Artist Spotlight: Kuzana Ogg
Kuzana Ogg was an artist in residence at Brown Pink last month. Born in Bombay, the first years of her life were divided between the ancestral home of her grandfather, surrounded by lush gardens and groves of coconut trees, and her grandmother’s exquisite Worli residence on the coast. Along with her family, Kuzana immigrated first to England, and then to New York. As an art student at SUNY Purchase, Kuzana met her husband. They married in 1995, and moved to South Korea, spending six years teaching English in Kyung Ju.
Kuzana Ogg was an artist in residence at Brown Pink last month. Born in Bombay, the first years of her life were divided between the ancestral home of her grandfather, surrounded by lush gardens and groves of coconut trees, and her grandmother’s exquisite Worli residence on the coast. Along with her family, Kuzana immigrated first to England, and then to New York. As an art student at SUNY Purchase, Kuzana met her husband. They married in 1995, and moved to South Korea, spending six years teaching English in Kyung Ju.
Kuzana has participated in residencies in Minnesota, Sri Lanka, China, Scotland Latvia, and Iceland. In 2021, Kuzana completed a 4 year residency at El Zaguan on Canyon Road, and moved to Los Alamos. Her paintings have been included on the sets of television shows and feature films — the most recent of which are Sprung, Bloodline, Where’d You Go Bernadette, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, Southpaw, and My All-American. She has exhibited internationally and had solo exhibitions at the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art and the Bakersfield Museum of Art.
The principles that govern Kuzana’s aesthetic are balance and restraint and she draws her visual language from the “general pandemonium” of her childhood in early 1970s Bombay. As she notes in her artist statement, “Bombay is steeped in perfume—from yards of jasmine and roses garlanding doors, to sandalwood burning at the fire temple, to a hundred different lunches cooking at the same time—there is always fragrance in the air...Its presence everywhere instilled the conviction in me that just as fragrance occupies a stratum deeper than sight or sound, majesty is also hidden beneath the surface of things, and majesty is an anchor that restrains and balances the chaos of experience. It is the primordial root that underlies even the most discordant things.”
Composite portrait of artist Kuzana Ogg with the train that goes by R&F factory.
Please tell us a little bit about your experience as an artist in residence at Brown Pink. What were you planning to work on and how did that change when you got there?
I hoped to work with Pigment Sticks® to develop and incorporate gestural marks to my work. I soon realized that the paper and collages I brought to use as substrates were far too small to even begin fully expressing the capabilities of the Pigment Sticks®.
Were you able to experiment with new materials?
I ended up taping several sheets of paper together to make larger sheets, and I also used Pigment Sticks® on tracing paper. The second had an ethereal quality as the paper was so delicate in comparison to the heavy luscious quality of the oil on its surface.
I had the pleasure of meeting Leslie Giuliani who generously gave me a refresher lesson on encaustic. I used the previously collaged work on Khadi paper I’d brought with me, as substrates for some experimental encaustic work on paper.
Do you see yourself continuing to use these for future projects? Any breakthroughs in terms of your own work?
Yes! In addition to the mark making capabilities of Pigment Sticks®, their unique color composition lends itself to a more sophisticated layering of color. I have started using them in my new work already. I’ve blotted and scrubbed them off the canvas in some parts, leaving stains of mysterious color.
Can you share a highlight of your residency? What makes doing a residency a worthwhile experience for an artist?
I very much enjoyed meeting the owners and founders of R&F, and hearing them talk about paint and the origins of certain colors. The factory and the paintmakers were fascinating to watch as well. The colors are so scrumptious as they are milled. I don’t know how people resist just having a tiny taste, as they work on them!
Did you bring reading materials to support your residency or take advantage of the many galleries and museums in the Hudson River Valley?
I visited the DIA Beacon which was gorgeous! I also went for several walks around Kingston’s varied neighborhoods. The Victorian houses, sprawling gardens, river views, and presence of the cargo train were a picturesque experience...I imagine they will find their way into my paintings too. The grey skies and frequent rain was also particularly thrilling for me as a desert dweller.
Why is solitude so necessary for artists?
When you’re alone in studio; nothing matters other than the materials and process.
Anything else you'd like to share?
The kind generosity of R&F is evident in the beautiful Brown Pink home/studio, and the welcoming nature of everyone at the factory, made this residency truly special. Thank you.
To see additional images of Kuzana’s work, visit kuzanaogg.com. You can also follow her on Instagram @kuzanaogg.
OZNZ: Encaustic in Australia and New Zealand
This week’s blog features a guest post by Sue Baker and Sharon DeValentin, admin for the encaustic group OzNz formed to support artists in Australia and New Zealand.
This week’s blog features a guest post by Sue Baker and Sharon DeValentin, admin for the encaustic group OzNz formed to support artists in Australia and New Zealand.
Australia and New Zealand are relatively new to encaustic and many artists have been practicing the medium in isolation, unaware of who else was out there. About eight years back, Patricia Baldwin Seggebruch toured the regions facilitating workshops and started a small wave of "hooked" artists.
In 2021 a couple of Australian encaustic artists found each other via Instagram, and started chatting about ways to connect with others. It was from friendly little beginnings that Sue Baker (@suebakerartist) and Sharon De Valentin (@sharondevalentin) created an Instagram chat group, and an account to showcase encaustic work done by artists in Australian and New Zealand, while reaching out to our international encaustic community.
The group (now around 25 strong) shares their art practice, new work, ideas, resources and questions. Member Deanne Palmer says, "OzNz has created a great sense of community in this part of the world for artists who work with encaustic. The vibe is relaxed, inclusive, and enthusiastic in support and promotion of one another’s projects and passions."
In early 2022, they held an OzNz 3-colour challenge via Instagram. The group connects from time to time via Zoom, and they enjoyed having renowned Western Australian landscape encaustic artist Carly LeCerf (@carlylecerf) as a Zoom guest.
For many, the power of social media is its function to connect like-minded people, to celebrate their common and diverse backgrounds and interests. Member Paula Josling notes that "OZNZ encaustics is a new, delightful, and supportive group of artists determined to inspire, share and spread the word about encaustics to a new generation."
If you haven't already, you can follow their account on Instagram @oznzencaustic.
Artist Spotlight: Jeff Hirst
Jeffrey Hirst earned his MFA at Louisiana State University and BFA at the University of Minnesota. His work has been exhibited at national and international venues including the Minneapolis Institute of Art; McLean Projects for the Arts, VA; McKinney Contemporary, Dallas; and Bienal do Douro, Portugal.
Jeff Hirst, Fade Away View, 57” x 57”, encaustic on shaped panel.
Jeffrey Hirst earned his MFA at Louisiana State University and BFA at the University of Minnesota. His work has been exhibited at national and international venues including the Minneapolis Institute of Art; McLean Projects for the Arts, VA; McKinney Contemporary, Dallas; and Bienal do Douro, Portugal.
The recipient of numerous grants, including a fellowship at the Ballinglen Arts Foundation in Ireland where he has gone on four residencies, Jeff is represented by Addington Gallery and Brandt-Roberts galleries.
Jeff is an R&F Core Instructor. In 2021, Hirst co-founded Catalyst Art Lab. He regularly teaches encaustic and printmaking workshops across the U.S. Canada, Mexico, and Ireland.
Can you tell us a little about yourself? How did you get your start as an artist?
I got my start as an artist working next to my dad who was an engineer, singer, and a great mentor. I started building things at a very early age, and it’s spilled over into how I approach creating to this day.
I’ve been a professional artist since 1990 when I received my MFA in printmaking and painting. I have lived in Chicago since 2016, where I work with encaustic, acrylic, and print processes. I am particularly interested in how painting and printmaking cross-over and merge. In 2003, I developed the process of silkscreening onto encaustic.
Jeff Hirst, Glimmer, 25” x 23”, encaustic on shaped panel.
What are you currently working on? How has your work evolved?
I started working with encaustic in 1995. My encaustic painting has become more reductive in recent years with a greater emphasis on the sublime and color.
At the moment, I am making new work that will be in a 2-person show next fall in Ireland. After spending prolonged time in Ireland, I have started adding more of elements of line and shape that exist in nature along with my long-running interest in architecture.
Jeff Hirst, Wave, 30” x 22”, carborundum and drypoint on Rives BFK.
You will be teaching Silkscreen Monotype and Encaustic June 7 - 8 at Truro Center for the Arts at Castle Hill. Tell us a little bit about this workshop. What can students expect to leave with?
Silkscreen Monotype involves drawing and painting with water-based media directly onto a screen and then printing onto paper. The process is very low-tech yet spontaneous. During the screenprinting, color interactions are achieved through overprinting imagery. Encaustic is then painted onto the silkscreen prints and further manipulated from a painting process.
This workshop represents a type of creative collision course and highlights my interest in merging printmaking and painting. We will cover some of the processes I developed with printing media onto encaustic as well. It’s a very fast paced class where you can make prints quickly.
Jeff Hirst, Bio Shimmer, 20” x 17”, encaustic on shaped panel.
What keeps you motivated in the studio? What is your typical studio day like? What's next on your horizon?
