Instructor: Kelly McGrath
Monday - Tuesday
June 7 - 8
10am - 4pm
2 sessions at Edgewood Farm

This hands-on, two-day workshop, presented as part of the International Encaustic Conference, introduces participants to foundational mold making techniques, using two varieties of silicone, for casting objects in encaustic wax. Participants will move from the simplest reusable mold method to a more advanced two-part process, gaining practical skills for incorporating cast wax elements into their encaustic work.

Day one begins with a silicone putty mold compound, a beginner-friendly material that captures fine surface detail from flat objects and small three-dimensional pieces without any specialized equipment. The day continues with constructing a two- part block mold around a simple model, which will be a reusable tool in participants practice for years to come.

Day two focuses on casting techniques and working with cast objects to develop a series. By the end of the workshop, participants will have created a block mold, produced multiple castings, and gain insights into project planning, material choices, and mold design.

Beginner–intermediate students welcome, no prior mold making experience required

Kelly McGrath has been a practicing artist since 2007 and Art educator since 2009. She utilizes wax, paper, plaster, wood, clay and found materials in her process driven work. She explores themes that are influenced by biologic process like growth and decay, mutation and evolution. She has been invited to present and teach at R&F Handmade Paints, Women's Studio Workshop, Castle Hill Center for the Arts, Peter’s Valley and Snow Farm. She earned her BFA in Sculpture from SUNY New Paltz in 2007 and her Master’s in Art Education from Hunter College in 2019. She is currently employed at SUNY New Paltz as the Instructional Support Technician for the Sculpture Department.