Encaustic is an ancient form of painting with melted beeswax, resin, and pigments, and it is now an exciting contemporary art form used with other media. In this introductory workshop, we will explore encaustic painting using pastels, masks and stencils to add colour and pattern.

About the Artist

Moira's artistic practice and teaching workshops seamlessly integrate dyed and painted fabrics, wax resist, encaustic, mixed media, handmade felt, handmade papers, block printing, free machine embroidery, and hand stitching. She is particularly drawn to the semi-transparent qualities of fabrics like cotton scrim, silk chiffon, and organza, utilising their ethereal nature to craft nuanced layers and depth. Beyond textiles, Moira incorporates materials such as metal shims, waxed paper and fabric, cork, and wood, elevating stitched textiles into three-dimensional forms.

Nature serves as a wellspring of inspiration for Moira, influencing her impressionistic and abstract or semi-abstract creations that prioritise colour, texture, and form. Employing sheer fabrics enables her to experiment with overlays and distressing techniques, conveying the passage of time and alluding to diverse cultural and historical references.

Moira's embrace of encaustic as a contemporary art form reflects an exciting convergence of her artistic interests. Incorporating hot bees' wax, damar resin, and pigments, she applies, and fuses coloured encaustic paints, seamlessly combining layers with collage techniques. Papers, sheer fabrics, and fibres become embedded into the wax, further enriched by sgraffito, transfer prints, stencils, and Pan Pastels.