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Demo Video: Fusing

Fusing is an important part of encaustic painting. Each layer of encaustic must be fused or reheated in order to bond it to the layer below. Paintings that are not properly fused are more vulnerable to cracking or separating. To accompany our newest demo video on fusing, we put together a blog post with step by step instructions and some helpful tips from a few of our Core instructors.

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Fusing is an important part of encaustic painting. Each layer of encaustic must be fused or reheated in order to bond it to the layer below. Paintings that are not properly fused are more vulnerable to cracking or separating. To accompany our newest demo video on fusing, we put together a blog post with step by step instructions and some helpful tips from a few of our Core instructors.

To get started, warm your panel evenly. Move your heat gun back and forth slowly over the surface of your panel. You can test the surface to see how warm it is with the palm of your hand. If it’s not hot enough, continue heating it. Warming you panel before application will make it more absorbent and will help your paint or medium to flow more smoothly.

There are different types of fusing. We recommend that you over fuse your first few layers until they are smooth, paying careful attention to the edges. It is best to eliminate lumps or ridges early as they will continue to accumulate as you work. As you progress in your painting, a quick light fuse may be all you need.

“keep your heat gun or torch an even distance above your painting and move back and forth in a rhythmic fashion. Moving too slowly can cause you to overheat an area, creating a hot spot.”

As you apply layers of encaustic medium or paint to your panel, try not to overlap layers, as this will create ridges. Keep your heat gun or torch an even distance above your painting and move back and forth in a rhythmic fashion. Moving too slowly can cause you to overheat an area, creating a hot spot.

Whether you are fusing with a heat gun or a torch, remember you only need to bond each layer you apply to the immediate layer below. You don’t need to bond the layer you just applied to the many layers beneath it or melt all of your paint down to a liquid so you can see your substrate.

To preserve delicate marks, use a light quick fuse. You should see your paint go from matte to glossy and then back to matte. If you fuse too aggressively, you may see your colors marble.

Enjoy our newest demo video and be sure to check out the tips from our Core Instructors below!

The project recommended in this video came from Caryl St. Ama and was designed for students new to encaustic painting. She has them create a composition that has both a smooth and a textured section, which gives them practice in both heavy and light fusing techniques. “Over fusing can become an issue with some beginning students so we discuss: 1. Very light fusing (almost like “licking”) the painting. Until the surface turns shiny - it doesn’t take much. 2. Over fusing where it will move paint, or a transfer or incised lines around. Knowing how to do both of these will help you create different effects in your painting and also help you to not ruin a painting.”

Leslie Giuliani notes that “new artists tend to over-fuse, since it is a “step” in the process. Let fusing be as sensitive a decision as a brush stroke.” She also points out that “waving your heat gun is not necessary, unless in the service of an effect. Students tend to use a hair blow dryer wagging motion out of habit rather than intention.” Instead of waving your heat gun back and forth, she suggests a methodical, back and forth “plowing the field” approach. Leslie also likes to keep some pieces of thin plywood or mat board handy to “mask” areas shielding an area you don’t want to disturb with the heat gun. She holds the board in my opposite hand. I don’t lay it on my painting, preventing marks or smears.

Julie Snidle compares fusing it to reading a page of a book (in our Western culture). She has students start at the top left and fuse straight across the panel methodically from left to right until they reach the end of the panel in the lower right hand corner. “This way you’re sure you have fused every square inch,” she notes. She also points out that allowing the heat gun (or torch) to extend past the side edges while fusing ensures that the edges don’t get over-fused.

And finally, Lisa Pressman describes fusing as “a way of using a brush. The heat moves the paint.” She suggests students apply encaustic from left to right on a warm surface and then fuse across the brushstrokes for a smooth surface.”

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Toptone and Undertone: Part Two

We return to our toptone and undertone series with three colors known for their expansive range and transparent qualities. Stil de Grain, being a synthetic iron oxide, has a clean top tone, and its undertone is golden yellow. Payne's Grey is a very deep eggplant violet and a good replacement for black, since it will not sully other colors. If you work the color (such as a scumble technique) you can bring out the more neutral grey undertones. Brown Pink has a dark reddish-brown top tone and a fiery pinkish-brown undertone. It's like an intense Burnt Sienna and makes an excellent glaze.

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We return to our toptone and undertone series with three colors known for their expansive range and transparent qualities. Stil de Grain, being a synthetic iron oxide, has a clean top tone, and its undertone is golden yellow. Payne's Grey is a very deep eggplant violet and a good replacement for black, since it will not sully other colors. If you work the color (such as a scumble technique) you can bring out the more neutral grey undertones. Brown Pink has a dark reddish-brown top tone and a fiery pinkish-brown undertone. It's like an intense Burnt Sienna and makes an excellent glaze.

On the left side, you'll find examples showing toptone and undertone together to get a feel for the range you can find in each color. On the right you'll find an example of the undertone of each color separated by itself.

Stil de Grain

Stil de Grain

Payne's Grey

Payne's Grey

Brown Pink

Brown Pink

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Virtual Demo: Encaustic Monotypes with Caryl St. Ama

On August 4th from 1:30 -2:30pm CDT (Central Daylight Time) we will host the 5th of our Summer Virtual Demo series. Join R&F Core Instructor Caryl St. Ama for Encaustic Monotypes: Printmaking Without A Press. Caryl will demonstrate a variety of ways to create monotypes using R&F encaustic paint and the 16” x 16” R&F heated palette. The process involves painting directly onto the palette and “pulling” prints with a variety of papers. Silicone shapers, natural hair brushes, and stencils can be used to add line and texture to the prints. Learn how Caryl overprints and layers monotypes with gelatin plates, as well as embeds prints into encaustic paintings. All levels welcome. There will be time for a Q&A.

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On August 4th from 1:30 -2:30pm CDT (Central Daylight Time) we will host the 5th of our Summer Virtual Demo series. Join R&F Core Instructor Caryl St. Ama for Encaustic Monotypes: Printmaking Without A Press. Caryl will demonstrate a variety of ways to create monotypes using R&F encaustic paint and the 16” x 16” R&F heated palette. The process involves painting directly onto the palette and “pulling” prints with a variety of papers. Silicone shapers, natural hair brushes, and stencils can be used to add line and texture to the prints. Learn how Caryl overprints and layers monotypes with gelatin plates, as well as embeds prints into encaustic paintings. All levels welcome. There will be time for a Q&A.

Please note: If you are not in the Central Daylight Time zone (CDT), you will need to convert your time zone in order to figure out what time the demo is taking place. You can use thetimezoneconverter.com to do so.

Registration is not required. To attend the demo, visit our Virtual Demo page where you will find the Zoom link.

This demo is sponsored by R&F Handmade Paints. R&F is unique color.

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Caryl St. Ama was born and raised in Texas on the Gulf Coast between Houston and Galveston. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Texas State University in San Marcos and her Master of Fine Arts from Claremont Graduate University in Claremont, California. She recently retired after thirty years of teaching on the college level with twenty-seven of those years at Glendale College in Studio Arts. She has exhibited with the Arroyo Arts Collective and the Downtown Arts Development Association, which positions artists to work in non-traditional areas such as the abandoned Lincoln Heights Jail. Recent exhibitions include Dual Gallery, Budapest, Hungary and Chaffey Community Museum of Art, Ontario, CA. Her work was featured in Embracing Encaustic by Linda Robertson.She maintains an art studio in South Pasadena, California and her work is exhibited throughout the U.S. and Europe and included in numerous private collections. carylstama.com

Using R&F Pigment Sticks®

September 10 - 11, Art on 30th, San Diego, CA

Join Los Angeles-based R&F Core Instructor Caryl St. Ama in this special 2-day workshop to dive deeper into working with oil-based Pigment Sticks®. Students will learn about the R&F product line, information for safe handling, helpful studio practices and preparing substrates. The instructor will also demo "direct mark-making" and how to incorporate brayers, stencils, cold wax, mixed media, and more. Artists from all backgrounds will see how this product can enhance their work or start a new direction all together. Participants will learn how to manage drying times, work wet-on-wet; paint with or without solvents, and add a gestural quality to your work without using a brush. To learn more, visit arton30th.com/rf-pigment-sticks.

