Encaustic

ABOUT THIS WORKSHOP:

It is not often recognized how fundamental the opacity or translucency of pigments are to the structure of a painting and the nuance of color interaction. This is a workshop that begins with monochromatic paintings to explore the differences between opaque and translucent pigments – the characteristic versatility and limits of each. Seeing the limits of a color leads to a methodical choice of a second color to expand those limits. And then a third color, and so on in the building of the harmonic (or dissonant) color structure of a painting. Using Pigment Sticks and various grounds, emphasis will be on the interrelationship between pigment, medium, and surface and how they affect color interaction, color mixing, and composition. While exploring these color relationships, techniques and tips for painting with pigments sticks will be demonstrated.

Students will gain:
A comprehensive understanding of translucency, opacity and color relationships

Suitable for all levels, no experience necessary! Ages 16+
This workshop is in collaboration with R&F Handmade Paints.

Tuesday – Thursday, December 1, 2, and 3, 2026
9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Studio 5
$446  ($356 tuition & $90 lab fee)

SUPPLY LIST

LISA PRESSMAN BIO & SCHEDULE 

RICHARD FRUMESS BIO & SCHEDULE 

Important Details for Students:

• To learn more about Registration, Cancellation Policy, Approved Solvents, and other important details CLICK HERE.
• A non-refundable Registration Fee is required for first-time enrolling students. CLICK HERE 
• Visit your Student Dashboard to access your account and materials such as supply lists & school map, CLICK HERE. 
• Those with special needs and/or requests may email the Registrar at registrar@woodstockschoolofart.org.
• Please note that for workshops lasting all day there is a one-hour break from 12PM to 1PM. Students are invited to bring lunch and eat at the school or may go to any of the local dining establishments. The school does not provide lunch or refreshments.

ABOUT THIS WORKSHOP:

In this 2-day workshop artists will be introduced to painting and collage using the ancient hot wax-based material Encaustic. Beeswax is a wonderful adhesive. Learn how to create complexly layered artwork using R&F Handmade Paints Encaustic as your “glue”. We will use fabric, photos, and our own drawings along with pigmented Encaustic paint. We will even add images with Laser copy transfers and direct drawing. Learn how versatile this quick-curing re-workable medium can work for you in your artistic practice.

Day One: We will learn about the basics of Encaustic painting, its adhesive properties and how R&F’s opaque and transparent pigments are used intentionally in creating composition. We will use a variety of tools that take advantage of Encaustic’s unique physical characteristics. We will be layering, scraping, incising, fusing and of course adding in a variety of collage elements.

Day Two: We will focus on final surface embellishments, including adding Pigment Stick oil paint, stencils, Pan Pastels, Xerox transfers and various drawing materials to give our pieces visual depth and complexity.

Students will gain:
A basic knowledge of Encaustic Painting with an emphasis on adding other absorbent materials into the paintings along with various embellishment techniques, including oil and dry media.

Suitable for all levels, no experience necessary! Ages 16+
This workshop is in collaboration with R&F Handmade Paints.

Saturday and Sunday, December 5 and 6, 2026
9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Studio 5
$330 ($270 tuition & $60 lab fee)

SUPPLY LIST

INSTRUCTOR BIO & SCHEDULE

Important Details for Students:

• To learn more about Registration, Cancellation Policy, Approved Solvents, and other important details CLICK HERE.
• A non-refundable Registration Fee is required for first-time enrolling students. CLICK HERE 
• Visit your Student Dashboard to access your account and materials such as supply lists & school map, CLICK HERE.  
• Those with special needs and/or requests may email the Registrar at registrar@woodstockschoolofart.org.
• Please note that for workshops lasting all day there is a one-hour break from 12PM to 1PM. Students are invited to bring lunch and eat at the school or may go to any of the local dining establishments. The school does not provide lunch or refreshments. 

ABOUT THIS WORKSHOP:

Tom Sarrantonio is a landscape painter and former Professor of Art at SUNY New Paltz. Richard Frumess is a former paint maker and founder of R&F Handmade Paints. Together they will present a deep dive into color from the different perspectives of their backgrounds.

Participants will come away with a richer understanding of color composition and the material aspects of paint that are not often included in standard color theory.

Demonstrations will be short to allow time to explore how the opacity or translucency of pigments affect color choices and color interaction, color mixing, and the versatility and limits of individual colors. They will also explore how both different surface qualities and different mediums affect the perception and character of a color.

In addition, there will be discussion of historical and cultural aspects of color that have affected how color is understood and even how we perceive color individually and collectively.

Suitable for all levels, no experience necessary! Ages 16+
This workshop is in collaboration with R&F Handmade Paints.

