Are you ready to take on the Wonderful World of Encaustic Wax?

Are you mesmerised by the luscious waxy textures..?

Entranced by the beautiful effects it makes...

BUT, all the supplies... different options... and how

to go about it all, leaving you in a quandary?

Maybe you're staring at a blank canvas... all the intentions to start... but still uninspired and struggling to make those first marks..?

Frustrated and unsure where to begin?

WOULD YOU LIKE TO:

🎨 Learn the foundational skills of encaustic painting... add, grow, and evolve your art practice, at the perfect pace for you... as your inspiration and intuition guides you.

🎨 Not be overwhelmed with the belief that it's all too complicated.

🎨 Understand the common sense health and safety aspects you need to know.

🎨 Unblock yourself and actually start working with this beautiful art form.

🎨 Know you're not going to blow yourself up with dammar resin (as one workshop attendee remarked?!)

🎨 Confidently layer, build and develop your encaustic paintings, and expand your wax painting practices.

🎨 Immerse yourself entirely, relishing the hot fluid wax, with its swirling colours, and responding to its shapes and patterns as your heart guides.

🎨 Understand how you can use those scraps of materials you've intuitively kept... with new found ideas and inspiration on how to incorporate and use them within your wax paintings. (People often remark... "I knew I was keeping that for a reason, now I know why...!")

🎨 Have a safe space to share your results, ask questions, and find inspiration from other encaustic artists.

🎨 Feel inspired and excited about creating again as you take on this amazing medium!

Encaustic is such a healing art form, it's beauty and mystery will take you on a creative adventure unparalleled by any other art medium.

The alchemy that takes place whilst heating the wax, the smell, the texture, the pigments as they settle, are pure magic, and you'll find yourself absolutely entranced as you watch the melting, bonding, and solidifying take place.

The outside world is forgotten as you loose yourself in the process.

READY TO DISCOVER MORE..?

WHAT IF:

🎨 I could help and guide you through an exciting, deliciously tactile, and intuitive way of painting, with endless possibilities?

🎨 Not through one prescribed project, or to an exact, and expensive equipment list...

🎨 But, simply... using hot molten beeswax, a heat gun,

and incorporating some of the art materials and every day items around your home?

Let me help you to navigate the Encaustic Wax labyrinth!

The Art & Magic of Encaustic is not simply a step by step guide

to a finished wax image...

It's a smorgasboard of techniques, leaving you with a whole tool box of methods of applications, which you can dip into again and again, leaving you with limitless ideas and inspiration, using art supplies you already have... and everyday household items will take on a whole new purpose!

For those of you who don't know me... I'm Julie...

I'm an artist and photographer, now back in my homeland in North Cornwall in the UK... (I was in Hertfordshire before, so you may have seen me there!)

After being taught that art was just a hobby, and something only to be done in your spare time (IF you had any spare time!!) I found my way back to my art in 2011...

Before re-discovering my creativity, frankly, I was frazzled.

A Mum of two very lively boys, running my husbands office, dealing with elderly family members, and finding that I had stretched my capacity to breaking point, and was loosing myself more and more as each week passed.

A chance encounter found me invited to join an untutored art group... two hours, on a Friday morning...

With each week that passed, I found my way back to myself, I remembered who I was, and, reconnected to the artist I was always meant to be...

I remembered the hours I would spend as a teenager, happily ensconced in my bedroom, copying pencil images from photographs and magazines. (probably under the guise of doing my homework!)

I remembered the joy of a new set of felt tip pens at Christmas... all perfectly lined up in their case... deliberating which ones to test out first... but now it was pastels, and watercolours, and acrylics!!

I remembered the hours spent in the stationary store, drooling over the rows of perfectly lined up pens, and notepads and the joy of spending way too long deliberating over which item I'd spend my pocket money on!!

I remembered colour, how uplifting it was, and the feeling of happiness when I was creating with it...

Somewhere... I had lost that part of me along the way... and this art group began re-kindling those long lost memories.

So how did I get from there to here...?

I saw an art competition being run by Tate Modern in London, I entered last minute, on the fly, and didn't think any more of it...

A few days later, I got a ping saying that I'd been selected to join them!!! To say I was excited was an understatement!!!

So, in September 2011, I spent the day up at Tate Modern, as one of eighty artists, spending the day creating, and hanging out in the staff rooms, wow, it was a dream come true!!

Seeing these artists and staff were normal everyday people, it gave me the confidence and boost to pursue my artistic journey a bit further.