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Encaustic: Polishing Paintings

Encaustic work can be finished to have a wonderful natural sheen simply by polishing with a soft cloth (microfiber rags and pantyhose work very well) or the palm of your hand. Encaustic naturally has the appearance of a varnished surface, so there really is no need to varnish or seal your painting with additional materials. Using a varnish could also partially dissolve the wax over time so it's best to rely on the natural beauty of wax.

Cynthia Winika, Accidental Mycologist, 20” x 20”, encaustic and mushroom spores, 2006.

Cynthia Winika, Accidental Mycologist, 20” x 20”, encaustic and mushroom spores, 2006.

Encaustic work can be finished to have a wonderful natural sheen simply by polishing with a soft cloth (microfiber rags and pantyhose work very well) or the palm of your hand. Encaustic naturally has the appearance of a varnished surface, so there really is no need to varnish or seal your painting with additional materials. Using a varnish could also partially dissolve the wax over time so it's best to rely on the natural beauty of wax.

It takes around 3-6 months for the damar in an encaustic painting to cure, at this point the painting will hold a buff when polished. We recommend buffing roughly once a year - this will keep the piece looking at its best and make the surface unattractive to dust.

Lay the piece to be polished out flat onto a hard surface. Using a soft rag or the palm of your hand press firmly (but don't press too hard) against the surface of your painting making concentric circles. Continue over the complete surface of your work until you capture the polished sheen you desire. This polishing action will add depth to the colors, refreshing the vitality of your imagery and artwork.

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Toptone and Undertone

This week we'd like to share a few beauty shots of the toptones (also referred to as masstone) and undertones of our color lines. Toptone describes concentrated color where little to no light can get through to reflect off the substrate below. Undertone is how the color appears once it is thinned or extended so light can pass through.

This week we'd like to share a few beauty shots of the toptones (also referred to as masstone) and undertones of our color lines. Toptone describes concentrated color where little to no light can get through to reflect off the substrate below. Undertone is how the color appears once it is thinned or extended so light can pass through.


On the left side, you'll find examples showing toptone and undertone together to get a feel for the range you can find in each color. On the right you'll find an example of the undertone of each color separated by itself.

Ultramarine Blue

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Green Gold

Alizarin Orange

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R&F Encaustic at Penland School of Craft with guest blogger Julie Snidle

May 23 - June 4th, 2021. This two-week block of time had been on my calendar for twelve months as I prepared and anticipated teaching at Penland for the first time. Although Penland was closed for about a year during the pandemic, it continued to offer on-line programming. Then, in May 2021 Penland was thrilled to welcome back its in-person workshops, including the one I was offering in encaustic and mixed media.

This sign was like a big hug after a 2-day drive. Photo credit: Julie Snidle

May 23 - June 4th, 2021. This two-week block of time had been on my calendar for twelve months as I prepared and anticipated teaching at Penland for the first time. Although Penland was closed for about a year during the pandemic, it continued to offer on-line programming. Then, in May 2021 Penland was thrilled to welcome back its in-person workshops, including the one I was offering in encaustic and mixed media.

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Penland School of Craft was established in 1929 and is an international center for craft education located in the mountains of North Carolina about an hour north of Asheville. Renowned for its rich history, Penland offers students the opportunity to engage their hands and mind in a creative community of fellow learners.

I arrived on a Sunday morning and was scheduled to meet my students at 5:00pm that evening. This gave me plenty of time to find my housing quarters and locate my teaching studio. Tom Condon, Penland’s Coordinator for the Painting and Drawing Studio assisted me in setting up the space.

The classroom was magnificent! Spacious, well-ventilated, well-lit and comfortable. Twelve students would typically occupy this space but times were different now. So six students and I found ourselves engaging with each other during a two-week encaustic painting and bonding experience.

When I was approached about teaching at Penland, my first thought was "Yikes! How do I stretch a typical weekend workshop into two full weeks?" With Encaustic and Mixed Media as my focus, the solutions came as I divided the workshop into the topics I wanted to cover and then planned daily demonstrations and exercises to meet those goals.

One obvious difference with a longer workshop was the luxury of more time in the studio. Here students could not only try what they had learned and get comfortable with the materials, but they could also push themselves further. At Penland the studios are open 24-7.

The studio lit up at night while students worked in open studio.

The studio lit up at night while students worked in open studio.

I was a teacher before I was an artist. It's my nature to be organized and anticipate problems before they arise. When teaching a workshop, I try to find a balance between giving students the necessary information they need and the freedom to explore the materials for themselves.

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Upon meeting my students for the first time on Sunday evening I had an exercise for them. Since they had all arrived from different locations, I asked them to visually describe the route they took to get to Penland using only charcoal on paper. These drawings were later used as transfers onto their encaustic paintings.

One day we hiked some of Penland's beautiful nature trails together. With our cameras and/or sketchbooks in hand, we captured inspirational lines, shapes, and colors to take back to our work.

Encaustic was a brand new medium for most of my students. Their backgrounds varied from printmaking and pottery to interior design. The quality of their work was impressive. Juan chose to work in a series based on an antique book that Rosemary brought to class which focused on Pompeii; a paradise lost. MJ used ethereal photography as her muse while Caroline's love of collage and a summer palette created work that everyone wanted to own. Rosemary, who has been to Penland a dozen times before, integrated her beautiful handmade papers into her paintings and Tony's warm personality was captured in everything he created. Dejah sold five of her small pieces to a Penland instructor.

Penland usually offers as many as fourteen different workshops during a session; however things were scaled back by half this summer due to the pandemic. Large group events were done a bit differently. Instead of Show & Tell, all attendees were invited to stroll through the various studios with masks on, to see what others had created on the last evening of our two-week session. The Instructors' Slide Presentations were linked temporarily to YouTube for online viewing.

The food at Penland alone is worth the trip! Fresh, delicious, and with dietary options galore, we enjoyed our meals outdoors under the big white tent. Did I mention the coffee shop?! Or the Penland Art Gallery! There was so much to enjoy and be inspired by.

The painting shown in the photo above was a collaboration that we all worked on for fun and as a memory of our time together.

The painting shown in the photo above was a collaboration that we all worked on for fun and as a memory of our time together.

One of the things I most enjoy about teaching is getting to know my students so that I can cater to their needs and address their particular questions and concerns. I was blessed to have this marvelous group for this special workshop. Ranging in ages from 20 to 74 and coming from Miami and St. Paul and places in between, we all had one thing in common - loving and creating art. We hiked and ate meals together and painted alongside one another long after class had ended. One generous student purchased and donated four additional R&F 16” x 16” heated palettes for future Penland students and teachers to enjoy. These students created a total of 128 paintings in the ten days of our workshop.

I know I've had a successful workshop when students don't want it to end or can't wait to get home and set up their studios. I would like to thank R&F Handmade Paints and Ampersand Art Supply for their generous support. It is an honor and always my pleasure to introduce students to these high quality art materials.

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Tools & Techniques: Taping Panels

To keep your edges clean and crisp, we recommend preparing your panel edges with tape. While it's not a requirement there are some notable benefits to taping your support prior to painting. Alternatively some artists choose to allow the history of their process to move or drip along the edge of their paintings, this can also be quite beautiful and telling of your technique! For the purposes of this newsletter, we will focus on the benefits and "how-to" of taping sections or all of the edges of your artwork.

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To keep your edges clean and crisp, we recommend preparing your panel edges with tape. While it's not a requirement there are some notable benefits to taping your support prior to painting. Alternatively some artists choose to allow the history of their process to move or drip along the edge of their paintings, this can also be quite beautiful and telling of your technique! For the purposes of this newsletter, we will focus on the benefits and "how-to" of taping sections or all of the edges of your artwork.

Blue painters tape is commonly used and is a good option. Depending your surface you may find delicate surface tape, such as FrogTape® to be an even better choice as it is less likely to remove any wood when peeling it off your panel. To keep the sides and back of your painting completely clean, we recommend taping the edges and backs of the panel cradle. After your painting has dried (or cooled when using encaustic) the tape can be removed. When working with encaustic, you may need to lightly heat the edges before removing the tape so the wax won't chip. If you'd like the history of your painting process to be seen on the sides of your panel, it's still a good idea to tape the back of your panel cradle so paint or wax doesn't end up on your walls when hanging.