Heading to my studio is always an easy place to go…probably one of my favorite places to be.
A typical day for me is to arrive, make some coffee, look at some work, go through emails, putter around, and look at work, again. Then I’ll start working on actual art.
I used to paint at night, but now I prefer working in the afternoon. The light in my studio is great in mid-afternoon. If I am working on prints rather than painting, it’s very ritualistic. I go through certain processes almost like a mantra, which keeps everything moving forward.
Moving forward I want to revisit some previous ideas. I made a series of wood and mixed media sculptures about 10 years ago, and I want to make a series of sculpture that will be dedicated to my dad who passed away recently at 90. I am thinking the pieces will be more refined than my previous sculpture, but we’ll see what happens when I actually start making things.
I have access to a large woodshop that has fabulous equipment, and it makes the creative process meditative when I am wearing my dusk mask, eye protection and ear plugs. All the roaring sounds are cut out by the ear protection and making becomes very step by step by step.
Image courtesy of Jeff Hirst.
Anything else you’d like our readers to know?
I am a co-founder of Catalyst Art Lab, which is an online art school and community membership. Numerous classes are offered and most range from 4 - 7 weeks. The classes are structured like college art courses with weekly assignments, and learning happens through making and evolving.
In May, I am teaching a newly designed class Luminosity: Exploring Encaustic Color. The class size is small, and each artist receives weekly feedback on their work.
In September, I will return to Ballinglen Arts Foundation to teach two classes: a printmaking class and an experimental drawing workshop. Each class is 7 days, and along with class work, we also explore the local culture around northern county Mayo that includes an archaeological tour and daily walks to the beach along the northern Atlantic. It’s an amazing location that’s very tranquil and a special place to create.
Jeff Hirst, Slight View, 27” x 26”, encaustic on shaped panel.
Jeff’s upcoming workshops include:
July 21-23 Encaustic Painting Think Tank: Explorations and Beyond, Hirst Studio, Chicago
Sept 2-10 Expanded Approaches towards Printmaking, Ballinglen Arts Foundation, Ireland
May 1, 8, 15, 22 Luminosity: Exploring Encaustic Color, 1:00-2:30 pm CST (online)
To see additional images of Jeff’s work, visit jeffreyhirst.com. You can also follow him on Instagram @jeffreyhirst.
Artist Spotlight: Halim Flowers
In 1997, Halim A. Flowers was arrested at the age of 16 and sentenced to two life sentences in the District of Columbia. Deemed a “SUPERPREDATOR,” he turned to artistic expression as a way to find a sense of peace in prison. Halim was released after serving 22 years in 2019. His experiences were filmed in the Emmy award-winning documentary Thug Life In DC. In 2005, he started his own publishing company SATO Communications, through which he has published eleven books.
Image courtesy of Halim A. Flowers.
In 1997, Halim A. Flowers was arrested at the age of 16 and sentenced to two life sentences in the District of Columbia. Deemed a “SUPERPREDATOR,” he turned to artistic expression as a way to find a sense of peace in prison. Halim was released after serving 22 years in 2019. His experiences were filmed in the Emmy award-winning documentary Thug Life In DC. In 2005, he started his own publishing company SATO Communications, through which he has published eleven books.
Halim uses photography, painting, poetry, and spoken word to further what he refers to as his ‘love revolution.’ “My mission is to love everyone unconditionally all of the time. My purpose is to live the love that I want to see in the world to inspire others to love radically beyond the superficial barriers that serve to separate us from seeing how we are all connected to each other.”
The recipient of the Halcyon Arts Lab and Echoing Green fellowship awards, Halim is represented by DTR Modern Galleries. His work has been exhibited at the MoMA PS1 and the National Arts Club in NYC. In 2022, he started his own releasing exclusive limited collections of streetwear designs.
Image courtesy of Halim A. Flowers.
Can you tell us a little about yourself? How did you get your start as an artist?
I started out as a freestyle rap artist at the age of 11. Through listening to hip hop music, in particular JAY-Z, I became interested in the visual arts. Hearing him rap about Jean-Michel Basquiat, and reading an article on Basquiat in the Wall Street Journal is what influenced me to consider painting.
It was not until the quarantine in March 2020 at the age of 39 that I began my career as a visual artist. Up until then, I was a poet and spoken word artist. I had never sketched or drawn or painted before.
Image courtesy of Halim A. Flowers.
What are you currently working on? How has your work evolved?
I paint and draw everyday. Even when traveling, I draw and paint in hotel rooms and airports. Entering my fourth year as a painter, I am currently working on expanding the form and function of my unique visual language that is often encyclopedic and informed by my global nomadic experiences.
With an insatiable interest in subjects like physics, economics, mathematics, time traveling, genuine equity, and unconditional love, along with my practices of mindfulness and non-judgment, my current focus is how to transfer it all onto the canvas in a way that gracefully combines the soul of intellectual and visual aesthetics.
Image courtesy of Halim A. Flowers.
Working with R&F Pigment Sticks® seems to be a big part of your drawing/ painting process. Can you tell us a little bit about how you discovered them?
When I started painting during the quarantine, the only reference books that I had were publications that I acquired from museums about Jean-Michel Basquiat and his works. I never read the books until I started painting.
Through studying this literature, I kept reading ‘oil sticks.’ I didn’t know what they were at that time, so I hit up different artists on Instagram that I knew about them. I began to order different brands of them online, but the quality of R&F Pigment Sticks® are unmatched. I never do a painting without using them!
Image courtesy of Halim A. Flowers.
What keeps you motivated in the studio? What is your typical studio day like? What's next on your horizon?
The two things that I value most in life are my relationships and experiences. The arts have afforded me the opportunity to develop genuine relationships with some of the most exceptional people in all walks of life from all over the world. Having access to such incredible individuals and institutions has gifted me the blessing of having an endless connection to the most dynamic conversations and gatherings.
Through these thought provoking engagements, I am constantly able to tap into how much I do not know, and that’s what drives me and my creativity: the humility and desire to lean into what I don’t know. Most people are ashamed of what they are not aware of, but I relish in my ignorance. It informs my imagination, fuels my creativity, and makes my ability to experience dynamic inspiration permanent. I never experience writer’s or artist’s block.
Image courtesy of Halim A. Flowers.
Anything else you’d like our readers to know?
I am often asked by other artists for advice on how to become successful in the art world. I let them know that you have to begin with the end in mind, and that success for me is being globally recognized as a prolific, intellectual and conceptually-influential artist, and not just commercial profit.
I also encourage artists to be as enthusiastic about the business of art, if they want to make a career out of it, as they are passionate about creating art. I think that it’s important for not only their career, but their legacy to be equally efficient in the creation and business of art.
On some level, every artist is an entrepreneur that manufactures assets that add intrinsic value to the human experience - more than fiat currency, which is only a medium of exchange.
Image courtesy of Halim A. Flowers.
To see additional images of Halim’s work, visit halim-flowers.com. You can also follow him on Instagram @halimflowers.
Artist Spotlight: Jodi Reeb
Jodi Reeb has been a full-time working artist and teacher for over 27 years. She has taught printmaking, acrylic and encaustic painting, as well as book arts at colleges and art centers regionally and nationally including the International Encaustic Conference, Arrowmont, and Haystack School of Art. A two time recipient of the Minnesota State Arts Board Grant, Jodi received her BFA from the Minneapolis College of Art & Design, where she taught for 9 years. In 2020, she received a Hinge Arts Residency through the Springboard for the Arts.
Jodi Reeb, Ochre Fusion, 40" x 60" x 2", encaustic with metallic paint, 2022
Jodi Reeb has been a full-time working artist and teacher for over 27 years. She has taught printmaking, acrylic and encaustic painting, as well as book arts at colleges and art centers regionally and nationally including the International Encaustic Conference, Arrowmont, and Haystack School of Art. A two time recipient of the Minnesota State Arts Board Grant, Jodi received her BFA from the Minneapolis College of Art & Design, where she taught for 9 years. In 2020, she received a Hinge Arts Residency through the Springboard for the Arts.
Jodi is a CORE Artist Instructor for R&F Handmade Paints, an Ampersand Ambassador and a teaching artist for Silverbrush Ltd. She offers encaustic painting workshops in her studio at Traffic Zone Center for Visual Art in Minneapolis.
Can you tell us a little about yourself? How did you get your start as an artist?
Art has transformed my life since I was very young. At the age of 5, I created poster drawings using crayons on blue-lined newsprint and sold them throughout our neighborhood in North Dakota for a dollar. That’s when the idea was planted that I could make a living making art. This became my identity: I was an artist.
I began developing my voice as an undergraduate printmaker at Minneapolis College of Art & Design. Since 1996, I have been a full-time artist and teacher. I feel incredibly lucky to support myself by sharing what I love to do.
What are you currently working on in the studio? How has your work evolved over the years?
My work has always been rooted in nature, whether abstract or representational. I generally work in series and enjoy creating abstracted landscapes using photographs and circular large-scale art installations. To create in my viewers a physical sensation, my work oscillates between painting and sculpture in terms of both dimension and negative space. I started as a printmaker and am now going into more works coming off the wall.