So, I nervously dipped my toe into my first ever art exhibition at the end of that same year, and that's when I saw an encaustic wax painting that changed my life...

A blue, and silver piece, and I can still see it now!! (I wish I'd bought it with hindsight!)

Anyhow, I immediately signed up for a workshop to find out more about this enchanting medium, and experienced my first ever Encaustic Wax Art in January 2012... it was love at first sight!

I was absolutely entranced by this magical medium, and set out to learn as much about it as I possibly could. It touched me on a soul level like no other art form I'd seen.

I studied, I googled, I searched for books and supplies, I visited museums, and contacted other artists, desperate to learn more about this elusive art form. I rented an art studio, and began honing my skills.

On exhibiting my latest wax work, it seemed people were as intrigued by this medium as I was, and out of nowhere, my sharing encaustic began!

I've since run workshops, demos, art talks and 1-1's, from small art clubs, to The National Honey Show, and Living Crafts, helping complete beginners, who claim not to draw a straight line, through to professional artists wanting to expand their skills. Teenagers to grandparents.

I won a scholarship to the 15th Encaustic Conference in America which was simply amazing. I've exhibited around the UK, and in America and Germany, and have collectors of my art across the globe.

It's been an incredible journey, which all sparked from that one conversation to join that Friday morning art group... I'd been welcomed with what felt like a giant hug, and endless encouragement... so I intend to pay that forwards through encouragement to others..!

I'm so passionate about sharing this medium, which is a truly healing art form.

I've seen it's therapeutic benefits time and time again, and now on a mission to share it with as many people as I can... in a supportive, fun, and accessible way for all.

I had so many people say "I wish you were closer..."

and that's how my online courses were born.

I've since had people from the UK, around Europe, America, Scandinavia and Australia join so far...

it's just magical to be able to share this far and wide!

SO, HOW DOES THE COURSE WORK?

The course is broken down into SIX sections...

First, sit down with a cuppa and watch the Welcome Video... this directs you to the most important aspects of the course, to ensure you don't get bogged down in information.

It will help you cover your essential need to knows, which will ensure you'll be up and wax painting as quickly as possible.

SECTION ONE:

We kick off with the foundations...

'Lets Cover the Basics'

Seven short videos designed to show you exactly how to get going.

Allow around an hour for this section, which will cut out confusion, and bring clarity to the fore.

Don't be tempted to skip this part, it will help you work out what equipment you already have, and what you'll need to purchase, which will help with any mistake buys.

The videos build on each other to create a solid understanding of things to consider when working, and you'll see helpful tips to ensure you start your encaustic practice safely.

'Essentials versus Nice To Have' pdf... Understand the critical items for encaustic painting, then make an informed decision on the nice to haves, and whether to purchase them... or not!

'Setting Up Your Hotplate' will help you consider the containers and brush types you need to buy, which will depend on the scale you intend to work at, and also gives you tips for working safely, and best practice to use your hotplate efficiently.

Check out 'What Supports to Use' & 'Encaustic Gesso' lessons to understand all the different options there are, how to prepare your boards, for's and against's depending on what sizes you're working at, and at what budget. All of this will help you to make the best selection based on the art you're intending to create and for what purpose.

Next, you'll need a proper understanding of the materials you are using... 'What is Encaustic Medium'?

Gain an awareness of different types of waxes and their melting points. Why is dammar resin added? Did you know not all beeswaxes are the same? (For example, there's chemically bleached, sun bleached, pharmaceutical grade wax, amongst others... If you're intending to sell your work, you might want to be aware of which ones could potentially change colour over time!!) I've also included a recipe to make your own Encaustic Medium, a Melting Point and Safe Working Temperature Guide for you to refer back to, and a Quick Reference Guide for your studio.

Last but not least in this first section is FUSING... THE most critical aspect you'll need to master for this course. Knowing how to fuse your wax layers together, so they bond and form a solid structure is essential. This lesson shows you which tools you can use to fuse, and how to fuse safely.

SECTION TWO:

ESSENTIAL HEALTH AND SAFETY

All the H&S things you need to consider when painting with this medium...

There are around fifteen minutes of videos, and some written info, so allow half an hour to go through the content, and add some thinking time on how it all applies to your working space.

We kick this section off with a bit of good old common sense!! Some people say encaustic is a scary medium, it's really not! But, do understand there are some things you will want to be mindful of when painting with these hot tools.