Another great use for taping your panel is for encaustic pours. You'll find a video demonstrating this process here.

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Virtual Demo: Leslie Giuliani on Printmaking with Encausticflex

Our fourth virtual summer demo is coming up! Join R&F Core Instructor Leslie Giuliani for Printmaking with Encausticflex on Wednesday, June 30 at 1:30 pm Central Time (CT). Leslie will cover a variety of encaustic and Pigment Stick® printmaking techniques that don’t involve a press, including pulling monotypes, as well as working with silicone sheets, gelatin plates, cut foam stamps, cardboard, and Dura-Lar stencils. Encausticflex is a super absorbent microfiber paper that can hold a lot of paint without building surface texture. Learn how to layer and build until something meaningful sparks.

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Our fourth virtual summer demo is coming up! Join R&F Core Instructor Leslie Giuliani for Printmaking with Encausticflex on Wednesday, June 30 at 1:30 pm Central Time (CT). Leslie will cover a variety of encaustic and Pigment Stick® printmaking techniques that don’t involve a press, including pulling monotypes, as well as working with silicone sheets, gelatin plates, cut foam stamps, cardboard, and Dura-Lar stencils. Encausticflex is a super absorbent microfiber paper that can hold a lot of paint without building surface texture. Learn how to layer and build until something meaningful sparks.

Please note: If you are not in the Central Time zone (CT), you will need to convert your timezone in order to figure out what time the demo is taking place. You can use thetimezoneconverter.com to do so.

Registration is not required. To attend the demo, visit our Virtual Demo page where you will find the Zoom link.

This demo is sponsored by R&F Handmade Paints. R&F is unique color.

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Leslie Giuliani’s work combines digital embroidery, hand embroidery, digital textile printing, sewing, collage, and rug hooking in her encaustic and cold wax paintings. She has written for Rug Hooking and Hand/Eye magazines and is the recipient of an Artist Fellowship Grant for Craft from the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism. Her work is included in the Housatonic Museum of Art. She recently exhibited with Roz Chast at Hearst Media Group.

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Leslie has taught for over twenty years. She holds small group and private workshops in her home studio in Weston, Connecticut. She offers personalized critique and mentoring through Zoom and has Encausticflex, Dura-Lar stencils, and other items for sale on her website lesliegiuliani.com and video tutorials on her YouTube channel.


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Introduction to Encaustic Painting & Collage

July 10 - 11 at Guilford Art Center, Guilford, CT

In this two-day workshop students will be introduced to painting and collage using encaustic. Learn how versatile this quickly cooling and re-workable medium is and what it can offer your artistic practice. Day one will focus on materials, tools, and experimentation. Day two will highlight the collage process and material layering techniques.

To learn more about Leslie’s classes, visit lesliegiuliani.com.

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Tools & Techniques: R&F Blending Medium with Drier

This week we'd like to share a helpful technique for working with our R&F Blending Medium with Drier. In addition to aiding with blending and glazing, our Blending Medium with Drier can be used as your initial painting layer to encourage a quicker and more even drying time of oil paintings - including R&F Pigment Sticks®. The goal is to achieve a thin even coat of medium, allowing it to dry overnight in preparation to your painting process. It's a simple and valuable process, and we've included the steps below.

Charles Forsberg, Serra, 36” x 36”, oil on panel.

Charles Forsberg, Serra, 36” x 36”, oil on panel.

This week we'd like to share a helpful technique for working with our R&F Blending Medium with Drier. In addition to aiding with blending and glazing, our Blending Medium with Drier can be used as your initial painting layer to encourage a quicker and more even drying time of oil paintings - including R&F Pigment Sticks®. The goal is to achieve a thin even coat of medium, allowing it to dry overnight in preparation to your painting process. It's a simple and valuable process, and we've included the steps below.

We recommend using our Blending Medium with Drier in a jar for this technique. Using a palette knife or spatula, spread a small amount of blending medium onto your painting surface. This can be done on gessoed panels and canvas, or on sized papers.

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A rag or lint-free paper towel can be used to spread and remove any heavy areas of blending medium. The final layer of Blending Medium should be very thin. For the best results, allow this thin layer to dry overnight before beginning your painting process.

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Virtual Demo: Jeff Hirst on Working Large with Transparent & Opaque Encaustic Paint

The third in our summer series of live virtual demos will take place on June 22 from 1:30 - 2:30 pm Central Time (CT). Join R&F Core Instructor Jeff Hirst for Working Large with Transparent & Opaque Encaustic Paint. Jeff will discuss scaling up with encaustic, playing warm and cool colors against one another, and choosing appropriate tools for approaching a large painting. Learn more about R&F’s line of opaque, transparent, and semi-transparent encaustic paints.

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The third in our summer series of live virtual demos will take place on June 22 from 1:30 - 2:30 pm Central Time (CT). Join R&F Core Instructor Jeff Hirst for Working Large with Transparent & Opaque Encaustic Paint. Jeff will discuss scaling up with encaustic, playing warm and cool colors against one another, and choosing appropriate tools for approaching a large painting. Learn more about R&F’s line of opaque, transparent, and semi-transparent encaustic paints.

Please note: If you are not in the Central Time zone (CT), you will need to convert your timezone in order to figure out what time the demo is taking place. You can use thetimezoneconverter.com to do so.

Registration is not required. To attend the demo, visit our Virtual Demo page where you will find the Zoom link.

This demo is sponsored by R&F Handmade Paints. R&F is unique color.


Jeff Hirst’s work investigates relations between man-made architectural structure and the natural landscape. As his artist statement notes, “questions arise at how these two forces coexist in an urban environment.” He is most interested in the dynamic in a high contrast urban context and the correlation between urban decay and natural beauty (both at the micro and macro level) influences his work. He has exhibited at the Minneapolis Institute of Art; The Holter Museum, Helen, MO; Addington Gallery, Chicago, IL; and Bienal do Douro, Portugal.

Jeff is the owner of Hirst Printmaking and the recipient of both the Minnesota State Arts Board grant and the DCASE City of Chicago Individual Artist grant, as well as a fellowship residency at the Ballinglen Arts Foundation in County Mayo, Ireland. Jeff hosts visiting artists in his Chicago studio, offers private mentoring, and teaches online workshops.


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Screenprinting Onto And Into Encaustic
November 10 - 13, 2021 at Hirst Printmaking Studio

Screenprinting Onto And Into Encaustic is a workshop that covers the unique process of screenprinting pigment sticks, tinted gesso, and screenprinting inks belo, into, and onto encaustic surfaces. A simplified approach towards screenprinting makes this process easy to grasp and unites graphic print elements with painting surfaces and motifs. We will focus on creating images that incorporate multiple printing passes from both fixed screenprinting stations to freeform printing approaches. The class is designed for students who have encaustic experience although no screenprinting experience is necessary.

To learn more, visit jeffreyhirst.com/teaching.

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How to Store Encaustic and Pigment Stick® Artwork

The proper care and storage of encaustic and R&F Pigment Stick® paintings is similar in many ways to the handling of all fine art. For this reason we want to share with you a terrific resource written by the pros in the conservation department at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Image credit: Pamela W. Wallace’s studio.

Image credit: Pamela W. Wallace’s studio.

The proper care and storage of encaustic and R&F Pigment Stick® paintings is similar in many ways to the handling of all fine art. For this reason we want to share with you a terrific resource written by the pros in the conservation department at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

"The Care and Handling of Art Objects: Practices in The Metropolitan Museum of Art".

In this blog post we hope to shed light on the basic factors that can affect and/or damage artwork. We'll support these with considerations specific to the storage of the materials we produce here at R&F Handmade Paints.

Archive at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Archive at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

"Relative Humidity, temperature, and lighting are environmental factors that can have a huge impact on the present and future condition of artwork. Paintings are composite objects that will behave differently and independently from one another when there are pronounced fluctuations or extremes in environmental conditions. For ideal display and storage conditions, relative humidity should be maintained at an optimum of 45-55% and a temperature of 68-72 °F. Paintings should never be hung or stored near any source of heat, including heating vents and radiators."