Jodi Reeb, Ochre Fusion (side view).
You will be teaching a pre-conference workshop Encaustic with Alternative Surfaces at Truro Center for the Arts at Castle Hill on June 7 & 8. Tell us a little bit about this workshop. What can students expect to leave with?
This workshop is designed to expand artists’ toolbox to combine elements as rust, copper, bronze, and pewter with encaustic. Participants will work with Sophisticated Finishes paint, which creates beautiful rusted and patina affects and can be combined under or over encaustic paint. Surface treatments including powdered graphite and metal leafing will be explored as well. These surfaces can be layered or serve as a final finish, as metallic paints bind on porous and non-porous surfaces.
Artists will develop design and color skills to be used in any medium, in addition to strategies that will help them look at their work critically and discover when a work is finished. There will be lots of studio time and 1:1 with me for feedback and support. The workshop is great for beginners as well as experienced artists.
Jodi Reeb, Summer Series, 54" x 54" x 2', encaustic with metallic paint, 2023
What keeps you motivated in the studio? What is your typical studio day like? What's next on your horizon?
I am so lucky to be able to do what I love everyday as a full-time artist. I’m in my Minneapolis studio each day during the week and enjoy both aspects of my job - creating and teaching. For me, it’s about connecting with others either through my art or helping others creating their own work. I enjoy adventures and have a busy teaching schedule this year in the US and Ireland this summer.
For the past few years, I have offered mentoring and art study coaching to artists that want to push their studio practice further, be supported and held accountable. I support artists in-person and around the country by giving feedback on their art, teaching encaustic painting, sharing best business practices in terms of marketing and sales, as well as how to utilize social media platforms to find new audiences for your work.
Jodi Reeb, At Dawn, 18" x 18", encaustic, oil and photo collage, 2022
Anything else you’d like our readers to know?
“I think art is a total thing; a total person giving a contribution. It is an essence, a soul. In my inner soul, art and life are inseparable.” -Eva Hesse
I am also interested in site-specific, temporary sculptural installations and began exploring this idea during a week-long workshop at Truro Center for the Arts at Castle Hill. Taking over a corner of the studio, I created eight sculptures using wire, newspaper, encaustic-dipped string, tape, and driftwood. I gave myself the freedom to work quickly and with simple materials. It was freeing to create a piece, tear it down, and create another.
In 2018, I received the Artist’s Initiative Grant and was able to spend time developing a new body of work that incorporates my photographs printed on tissue paper and embedded in encaustic. I’ve always had an interest in photography, but don’t consider myself a photographer. For me, it is another image-making tool, one that I collaborate with to create a balance between painting and photography.
My ideas concerning beauty, abstraction, nature, and art are given form through the mediums of encaustic and sculpture. Tactile painting and repetitive mark-marking serves as a record of my experience. I hope my work is a sensory experience for those that view it.
To see additional images of Jodi’s work, visit jodireeb.com. You can also follow her on Instagram @jodireeb.
Jodi has a number of upcoming workshops including in her Minneapolis studio, Grand Marais Art Colony, Wild Rice Retreats, Essence of Mulranny Studios in Ireland, Penland School of Crafts, at Wet Paint, and at R&F Handmade Paints.
To learn more and register, visit jodireeb.com/news.
Artist Spotlight: Julie Snidle
Julie Snidle is a self-taught artist with a background in public school teaching and corporate administration. She was introduced to encaustic in 2004 and has worked primarily with wax-based paints, including oil and cold wax, since then. Julie has received numerous awards for her abstract work which can be found in public spaces and private collections throughout the world. In addition to serving as a Core Instructor for R&F Handmade Paints, she is also an Artist Ambassador for Ampersand Art Supplies.
Julie Snidle, Abundance, encaustic on panel, 24” x 24”.
Julie Snidle is a self-taught artist with a background in public school teaching and corporate administration. She was introduced to encaustic in 2004 and has worked primarily with wax-based paints, including oil and cold wax, since then. Julie has received numerous awards for her abstract work which can be found in public spaces and private collections throughout the world. In addition to serving as a Core Instructor for R&F Handmade Paints, she is also an Artist Ambassador for Ampersand Art Supplies.
Julie is represented by Kolman & Reeb Gallery in Minneapolis, Minnesota; Dauphin Gallery on Dauphin Island, Alabama; and Canary Gallery in Birmingham, Alabama. She teaches workshops nationwide and also at her home studio in Fairhope.
Can you tell us a little about yourself? How did you get your start as an artist?
I grew up in the suburbs of Minneapolis in the 60’s. I had the good fortune of having parents with a strong work ethic who enjoyed camping, hiking, and do-it-yourself projects. My mother was artistic and my father mechanical, a winning combination. I entertained myself by drawing, sewing, making my own paper dolls, and creating miniature houses out of cardboard.
In 7th grade I wrote a paper about what I imagined to be my future career; I wanted to be an art teacher. I did earn my degree in elementary education and taught school for 5 years.
Life happens and I found myself in Dallas working for an insurance company as a corporate trainer and administrator. I never lost my artistic desires but they were relegated to hobby status. By 1994, I was married with two young daughters. Art retreats, creative workshops, and painting classes fed my soul. The more I learned the more I wanted to know. Fortunately the learning never ends.
Julie Snidle, Bennington, oil and cold wax on panel, 9” x 12”.
What are you currently working on in the studio? How has your work evolved over the years?
There are a lot of moving parts in my studio right now. I’m finishing a 36” x 45” commissioned oil and cold wax painting for a local couple; packing materials for a 3-day workshop I’ll be teaching this week in Birmingham & delivering 6 paintings to Canary Gallery also in Birmingham; meeting a photographer here tomorrow, a potential new member of a local art group I started a year ago; and setting up my studio to accommodate an artist friend who will spend the first week of March with me.
My work has grown more confident over the years. I have shed much of the hesitancy and doubt that accompanies early work. I am more trusting of myself to make the right decisions. My self criticism has become focused and useful as I continue to expand and experiment. The more I paint, the better I know what I like, what I want in my work, and the more comfortable I feel with my art practice. This trust and believing in positive outcomes has become my way forward. Not always easy but I enjoy the challenges and I am having more fun all the time.
Julie Snidle, Alla Prossima (until next time), encaustic on panel, 24” x 24”.
This June 12 - 13 you will be teaching Joy of a Limited Palette at Truro Center for the Arts at Castle Hill. What does this workshops focus on and what can students expect to leave with?
This workshop will give students a chance to ‘test drive’ new color combinations and discover the dozens of uniquely beautiful colors that can emerge from just 2 or 3 parent colors and white. Although not technically a color theory workshop, terms like hue, value, intensity, opacity, and temperature will become part of our vocabulary as we explore the wide range of possibilities.
We will be working with encaustic on Ampersand’s smallest encausticbords and 300# watercolor paper so that work can be easily transported home. R&F will provide a wide variety of encaustic paint colors to choose from so that you can find your favorites. You’ll find that less really is more.
Julie’s studio set up to teach painting with R&F Pigment Sticks.
Julie’s studio set up to teach encaustic painting.
What keeps you motivated in the studio? What is your typical studio day like? What's next on your horizon?
I’m a planner. I love assignments and deadlines. So whatever I’ve scheduled for myself, whether it’s a workshop, a commission, or paintings for a gallery, I’m motivated to keep moving forward. A friend of mine gave me a framed quote, “Do what you love, love what you do.” I feel very fortunate to live a creative life and to share my passion for painting with others.
Julie Snidle, Travel Plans, encaustic on panel, 16” x 20”.
We moved to Fairhope, AL from St. Louis, MO in 2018. Fairhope is a beautiful little community on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay. It is a haven for artists and writers and I have been inspired and nurtured by my experiences here and the people I’ve met.
We found the perfect home with an attached mother-in-law suite that we converted into my studio. High ceilings, good light and ventilation provide a safe and comfortable place to work and teach. It’s separated from the main house by a large, white rolling barn door.
My painting studio and classroom are in one room with my office, library, bath, and storage closet in the adjacent room. That’s where you’ll find me during the day unless I’m traveling, golfing or having lunch with friends.
I’m usually up by 7. Morning routine is pretty much the same; coffee, read emails, solve a puzzle or two, and take a walk. I’ll be in my studio by 9 or so. When working with encaustic, I’ll usually paint on one piece at a time. With oils, I’ll have several paintings going at once. Occasionally I’ll construct a blank journal that I’ll use with watercolors when traveling. Whether I’m painting or doing art-related administrative tasks, I’m wrapping it up by 5. Then it’s time to clean up and join my husband for dinner. He does most of the cooking these days.
Julie Snidle, Precarious, oil and cold wax on panel, 9” x 12”.
I am currently reading The Creative Act: A Way of Being, a book by Rick Rubin. He says, “Beware of the assumption that the way you work is the best way simply because it’s the way you’ve done it before.” After almost 20 years of painting with encaustic, I still find it to be a fascinating medium. I’m not sure what direction my work will take next, but I do want to keep learning, taking risks, and pushing myself. Staying curious.
To see additional images of Julie’s work, visit juliesnidle.com. You can also follow her on Instagram @juliesnidle.
