Upcoming WORKSHOPS

April 19-21 | PHILADELPHIA - SOLD OUT

ABOVE & BELOW - PART II

Working with photography and layering using encaustic and mixed media

Instructors: Leah Macdonald and Wayne Montecalvo

Meet & Greet Friday 4-7pm

Saturday & Sunday from 11am-6pm: Two full studio days of instruction in Leah’s studio with Photo Session & Model & Studio time.
(Studio open Saturday & Sunday until 9pm for independent work)

Workshop Includes: prints, wax supplies, encaustic paint, tools for painting and gluing, paint and lots of art supplies

Materials Needed: laptop, camera, wood panels or alternative substrates

Register: Leahwax1@gmail.com

Cost: $1200 (50% deposit to reserve your spot — payment in full due by March 15)

This workshop will address ways to work with digital images printed on Japanese papers, as well as Hahnemuhle paper that combine images with wax, graphite, acrylic paint, encaustic paint, monoprints, geliplates, mark-making, pigment sticks, and a bunch of other techniques!

Leah and Wayne each have a unique way of approaching photographic images. Embracing the use of hand-made elements and including them in the mix by incorporating wax, mark-making, and mixed media. This workshop will allow students to go beyond the capture of a camera. Both artists stress the importance of applying ways to physically alter images while working with methods that normally embrace repetition, stability, and predetermined results.

Each student will have their own images printed by Wayne on Japanese papers before the workshop. In addition, we will have a live model to photograph and a single image for each student from that shoot will be printed by Leah on Hahnemuhle papers.

Combining a variety of media has always been part of Wayne’s approach to expand an idea into a new direction. Wayne’s current techniques push his portrait works to go beyond the person, beyond the face, and to transform the image into something other than a headshot. Rather than use a face simply to identify, Wayne’s approach is to offer options, or directions that change the expected into something else. The methods applied in his work challenge the restrictions of a digital photograph by turning the image into something unique and one-of-a-kind.

Leah’s current techniques include digital photography, collage and painting. Combining beautiful papers of various weights and opacity Leah alters the original subject matter to create a fantasy or dream image. Her art tells stories using visual elements like flower stencils, found letters and mark-making. The layers are used to cover and veil the subject and control what is seen and imagined in the art. Leah is inspired by alternative photographic techniques and the alchemy of the darkroom so her work is organic and shows the intensity of her handling the surface with heavy equipment like a razor blade and a torch. 

Friday Evening, 4-7pm:

• Meet & Greet (Wayne and Leah do a little demo) show some art and have some snacks

Saturday, 11am-6pm:

• Photograph model in Leah’s studio

• Edit and print photos to glue on panels

• Demonstrate alternative ways to make art on thinner papers. Gelli plate prints, monoprints, ink spills, splatters and use of drawing and painting methods to create lightweight textures to use as overlays in the wax on Sunday. Leah will print two 11x17 prints for students (rice paper, store bought lightweight paper, Tengucho, party napkins, etc.).

Sunday, 11am-6pm:

• Wayne’s demo: layering papers with encaustic wax and embedding textures over imagery to create double exposures.

•  Leah’s demo: embedding thin paper over wax and painting with encaustic and pigment sticks 

• Work time in studio Sunday afternoon.

  (The studio is open until 9pm Saturday & Sunday for independent work after workshop instruction.)

MAY 8-29 | HAVERFORD, PA

FLOWERS: FOUR WEEKS, FOUR WAYS - MAIN LINE ART CENTER

Each week, explore a different topic related to floral art and work with real flowers. Week one, photograph live flowers and learn about lighting and set-up. Week two, use gelli plates to print with flowers. Week three, add floral stencils and draw with paint markers. Week four, add an encaustic layer and more dried flowers to our projects, stenciling flowers onto the surface of the beeswax.

Schedule: Wednesdays from 9:30am-12:30pm

Cost: $161 for MLAC Members | $183 for non-members

Supply Fee: $20

Click here to register online…

JUNE 20-23 | SANTA FE - SOLD OUT

Encaustic photography on location

Join Leah for this small group workshop in New Mexico.

We will photograph horses and models on location at a ranch and learn techniques for painting photographs with encaustic and mixed media.

Meet & Greet at Abiquiu Inn Thursday June 20

https://www.abiquiuinn.com

Friday:

• Photo Shoot STAR Ranch - model and horses

Saturday:

• Tour of Encaustic Art Institute

• Edit, print, and glue photos

Sunday:

• ALL DAY Encaustic at EAI

Cost of workshop $1500 (per person)

Workshop includes: model, photography location, prints, encaustic studio, encaustic tools, wax and paint, glue

Materials Needed : laptop, camera, substrates under 11 x 14

Accommodations not included but lodging info can be provided.

Register: Leahwax1@gmail.com

workshop limited to 6 people

This workshop has been a year in the making. Through a dream of one of my students I am traveling out West to make this location workshop happen. We will enjoy each other's company and explore the Southwest with our senses. Our photo shoot will take place on an artists ranch near the Abiquiu Inn on Friday and we will; have the whole day to explore, photograph, draw, paint or take a hike. I am going to leave lots of creative space and time to cater to each person and their vision.

After the photographs and day at the ranch we are going to relocate to a suitable location for the printing, editing and assemblage of our images back towards downtown Santa Fe.  We will meet Saturday midday at the Encaustic Art Institute to get a tour of the Museum - and edit and print our photographs. I will bring Hahnemuhle papers and a printer and I can print a few sheets per person of photo rag or rice paper. Then we can end the day with some gluing techniques and possible underpainting and collage ideas.

Sunday we will be fully immersed in encaustic painting and encaustic photography techniques and layering methods. 

Please join me on this incredible artistic journey in the Wild West !