Temperature considerations are especially true for encaustic paintings, which have a melting temperature of around 150 °F but they may begin to soften slightly with prolonged exposure below this temperature. While it may seem unlikely your house or storage space could reach these temperatures, it is possible (e.g. when sunlight is magnified by glass or during transport). You'll also want to avoid freezing temperatures which can be equally damaging.

"Appropriate lighting is also an important factor in preserving and protecting paintings. High light levels, and particularly the presence of ultraviolet (UV) light—the most damaging part of the spectrum—can encourage the deterioration of a wide variety of materials, including pigments, binding media such as oils and acrylics, and natural and synthetic varnishes."

In addition to preservation, working within these humidity, temperature, and lighting guidelines will help promote the proper drying and curing of Pigment Stick® works. Once cured, the best practice for storing your Pigment Stick® paintings is in ambient lighting, and out of direct sunlight.

Framing Pigment Stick® artwork should be handled in a similar fashion to the framing of oil paintings. Typically they are not framed under glass when on canvas or panel. They can be framed under glass when on paper or a thin or vulnerable support.

When framing an encaustic painting, we do not recommend placing it behind glass. A floater frame is an attractive option that also protects the edges of the painting from damage. Works on paper may be framed under glass. You'll want to ensure the glass is not in contact with the artwork.

For more information on transporting paintings, please visit our recent blog post - here.

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Office Hours: Live Q&A on YouTube with R&F President Darin Seim

Join R&F President Darin Seim LIVE on R&F’s YouTube channel along with R&F Core Instructor and employee Dietlind Vander Schaaf on Wednesday, June 16th from 2 -3 pm EST for the first round of what we’re affectionately referring to as “Office Hours.”

R&F President Darin Seim and founder Richard Frumess

R&F President Darin Seim and founder Richard Frumess

Join R&F President Darin Seim LIVE on R&F’s YouTube channel along with R&F Core Instructor and employee Dietlind Vander Schaaf on Wednesday, June 16th from 2 -3 pm EST for the first round of what we’re affectionately referring to as “Office Hours.”

What is Office Hours you ask?

Office Hours is a new way for us to reach artists who are interested in oil and wax based mediums. R&F has always led in the world of encaustic and oil sticks whether it was a physical newsletter, the forum on our website, or our workshop program that began in 1995. This is an extension of the conversation we have been having with artists for over 30 years. It is an opportunity to answer some of those frequently asked questions that don’t get the attention they deserve in other forums.

Office Hours is a live event, but we will record it and post the recording on our YouTube channel so those who can’t attend can watch it at a later date.

And for those of you who haven’t met Darin yet, we'd thought we’d introduce him to you.

Darin making paint at R&F circa 2007.

Darin making paint at R&F circa 2007.

Where did you go to school and what did you study?

I went to the State University of New York (SUNY) at New Paltz and studied Painting and Philosophy. I got a BFA in Painting with a minor in philosophy, but for me the philosophy part was at least as important as the painting. I saw painting as a visual embodiment of the philosophical concepts I was interested in.

Darin milling paint in 1997.

Darin milling paint in 1997.

You have a long history with R&F. How did you first become involved?

Immediately after graduation in 1996 I had a brief period working as a mover. One day I came to R&F in Kingston to see one of the first shows in their newly established “gallery,” which was mostly a hallway entrance to the shop. They were hiring and I threw my hat in the ring. Richard called in July 1996 and I took a job as paintmaker. This included pretty much everything - wrapping, packing, shipping, hanging shows in the gallery in addition to measuring and milling paint. Suddenly I was really learning about materials in a very direct way that was covered in art school.

As much as I loved the job and working for Richard, in October of 1998 I left R&F and moved to Chicago. At the age of 25 a change of scenery seemed like a good idea. I had a few jobs there, mostly related to carpentry or furniture restoration.

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In the spring of 2005, I was offered a great opportunity to come back to R&F and work for Richard again as a paintmaker and Production Manager. They were buying a building to expand, so it was quite exciting. In 2009, I bought into R&F, and in 2015, I became president of the company. Looking back, I have been truly fortunate in the timing of it all.

Untitled painting by Darin Seim.

Untitled painting by Darin Seim.

This painting by you is part of R&F’s permanent collection. Can you tell us a little bit about it?

Several years ago, when I started painting again, I wanted to do something semi-figurative and more painterly than my prior work. I like exploring the paint and generally like "paintings about paint," but I felt I needed something to “hang” the paint on. I did a few paintings with goats, then some camels, which are interesting to paint, but I couldn’t really go full scale and that bothered me. With a dog it’s possible to go 1 to 1. They tend to be ambiguously neither falling nor jumping, just sort of floating in limbo, rather than going in any one direction with intentionality.

To me it is funny that they are technically “dog portraits,” but from an existential point of view. They are not my dogs, but they are based loosely on real dogs from random YouTube videos.

The painting above is 100% Pigment Stick® worked into an initial layer of blending medium with drier. No other mediums were used and it was done completely with the sticks and my hands. I didn’t use any brushes. It started as way to play with and test some things we were doing with Titanium and Zinc White.

A lot of times when I paint, I try to combine colors that I would normally not be comfortable with to take them for a test spin and get to know them better. So, I guess in a way it’s just an extension of my job.


JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Office Hours will take place LIVE on R&F’s YouTube channel on Wednesday, June 16th from 2 - 3pm EST.

To participate, simply go to R&F’s YouTube channel at 2pm EST and you will see the live stream. Dietlind and Darin will tackle some of the most frequently asked questions we receive at R&F and then open the conversation up to your questions through chat.

We look forward to seeing you there!

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In Conversation With Caryl St. Ama

Teaching artist Caryl St. Ama has a line-up of compelling new workshops in 2021! We've added these to our calendar, and checked in with Caryl to see what she's been working on in her studio and beyond as things return. Enjoy our conversation below and make sure to visit Caryl's website to learn more.

Caryl St. Ama, Chroma: Blue 3, 12” x 12”, encaustic on panel, 2019.

Caryl St. Ama, Chroma: Blue 3, 12” x 12”, encaustic on panel, 2019.

Teaching artist Caryl St. Ama has a line-up of compelling new workshops in 2021! We've added these to our calendar, and checked in with Caryl to see what she's been working on in her studio and beyond as things return. Enjoy our conversation below and make sure to visit Caryl's website to learn more.


Caryl St. Ama, Ghost of Covid, 24” x 18”, mixed media on paper (coffee, ink, and charcoal overprinted with encaustic collagraph), 2020.

Caryl St. Ama, Ghost of Covid, 24” x 18”, mixed media on paper (coffee, ink, and charcoal overprinted with encaustic collagraph), 2020.


How is your painting and teaching practice evolving while things return back to your life in the arts?

In Southern California, we were among the first states to quarantine, and art and education here went into hibernation almost immediately. Thankfully these efforts paid off for LA’s art scene, and now this spring, over one year later, things are looking up. I took the winter to deeply reorganize my studio to accommodate small group work and private visits and to extend my capacity to work with encaustic monotypes. In April, with vaccination rates rising, I was able to schedule several small group workshops in Ojai and elsewhere, and my colleagues began visiting my new set up and chatting about process. The energy in Los Angeles in ramping up, with several art events featuring encaustic painters already happening. I’m looking forward to offering encaustic and Pigment Stick® workshops as well as encaustic monotypes and on and off the press collagraphs.


Have you seen any artwork, or had any recent experiences that have influenced your new paintings?

During the pandemic, I turned inward like many artists, and was able to absorb all the things there never seems to be time for. I was inspired by several books on tape and podcasts, and many artist biographies, while working in my studio. Too much screen time is never good, so I focused on spending time with the local flora and fauna in my own garden. The natural influence has always been a part of my work, and it was nourishing to spend slower periods with nature. I was once again inspired by the all that surrounds me. Oh, and I became a grandmother! So sharing the birthing process with my daughter and her husband was profound and inspirational, though additionally stressful to experience during a pandemic.


Are there any new techniques you've been working with? Any new colors?

In the studio, I followed two tracks. I continued to work small scale on a very intense, highly textured encaustic series, drawing from topographic and coastline imagery. The six panels have a miniaturized “Gulliver's Travel’s” motif, and are currently on exhibition. These works were very tight, and used the full variety of greens and blues R&F offers, studded with flecks of cream and ochre.