Julie has a number of upcoming workshops including:
3/9 - 11: Advanced Encaustic, Eastern Shore Art Center, Fairhope, AL
6/12 - 13: The Joy of a Limited Palette - with R&F Encaustic Paint, Truro Center for the Arts at Castle Hill, Truro, MA
6/23 - 24: The Joy of a Limited Palette - with R&F Pigment Sticks, Eastern Shore Art Center, Fairhope, AL
7/19 - 22: Authentic Abstracts with Oil and Cold Wax: Express Yourself!, Eastern Shore Art Center, Fairhope, AL
8/7 - 11: Encaustic and Mixed Media, Touchstone Center for Crafts, Farmington, PA
10/18 - 21: Discovering Encaustic, Eastern Shore Art Center, Fairhope, AL
To learn more and register, visit juliesnidle.com/all-workshops.
Notes on Color: Chromatic Tones
Recently we chatted with R&F founder Richard Frumess about the decision to make a Chromatic Tones Color Set in both our Pigment Stick and encaustic paint lines.
"Value plays a huge part in how chromatic whites operate. This an important part of color theory and helpful for students to understand. One way to demonstrate this is to start with black and white backgrounds, because they're the extremes of value, and then move on to how the chromatic whites play off stronger colors.”
Recently we chatted with R&F founder Richard Frumess about the decision to make a Chromatic Tones Color Set in both our Pigment Stick and encaustic paint lines.
"Value plays a huge part in how chromatic whites operate. This an important part of color theory and helpful for students to understand. One way to demonstrate this is to start with black and white backgrounds, because they're the extremes of value, and then move on to how the chromatic whites play off stronger colors.”
So we did.
Our Chromatic Tones Color Set (for those unfamiliar) consists of of six tints in 40 ml cakes. It includes Brilliant Yellow Extra Pale, Celadon Green, Cerulean Grey, Green Gold Pale, Scarlet Extra Pale, and Ultramarine Blue Pale.
Placing a stroke of each of our our Chromatic Tones Color Set on black and white backgrounds shows the effect of achromatic value on chromatic whites.
From L to R: Cerulean Grey, Brilliant Yellow Extra Pale, Scarlet Extra Pale, Celadon Green, Ultramarine Blue Pale, and Green Gold Pale.
Try this for yourself. When you experiment, you will see that a white background, which will contrast less with a chromatic white, will make the chromatic white look darker and tend to bring out its color. It may also make it look slightly grayish. A black background will tend to bring out its whiteness.
Richard suggests you then take one step further on the black background and lay a brush stroke of Titanium White anywhere on the panel. This will have the effect of causing your chromatic white to stop looking so white and reveal its color.
The push and pull of color interaction adds another dimension to the effect of value. A quick way to see this is to do an experiment with Phthalo Green Pale.
Try laying a wide stroke down on a background of Chromium Oxide Green, Cadmium Yellow Light, Celadon, and Scarlet Extra Pale.
From L to R: Phthalo Green Pale encaustic paint on Chromium Oxide Green, Cadmium Yellow Light, Celadon, and Scarlet Extra Pale.
The Phthalo Green Pale appears lighter on Chromium Oxide Green because the very strong green of Chromium Oxide Green is pushing the weaker green of Phthalo Green Pale away from green.
Compare that to Phthalo Green Pale on Cadmium Yellow Light where the yellow pushes Phthalo Green Pale away from yellow toward blue. On Celadon and on Scarlet Extra Pale, there is very little contrast value, so the Celadon pushes the Phthalo Green Pale toward blue. Scarlet Extra Pale pushes the Phthalo Green Pale toward green in a more subtle fashion.
Below you will find a video demonstrating the differences in value produced by our Chromatic Tones Color Set. You can find all kinds of additional helpful content - from tips on color mixing to artist spotlights - neatly organized for you on Articles & Links, as well as over 18 demo videos hosted on our YouTube channel.
Enjoy. Keep painting.
What to learn more? Richard will be teaching two upcoming workshops on color.
3/23 - 25: What Makes Encaustic Different in Creating Color Effects? co-taught with Leslie Giuliani, R&F Handmade Paints, Kingston, NY
6/6 - 8: Solving Color Problems, Truro Center for the Arts at Castle Hill, Truro, MA
The 16th International Encaustic Conference
The 16th International Encaustic Conference hosted by Truro Center for the Arts will take place June 9 - 11th in Provincetown, Massachusetts. The conference is the place to be for anyone interested in encaustic. Instructors from across the country and around the world will be there offering talks and demos.
Artwork credit: R&F Core Instructor Julie Snidle. Julie will be teaching a post-conference workshop The Joy of a Limited Palette.
The 16th International Encaustic Conference hosted by Truro Center for the Arts will take place June 9 - 11th in Provincetown, Massachusetts. The conference is the place to be for anyone interested in encaustic. Instructors from across the country and around the world will be there offering talks and demos.
Pre and post conference hands-on workshops round out your immersive experience. There’s a hotel fair, a postcard show, giveaways, a book signing, a juried show, and - best of all - R&F will be in the vendor room with a full array of paint and materials.
Image credit: Michele Randall. Michele will be teaching a pre-conference workshop Cyanotype Printmaking & Encaustic Fusion.
Never been to the conference? This might be the year to go.
There will be 17 different talks at the conference including a range of topics from “Inventing Novel AIR Residencies” with R&F Artist Instructors Kelly Milukas and Bettina Egli Sennhauser, to “Artists Working With Textiles: Part 2” with Susan Lasch Krevitt, and “The Impact of Loss In Your Art” with Patti Russotti and R&F Core Instructor Lisa Pressman. Important professional development topics such as grant writing, marketing, packing and shipping encaustic will also be addressed.
Demos at the conference cover everything from the “Fundamentals of Getting Started” with Eliaichi Kimaro to “Intentional Content” with R&F Artist Instructor Kelly Williams and“Materiality and Encaustic: Re-Imaging the Substrate” with Janise Yntema. R&F Core Instructor Leslie Giuliani will be there to demo “Paper Lithography on Wax” and Stephanie Hargrave will present “Encaustic Assemblage, Multiples, and Meaning” with Stephanie Hargrave. Shary Bartlett will demo “Luscious Lines: Tools For Texture.”
Artwork credit: R&F Artist Instructor Kelly Williams. Kelly will be teaching a post-conference workshop Intentional Content.
This year’s conference Keynote Speaker is Hrag Vartanian.
The editor-in-chief and co-founder of Hyperallergic, Hrag Vartanian is an art critic, curator, artist, and lecturer on contemporary art with an expertise on the intersection of art and politics.
Hyperallergic reaches an audience of over a million people a month. Some of Hrag’s notable essays from the past few years include the forward to The Artist as Culture Producer, which is titled “Imagining the Future Before Us,” his keynote at the American Craft Council’s 2019 national conference, and his criticism of “Tribute in Light.”
Can’t attend the conference but are interested in one of the workshops? Don’t worry! It is not necessary that you attend the conference in order to register for a pre- or post-conference workshop.
Image credit: R&F Core Instructor Lisa Pressman. Lisa will be teaching a post-conference workshop 100 Pieces In 3 Days? Loosen Up and Let Go.
Pre-Conference workshops include:
6/5 - 6/6: Layer by Layer: Monotype Collage and Encaustic with Debra Claffey
6/5 - 6/6: Cyanotype Printmaking & Encaustic Fusion with Michele Randall
6/6 - 6/8: Organic Abstraction with Values and Color taught by Kelly Milukas
6/6 - 6/8: Solving Color Problems with R&F founder Richard Frumess
6/6 - 6/8: Encaustic + Paper: Collage, Dip, Monoprint with Dietlind Vander Schaaf
6/7 - 6/8: Encaustic with Alternative Surfaces with Jodi Reeb
6/7 - 6/8: Solving Common Problems Faced By Painters Using Encaustic with Dale O. Roberts
6/7 - 6/8: Paper Lithography On Wax with Leslie Giuliani
6/7 - 6/8: What They Didn’t Teach You In Art School with Kim Bernard
6/7 - 6/8: Silkscreen Monoprint with Encaustic with Jeff Hirst
6/8: Getting Started with Encaustic Painting by Eliaichi Kimaro
Image credit: R&F Core Instructor Leslie Giuliani. Leslie will be teaching a pre-conference workshop Paper Lithography On Wax.
Post-Conference workshops include:
6/12 - 6/13: The Joy of a Limited Palette with Julie Snidle
6/12 - 6/13: Material World: Transforming Fabric & Wax! with Susan Lasch Krevitt
6/12 - 6/13: 100 Pieces In 3 Days? Loosen Up and Let Go with Lisa Pressman
Artwork credit: R&F Artist Instructor Debra Claffey. Deb will be teaching a pre-conference workshop Layer by Layer: Monotype Collage and Encaustic.
