Category: Teaching

Ephemeral Art

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Its been a long time since I’ve posted, but its because I’ve been super busy, both inside the studio and outside. I’m working towards an exhibition with my friend Peri at The Incinerator Artspace……..I’ll post details soon. And I’ve recently had my dear friends Daniella Woolf and Kim Tyler staying with me and teaching workshops in encaustic.

However, having long been an admirer of Shona Wilson’s work, I leapt at the chance to do a one day workshop with her at the Coal Loader in Waverton. This is an old industrial complex set at the edge of bushland and the harbour which has been repurposed as a centre for sustainability. Well worth a visit!

Here are my efforts:

Hanging ephemera

A small pod like structure made from twisted vine, dried flowers, and shards of bark.

Ephemera 2

A rock shelf with its crevices filled with soft textured material, and bars made of twigs. I went back the next day to show a friend, and this was still standing, despite some strong winds.

Coal Loader Ephemera

A rusted man made pond filled with brightly coloured torn leaves and dried seed pods.

The Yin and Yang of printmaking.

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Today I did a little homework for the workshop I’ll be teaching at Baldessin Press. I love teaching there because it is such a beautiful place with beautiful people.

This time I’ll be teaching some printmaking techniques using wax, encaustic collagraphs and wax monotypes. I’ll be there on the 5th and 6th of April. I’m pretty sure there are vacancies, but there’s only enough room for a maximum of eight people, so if you’re interested it’s probably best to book soon. Bookings can be made through their website.

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Encaustic Workshop at Baldessin Press

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I’ve arrived here at St Andrews for my encaustic and paper workshop over this coming weekend. It’s such a beautiful and inspiring place, and Tess and Lloyd such pleasant company. I’m very excited to be here. Tess even gave me a piece of George’s famous silvered printing paper!

Baldessin Press Workshop

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My next encaustic workshop will be at Baldessin Press, near Melbourne, on the 24th and 25th of August. There are only eight places available for what will be a great weekend exploring encaustic and paper in  beautiful surroundings. The studio was built by renowned printmaker and sculptor George Baldessin at St Andrews, largely from recycled materials.

Baldessin Press
Baldessin Press

This course will take an experimental approach to using encaustic on paper. You will learn how to collage prints together using encaustic, how to exploit the characteristics of wax to layer and combine imagery, and how to work into the surface with wax and pigment to create interesting and compelling surfaces. We will cover the health and safety aspects of encaustic, and setting up an encaustic studio, so that you are equipped to explore further on your own. The course is suitable for all levels of experience.

I’m really looking forward to it, because I love teaching, I love spending time in Melbourne (even when its cold), and I will enjoy visiting George’s studio. I’ve always admired his work.

Wax workshops at Warringah

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Well, that was fun!

Two very busy workshops one after the other. Two teachers. Eighteen students (Some of the students did both workshops.) Some amazing work.

Here’s some photos:

A very full and busy workshop.
A very full and busy workshop.
Some of us admiring the work we had produced.
Some of us admiring the work we had produced.
Chris Hutch exploring encaustic monotypes. Brenda's plate is in the foreground.
Chris Hutch exploring encaustic monotypes. Brenda’s plate is in the foreground.
Some of the finished monotypes.
Some of the finished monotypes.

Warringah wax workshops

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Gearing up (in more ways than one) for 5 days of wax next week at Warringah Printmakers Studio with Angela Noble. There will be two two day workshops, Encaustic Basics and Printmaking and Encaustic, and a ‘free’ day for participants to use our equipment and the studio space to develop their work. Should be hectic, exhausting and loads of fun!

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Gotta love those colours!

Colour – Day 2

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I haven’t had time to photograph the work properly, but here’s a small taste. One work leads on to another, and it is quite addictive.

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Paula’s demonstration piece.

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Long scrolls from Achsah O’Donovan, myself and Angela Noble, reading from left to right.

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Gayle Childress’s work.

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Some more of Gayle’s work.

This is just a fraction of the beautiful work which was created yesterday. I was so busy making that I didn’t get the chance to record much of the work. I will try and rectify that tomorrow.

Black and White: first day of Paula’s workshop

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Yesterday was the first day of Paula’s workshop. We began by making long scroll forms using brush and ink. Firstly we followed our breath, and then we used our gloved hands to work on the surface. iIt was a very direct and intimate way of making marks on the surface of the paper.
Here is my breath piece:

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And here are some of our scrolls hanging together:

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My scroll made by directly drawing on the paper with my hands is on the extreme right, next to the breath scroll.

Later we may add colour to this work, or cut it up for a book. We also made smaller pieces, exploring the variety of marks we could make.

This is a desert environment. Here are some photos of desert plants:

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