On the other hand, I also allowed myself to blow a lot of boundaries, working with encaustic prints in an open, gestural style on oversized pieces of paper. I experimented with a variety of materials and textures, combining wax and Pigment Stick® together, and incorporating some elements of rubbing and collage. I started with a reduced palette, chromatic whites, and neutrals - thinking I would eventually overprint them. As the pieces evolved, they became multi-layered collages, fused together. I've named them the "Ghost of COVID" because they have both an explosive and tense, yet melancholic and ethereal feel.

Caryl St. Ama, Chroma: Blue 2, 12” x 12”, encaustic on birch plywood, 2019.

Caryl St. Ama, Chroma: Blue 2, 12” x 12”, encaustic on birch plywood, 2019.

CARYL’S UPCOMING DEMOS & WORKSHOPS

"Using R&F Encaustic Paint"
Sat, Oct 23 - Sun Oct 24, 2021
Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts 
Ojai, CA

R&F Encaustic Demo
Sat, Aug 14, 2021
ART ON 30TH - An Arts community
San Diego, CA

R&F Encaustic Workshop
Sat, Sep 11 - Sun Sep12, 2021
ART ON 30TH - An Arts community
San Diego, CA

CURRENT EXHIBITION

TELEPHONE - An International Arts Game

An exhibition based on the children’s game, artists were sent artwork from two artists unknown to them and the recipient then interprets into an art piece and that piece is sent on to other artists. The art piece can be a piece of poetry, song, photograph, painting, etc. The resulting pieces were kept secret until launch day.

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From The Collection: David A. Clark

Artist David A. Clark has shown at a range of locations including OTA Contemporary in Santa Fe, New Mexico; the Conrad Wilde Gallery in Tucson, Arizona; The Painting Center in New York City; and the Palm Springs Art Museum in Palm Springs, California, among others. His work has appeared in Art in Print magazine and is in the permanent collections of both the Process Museum and the Hunterdon Art Museum. He is an annual presenter at the International Encaustic Conference in Provincetown and has taught at R&F, Idyllwild Art Center, Truro Center for the Arts at Castle Hill, and internationally at Zijdelings in The Netherlands. R&F is delighted to have a piece of his work in our permanent collection. We spoke with David recently to learn a bit more about his work and process.

David A. Clark, Made With Fire, encaustic monotype, 26.5” x 20.5”, 2011. Permanent collection of R&F Handmade Paints.

David A. Clark, Made With Fire, encaustic monotype, 26.5” x 20.5”, 2011. Permanent collection of R&F Handmade Paints.

Artist David A. Clark has shown at a range of locations including OTA Contemporary in Santa Fe, New Mexico; the Conrad Wilde Gallery in Tucson, Arizona; The Painting Center in New York City; and the Palm Springs Art Museum in Palm Springs, California, among others. His work has appeared in Art in Print magazine and is in the permanent collections of both the Process Museum and the Hunterdon Art Museum. He is an annual presenter at the International Encaustic Conference in Provincetown and has taught at R&F, Idyllwild Art Center, Truro Center for the Arts at Castle Hill, and internationally at Zijdelings in The Netherlands. R&F is delighted to have a piece of his work in our permanent collection. We spoke with David recently to learn a bit more about his work and process.

In your artist statement you describe the red tin arrow that a friend loaned you and which you kept in your office for a long time as deeply symbolic of "an idealized sense of connection. It stood for the freedom that comes from leaping into the unknown in front of a crowd of strangers and represented the exhilarating rush of trepidation and possibility that accompanies an actor’s path from the wings onto the stage." Can you tell us about your background related to theatre?

I began my arts career in the theater. I got my first professional job at age eight and worked, mostly in theater, until my early thirties. I got to work with Robert Wilson and Peter Sellars, which was pivotal for me artistically, and after I transitioned out of my acting career, I worked behind the scenes on Sex & The City for five years before committing myself to my studio practice full time.

Artist David A. Clark in his studio.

Artist David A. Clark in his studio.

I believe that the “sense of connection” and that feeling of trepidation and exhilaration that comes from “leaping into the unknown” is cross disciplinary. It’s not medium specific and therefore translates across media. Though my career began in the theatre in front of an audience, and then evolved into a visual arts practice, the original impulse never changed.

As artists and humans we long to feel connected; to bridge the gap that exists between two physical forms. Theatre does that and so do the visual arts. One only needs to stand in the presence of a great painting to feel it. The work shifts the air; you feel the resonance of it. You don’t need to know why. It’s that sense of dialogue on a subconscious level. I always strive for that in my work.

From this initial symbolism, the arrow evolved metaphorically to signify "a metaphor for being.” In your work the arrow is “a representation of the human figure; an expression of movement, time, or state of being; a meditation on direction, impulse, or legacy; and as a collective, an illustration of the journey or state of humankind." How did your relationship to the arrow develop as you worked with it? How did it transform for you over time?

David A. Clark, Ancient Histories #150, 37” x 25”, encaustic on Kozo, 2015.

David A. Clark, Ancient Histories #150, 37” x 25”, encaustic on Kozo, 2015.

In the beginning the arrows were definitely on some subconscious level a meditation on states of being, and my studio work continues to be a meditation of sorts. One of the great strengths of using a singular form is that it can transcend meaning and stand by itself. It doesn’t need a story.

I don’t usually start from a place of narrative. Some pieces, particularly the work I am doing now, have an organic narrative, a backstory, but I much prefer the work to speak to the viewer obliquely so they can connect to it without any predetermined script. The arrow functions well as a visual form because it can be interpreted myriad ways.

My use of the symbol has definitely evolved. The sculptural arrows in the work I am making now feel more like witnesses or guardians. My relationship to the form has shifted with time and it will continue to develop.

Please describe your studio. What is it about being there that excites you? What keeps you returning to the studio?

I’m very lucky to have 1,200 square feet of space in an arts-centric strip mall five minutes from my home. I have good light and the studio allows me to work on a scale that I was not able to do when I had a work space in my house. Selfishly I wish I had more space. I love being able to lay things out and look at them and there never seems to be enough space to do that, but I pinch myself every day.

David A. Clark, Ancient Histories #245, 42” x 39.5”, encaustic on Gampi, 2017.

David A. Clark, Ancient Histories #245, 42” x 39.5”, encaustic on Gampi, 2017.

How you begin a work? Do you sketch or do studies? How does your printmaking intersect with encaustic?

I’ll have an idea of something or this nagging feeling to work something out visually that often begins with a mood, shape, or something that is percolating thematically in my life. Sometimes that idea will take years to work its way to the surface and sometimes it’ll get made right away. Usually, I’ll have no idea how it will get made structurally because I might not have the equipment or the skills to build it, but I like a challenge and I’m happiest when I am flying blind and learning something new. I’ll often do numerous test pieces to get the “process” part of the work right and then just put my head down and see what happens.

That’s how I began printing with encaustic. My paintings at the time weren’t feeling quite right, so I bought a Hotbox without really knowing what it was and began printing. I had no idea what I was doing at first, but I quickly found a process that worked for me, and the images I was making were what I was seeing in my head so I just kept working and refining what I was doing. That’s pretty much standard practice in my studio. I do my best work when I’m taking a big risk. I’m always trying to push myself out of my comfort zone.

David A. Clark, Ancient Histories #250, 42” x 39.5”, encaustic on Gampi, 2017.

David A. Clark, Ancient Histories #250, 42” x 39.5”, encaustic on Gampi, 2017.

Are you working on a particular project at the moment? A body of work for an upcoming show?

I’ve been quietly working on a large body of sculptural work for the last two years that encompasses around sixty small wooden wall sculptures and some large floor and pedestal pieces made out of steel and glass. I’ve teased a few of the works on Instagram, but I’m not quite ready to show them yet. I’m hoping to do an exhibition of all of it at some point in the not-so-distant future.

What are some of the questions you ask yourself as you work?

I don’t know if I ask myself questions per se, but I am always thinking and consciously, or not so consciously, evaluating the aesthetic qualities of what I am doing in terms of composition, color, and structure. Those demands are tied to how “connected” the work feels. I’m always trying to distill whatever I am doing into the leanest form and pare it down to its essence.