6/12: Using Procreate for Editing Artworks with Anna Wagner-Ott
6/12 - 6/14: Encaustic, Assemblage, Multiples & Meaning with Stephanie Hargrave
6/12 - 6/14: Photographs, Transfer Film, and Encaustic with Patti Russotti
6/12 - 6/14: Encaustic Meets Fresco with Bettina Egli Sennhauser
6/13: Zen Painting with Gabriela Sanchez
6/13: Shine! Presenting Your Work and Yourself to the World with Joanne Mattera
6/14 - 6/15: Materiality and Encaustic: Re-Imagining the Substrate with Janise Yntema
6/14: Intentional Content with Kelly Williams
Artwork credit: R&F Core Instructor Jeff Hirst. Jeff will be teaching a pre-conference workshop Silkscreen Monoprint with Encaustic.
To view a complete list of pre and post conference workshops and to register for the conference, visit castlehill.org.
Artist Spotlight: Dale O. Roberts
Dale O. Roberts graduated Cum Laude with a B.F.A. in Painting and Drawing from Tyler School of Art in 1982. His work has been shown at Gross McCleaf Gallery, Blue Heron Gallery, the Marshall Gallery, Church Street Gallery, and Art Nou Mil-Lenni Gallery in Barcelona, Spain, among others. Dale’s paintings have appeared in magazines and other publications and are in many private collections, including University of Pennsylvania Hospital, Fidelity Bank of Delaware, PECO, Cozen O’Connor Law Firm, Vanguard Investment Group, and Rutgers University Museum.
Dale O. Roberts, Building(s), encaustic on panel, 36” x 48”.
Dale O. Roberts graduated Cum Laude with a B.F.A. in Painting and Drawing from Tyler School of Art in 1982. His work has been shown at Gross McCleaf Gallery, Blue Heron Gallery, the Marshall Gallery, Church Street Gallery, and Art Nou Mil-Lenni Gallery in Barcelona, Spain, among others. Dale’s paintings have appeared in magazines and other publications and are in many private collections, including University of Pennsylvania Hospital, Fidelity Bank of Delaware, PECO, Cozen O’Connor Law Firm, Vanguard Investment Group, and Rutgers University Museum.
Dale paints with encaustic, as well as gouache, watercolor, oil, and other mediums. His process involves numerous preparatory drawings, color studies, reworking, and substantial reliance on memory. Often he brings a panel to a site to indicate proportion, point of view and scale concerns.
In addition to serving as an adjunct professor at Arcadia University, Dale has taught workshops at the International Encaustic Conference, The Encaustic Center, and the Federation of Canadian Artists in Calgary, Canada. He and his wife have two sons and live just outside of Philadelphia with their Springer Spaniel, Remy.
Can you tell us a little about yourself? How did you get your start as an artist?
I grew up in Upstate New York, where the farming community had no clue that you could make a living as an artist, and yet I was interested in art from a very young age. I started drawing when I was around five and began to paint around seven. I spent a lot of time drawing from life. Landscapes were a primary interest, as well as animals and later figure work. After art school, I began to see what was possible: I was exposed to the work of wonderful painters and teachers who allowed me to grasp that someone could actually make an art life work.
Dale O. Roberts, Flotsam, encaustic on panel, 16.5” x 14.5”.
What are you currently working on in the studio? How has your work evolved over the years?
Currently, my work seems focused on the ways we perceive the world around us, particularly in landscapes and cityscapes. Using sketches done from life and some alchemy in the studio, my process is ultimately about the paint, what is there, asking “How do I react to what’s there?” and the dynamic relationship between the paint and the panel in front of me.
Dale O. Roberts, Arches on Arch, encaustic on panel.
You will be teaching Creative Approaches To Painting Encaustic From Life October 5 - 7. What does this workshops focus on and what can students expect to leave with?
The workshop will be about pushing our own self-made boundaries in painting. It is about how to think, not what to think–freedom over formula. I have been experimenting with encaustic for about forty years, and I have discovered that I am not interested in writing a rulebook on how to use encaustic. Instead, I’m interested in cultivating a restless nature: a refusal to be satisfied with one technique of creating.
Although I do work from life and sketches, I am quite willing to pivot radically. Sometimes this means rounds of editing, or massively altering a work. Other times, this means paying attention to the paint itself. I believe my students come away with this empowerment: that they can approach their work in a way they did not consider before or even think possible. It is my hope that they will grow in a sense of abandon and freedom, holding to the idea that they can approach something that seems daunting, and find their way through.
Dale O. Roberts, The Cycles of Amsterdam, encaustic on panel, 36” x 42”.
What keeps you motivated in the studio? What is your typical studio day like? What's next on your horizon?
What keeps me motivated are folks like Rembrandt, Vermeer, and van Eyck and their towering achievements. Some of the modern painters, too, inspire me. Lately I’ve been looking at Hans Hoffman, Giacometti, Antonio Lopez Garcia – people that also paint from life but are free in their experimentation. Second, what keeps me motivated is that sense of exploration, as opposed to “arriving,” and always aiming for a result that will move the viewer.
Dale O. Roberts, Lost Edges, encaustic on panel, 23” x 23”.
These days, I am painting by 4:30 or 5 in the morning. I’ll work for a few hours, then eat breakfast and continue out in the studio. Midday, I take a run or walk my dog, to clear my head and move. In the afternoon, I paint again for up to 7 hours, and then I’ll spend time with my family. We enjoy cooking together and have a dog we love. I do a ton of reading. I am grateful for opportunities to help someone in need or assist with family or friends’ house project, and am glad to prioritize those times over anything else.
Anything else you'd like our readers to know?
I would like folks considering taking this workshop to realize that unless you try and are willing to dig deep and address problems, you will not develop as a painter. There is power in someone’s eagerness to take risks. This means trying methods that are outside your comfort zone. This also means broadening your range of inspirations, so your work is not so pigeonholed.
Keep your eyes open to the world around you. If you study with me, you will hear me say that anything we create is going to be a reflection on that world – there is nothing that we are making: a priori, it has already been made. When we paint, we are editors, borrowing from what is already there. Keeping our eyes open is how we learn from wonder and mystery.
To learn more about Dale and see additional images of his work, visit dalerobertsencaustic.com. You can also follow him on Instagram @dalerobertsencaustic or subscribe to his YouTube channel.
To register for Creative Approaches To Painting Encaustic From Life, visit rfpaints.com/workshops.
Meet The Team: Sean Sullivan
It’s time for another edition of "Meet The Team." This ongoing feature is our way of introducing you to the fine folks behind the scenes who make R&F possible - from the people answering the phones and scheduling workshops to the paintmakers themselves.
Sean Sullivan, Ascension (New Mnemonics No. 1), oil on found paper, 10.25 x 6.75 in (26.03 x 17.14 cm), 2020. Image courtesy of Chris Sharp Gallery.
It’s time for another edition of "Meet The Team." This ongoing feature is our way of introducing you to the fine folks behind the scenes who make R&F possible - from the people answering the phones and scheduling workshops to the paintmakers themselves.
This week we would like to introduce you to Sean Sullivan. Sean has been with R&F for going on sixteen years. In 2022, he became co-owner of R&F. Sean is an invaluable part of our team. An incredibly talented artist in his own right, he is also one of the nicest guys around.
To see more of Sean’s work, follow him on Instagram @parade.pimlico.pearl or visit his website parade-pentimento-pimlico-pearl.com.
Sean Sullivan, Sento, oil on found paper, 10.25 x 7 in (26 x 17.7 cm), 2021. Image courtesy of Chris Sharp Gallery.
Please provide a brief description of what you do day to day at R&F.
My day-to-day is mostly rooted in R&F operations: production, purchasing, staff, as well as creative direction.
As announced in October of 2022, after many years as a Paint Maker and Production Manager, I became one of the owners of R&F alongside Darin Seim, a reality and perspective shift I’m still processing, to be honest.
Richard Frumess (R&F’s founder) handed off a unique formulation to Darin and me. It is comprised of paint-making knowledge, passion, and a perspective that places a very high value on being an artist, on laughter, and most especially, on relationships. I am grateful to both of them and really excited to work with Darin to help imagine the future of R&F. As far as we’re concerned we have the best crew in the world and the products, well, we believe they speak for themselves.
How many years have you been working for R&F?
I started as a paint maker back in 2007 and became the Production Manager a few years later, maybe in 2010, or 2011?
Sean Sullivan, Ekphrastic Monastic, oil on found paper, 6.75 x 8 in (17.14 x 20.32 cm), 2021. Image courtesy of Chris Sharp Gallery.
What do you do outside of work? Do you have an art background or related practice?
My partner, Marie, and I have been together for 28 years, I love coming to work, but I also love going home! We have two boys, Emmett, age 11, and Hugh, age 8, and a dog named Hobbes. They keep us pretty busy. I do my best to maintain a studio practice, usually a few hours a week, after dinner, before bed kinda thing, and on the weekends mostly.
If someone came to visit Kingston, what's one thing you would recommend they see, do, eat, or experience?
I'll give you two! I would recommend eating at The Tortilla Taco Bar, followed by a walk on the new Empire State Trail.
Sean Sullivan, Epistolic epistomology, oil on Kitikata, 10.25 x 8 in (26 x 20.32 cm), 2021. Image courtesy of Chris Sharp Gallery.
