Encaustic Workshops:
Encaustic - Introduction or Review
By Appointment
Julie's Home Studio
Fairhope, Alabama
What is encaustic?
The word Encaustic, from the Greek language, means "to heat" or "to burn in" which refers to the process of fusing the beeswax-based paint after each layer of application. The paint is heated on a hot palette and applied with natural bristle brushes. Layering, scraping, 3-D and many other options are possible with this incredible medium.
To learn more, visit rfpaints.com
R&F Pigments stick (oil in stick form) workshops:
Getting Comfortable with Color
January 16-17, 2026
Birmingham, AL
This workshop will boost your confidence toward choosing and mixing colors. Guided exercises and hands-on exploration will help you learn how to make more colors with fewer paints. You'll also discover the importance of neutrals, and the power of values.
We'll use R&F Pigment Sticks because they blend beautifully and clean up quickly.
Oil & Cold Wax Demonstration and 2-day Discovery Workshop
February 2 , 2026 (Demonstration) February 3-4, 2026 (Workshop)
Seabrook Island Artist Guild
South Carolina
To register, email Tina Mayland (VP of the Seabrook Island Artist Guild) at Tina@TinaMaylandArt.com.
Abstracts with Oil and Cold Wax
September 1-4, 2026
New Orleans, LA
Discover a non-traditional approach to oil painting using R&F's Pigment Sticks and cold wax medium. Learn new tools and methods for creating rich, small abstracts on paper and Ampersand's Gessobord. Have fun, get a bit messy, and change the way you think about oil painting.
Bring some of your favorite imagery and I'll show you how to create abstract paintings from life, from drawings, and from memory.
CUSTOMIZED LEARNING
For Individuals and Small Groups
My new home studio in Fairhope, Alabama doubles as a comfortable and safely equipped workshop space for private lessons, maximum 2 students.
Please contact me for pricing and scheduling.
Here's What Students are Saying:
"Julie, that was perhaps the best in-person workshop I’ve taken. The combination of your expertise, compassion and teaching skills is just heartwarming. And not only was it fun, but I learned a lot. Thank you!" -Margie M.
"This workshop was far superior to any art training experience I have had. Can't say enough about Julie Snidle's teaching skill and hospitality. Perfect studio venue.
Best birthday I've had in years!!" -Beth H.
"Julie was informative, relaxed, and gave us ample time to experiment. Fun!" - Dianne G.
"It was very fun and really gave the opportunity to be creative. Julie was great. I would like to take more classes from her." - Amy R.
"Julie was well prepared, knowledgeable, and fun.
I liked the exercises and demos." -T.B.
"The class was great! Very well presented." -Kristine G.
"Julie was wonderful! I loved this class!" -Pat C.
"It was so excellent! Bring Julie back please!" -Lisa H.
"It was very well organized." -Andrea J.
"Now I feel like I know what encaustic painting really is!" -Anne B.
"Excellent instruction! Great teacher!" -Stacy B.
"Julie was great! The pace of the class was just right." -Sheila M.
"The workshop definitely made me want to continue painting with encaustic." -A.W.
Workshop Descriptions
Discovering Encaustic
Discovering Oil & Cold Wax
Encaustic and Paper
In my introductory workshops l provide students with a thorough foundation for painting with encaustic and plenty of studio time for experimenting with a wide range of techniques that can be used to manipulate the wax surface. We'll cover safety, tools & materials, painting & fusing, layering, incising, collage, image and line transfer, glazing, Pan Pastel, compatibility with oils, and more.
I don't expect beginners to bring art materials other than wood panels to paint on. These should be raw, unprimed wood panels or Encausticbords in sizes ranging from 5"x5" to 8"x8". Figure about 4-6 panels per workshop day.
You may be asked to bring paper towels and wax paper.
Encaustic and Paper
Discovering Oil & Cold Wax
Encaustic and Paper
This intermediate encaustic workshop is geared for students with some previous encaustic experience. This workshop will cover a variety of ways in which encaustic can be used with paper:
-Create small works on paper suitable for framing.
-Discover how the hot palette can be used as a printing plate.
-Learn which papers are most compatible with encaustic.
Developing your own visual ideas through encaustic will be encouraged.
A supply list will be provided by the hosting venue.
Discovering Oil & Cold Wax
Discovering Oil & Cold Wax
The Joy of a Limited Palette
This workshop offers students an opportunity to break free from tradition and discover oil painting without brushes and smelly solvents.
With R&F Pigment Sticks as our primary oil paint and Gamblin's cold wax medium, we will build up layers and make marks using a variety of tools. You will learn new methods and ways of working to create rich and authentic small works on paper and Ampersand's Gessobord.
This workshop is fun, a bit messy, and will change the way you think about oil painting.
A supply list will be provided by the hosting venue.
The Joy of a Limited Palette
The Joy of a Limited Palette
The Joy of a Limited Palette
Discover the freedom that comes from painting with a limited palette. Working with fewer colors guarantees harmony in our paintings and creates a more sophisticated look overall.
Although this is not technically a color theory workshop, students will learn about hue, value, and intensity by working hands-on with the materials. This workshop is taught either with R&F's Pigment Sticks (compressed oil paints) or R&F's encaustic paints to create a series of small studies on paper. A variety of triads will be available for you to 'test-drive' so that new and exciting discoveries can be made.
Authentic Abstracts
The Joy of a Limited Palette
Working in Multiples
How does one begin an abstract painting? Where do the ideas come from? What do you do when you get stuck along the way? How do you know when a painting is finished? The answers to these questions are as varied and as unique as you are, but I do have some tips and suggestions that will help you navigate through the painting process with confidence as you express your authentic self.
We will be working with R&F Pigment Sticks (compressed oil paint), cold wax medium, and mixed media.
Working in Multiples
The Joy of a Limited Palette
Working in Multiples
This workshop is designed for students who are interested in:
- Creating a cohesive body of work.
- Overcoming the fear of abstract painting with oils.
- Finding more joy in the process.
- Discovering their artistic voice through repetition.
We will have several paintings going at once as we work in layers with R&F Pigment Sticks (compressed oil paint), cold wax medium, and mixed media.