Sometimes that happens easily, but there are always those pieces that emerge and seem, in some way, not quite right. I have two pieces in the studio now that I thought were finished, but elements of them are feeling not fully plugged in so they will likely be reworked until they feel correct. When I’m uncertain about a work I’ll pack it away for a few months and then bring it back out so that I can look at it with fresh eyes.

Failure can be critical for artists, providing an opportunity to shift in a different direction or revealing something about our work we didn't realize. Can you tell us about a failure that provided an insight?

David A. Clark, Ancient Histories #175, 32.5” x 44.5”, encaustic on calfskin, 2014.

David A. Clark, Ancient Histories #175, 32.5” x 44.5”, encaustic on calfskin, 2014.

When things go wrong or don’t go exactly as planned, there is always something to learn. In my studio they’re often errors in process that cause course changes that result in finding a pot of gold process-wise. I’ve had a few notable times when I made something and thought, “oh, come on David, do better.” I’ll thrown the piece aside in disgust and then, inevitably, I’ll come back to it later that day when I’m about to take out the trash and think, “hmm, that’s not so bad.” I’ll put it up on the wall and try to sort out the structure of the “failure” so I can recreate it.

Occasionally it’s just a small portion of the overall work and sometimes it’s the whole piece. I have a work that started out in the trash that’s now in a rather prominent private collection. Nothing is ever a failure, it’s just a stepping stone to something else; oftentimes something much, much better.

Please share a bit about the piece in R&F's collection. Did you make it as part of a workshop you were teaching?

The piece in R&F’s collection is a work from 2010. Back then I was using a lot of text in my prints set against a singular form. Those pieces feel like mantras to me now when I look at them, but I wasn’t really thinking of them that way when I made them. I think of Made With Fire as an expression of strength, and there’s a little wink in the piece to the process by which it was made.

Ancient Histories: Encaustic Monoprints by David A. Clark in the University Art Gallery at California State University Dominguez Hills, Carson, California in 2017.

Ancient Histories: Encaustic Monoprints by David A. Clark in the University Art Gallery at California State University Dominguez Hills, Carson, California in 2017.

Do you have a favorite piece of your work? Did you keep it or sell it/ give it away? Why was this piece meaningful?

I still have one of the first pieces I made with encaustic. It reminds me of someone who had a strong influence on my artistic life, and it predates the arrow. So it’s special in the cannon of my work. I also have a piece in inventory that has been shown a half dozen times that is amazing and has never sold, so I think that is the universe’s way of telling me I should hold onto it.

Dreaming at OTA Contemporary, Santa Fe, New Mexico in 2019.

Dreaming at OTA Contemporary, Santa Fe, New Mexico in 2019.

How do titles figure into your work? Where do your titles come from?

Mostly the pieces are named for what they are, like Red Arrow #1, or Ancient Histories which now numbers almost 300 pieces, but recently I have been giving the works more descriptive titles, and the most current body of work has titles that are drawn from classical poetry, Greek tragedies and Grimm’s fairy tales which speaks better to their darker subtext.

What role does color play in your work?

I love working with color, and anyone who’s seen my paint storage will tell you I’m a bit of a color hoarder. But until just recently, while working on Ancient Histories, I was working with a very limited palette of 2 – 4 colors. I never felt limited though because you can get a whole world out of 4 colors. I am feeling the pull of a big burst of color coming sometime in the near future, but right now I’m working on a series of monochromatic paintings. My work always feels best to me when it’s pared down to the barest essentials. So we’ll see.

How much do you teach? What role does teaching play in your life?

I love to teach, but I don’t teach much by design. I do lots and lots of prep before my classes so students have everything they’ll need to really fly with the materials. It’s a lot of work, but it’s worth it. Learning is exciting, but it is also a vulnerable exercise, so it’s important for me to create a safe environment where artists can push themselves out of the boundaries of what they know. Hopefully I can help them feel more connected and present with what they are doing and facilitate a better understanding of the process of printing with encaustic. I also learn a lot from my students. Everyone intuits differently so I’m always curious to see what students do with materials and process. It’s tremendously rewarding to be a part of that.

David A. Clark, These Days Are Tears, 36” x 24”, rusted steel, 2021

David A. Clark, These Days Are Tears, 36” x 24”, rusted steel, 2021

Can you share a few other artists whose work inspires you or whose work propelled your own forward?

I think of the Jasper Johns Grey show at the Met in 2008 as being pivotal. I was just crazy about the depth of feeling that came out of his tones of grey. I was also really, really moved by the 2016 Philip Guston show “Painter 1957-1967”at Houser & Wirth in New York. That work still haunts me. Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about the corporeal qualities of some of the works of Theaster Gates and Harmony Hammond, and I’ve been reading Robert Ryman’s monograph which is spectacular.

Anything else you'd like to share?

I’m enormously grateful to all of the folks at R&F Handmade Paints for their support and encouragement over the years. I’m crazy about their paints, but I’m also a huge fan of all of the people. They’ve become like family. I’m tremendously thankful for that.

To see more of David’s work, visit davidaclark.com.

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Is R&F Blending Medium The Same As Cold Wax Medium?

This is a question we're often asked. The short answer is they aren't quite the same. R&F's Blending Medium is essentially our Blending Stick in a jar. It is ideal for glazing colors, can be worked directly into a color to increase the color's transparency, or used to blend colors together on the surface.

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This is a question we're often asked. The short answer is they aren't quite the same. R&F's Blending Medium is essentially our Blending Stick in a jar. It is ideal for glazing colors, can be worked directly into a color to increase the color's transparency, or used to blend colors together on the surface.

Lisa Pressman, Talking (detail), 48” x 38”, R&F Pigment Stick® and Blending Medium on Gessobord.

Lisa Pressman, Talking (detail), 48” x 38”, R&F Pigment Stick® and Blending Medium on Gessobord.

R&F's Blending Medium and cold wax are designed to be combined with oil paint. When dry, Blending Medium will retain the sheen finish of a cured oil painting. Cold wax, on the other hand, will dry with a flat matte finish. Cold wax is typically made with solvent (usually odorless mineral spirits) while our Blending Medium does not contain solvents.

Blending Medium generally cures at a similar rate to oil paint. We also make a version of Blending Medium containing a small amount of Cobalt and Manganese drier to speed up our Pigment Sticks® and oil paint drying time.

Lisa Pressman, Under the Covers, 10" x 10", oil, cold wax, and mixed media on board.

Lisa Pressman, Under the Covers, 10" x 10", oil, cold wax, and mixed media on board.

To learn more about the application of our Blending Medium on the final layer of encaustic paintings see our recent demo video - here.

For further reading on cold wax medium, we recommend Jerry McLaughlin and Rebecca A. Crowell's book, "Cold Wax Medium: Techniques, Concepts and Conversations."

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Virtual Demo: Adding Lines to Encaustic Paintings with Julie Snidle

We are gearing up to offer another in our summer series of free virtual demos. Join R&F Core Instructor Julie Snidle on Wednesday, June 9 from 1:30 to 2:30pm Central Time (CT) for a free virtual demo. Julie will demonstrate a variety of ways to create beautiful linework on encaustic paintings. Materials discussed include graphite, charcoal pencil, R&F Pigment Sticks®, Saral paper, inlay, tape, India ink, scraping and more. All levels welcome. There will be time for a Q&A. Pre-registration required.

Artist and R&F Core Instructor Julie Snidle in front of her work.

Artist and R&F Core Instructor Julie Snidle in front of her work.

We are gearing up to offer another in our summer series of free virtual demos.

Join R&F Core Instructor Julie Snidle on Wednesday, June 9 from 1:30 to 2:30pm Central Time (CT) for a free virtual demo. Julie will demonstrate a variety of ways to create beautiful linework on encaustic paintings. Materials discussed include graphite, charcoal pencil, R&F Pigment Sticks®, Saral paper, inlay, tape, India ink, scraping and more. All levels welcome. There will be time for a Q&A. Pre-registration required. To sign up, go to our Virtual Demos page and fill out the form.

Please note the following before registering for this demo:

  • Once you fill out the registration form, a note will appear saying “thank you.” You will receive a manual confirmation within three days and a Zoom link two days before the scheduled demo. Please check your spam folder if you have not received these items before contacting us.

  • These are live demo events. They will not be recorded and available for viewing at a later date.