Sean Sullivan, Love of Labor, oil on found paper, 10.25 x 6.75 in (26.03 x 17.14 cm), 2021. Image courtesy of Chris Sharp Gallery.
Favorite color in R&F’s color line?
Just one? That's impossible!
Current top five: Warm Pink, Veronese Green, Burnt Sienna, Turkey Umber Pale, and King's Blue. You should also see what we’re cooking up for the future, soooo exciting…
Notes on Color: Translucent Color Set
Welcome to another edition of Notes On Color. This week we are highlighting our Translucent Color Set. A sweet set of six jewel-tone 40ml encaustic paints, R&F's Translucent Color Set includes Alizarin Crimson, Alizarin Orange, Indian Yellow, Viridian, Ultramarine Blue, and Egyptian Violet. It comes packaged in a cradled 6" x 6" Ampersand Encausticbord™ panel so you are ready to paint.
Welcome to another edition of Notes On Color. This week we are highlighting our Translucent Color Set.
A sweet set of six jewel-tone 40ml encaustic paints, R&F's Translucent Color Set includes Alizarin Crimson, Alizarin Orange, Indian Yellow, Viridian, Ultramarine Blue, and Egyptian Violet. It comes packaged in a cradled 6" x 6" Ampersand Encausticbord™ panel so you are ready to paint.
Richly pigmented, these six encaustic paints can be extended with encaustic medium to create luminous glazes. Add some Titanium White to produce vibrant tints. Below you will find a video demonstrating the range of colors you can create with this set.
And remember you can find all kinds of helpful content - from tips on color mixing to artist spotlights - neatly organized for you on Articles & Links, as well as over 18 demo videos hosted on our YouTube channel.
Enjoy. Keep painting.
ALIZARIN CRIMSON. Hard to mill without using stearate additives. We don't use them because stearates dull the color. Our milling is difficult and tricky, but the result is pure, luminous ruby-red undertone. Less harsh than Quinacridones.
Available in both our encaustic and Pigment Stick® color lines. Transparent with a slow Pigment Stick® drying rate.
Chemical Composition: 1, 2 dihydroxy anthraquinone on alumina base.
ALIZARIN ORANGE. A translucent color with a muted orange mass tone that is between cadmium and mars orange. But its undertone is a surprising fiery orange-yellow that becomes lemony when extended out.
Available in both our encaustic and Pigment Stick® color lines. Transparent with a slow Pigment Stick® drying rate.
Chemical Composition: disazo pigment, anthraquinone pigment.
INDIAN YELLOW. A deep rich translucent yellow. The original Indian Yellow came from India. It was processed from cow’s urine and used in Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries for watercolor. It was fugitive in oil. The modern version has the same warm tones as the original.
Available in both our encaustic and Pigment Stick® color lines. Transparent with a slow Pigment Stick® drying rate.
Chemical Composition: disazo pigment.
VIRIDIAN. Emerald undertone. Softer, slightly yellower, and slightly less transparent than Phthalo. Beautiful glaze color. Also known as Vert Emeraude and Guinet's Green.
Available in both our encaustic and Pigment Stick® color lines. Semi-Transparent with a fast Pigment Stick® drying rate.
Chemical Composition: hydrated chromium sesquioxide.
ULTRAMARINE BLUE. The reddest, deepest Ultramarine we could find. Beautiful glazing color.
Available in both our encaustic and Pigment Stick® color lines. Transparent with a medium Pigment Stick® drying rate.
Chemical Composition: sodium aluminum sulfo-silicate.
EGYPTIAN VIOLET. The strongest of our violets, perhaps even more intense than the Phthalos. Very bluish undertone, like Ultramarine Violet, but with a very dark top tone that is almost blackish.
Available in both our encaustic and Pigment Stick® color lines. Transparent with a slow Pigment Stick® drying rate.
Chemical Composition: dioxazine pigment.
R&F's 2023 Artists-In-Residence: Brad Ellis, Henry Curchod & Kuzana Ogg
Competition for our three artist residencies at Brown Pink this year was tough. With nearly 100 submissions, the panel of anonymous jurors had their work cut out for them. Thank you to all the artists who applied. We will open applications again next fall for 2024.
We’d like to introduce you to our 2023 Artists-In-Residence: Brad Ellis, Henry Curchod, and Kuzana Ogg. We are honored to welcome these talented artists to Brown Pink for a two week residency and look forward to seeing what they make.
Competition for our three artist residencies at Brown Pink this year was tough. With nearly 100 submissions, the panel of anonymous jurors had their work cut out for them. Thank you to all the artists who applied. We will open applications again next fall for 2024.
We’d like to introduce you to our 2023 Artists-In-Residence: Brad Ellis, Henry Curchod, and Kuzana Ogg. We are honored to welcome these talented artists to Brown Pink for a two week residency and look forward to seeing what they make.
Brad Ellis
Brad Ellis is a mid-career, Texas-based artist whose focus is on abstract painting. Throughout his career he has continually experimented with imagery from tightly rendered, systematic patterns to loosely constructed, expressionistic compositions.
For Brad, the pure physicality of encaustic paint combined with various collage elements render distinct textures and surface treatments that energize his abstract imagery with movement and excitement.
Brad earned his BFA from the University of Tulsa and his work is represented by art galleries across the country from Boston to Bellevue. His paintings are included in private and corporate art collections, including the U.S. State Department’s Art In Embassies Program in Kampala, Uganda. He is featured in both Texas Abstract, Modern + Contemporary and Encaustic Art In The Twenty-First Century. bradellisart.com
Brad Ellis, Black Trellis #2, 60” x 48”, encaustic, enamel, ink and collage on board, 2021
Henry Curchod
Henry Curchod, who currently resides in the UK, works primarily in painting and sculpture. He describes his work as “broadly resolv(ing) false histories in my life; using narrative to explore historical negationism on both a personal and global level, as well as symbols and themes that cross my Western upbringing and Iranian heritage.”
Working with dry pigments, charcoal, and oil stick on raw linen, Henry builds up layers in a hyper-physical approach to mark making, allowing a narrative and atmosphere to emerge over a period of time. He attempts to retain the aesthetic quality of ancient Persian miniature paintings on a large scale, maintaining reverence to the surface of the canvas, but focused on contemporary subject matter.
Exploring themes of hierarchy, brutality, persecution, capitalism, cultural cross-pollination, and kindness, Henry is interested in the complexity, depth, and layers that humans have connected and interacted with one another, particularly in groups, throughout history. The recipient of numerous awards, he has had solo shows in England, New Zealand, and Australia. henrycurchod.com
Henry Curchod, It is the doors of my perception, and the house that I live in, 77” x 132”, Oil stick, Pigment Stick, and charcoal on linen, 2022
kuzana ogg
Kuzana was born in Bombay. The first years of her life were divided between the ancestral home of her grandfather, surrounded by lush gardens and groves of coconut trees, and her grandmother’s exquisite Worli residence on the coast. Along with her family, Kuzana immigrated first to England, and then to New York.
As an art student at SUNY Purchase, Kuzana met her husband. They married in 1995, and moved to South Korea, spending six years teaching English in Kyung Ju.
Kuzana has participated in residencies in Minnesota, Sri Lanka, China, Scotland Latvia, and Iceland. In 2021, Kuzana completed a 4 year residency at El Zaguan on Canyon Road, and moved to Los Alamos. Her paintings have been included on the sets of television shows and feature films — the most recent of which are Sprung, Bloodline, Where’d You Go Bernadette, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, Southpaw, and My All-American. She has exhibited internationally and had solo exhibitions at the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art and the Bakersfield Museum of Art. kuzanaogg.com
Kuzana Ogg, Vohu Manah, oil on panel, 60” x 60”, 2022
Meet The Team: Vincent Pidone
"Meet The Team" returns this week so we can introduce you to production assistant Vincent Pidone, who - coincidentally - has a selection of his work on view in Work In Progress: The Gallery at R&F now through the end of the year. As Production Manager Sean Sullivan notes in his eloquent introduction to Vincent’s work, Vincent is a man of “mystery, curiosity, and generosity.” We encourage you to read the full essay and check out the additional images of Vincent’s exhibition.
"Meet The Team" returns this week so we can introduce you to production assistant Vincent Pidone, who - coincidentally - has a selection of his work on view in Work In Progress: The Gallery at R&F now through the end of the year. As Production Manager Sean Sullivan notes in his eloquent introduction to Vincent’s work, Vincent is a man of “mystery, curiosity, and generosity.” We encourage you to read the full essay and check out the additional images of Vincent’s exhibition.
Please provide a brief description of what you do day to day at R&F.
Wrap paint.
How many years have you been working for R&F?
A long time.
Vincent Pidone, Untitled, 11” x 14”, Pigment Stick® monoprint on paper, 2022
What do you do outside of work? Do you have an art background or related practice?
I paint...that’s how I got here.
If someone came to visit Kingston, what's one thing you would recommend they see, do, eat, or experience?
If they were an artist, I would send them to P&T Surplus at 198 Abeel Street - just a five minute drive from R&F.
