ENCAUSTIC RETREATS, COURSES & WORKSHOPS

 

ENCAUSTIC RETREAT (ONE SPOT LEFT)

October 12-18, 2025| Catalonia, Spain

Our Encaustic Retreat isn’t just about painting—it’s a holistic experience that immerses you in the rich culture and stunning landscapes of Catalonia, Spain. From October 12-18, 2025, join us at Hotel Casa Anamaria for an unforgettable week of art and exploration.

 

5 Day Encaustic WORKSHOP IN SALA TRAMUNTANA

Layering & Mark Making
The first class of the retreat will cover encaustic fundamentals of fusing layers and intuitive mark-making using a variety of tools and R&F Handmade Paints supplies.

Accretion
Learn a number of different dry brushing techniques that can be done to achieve stunning surface textures with encaustic. Students will dive into different types of scraping techniques to enhance the natural properties of encaustic.

Dynamic Composition
Explore ideas of composition using the Sala Tramuntana surroundings, and enhance your encaustic with water-based mixed media underpainting techniques.

Mini Monotypes
Using encaustic paint on paper from a local paper maker, you will lose yourself in creating luminous colors that dance across your heated surface and pull beautiful one-of-a-kind prints. Learn how to add different mark making tools to embellish your monotypes and how to mount them on panels.

Cloth & Wax
Combine cloth and encaustic paint, using locally sourced fabrics to create unique collages. Learn how to layer textiles, wax, and pigments to craft textured, mixed-media artworks that blur the line between textile and painting.

Foraged Leaf Stencils
Press and layer local botanical leaves with encaustic techniques to craft textured, nature-inspired prints full of depth and detail.

Encaustic Photography
Learn how to preserve and transform your photographs of Catalonia, using the ancient art of encaustic. By layering wax and oil paints, you'll add texture and depth to your images, blending reality with imagination to create truly unique works of art. The class will cover paper selection, mounting techniques, painting methods, glazing, scraping, image transfers, and adding texture and color to the encaustic process.

 

painting with fire

2024 - 2025 | Online Workshop offered through Essence of Mulranny

I am one of 27 faculty teaching in this year’s Painting With Fire online year-round workshop. I will be offering Finding Your Flow With Encaustic Monotypes and Binding Monotypes Books as part of this year’s 52 weeks of instruction. Classes delivered each Wednesday approximately 12 noon EST as prerecorded video and once they are available you can watch whenever you wish. Weekly classes are approximately 60 mins or longer. Work along, at your leisure or just watch, and jump in when you are ready.

 


Wax and Blooms: Exploring Botanicals in Encaustic Art

April 26th, 27th | Woodstock School of Art, Woodstock, NY

Discover the magic of combining botanicals with encaustic techniques in this immersive, hands-on workshop. In Wax and Blooms, students will explore the creative possibilities of incorporating flora into encaustic works. Together, we’ll create cyanotypes and fuse your unique botanicals prints with encaustic wax. Incorporate dried flowers and foliage into wax layers for dimensional, textural compositions. Design floral collages combining ink, deco foil, papers, image transfers and other mixed media techniques. And make encaustic relief prints of foliage foraged around Woodstock.

Whether you’re new to encaustics or looking to deepen your practice, this workshop will inspire you to experiment and transform natural elements into beautiful, lasting creations. All materials are provided—just bring your curiosity and love for nature!

 

In-Person Studio Workshop, Cornwall-On-Hudson, NY


Hey there, I’m Alaina

I'm an encaustic and mixed media artist located in Cornwall-on-Hudson in the Hudson Valley, that has been practicing and teaching for 20+ years. My work has been shown in both the U.S. and Europe. When I am not painting, I’m teaching. I offer classes at art centers and institutions throughout the year. You can learn more about my online classes here and my in-person workshops at my studio here.