  • If you are not in the Central Time zone (CT), you will need to convert your timezone in order to figure out what time the demo is taking place. You can use thetimezoneconverter.com to do so.

  • Registration will close on Monday, June 7 at 5pm EST for this event.

This demo is sponsored by R&F Handmade Paints. R&F is unique color.


Julie Snidle, an abstract painter and teacher, was born in Minneapolis, MN. With her degree in education, she taught professionally in the classroom and worked as a corporate administrator in Dallas, TX before following her passion for art and painting. Julie is a self-taught artist who has focused on encaustic since 2004. She is a Core Instructor for R&F Handmade Paints and an Artist Ambassador for Ampersand Art Supply.  

Julie Fake Apron.jpg

Her work has received numerous awards and has been shown at The Painting Center, New York, NY; Marin MOCA, Novato, CA; and Reese Gallery, St. Louis, MO, among others. Julie teaches encaustic and oil/cold wax workshops in her studio, at Eastern Shore Art Center in Fairhope, AL  and throughout the U.S. She is represented by Kolman & Pryor Gallery in Minneapolis, MN.

Image credit: Julie Snidle

Image credit: Julie Snidle

Julie will be teaching Discovering Oil & Cold Wax July 23 - 25, 2021 at Eastern Shore Art Center in Fairhope, AL.

This workshop offers students an opportunity to break free from expectation and discover oil painting without a brush. With R&F Pigment Sticks® and cold wax medium, we will build up layers of paint using a variety of methods, discovering new tools and ways of working to create rich and authentic small works on paper and Ampersand's Gessobord.

To learn more, visit juliesnidle.com/workshops.

Image credit: Julie Snidle

Image credit: Julie Snidle

Image credit: Julie Snidle

Image credit: Julie Snidle

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Color Names: Sap Green & Raw Sienna

This week we return to the origins and development of the R&F color names and the pigments they are comprised of. We begin with two vigorous colors, Sap Green and Raw Sienna. These colors have an extensive history in the world, and are known for their luminous undertones.

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This week we return to the origins and development of the R&F color names and the pigments they are comprised of. We begin with two vigorous colors, Sap Green and Raw Sienna. These colors have an extensive history in the world, and are known for their luminous undertones.


Sap Green Pigment Stick®

Sap Green Pigment Stick®

If you think the name sounds like it originally came from the plant world, you guessed right.

Sap green was originally made from the berries of the buckthorn plant. The extracted color was reduced to a thick syrup (also known as a lake pigment) and sold in animal bladders. It became known by the slightly less attractive name of ‘bladder green’ because of this. The variety of buckthorn and the season berries were harvested determined whether the pigment was yellow or green. Modern formulations, including R&F's, do not include buckthorn berries. Our Sap Green is a blend of lightfast, modern pigments. This stunning color is made in both our encaustic & Pigment Stick® lines.

We're glad "Sap" was universally accepted by paint manufacturers over time. 


Sienna Pigment Stick®

Sienna Pigment Stick®

A semi-transparent warm-brown, Sienna is part of a group collectively known as earth colors. It takes its name from the Tuscan city near which one of the best grades of it had long been found, Siena. Raw Sienna contains iron oxide found naturally in clays. Unlike yellow ochres, which are generally opaque, Siennas are more transparent. Raw Sienna, in it's natural state, is yellowish brown where as Burnt Sienna is reddish brown because of heating.

Sienna was one of the first pigments used for painting and can be found in prehistoric cave art. Artists used the Siennas (raw and burnt) as a glaze because of its transparency. It was often used in wood finishing for stains and for graining work.

Fun Fact: Our founder Richard Frumess named his dog "Sienna" after this wonderful color!

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Retailers, Teachers, & International Workshops

Where can I find your paint? Who is teaching in my region? These are two of the many questions we receive from artists. We have developed some helpful resources to share with you in response.

Artist and instructor Bettina Egli Sennhauser in her studio in Switzerland.

Artist and instructor Bettina Egli Sennhauser in her studio in Switzerland.

Where can I find your paint? Who is teaching in my region? These are two of the many questions we receive from artists. We have developed some helpful resources to share with you in response.

On our website we have a Store Finder that you can use to search for the nearest retailer who carries our materials. Planning to travel? No problem. Just type in the city and state or country to which you are going and up will pop all the stores that sell our paint. You can check out our Store Finder here.

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We also have a handy Teaching Artist List that you can download. R&F’s Teaching Artist List is organized by state (or country) and has hyperlinks to each artist’s website so you can check out their work and find out what they have coming up. The artists listed offer either encaustic or Pigment Stick® workshops.

Our Teaching Artist List is updated regularly, so check back often. And if you are a teacher who would like to be added to the list or you know of someone who should be on it, give us a shout so we can add them. To search for someone near you, visit our Resources page.

And speaking of teachers, we thought we’d highlight a few upcoming workshops taking place internationally this year for those of you who might be interested - particularly artists who live outside the U.S.


Artist and instructor Janise Yntema.

Artist and instructor Janise Yntema.

THE NETHERLANDS

Zijdelings (meaning “Sideways” in Dutch) was founded in 1986 by Karina van Vught. Zijdelings, located in Tilburg in The Netherlands, hosts a wide range of classes each year and offers many wonderful products for sale - including R&F encaustic paint and Pigment Sticks®. On June 11 and 12, artist Janise Yntema will offer an in person workshop titled “Explore the Nuance of Landscape in Encaustic Wax.”

Janise set up to teach a workshop in Belgium.

Janise set up to teach a workshop in Belgium.

Here’s how Janise describes the workshop: “We will investigate what can designate landscape - from positions of pure color, the drawn and inscribed line to the textural, and the incorporation of drawing, collage, and mixed media. Composition, perspective, and the psychology of the horizon will be explored as well as how color frames the translucency of light. An additive/reductive approach is encouraged. Students will learn to expand their encaustic practice with the incorporation of R&F Pigment Sticks®.”

All levels are welcome, but basic encaustic knowledge is required. To learn more about this workshop and to register, click here.

Artwork credit: Janise Yntema.

Artwork credit: Janise Yntema.

ABOUT JANISE

Janise Yntema's painting practise focuses on the ancient painting technique of encaustic. For over 25 years, Yntema has refined her use of this material. Continually intrigued by the fine line between figuration and abstraction, Yntema's images evolve through slow accumulations of semi-transparent layers. Light permeates these works and becomes compositionally present. In 2018, Yntema was awarded the International Encaustic Artists' Vendéenne Award for recognition of outstanding contribution to and advancement of encaustic art. Janise resides in Belgium.


Artist and instructor Bettina Egli Sennhauser.

Artist and instructor Bettina Egli Sennhauser.

SWITZERLAND

Kunstfreiraum (meaning “Art freedom”) is the vision of artist Bettina Egli Sennhauser. The title came from Bettina’s desire to create a free and safe space for art where everything is possible and no mistakes can be made. Bettina will be hosting in person workshops for groups of six in her studio in Oberwil as soon as regulations are lifted.

Bettina’s studio in Oberwil, Switzerland.

Bettina’s studio in Oberwil, Switzerland.

Bettina is currently offering a comprehensive online workshop in German. It includes lots of information on materials and where to find them in Europe, basic techniques, common challenges, and fun exercises. All lessons are prerecorded and beautifully filmed. Student can ask questions in a private Facebook Group.

In October, Bettina will be teaching two in person workshops at the Art School Musebrink in Dortmund, Germany. You can find more information about Kunstfreiraum and Bettina’s online workshop here.

Artwork credit: Bettina Egli Sennhauser

Artwork credit: Bettina Egli Sennhauser

ABOUT BETTINA

Bettina is a mainly self-taught visual artist born and living in Switzerland. Her practice is a continual inquiry of an abstract vocabulary through exploring natural materials including beeswax, resin, marble dust, lime putty, sand, and pigments. Bettina’s approach to painting is intuitive and process-oriented. She has exhibited in Basel, Switzerland, ARTE Binningen, the Trevisan International Art Gallery in Bologna, Italy, and the Juried Show of the International Encaustic Conference in Provincetown.


IRELAND

You may recall our recent blog post featuring R&F Core Instructor Jeff Hirst’s experience teaching at Ballinglen. Another artist we admire - Joanna Kidney - will be teaching at Ballinglen from November 3 - 11. She also teaches small groups in her purpose built studio in Co. Wicklow and will be running in person workshops there when restrictions are lifted.