Vincent Pidone, Untitled, 11” x 14”, Pigment Stick® monoprint on paper, 2022
Vincent Pidone, Untitled, 11” x 14”, Pigment Stick® monoprint on paper, 2022
Favorite color in R&F’s color line?
Prussian Blue: it’s beautiful and it dries fast.
Vincent Pidone’s “Work in Progress’ installation at Work in Progress.
To see more of Vincent’s work, follow him on Instagram @vincentpidone.
You can also watch Vincent’s short film “Notes” from 2014, which features animation from details of small drawings done with R&F Pigment Sticks. The sound track is "Once Around" by Ray Spiegel from the album "Moksha" © Simla House. vimeo.com/user35897779
Meet The Team: Kelli Sillik
Welcome to another addition of "Meet The Team" - our way of introducing you to the fine folks behind the scenes who make R&F possible. In this week’s installment, you will meet Kelli Sillik in Production.
Welcome to another addition of "Meet The Team" - our way of introducing you to the fine folks behind the scenes who make R&F possible. In this week’s installment, you will meet Kelli Sillik in Production.
Please tell us your job title and a brief description of what you do day to day at R&F.
I am the Assistant Manager of Paintmaking. My day to day activities are creating a weekly schedule to make encaustic and Pigment Sticks®, ensuring quality control of the paint, and making sure everyone in Production has the time, tools, and materials they need to complete their assigned colors for the day. Part of my job involves milling paint on our three-roll mills and measuring raw materials in the pigment room.
You'll also find me rummaging through our vast CD collection in the shop for the Tom Waits albums my coworkers patiently listen to in the early hours of the morning.
How many years have you been working for R&F?
I started working for R&F in 2015 in Post-Production. After completing college, I moved on to Paintmaking. But I started doing studio work through the workshop program as a high school student around 2010. I met Richard when he visited my Chemistry-in-Art class in high school where he taught students about color, light, and pigment.
From that point on, R&F has been a second home for me.
What do you do outside of work? Do you have an art background or related practice?
I earned a Bachelor of Science in Visual Art and a Minor in Art History after completing my college education at SUNY Ulster and SUNY New Paltz. I have been exploring the arts and crafts qualities of sewing, embroidery, and hand-quilting for the last few years, but I often describe myself as a jack of all trades, master of none.
I love to cook, garden, hike, and read. I recently began volunteering at the local SPCA a couple days a week as well.
If someone came to visit Kingston, what's one thing you would recommend they see/ do/ eat/ experience?
Visit one of the farmer's markets to experience the fresh, local produce and to connect with the various groups and organizations in the area. The Saturday farmer's market in Uptown often looks like a small festival in the summer, but during the week it is worthwhile to visit the YMCA Farm Project in Midtown. They have quality produce made by local youth in their own garden.
Favorite color in R&F's paint line?
I really enjoy making Indigo on the mill. The saturated qualities of the Ultramarine Blue and Prussian Blue melding with the earthy Raw Umber turns into this mysterious, borderline spooky hue. I also have a soft spot for Green Gold. When it is extended using encaustic medium or Blending Medium, it reveals an undertone reminiscent of sunlight moving through late-summer leaves.
Upcoming Core & Tier Workshops: 2022 + Beyond
R&F launched the Core Support Program in 2016 and the Tier Support Program in 2020. These programs were designed to help instructors broaden the reach of their teaching and share our materials with their students. While participation in the Core and Tier programs are invitation-only at this time, R&F provides materials to support a range of workshop instructors across the country.
R&F launched the Core Support Program in 2016 and the Tier Support Program in 2020. These programs were designed to help instructors broaden the reach of their teaching and share our materials with their students. While participation in the Core and Tier programs are invitation-only at this time, R&F provides materials to support a range of workshop instructors across the country.
Are you looking for a teacher in your area? Check out our Teaching Artist List - downloadable as a handy PDF with links to each artist's website.
Teaching workshops? Give us a shout so we can discuss how to support you: info@rfpaints.com.
Below is a sample list of upcoming workshops offered by our Core and Tier instructors.
10/22 - 10/23/22: Design, Depth & Color with Leslie Giuliani, Leslie Giuliani Studio, Weston, CT lesliegiuliani.com
10/22 - 10/23/22: Encaustic Workshop with Caryl St. Ama, Beatrice Woods Center for the Arts, Ojai, CA beatricewood.com
10/29 - 10/30/22: Drawing and Painting With Pigment Sticks® with Sara Post, The Pence Gallery, Davis, CA
pencegallery.org
11/10 - 11/13/22: Silkscreen Onto Encaustic with Jeff Hirst, Jeffrey Hirst Painting and Printmaking Studio, Chicago, IL jeffreyhirst.com
11/11 - 11/13/22: Abstract Mixed Media Encaustic with Lorraine Glessner, FountainHead Art Center, Atlanta, GA
fountainheadartspace.com
11/18/22: Introduction to Encaustic Painting with Debra Claffey, Online via Zoom debraclaffey.com
12/2 - 12/3/22: Painting With R&F Pigment Sticks & Mixed Media with Lisa Pressman, South Short Art Center, Cohasset, MA lisapressman.net
1/26 - 1/29/23: Embodiment: Symbolic Self Portrait Encaustic & Mixed Media Workshop with Kelly Williams, Kelly Williams Studio, Portland, OR kellywilliamsart.com
2/18 - 2/20/23: Mark Making, Drawing & Encaustic with Susan Stover, Tubac School of Fine Arts, Tubac, AZ susanstover.com
3/9 - 3/11/23: Advanced Encaustic with Julie Snidle, Eastern Shore Art Center, Fairhope, AL juliesnidle.com
3/11 - 3/12/23: Encaustic Painting with Shelley Jean, Island Art Association, Fernandina Beach, FL shelleyjean.com
7/22 - 7/29/23: Offerings to Aine: An Encaustic & Mixed Media Workshop with Michelle Belto, Essence of Mulranny Studio, Ireland michellebelto.com
7/23 - 7/28/23: Encaustic, Mindfulness & The Natural World: An Artist Retreat with Dietlind Vander Schaaf, Wild Rice Retreat, Bayfield, WI wildriceretreat.com
9/24 - 9/29/23: Making Your Mark With Encaustic & Photo Collage with Jodi Reeb, Penland School of Crafts, Baskerville, NC jodireeb.com
Notes on Color: Brilliant Yellow Extra Pale, Cobalt Turquoise & Veronese Green
We’re back with another edition of Notes On Color - our platform for sharing our thoughts on color. This week we’re highlighting Brilliant Yellow Extra Pale, Cobalt Turquoise, and Veronese.
We’re back with another edition of Notes On Color - our platform for sharing our thoughts on color. This week we’re highlighting Brilliant Yellow Extra Pale, Cobalt Turquoise, and Veronese.
Just a reminder that you can find all our blog posts - from tips on color mixing to suggestions about how to choose a color - neatly organized for you on our Articles & Links page.
Enjoy. Keep painting.
Brilliant Yellow Extra Pale. Its paleness makes it more of a warm yellowish off-white than a true yellow. Has the effect of soft diffused light.
Available in both our encaustic and Pigment Stick® color lines. Opaque with a Pigment Stick® drying rate of slow.
Chemical Composition: Titanium-Zinc White + Cadmium Yellow.
Cobalt Turquoise. Our Cobalt Turquoise has a deep vivid greenish blue undertone, while its top tone is dark and somber.
Available in both our encaustic and Pigment Stick® color lines. Semi Transparent with a Pigment Stick® drying rate of fast.
Chemical Composition: Cobalt Blue + Viridian.
Veronese Green. Brighter and bluer than Cadmium Green. Favored by the French Impressionists. The original (no longer made) was arsenic based and very toxic.
Available in both our encaustic and Pigment Stick® color lines. Opaque with a medium Pigment Stick® drying rate.
Chemical Composition: Cadmium Yellow, Phthalo Green, Titanium-Zinc White.
Meet The Team: Richard Frumess
Our ongoing feature "Meet The Team" is our way of introducing you to the fine folks behind the scenes who make R&F possible. Many of you will already be familiar with this week’s featured team member - founder Richard Frumess.
Our ongoing feature "Meet The Team" is our way of introducing you to the fine folks behind the scenes who make R&F possible. Many of you will already be familiar with this week’s featured team member - founder Richard Frumess.
Please provide a brief description of what you do day to day at R&F.
Technical consulting, public relations, community outreach, and the occasional color workshop.
How many years have you been working for R&F?
34 1/2 years. I was there from the beginning, you might say.
What do you do outside of work? Do you have an art background or related practice?
I am involved in the development of the Kingston Midtown Arts District. Before starting R&F, I was a painter and worked in an art store.
If someone came to visit Kingston, what's one thing you would recommend they see, do, eat, or experience?
Check out the art scene -- we have some great galleries and events. Drive around to experience a sense of the city and its various neighborhoods and be sure to see the 17th century building from the time the Dutch ruled the area. You can also check out some of the relics of the time when Kingston was a major port in the canal system. If you have time, hike or bike the rail trails, which are reminders of the era when Kingston was a rail center.
Favorite color in R&F's paint line?
