive Line,” as well as talks by Sue Stover and Lisa Pressman “Looking Beyond Medium: Common Threads” and Dale Roberts “Abstract and Realism.”
From 12:30 - 1:30pm, you can choose from two different demos, including “Branding: Making Marks with Heat and Fire” with Lorraine Glessner and “Where Wax Meets Prints: Building and Printing with Encaustic” with Elise Wagner. Or opt for a talk “Artists Working with Textiles” with Susan Lasch Krevitt or “Encaustic + Cold Wax = Sensational Synergy” with Lia Rothstein.
Artwork credit: Carol Pelletier
From 1:30 - 2:30pm, Deborah Kapoor will offer a demo “Pleating and Folding Forms” and Laura Moriarty will demo “Suminagashi.” Talks include “The Magic Show” by R&F founder Richard Frumess and “Meeting the Moment: The Power of Abstraction to Address Social Change” with Toby Sisson. A panel discussion from 3:00 - 4:30pm will take place on the subject “Talking on Women Artists” featuring Deborah Dancy, Kara Rooney, and Joanne Mattera, moderated by Cherie Mittenthal.
Artwork credit: Susan Lasch Krevitt
On Saturday morning from 9:30 - 11:30am, artist Michael David will give a keynote presentation on “The Daily Practice of Painting, Faith, Freedom, Courage, and Integrity.”
From 1:00 - 2:30pm, demos will be offered by Pamela Blum “Encaustic Sculptures with Concave and Convex Contours” and Patti Russotti “Image Transfers using Transfer film and Transfierz.” Nancy Natale will present a talk “Material Possibilities” and Patricia Miranda will give a presentation on “Grant & Proposal Writing for Artists.”
Saturday afternoon talks from 3:00 - 4:30pm include “Art and Science” with Kelly Milukas and “Artists Over Fifty” with Joanne Mattera.
On Sunday, following the hotel fair, the conference resumes. From 1:30 - 2:30 pm choose from demos “Mixing Media: Pigment Stick Monotypes and Encaustic” with Debra Claffey or “Drawing Between Layers” with Dietlind Vander Schaaf. Also offered are talks on “Navigating Artist Residencies” with Lynette Haggard and “Creative Mindset: Selling Your Art” with Jodi Reeb.
Artwork credit: Debra Claffey
From 3:00 - 4:00pm, you can choose from demos on “Photo Imagery, Collage & Encaustic” with Wayne Montecalvo or “Paper Lithography using Pigment Sticks on Encaustiflex Monotypes and Encaustic Paintings” with Leslie Giuliani. Or join the panel presentation “Transatlantic Fusion 21” with Donna Hamil Talman, Kay Hartung, Sarah Springer, Bettina Egli, and Ursi Lysser.
To learn more about each presenter, check out castlehill.org/info-blog/presenter-instructor-bios. For more information or to register, visit castlehill.org/15th-international-encaustic-conference.
Artwork credit: Stephanie Hargrave
Image credit: R&F Handmade Paints
In addition to the conference, Castle Hill will be offering a selection of pre and post conference workshops to deepen your learning experience. Some of these will take place online and some will occur on campus.
Online workshops include “Encaustic + Cold Wax Together = Sensational Synergy” with Lia Rothstein, “Encaustic Prints To The Next Level” with David A. Clark, and “The Light Touch - Working with Improvistation, Play, and Chance” with Joanna Kidney.
On Campus workshops include “Adapting Processes: The Fusion of Encaustic & Fabric” with Susan Stover, “Ceramics & Encaustic” with Stephanie Hargrave, and “Abstract & Real: Working Together” with Dale Roberts, as well as many more.
To view a complete list of pre and post conference workshops and to register, visit castlehill.org.
Artwork credit: Susan Stover