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, October 20, 21, and 22, 2026
9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Studio 5

$446 ($356 tuition & $90 lab fee) 

SUPPLY LIST

THOMAS SARRANTONIO BIO & SCHEDULE 

RICHARD FRUMESS BIO & SCHEDULE 

Important Details for Students:

• To learn more about Registration, Cancellation Policy, Approved Solvents, and other important details CLICK HERE.
• A non-refundable Registration Fee is required for first-time enrolling students. CLICK HERE 
• Visit your Student Dashboard to access your account and materials such as supply lists & school map, CLICK HERE. 
• Those with special needs and/or requests may email the Registrar at registrar@woodstockschoolofart.org.
• Please note that for workshops lasting all day there is a one-hour break from 12PM to 1PM. Students are invited to bring lunch and eat at the school or may go to any of the local dining establishments. The school does not provide lunch or refreshments.

ABOUT THIS WORKSHOP:

Ancient Greeks used the word “enkaustikos,” meaning “to burn in”, to describe the process of painting with melted wax. For contemporary artists, this “Introduction to Encaustic” workshop provides a rich, hands-on overview of the exciting encaustic process. Students will explore the possibilities of working with encaustic paint and medium in a fun workshop that touches on basic techniques and tools, several ways of image and mark-making, and health + safety. From encaustic-curious beginners to those familiar with the process, “Introduction to Encaustic” is an ideal way to play and gain confidence with an ancient, fascinating medium in a supportive environment.

This “Introduction to Encaustic” workshop includes the following demonstrations of techniques followed by hands-on studio time to gain proficiency:
Basic techniques: paint application for smoothness and texture, fusing, working with color opacity and transparency, using etching, inlay, and stencil techniques, creating graphic marks with various media, image transfer, incorporating collage materials, glazing with oil sticks, finishing and clean up.

Suitable for all levels, no experience necessary! Ages 16+

Saturday & Sunday, November 21 and 22, 2026
9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Studio 5

$330 ($270 tuition + $60 lab fee)

SUPPLY LIST

INSTRUCTOR BIO & SCHEDULE

Important Details for Students:

• To learn more about Registration, Cancellation Policy, Approved Solvents, and other important details CLICK HERE.
• A non-refundable Registration Fee is required for first-time enrolling students. CLICK HERE 
• Visit your Student Dashboard to access your account and materials such as supply lists & school map, CLICK HERE. 
• Those with special needs and/or requests may email the Registrar at registrar@woodstockschoolofart.org.
• Please note that for workshops lasting all day there is a one-hour break from 12PM to 1PM. Students are invited to bring lunch and eat at the school or may go to any of the local dining establishments. The school does not provide lunch or refreshments.

ABOUT THIS WORKSHOP:

Liminal spaces are those times and places that are on the threshold of becoming something else. Be they physical, metaphorical or psychological, those spaces evoke an emotional response—ranging from unease and apprehension to peace, resolution, and anticipation.

We’ll explore ways of evoking the liminal space between dusk and dawn, that is at once mysterious and magical, as we build layers of luminous encaustic paints combined with inks, oils, and pastels.

In the darkness, the moonlight, and the hints of sunlight at dawn and dusk, colors of familiar objects in our environment shift dramatically in hue, saturation and value while details and clear outlines become barely discernable forms. Expressing those shifts in a painting is a challenge for artists working in any medium, although encaustics provide a unique opportunity to combine darkness with luminosity through the beauty of layered wax.

We’ll spend five days diving into this topic and creating paintings full of mystery, darkness and light during the beautiful month of October in the Catskill Mountains. In addition to our studio time, we’ll visit the nearby R&F Handmade Paint Factory in Kingston and take a close look at a wax-media exhibition on view at the WSA Gallery: Wax Currents, Fusing Tradition and Innovation.

Please note that this class is designed for artists who either have taken introductory encaustic classes or have some experience working with encaustics and, at minimum, a basic working knowledge of encaustic painting. Ages 18+

This workshop is in collaboration with R&F Handmade Paints.

Wednesday and Thursday, October 14 and 15, 2026
9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Studio 5

Friday, October 16
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
R&F Handmade Paints*
1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Studio 1

Saturday and Sunday, October 17 and 18, 2026
9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Studio 5

*Students will meet Friday, October 16th at 9:00 AM at R&F Handmade Paints (84 Ten Broeck Avenue – Kingston, NY 12401). The visit will include a tour of R&F as well as an opportunity to shop in their store.

$708 for five consecutive days

SUPPLY LIST

INSTRUCTOR BIO & SCHEDULE

Important Details for Students:

• To learn more about Registration, Cancellation Policy, Approved Solvents, and other important details CLICK HERE.
• A non-refundable Registration Fee is required for first-time enrolling students. CLICK HERE 
• Visit your Student Dashboard to access your account and materials such as supply lists & school map, CLICK HERE. 
• Those with special needs and/or requests may email the Registrar at registrar@woodstockschoolofart.org.
• Please note that for workshops lasting all day there is a one-hour break from 12PM to 1PM. Students are invited to bring lunch and eat at the school or may go to any of the local dining establishments. The school does not provide lunch or refreshments.