Sometimes telling the whole story isn’t necessary—in fact, what we leave out can be just as powerful. A glimpse, a fragment, an echo of what was can spark the imagination in surprising ways. We’ll start by layering a creamy texture medium we’ll make ourselves in the classroom and apply it to surfaces that can be displayed as is or adapted to be incorporated into other forms (think assemblage, book making, collage…) We can think of this phase as building the walls of a story that hasn’t been told yet. Then comes the next chapter in the story-telling: transferring our favorite images onto those textured surfaces resulting in intriguing, imperfect, ethereal images. Faces might blur, places might fade, and unexpected details will appear—echos from a memory real or imagined. It’s less about perfection and more about discovering what shows up when you let the materials lead. We’ll finish each piece with intuitive hand stitching, letting thread become another layer of meaning—connecting, mending, or simply adding rhythm. This is a space to experiment, get a little messy, and discover surprising beauty in imperfection. No perfection or precision required—just curiosity, a few images, and a willingness to follow where the materials lead.
Materials Fee $5 paid at beginning of class includes:
encaustic medium and extra supplies provided by instructo
Supplies Needed to bring for Class:
3-5 pieces of heavy weight fabric in whatever size you want to work on. Anywhere from 4x6” to 8x10” will work great! This fabric could be ticking, raw canvas, or a scrap of your grandad’s blue jeans. Ideally you want something heavier than quilting fabric or muslin. (I will have some extra on hand.)
5-10 various photo copies of images you like. THESE CANNOT BE INKJET/HOME PRINTED copies. Take them to your local library or copy shop and get laser or toner copies. They can be black and white or color copies. (I like the black and white for this project.) If you are making black and white copies of color photos, I recommend you increase the contrast of the photos so there is more BLACK and WHITE and as little gray as possible.) These copies can be on regular, inexpensive copy paper. Cardstock or heavy paper isn’t necessary or helpful.
A few artist brushes including a 1” wide soft, dense brush (not a chip brush).
Small, offset spatula or palette knife
A few small tubes of your favorite colors of paint (acrylic, gouache, or watercolor. Whichever you like most.)
2-3 skeins of embroidery floss in colors that excite you. (I’ll have some extra on hand for sharing.)
Scissors
A small tub of gel medium or glue (I like Liquitex Matte Gel or Golden Soft Gel. About 8 oz. should be plenty. I prefer a matte finish but if you already have something with more sheen on hand, that will work fine.)
Acrylic paints in your favorite colors as well as an opaque white.
OPTIONAL: An apron because this class can get messy!
3-5 pieces of heavy watercolor paper (#140 lb is great) to use as an alternative to the heavy fabric or to experiment with different surfaces.
Any other materials you love using to add details or personal marks to your work: paint pens, metal leaf, clay working tools for scratching, etc. NOT required but can be fun. I will have extras to share.
Images printed on artist tissue or other transparent paper
To pre-order supplies, click on this link for Runaway Art and Craft Studio...