Private or Group Encaustic Classes

Noreen. After the close of her 2 day private workshop

working with the hot encaustic paint, oil sticks and transfers 

Learning how to use the torch

   14 years ago, when I was new to San Miguel de Allende, a guest on my studio excitedly said, "You work in encaustic! I am taking encaustic classes at Bellas Artes."

    I responded, "What is the formula that you are using?" She told me and I was horrified. It really was the recipe for cold wax that contains solvent that should NEVER BE HEATED.

   "That could kill you!" I said and explained that was undoubtedly the reason she was getting headaches after the class.

   She said, "Why don't you teach?"

   And that was the beginning of 13 years of teaching the encaustic workshops.

   I am privileged to have shared this exciting technique with hundreds of students, some of which have become dear friends.

  At this point in my life, I no longer post dates of the classes. I ask that interested people choose dates that work for them and brings friends for a group class or choose a private workshop.
Of course I can share more techniques in a private class and guide the participant to create what has the most interest for the participant.
    For more information on the classes:http://www.ezshwan.com/classes-and-workshops.html

Is It Something In The Air?

Some people have expressed surprise at my newest series, "The Lightness of Being", since it seems like such a departure from my previous work.

I have asked myself, 'Where did this come from?" I go back and forth from figurative to abstract, but these paintings are encaustic and mixed media with a lot of mark making,

The work in this series does change with each painting as I incorporate various techniques. It was a new direction for me; then I began to see similar work online; very similar, but usually painted with acrylic rather than encaustic. Is the energy and inspiration for this style in the air, the cosmos? These other artists do not live close to me, nor would I have ever seem them if it weren't for Pinterest and other art sites.

I remember seeing an exhibit from the Society of Layerists about 15 years ago in the Southern Oregon University and thinking, "Perhaps that is what I am - a layerist. The Society of Layerists in Multi Media describe their artist process as:

"SLMM’s late mentor, expressed an idea that is relevant to Layering: "Energy that connects everything is a cosmic web— this includes information from the collective unconscious, the metaphysical as well as the physical."..."The society reports that many members follow a personal path of aesthetics combined with an active interest in wholeness."'..

I now claim to be a layerist. I don't feel the need to join the society, just keep painting.

Below is a painting from a series that I made several years ago. Very different, don't you think?

I still love painting figuratively, but I want to keep painting abstractly for the time being.

Here is the finished work. The Lightness of Being #11, It is heavy with encaustic

This was a few weeks ago. 

This was after many days of work where I was getting frustrated and covered everything with muted white encaustic