Elise Wagner
Elise Wagner
Elise Wagner is a painter, printmaker, educator and innovator. An east coast transplant, she has based herself in Portland, Oregon since 1986.
The uniquely defining aesthetic in Elise’s work melds her creative and spiritual practices with her fascination with and education in various disciplines of science – physics, astronomy, cosmology, cartography and meteorology and how they relate to changing technologies and the environment. Science and abstract art are defined as mystery, and Elise is continually curious about and negotiating this in her work. The encaustic medium lends itself well to Elise’s studio practice and creative aspirations resulting in artwork rich with depth that is visually and emotionally captivating as well as intellectually compelling.
Working with the encaustic medium since the early 1990’s led Elise to innovate a way to print from the texture of her paintings and merge the techniques of encaustic painting with that of collagraph printmaking. Elise shows at galleries throughout the U.S. including Washington D.C., Houston and Seattle and has taught painting and printmaking Internationally.
Website: elisewagner.com
Facebook: facebook.com/elisewagnerart
Instagram: @elisewagnerstudio
Vimeo: Elise Wagner Studio
Classes with Elise Wagner
An Encaustic Lexicon: Lines, Layers & Fusing Types
Through layers of medium and translucent encaustic colors, I will show you how to build a lexicon of different line types through the mark, creating incised and relief lines, lines drawn with graphite and transferred or created from embossed textiles.
Working on two pieces at once will give you a sense of fluidity and composition for working with a material that is alive and continually changing temperature.
Learn what to do and not to do as the alchemy of the wax goes from hot to cool on the panel. This will also usher in what I like to call ‘a rhythm of detachment and patience’ in your creative practice. Learn how to fuse over lines using an iron.
We will also explore other mark and line making tools such as the wax writer and tjaunting tools to create raised relief or embedded lines.
You will better understand which fusing method to use for what you are aiming to achieve with encaustic.
Supplies:
Basic encaustic set up: hot plate, encaustic medium, white, an assortment of colors, cans for color, several brushes, loop and incising tool, heat gun, a good power source and ventillation
2 8 x 8” or 10” x 10 ” flat Ampersand Encausticbord or any encaustic pieces in progress
optional: An additional 8 ” x 8 ’ 5/8” deep cradled Ampersand Encausticbord
a Kemper K-20 ceramic tool
loop tool
incising tools and any assortment of metal tipped ceramic tools that you’ve used with encaustic
pouncing tool or round metal rolling tool (pizza cutter, etc.)
hanger tacking/sealing iron
propane or butane blowtorch
heat gun
wax pen called a “wax max” at Encaustiko’s
tjanting/batik wax flow tools
woven fabrics ex: lace, tool, netting
a few R&F pigment sticks
graphite pencil for transferring marks
a few pieces of tracing paper 11” x 9” is fine
a few pan pastels if you have them on hand
blue painters tape
ruler
shape templates
scissors
paper towels
trash can