Artist and instructor Joanna Kidney in her studio in Co. Wicklow, Ireland.

Artist and instructor Joanna Kidney in her studio in Co. Wicklow, Ireland.

Artwork credit: Joanna Kidney.

Artwork credit: Joanna Kidney.

This workshop is focused on developing ideas, content, and meaning through the medium of encaustic paint. There will be an emphasis on expanding your conversation with the paint and developing your personal vocabulary and vision. Studio time will combine plenty of painting time, demonstrations, discussion, presentations, and a strong focus on individual support for wherever you are at. Field trips soak up the extraordinary North Mayo landscape - it's light, history, archeology and folklore - to feedback into the work.

To learn more about Joanna’s workshop at Ballinglen, click here.

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ABOUT JOANNA

Joanna Kidney’s practice is a continual enquiry of an abstract vocabulary through drawing, painting, and installation. A quest for the non-material, what is not visible and not concrete, it considers the holistic, temporal and interconnected aspects of experience. She has exhibited at Solo and Group Exhibitions in USA, France, Germany and Ireland. Joanna grew up in Dublin, Ireland and graduated with a first class Honours Degree in Visual Communication from TU, Dublin. She currently lives in Co. Wicklow, Ireland. She teaches Encaustic Painting and Drawing widely in Ireland and Internationally at Colleges in the USA and Zijdelings in The Netherlands. She is an annual presenter and instructor at the International Encaustic Conference.

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Dietlind Vander Schaaf Dietlind Vander Schaaf

Where Do Our Color Names Come From?

Quinacridone Red, Green Earth, Dianthus Pink, Ancient Gold...all great names, but where do they come from? To understand where we get many of the R&F color names you'll need to open your history books. The names are most commonly derived from the pigment that makes up each color (and in our case multiple pigment mixes), but not always. Each one is unique, and many have backstories as rich as the colors themselves.

Detail shot of Cadmium Yellow Medium R&F Pigment Stick®.

Detail shot of Cadmium Yellow Medium R&F Pigment Stick®.

Quinacridone Red, Green Earth, Dianthus Pink, Ancient Gold...all great names, but where do they come from? To understand where we get many of the R&F color names you'll need to open your history books. The names are most commonly derived from the pigment that makes up each color (and in our case multiple pigment mixes), but not always. Each one is unique, and many have backstories as rich as the colors themselves.

We’ll go into further depth of the individual color names in newsletters to come, but to preface the topic we’ll take an abbreviated look into the history of color and some of the notable breakthroughs in pigment discovery. We recommend “Painting Materials” by Gettens & Stout for further reading.

Coloring materials from animal (think Sepia), vegetable (e.g. indigo), and mineral sources have been used for personal adornment, decorating, and for making pictures as early as remote prehistoric times. Most easily procurable were vegetable colors, flowers, seeds, berries, nuts, bark, wood, and roots of plants.

Prussian Blue, the first modern synthetic pigment.

Prussian Blue, the first modern synthetic pigment.

These were widely used but many were fugitive and faded quickly (e.g. Sap Green) and have since been replaced by alternative materials, retaining their original namesake (you may see the term “hue” used to signify this). Only slightly less available were the colored earths (e.g. Ochres and Umbers) that abound on the earth's surface in sedimentary deposits. Less readily available were the colored minerals of metals (Azurite, Malachite, Lapis Lazuli and later Cadmiums). The first years of the 18th century mark the beginning of modern synthetic pigments (such as Prussian Blue, and later Zinc, Cobalt, and Chromium). Synthetic being not found in nature. As you can see, each of these discoveries brought forth new color and color names still referenced and used today.

Ancient Gold encaustic. The word ancient brings to mind relics from the distant past.

Ancient Gold encaustic. The word ancient brings to mind relics from the distant past.

Then there are colors named based not on the specifics of their makeup or source, but more so to their overall context. We’ll save these details for our upcoming newsletters, but we hope this has you interested and ready to hear more!

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Dietlind Vander Schaaf Dietlind Vander Schaaf

The International Encaustic Conference is VIRTUAL - Don't Miss Out!

The International Encaustic Conference takes place in Provincetown, Massachusetts each year. Instructors and attendees travel from across the country and around the world to come together and share knowledge, technique, and inspiration. Highlights include the juried show at Castle Hill, the hotel fair, pre and post conference workshops, and a vendor room packed full of everything you need to set up the studio of your dreams.

Image credit: Debra Claffey

Image credit: Debra Claffey

The International Encaustic Conference takes place in Provincetown, Massachusetts each year. Instructors and attendees travel from across the country and around the world to come together and share knowledge, technique, and inspiration. Highlights include the juried show at Castle Hill, the hotel fair, pre and post conference workshops, and a vendor room packed full of everything you need to set up the studio of your dreams.

This year the conference is going virtual on June 5 - 6, 2021. Registered attendees will have access to Vendor Room discounts and will able to view recorded demos and talks following the conference. Don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity to learn from a wide range of teachers and snag some great materials from R&F Handmade Paints!

For more information or to register, visit castlehill.org/14th-international-encaustic-conference.

Image credit: Deborah Kapoor

Image credit: Deborah Kapoor

The conference will kick off on Saturday morning with a panel discussion from 9:30 - 11am titled “How We All Made It Through The Pandemic.” The talk will feature Dan Addington, Sharon Butler, and Jeff Hirst and will be moderated by Cherie Mittenthal.

From 12:30 - 1:30pm, you can choose from two different demos, including “Getting Down To Basics” with Sherrie Posternak and “Mixing Media: Pigment Stick Monotypes and Encaustic” with Debra Claffey. Or opt for a talk “Make Your Own Door Then Open It!” with Karen Bright.

From 2:30 - 3:30pm, artist Joanna Kidney will offer a demo “Visual Resonance Through Subtraction, Translucency & Layering” and R&F Core Instructor Jodi Reeb will demo “Photo Collage with Encaustic.” Talks include “Out Of The Box: Artists Working With Sustainable Materials” by Susan Lasch Krevitt and “Navigating Artist Residencies” with Lynette Haggard.

Image credit: Jeff Hirst

Image credit: Jeff Hirst

On Saturday evening from 4:30 - 5:30pm, artist Deborah Kapoor will offer a demo “On The Wall: Foss Shape and Dimensional Encaustic” and R&F Core Instructor Jeff Hirst will demo “Mixed Medium, Drawing & Encaustic.” Milisa Galazzi will present a talk “Creativity & Neuro-diversity: My Dyslexia Is An Artist” and Kathy Cantwell will give a presentation on “Exploring Artist Run Galleries.”

Image credit: Dietlind Vander Schaaf

On Sunday, the conference resumes at 9:30 am. Choose from demos “Image Transfers Using Transfer Film and Transfierz” with Patti Russotti or “Layers, Transparency + Depth” with R&F Core Instructor Dietlind Vander Schaaf. Also offered is a talk “Growing An Artist Residency & The Yellow Chair” with Michael David and Cherie Mittenthal.

From 12:30 - 1:30pm, you can choose from three demos “Encaustic & Ceramics” with Stephanie Hargrave, “No Press Needed Printmaking” with R&F Core Instructor Leslie Giuliani, or “The Graphic Image” with Kelly McGrath. Or join the presentation “Talking Shop” with Joanne Mattera and Patricia Miranda. The conference will conclude with a keynote presentation by Guggenheim and NEA Fellowship recipient artist Joan Snyder.

Image credit: Patti Russotti

Image credit: Patti Russotti

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 range from “Materials World: Cardboard & Encaustic” with Susan Lasch Krevitt, to “Cold Wax As A Vehicle For Creating Veils Of Light” with Carol Pelletier, and “Encaustic Prints To The Next Level” with David A. Clark, among others.

Image credit: Carol Pelletier

Image credit: Carol Pelletier

On Campus workshops include “Encaustic & Ceramics: Form, Technique, And Content” with Stephanie Hargrave, “Layers, Transparency & Depth” with Dietlind Vander Schaaf, and “The Graphic Image” with Kelly Anne McGrath, as well as many more.

To learn more about these workshops and to register, visit castlehill.org/workshop-preview.

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