Second up is 'Ventilation' a very important aspect to watch out for. I explain the perfect set up, and share how I've managed in my studios over the years, without the perfect set up...! I cover things to look out for and what to do, if your air flow hasn't been sufficient, and include a technical sheet, sharing how to install an extraction system if you're in a position to do so.

Next I share how to 'Test your Wax Temperatures' and ensure you're not overheating your wax. This is a great tip especially whilst you're new to wax and learning how the wax moves. You'll compare melting points to safe working temperatures, and see how you can set an alarm if your wax is overheating. In time, you will be able to tell from sight and smell alone, but knowing your temperatures is a key skill to master if you're going to be using encaustic in the long term.

'Powdered Pigments' can be great if you want to mix your own encaustic paint colours, and was something I worked up to over time. I share things to watch out for, a pigment list for working with encaustic, and links on where to find further information if you wish to explore further.

'Safe Disposal of Linseed & Oil Soaked Rags' I often use linseed oil to clean excess pigment off my wax, and never knew that the cloths I use to wipe clean can spontaneously ignite. They oxidize, reacting with the oxygen in the air, and can catch fire. I shuddered at stories of rags catching fire after being disposed of in the bin. I'm so happy I discovered this early on in my encaustic practice, so please be aware!! I share how to dispose of your rags safely and ensure there are no nasty ignitions.

'Cold Wax is NOT Encaustic - Do NOT Heat!' Cold wax contains solvents and must not be heated, so do not confuse the two mediums!

Finally, there's a 'Good to have on hand IF ever needed' section, where I share some of the safety items I keep in my studio, I work on the premise that if I've got them, I'll never need them... I'm pleased to say I've never needed them so far, but if I ever did, I know I'm prepared!

SECTION THREE:

HOW TO BUILD YOUR ENCAUSTIC PAINTINGS

Yay... Time to fire the heat up, and put it all into practice!

This section shows you how to pull it all together, and how to begin creating your first encaustic pieces.

There are approximately two hours of videos in this section, but I recommend working through the first three videos, then taking the others as you are drawn to, depending on the materials you've gathered so far.

In the first video, we start by priming some boards with encaustic, ready to start putting the next techniques into practice. By preparing a few boards together, you will get a good feel of how the wax is moving, and you'll start to master that essential fusing step.

Next we cover textures in the wax, how to create a smooth finish versus a textured one, and how to fix any unplanned blemishes.

The third video gives you an overview of the many ways you can colour the wax that are covered, this should help you choose which video to jump to next!

Ways to colour the wax - There are eight separate videos to choose from, including:

🎨 Strong colour versus a light wash,

🐝 Two separate making your own colours videos,

🎨 Colouring wax without pigments,

🐝 PanPastels and Stencils,

🎨 Indenting colour within the wax, (and a sprinkle of glitter!)

🐝 Adding oils to textures on top,

🎨 Colouring the wax from underneath.

Of course, if you've now ordered your new supplies, and still waiting for them to arrive, then I suggest you binge watch all of these videos, and get excited thinking up some new creative projects whilst you're waiting for your delivery!!

SECTION FOUR:

PHOTOS AND VIDEOS TO INSPIRE

I find it helps to watch and learn from other projects, and get some ideas to try.

This section will help you pull what you've learnt so far together, and give you more ideas to try.

It includes around 25 minutes of video, watching me as I create my pieces, and close up photos of finished images for added ideas.

SECTION FIVE:

EXTRA HINTS TIPS AND RESOURCES

These are not essential aspects of encaustic wax painting, but this sections covers some very handy things to know...

Videos and resources covering:

How to clean your hotplate, and how not to waste wax!

How to clean your brushes.

Where to find additional information, including videos from my scholarship trip to the Encaustic Conference in America.

How to buff your paintings to a high shine, understand curing and blooming, and how to resolve it if it happens to your paintings.

Options once you've completed this course.

BONUSES:

1) Need help with overcoming blank canvas syndrome and loosing the fear of making those first marks?

You're not alone!

Bonus One includes free access to my 'Mindset Tips for Artists' Course... Discover my favourite meditations, books, podcasts and coaches who help get me into the right frame of mind and keep me on track when I'm having an inevitable wobble!

2) 50% off 1-1 Zoom calls, for when you want to discuss your encaustic and art questions directly with me.

3) Free Facebook Course Members group, a safe space to share your work and ask questions about all the content within this course.

Watch this video to see inside the course!

A Medium For All The Senses...

Once you start painting with encaustic, you will really appreciate how much it effects the senses...