There is no one color, but a class of colors that we make here at R&F that I am very proud of. These are what I call the "complex earth colors," based on mixes of earth pigments and translucent spectrum colors. We are almost alone among companies to offer them. This is no doubt due to the fact that they are composed of 3-5 different pigments, are labor intensive and very tricky to make. But the complexity of top tones and under tones that they provide the artist makes it worth it and makes our color line truly unique.
Although I developed the original group of complex earth colors, I am very proud of the fact that all the recent mixes have been by our paint-makers, whose interest and dedication guarantees that the quality and innovativeness of our color line continues on.
Notes On Color: Mars Yellow Deep, Sepia & Warm Pink
We’re back with another edition of Notes On Color - our platform for sharing our thoughts on color. This week we’re highlighting Mars Yellow Deep, Sepia, and Warm Pink.
We’re back with another edition of Notes On Color - our platform for sharing our thoughts on color. This week we’re highlighting Mars Yellow Deep, Sepia, and Warm Pink.
Just a reminder that you can find all our blog posts - from tips on color mixing to suggestions about how to choose a color - neatly organized for you on our Articles & Links page.
Enjoy. Keep painting.
Mars Yellow Deep. Warm, slightly reddish. Top tone is a bit like Raw Sienna but denser and brighter.
Mars Yellow Deep is a single pigment - iron oxide - and it is relatively straightforward to process on the three-roll mill, possessing what we in the biz call 'good dispersibility.' It does, however, present challenges on the pouring end of our production process. The same density and opacity that make for great painting experiences make for very long paint-making days. A tough one to clean up after - the color never goes away.
Available in both our encaustic and Pigment Stick® color lines. Opaque with a fast drying rate.
Chemical Composition: synthesized iron oxide, precipitated.
Sepia. A deep purplish brown. Developed to match the color of the ink from cuttlefish, the traditional source of sepia. The reddishness associated with the sepia washes of Renaissance drawings is often faded from the natural color. Ours is permanent.
Sepia is Richard Frumess at his finest - nuanced and subtle, warm and cool at the same time. What we refer to around here as ‘complex.’ This formulation found its place in the R&F color line 26 years ago (the first batch was made on 4/10/1996).
Many a paint maker past and present has bemoaned its presence on the production schedule. Not because it’s not an interesting color to make or use; but because it’s a beast to get right. Sepia contains five pigments. Each of these pigments (every pigment actually) has a unique personality. The paint maker’s job is to bring out the distinctive traits of a pigment – make them known for the painter, but also get them to play well with each other. Mill one component too tightly and it could dominate, or worse, fall flat.
But when these mixes work out, when all the pieces come together as intended, the result can deliver a complexity and depth unmatched by any ‘single pigment’ color.
Available in both our encaustic and Pigment Stick® color lines. Semi-Transparent with a Pigment Stick® drying rate of medium.
Chemical Composition: titanium-zinc white, quinacridone magenta, brown pink, and ultramarine blue.
Warm Pink. Warm Pink is beloved for its intense salmon hue. R&F is at its best when it lands in color spaces hard to pin down. Warm pink is a restless color. Somehow managing to display both earthy tones and cool, bluish notes without containing either earth or blue pigments. A personal favorite.
Opaque with a slow Pigment Stick® drying rate, it is available in both our encaustic and Pigment Stick® color lines.
Chemical Composition: quinacridone red, cadmium red, cadmium yellow, and titanium-zinc white.
R&F's Opaque Color Set: Working From A Limited Color Palette
Limiting your color palette can be a fun way to experiment with color mixing and has the added benefit of creating greater balance in your work. In our newest demo video, we highlight the range of colors that can be created using the six encaustic paints that come in our Opaque Color Set: Ivory Black, Cobalt Blue, Chromium Oxide Green, Cadmium Red Medium, Cadmium Yellow Medium, and Titanium White.
Limiting your color palette can be a fun way to experiment with color mixing and has the added benefit of creating greater balance in your work.
In our newest demo video, we highlight the range of colors that can be created using the six encaustic paints that come in our Opaque Color Set: Ivory Black, Cobalt Blue, Chromium Oxide Green, Cadmium Red Medium, Cadmium Yellow Medium, and Titanium White.
A simple way to begin exploring color mixing with our Opaque Color Set is to take Cobalt Blue, Cadmium Yellow Medium, Chromium Oxide Green, and Cadmium Red Medium and add Titanium White to each of them. Adding white lightens and desaturates a color, creates tints. Tints are less intense and are often perceived as quieter or calmer. When mixing tints, you can add up to equal parts color and white.
Next, add a small amount of Ivory Black to each of your tints. These additions will lighten or darken your colors, reducing the saturation, and developing a variety of tones. It can be easy to quickly overdue the amount of black you add, so work gradually with just a little black adding more if necessary.
Next, take Cobalt Blue, Cadmium Yellow Medium, Chromium Oxide Green, and Cadmium Red Medium and add a small amount of Ivory Black to each color. This will give you an assortment of shades, which can be more intense, richer, and darker than your original colors.
In our color mixing demo video, we had fun exploring a variety color mixing techniques. Below you will find each of the colors and mixes listed in the order in which they appear in our demo.
Cobalt Blue
Cobalt Blue + Titanium White
Cobalt Blue + Titanium White + Ivory Black
Cadmium Red
Cadmium Red + Titanium White
Cadmium Red + Titanium White + Ivory Black
Cadmium Yellow Medium
Cadmium Yellow Medium + Titanium White
Cadmium Yellow Medium + Titanium White + Ivory Black
Chromium Oxide Green
Chromium Oxide Green + Titanium White
Chromium Oxide Green + Titanium White + Ivory Black
Cadmium Yellow Medium + Chromium Oxide Green
Cadmium Red Medium + Cobalt Blue
Cadmium Red Medium + Cobalt Blue + Titanium White
Cadmium Yellow Medium + Cobalt Blue
Cadmium Yellow Medium + Cobalt Blue + Titanium White
Cadmium Red + Cadmium Yellow Medium
Cadmium Red + Cadmium Yellow Medium + Titanium White
Cadmium Red + Chromium Oxide Green
Titanium White + a “dirty” brush that had some light blue paint on it + Cadmium Red
Titanium White + a “dirty” brush that had some light blue paint on it + Cadmium Red + Cobalt Blue
Ivory Black
Ivory Black + Titanium White
Cobalt Blue + Titanium White + Cadmium Yellow Medium
Meet The Team: Allison Carroll
Our ongoing feature "Meet The Team" is our way of introducing you to the fine folks behind the scenes who make R&F possible. In this week’s installment, you will meet Allison Carroll in Sales.
Our ongoing feature "Meet The Team" is our way of introducing you to the fine folks behind the scenes who make R&F possible. In this week’s installment, you will meet Allison Carroll in Sales.
Allison Carroll, Metropolis (detail), 30” x 22”, encaustic and mixed media on paper, 2019.
Please provide a brief description of what you do day to day at R&F.
In addition to my ongoing pursuit of good espresso, I'm an avid desk jockey. My day is filled with processing orders/invoicing, communicating with retailers, facilitating freight/international shipments, etc. Truly my day begins with organization and relaying project information to our phenomenal shipping team.
More than likely, I was in my teammates shoes at one time or another and can understand the ripple effect my orders create on the work schedule.
All my office mates and myself are attentive to inquiries. I've heard about every question there is about working with both our paint lines and it's great fun to work through an artist's project with them.
My coworkers at R&F are wonderful and 'hard worker bees' (we're avid pun makers, you're welcome Richard!) and I stay very conscious about supporting my team day-to-day the best I can. It is an absolute joy to come to work everyday.
How many years have you been working for R&F?
Once fall arrives it will be 10 years! I began working part time in the shipping department and in production, then was promoted to a full time office position.
Allison’s wildflowers at Brown Pink.
What do you do outside of work? Do you have an art background or related practice?
I am a Hudson Valley native with a BFA in Painting and Drawing from the State University of New Work at New Paltz. When I'm not dreaming about or researching about a studio project, you could find me digging trenches in a garden (bee friendly and dye plants), absorbing classic film to camp B-movies, making sustainable clothing and housewares, hiking while avoiding direct sunlight, reading manga, and practicing yoga.
If someone came to visit Kingston, what's one thing you would recommend they see, do, eat, or experience?
I would recommend first taking a walk on the "strand" by the water. It has a unique Kingston charm to it. Then take a hike from there around Kingston point. You can find oodles of brilliant galleries and museums in this area.
During the summer months I would take a look at what is showing on any given weekend. Also, I have a soft spot for the grounds at Olana State Historic Site in Hudson, NY.
Allison Carroll, Shelley, 12” x 9”, encaustic on panel, 2022.
Favorite color in R&F's paint line?
This is a hard question for any artist. Certainly by working in a metaphorical 'candy store' it is impossible to not see the majesty in every single color. However, if I had to choose right this moment it would be a tight race between Payne's Grey and Courbet Green. Courbet Green has complicated depth with the undertone and Payne's Grey is a mysterious, semi-transparent color I fall in love with whenever I watch the color spread across my piece.
You can see more of Allison’s work at allisoncarrollstudio.com or follow her on Instagram @allisoninthestudio.
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