Volcano Art Center to Host Encaustic Painting Workshop

The public is invited to join artist Mary Milelzcik for the “Mixed Media Encaustic” workshop on Saturday, March 30, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Volcano Art Center Ni‘aulani Campus in Volcano Village. Encaustic is a mixture of beeswax, damar resin and pigment, which is applied to a solid absorbent surface. Each time a new layer is applied, it must be fused. The layers can be enhanced by carving with tools or drawing with pigment and oil sticks. Photographs can be transferred and other materials imbedded to create translucent layers and a variety of amazing results.

A workshop entitle “Mixed Media Encaustic” will be held at the Volcano Arts Center. Courtesy photo.

“Mixed Media Encaustic” is a hands-on workshop, where you’ll learn safe studio practices, all the encaustic painting basics and how to make your own medium. Various techniques will be demonstrated and a variety of substrates including panels and paper will be available. After instruction and experimenting, you will have the opportunity to create a small finished encaustic painting, or two, a scroll, and a set of greeting cards to take home.Milelzcik will provide an assortment marking tools and brushes, and also interesting papers, photographs, minerals, fibers, and other natural and found materials for students to incorporate into their paintings. Students are encouraged to bring other items they’d like to use. The class fee is $60/$55 for VAC members plus a $25 supply fee. To register, call Volcano Art Center at (808) 967-8222 or visit online.

Milelzcik has a B.A. degree from Sonoma State University’s School of Expressive Arts, a radical two-year upper division interdisciplinary experimental program that existed for several years in the 70’s. This transformative educational experience set the path for an interesting career as a mixed media artist and photographer; as the Curator at Highways Performance Space and Gallery in Santa Monica CA; and teaching experimental mixed media art and printmaking. Photography is an important tool in her creative and documentary projects as well as for capturing images to use as a base for mixed media encaustic paintings and prints. She also gathers pigments and organic materials to incorporate into her work. Her artwork has been shown internationally. In her spare time, she provides strategic consultation and grant writing for small to medium sized nonprofits in Hawai‘i and California. She has a studio in Pahoa and specializes in mixed media art and printmaking. She experiments with local minerals and plants in her encaustic paintings.

Volcano Art Center Niaulani Campus is located at 19-4074 Old Volcano Road in Volcano Village.

The Volcano Art Center is a nonprofit educational organization created in 1974 to promote, develop, and perpetuate the artistic and cultural heritage of Hawai‘i’s people and environment through activities in the visual, literary and performing arts.