The FEEL OF THE WAX

The TEXTURES

The SMELLS

The COLOURS

The CONNECTION

Just delicious...!

Limitless as your imagination, and always something new to try....

A recap - we will cover:

Different types of Waxes and Mediums

Different supports to work on

Introduction to must knows of Health & Safety

A brief background and history of Encaustic Wax Art

Demonstration of basics, and versatility of wax

Learn how to fuse layers of wax together, and get smooth and textured finishes.
I will share my preferred tools, and hopefully help you to avoid some of the pitfalls I made!
Colouring your wax - there are so many ways to approach this, there are eight separate videos explaining just some of the different ways you can achieve this... often using existing supplies!
You'll put the techniques shown into practice, and create a selection of test pieces, with suggested notes to act as an aide memoir.
You will practice ways of embellishing, layering and scratching into the wax.
Pull what you've learnt together, and create your own finished pieces, with materials you have in your art stash.
Videos showing you some of the my paintings being created to give you additional ideas and inspiration.

Take all you have learnt, follow your intuition, and share your finished works in our Course Members area.

EXTRA BONUS GIFTS:

I hear time and time again... "I have all of the equipment, I just haven't started yet..."

This is such a common occurrence...

So...

I want everybody who goes through this course, to actually implement it...!

Therefore, I am including some extra resources to help with this:

BONUS ONE:

Free access to my MINDSET TIPS FOR ARTISTS course...

I believe as artists, we often suffer from that nasty inner voices in our heads

They can take us on an emotional rollercoaster along the lines of...

"WOW - Brilliant..."

"Blimey - That's dreadful..."

"Maybe YOU could do that...?"

"Pointless trying - you'll NEVER be able to do it..."

Maybe you recognise the inner narratives?!!

I certainly do, and it's a dance I still do daily!

We need to have a strong inner resilience to keep moving forward with our creative practices.

It's easy to let procrastination (in my case, I once found myself deep cleaning the bathroom floor instead of preparing for an exhibition...?!!!) and perfectionism, get in the way of actually making a start on your art...

My perfectionism critic is especially loud at times!!

"Have no fear of perfection; you'll never reach it." - Salvador Dali.

So this resource dives into why it's so scary to pick up a paintbrush... To share our art... and how to stop putting everything else first... (other than our artistic practices!)

Awareness of these often subconscious road blocks is key... and then understanding why it happens...

So...

If you've got all the art supplies, all the how to books, all the perfectly lined up paint brushes, BUT are yet to actually paint something (other than a paint test swatch...!!)

I think my Mindset Tips for Artists course could help you.

The course is an easy to digest selection of quotes, book reviews, and podcasts, that I have found especially helpful.

One example, The Artists Way is an absolute favourite... it brings such comfort knowing that I'm not alone in my mind monkey narratives! Hear about my key discoveries and see if they help unlock yours.

I share meditations that I find helpful, morning routines that I use to get myself into the right creative space, and training resources from some of my coaches, including links, incase you want to explore those practices further for yourself.

There's a blend of practical, spiritual and energetic materials.

Much like The Art & Magic of Encaustic course, you choose the lesson according to what inspires you most.

Personally, I have found EFT to be be especially helpful... that may not be your thing, but perhaps breath work, a soul stroll, or one of the other resources might be exactly what you need...

I am so grateful to the people who introduced me to these teachings, and the serendipitous websites that I've found myself on over the past ten+ years...

This course is a compilation of some of my favourites, to aid you with your own explorations, in the hope that they may help to keep you on creative track too.

BONUS TWO:

Half price Zoom sessions - for when you want some specific guidance and feedback on a 1-1 basis... saving £49 on the usual price.

In my early encaustic days, before the invention of Zoom calls, and the availability of online courses, I craved the opportunity to speak with somebody who could help and guide me, specific to my queries... without the hefty price tag of a trip overseas to an in person course!

The content within this course should give you more than enough to have you creating prolifically, but should you want further tailored advice, or just to speak with somebody in person, these half price sessions will do just that.

BONUS THREE:

Free Arty Heaven Course Members group to encourage you to implement what you've learnt and to ACTUALLY get started...!

Think of this online group being like that first untutored art group that I mentioned above... where support, and encouragement are the order of the day...

Surrounding yourself in a group of likeminded souls (who actually know what encaustic is!!) and having a safe space to share is key to success!

The Mindset Tips for Artists course will follow a couple of weeks after signing up, to give you chance to digest the main encaustic course content first.