2026 Conference Schedule
*Schedule may be subject to change
FRIDAY, May 29
8:30
Registration Opens
Coffee, Pastries, and Info Under the Tent
9:30 - 10:30
DEMO: Wayne Montecalvo
From the Bottom Up: Working with Glass, Plexi and Fabric with Encaustic
This live demonstration will cover methods to use encaustic medium as a binder with Japanese papers and combining hand drawing, photo based images, mark making, acrylic paint, India ink, pencil,charcoal, and more, on a surface.
TALK: Megan MacDonald
Contemporary Mark Making on Non-Traditional Surfaces in Encaustic
A simple line can say so much. A line can be bold, expressive, graphic, or delicate, the list is long. There is however nothing more beautiful or unique than the hand drawn line, as a hand drawn line expresses ones individual style. This demo explores ways to stay loose when creating lines, drawing and ways of marking in encaustic. Discusses the importance of the drawn line and ways that one can utilize it to give new depth and focus to their work.
TALK: Misa Galazzi & Lisa Pressman
Contemporary Through Lines: Global Artists Working with Paper, Thread, and Wax
Have you ever wondered who else is working with paper, thread, and wax—and how these materials speak to one another in contemporary practice? This talk offers artists a contextual framework for understanding the lineage and relevance of these mediums today. Through a survey of a dozen international artists whose primary materials are paper, thread, and wax, we’ll explore how these elements intertwine to convey ideas of fragility, strength, connection, and transformation. Join us to discover the conceptual and material through lines that link these diverse practices across borders and generations
10:45 - 11:15
Welcome and Orientation for Newcomers
11:30 - 12:30
DEMO: Tracy Spadafora
Going Natural - Incorporating Organic Matter in Encaustic.
Learn the best practices for incorporating organic materials into an encaustic painting. Various organic matter will be covered, as well as how to adhere and preserve these materials.
DEMO: Debra Claffey
Drawn to Wax, Exploring Line in Encaustic Painting
A two-day course in on how to use line with wax. We’ll cover what drawing mediums work best on top of wax, in wax layers, or under wax on your ground. We’ll explore the many ways to make a line, to find a line, or to reveal a line. We’ll also experiment with the different qualities of lines and how to make your line expressive and personal to your work.
TALK: Joanne Mattera
Navigating the Art World
The art world as we know it is intergenerational, multiethnic, and geographically diverse, with local, regional, national, and international components. It can be difficult to navigate its various levels and categories. This PowerPoint talk, for experienced artists looking to move their career to the next level—as well as for those new to the art world who simply wish to understand how it works--will cover topics big and small: understanding the various networks (artist, dealer, curator, electronic) and the various art worlds (commercial, non-profit, academic, art fairs, artist-initiated projects) and how they intersect. Equally important: how you can intersect with them.
12:30 - 1:30
Lunch
1:30 - 2:30
DEMO: Isabelle Gaborit
The Lay of the Land: Storytelling Through Texture in Encaustic
In this one-hour demonstration, Isabelle Gaborit explores how encaustic texture can become a language of memory, landscape, and personal narrative. The Lay of the Land frames painting as topography, where valleys, ridges, and layered wax convey emotion, story, and environment. Participants will see how gesture, pressure, and directional forces shape texture, turning marks into meaningful symbols. Smooth, flowing areas can evoke calm or reflection, jagged edges suggest tension or conflict, and layered surfaces hold memory and narrative depth. Using scraping, pressing, incising, and layering techniques, attendees will learn to translate both inner landscapes and natural forms—rocks, water, hills—into expressive wax surfaces. The demonstration also highlights how heat and movement refine textures, enhancing emotional and symbolic impact. Attendees will leave with practical insight into using gesture and surface direction as storytelling tools, gaining inspiration for integrating texture, movement, and narrative into their own encaustic work.
TALK: Bettina Egli
Encaustic & Fresco
Why and how to combine encaustic and fresco.
TALK: Esperanza Cortés
Social Media for Artists
Instagram and LinkedIn are effective tools for artist. Optimize your profile with a clear bio, professional photo, post consistent high-quality content, and engage with your audience and other artists. Share your creative process and stories behind your art. Professional images and videos (especially Reels), and strategically use a limited number of relevant hashtags.
2:30 - 3:00
Break
3:00 - 4:30
GROUP EVENT: TBA
5:00
Last call at the Vendor Room
SATURDAY, May 30
9:00
Late Registration, Vendor Room Open, Postcard Show Open for Viewing
9:30 - 11:30
Keynote Lecture: Portia Munson
11:30 - 1:00
Break / Lunch
1:00 - 2:00
DEMO: Dietlind Vander Schaaf
Incorporating R&F Pigment Sticks® + Drawing Oils™
R&F employee Dietlind Vander Schaaf will address both product lines highlighting their differences and similarities, as well as best practices when incorporating them into encaustic. As part of this talk, Dietlind will cover health and safety, appropriate supports and tools, transparency and opacity, and mark making, as well as incorporating both product lines with encaustic. Additional techniques and compatible products will be highlighted, such as R&F Blending Medium and Blending Medium with Drier
TALK: Susan Lasch Krevitt
IMAGE SURVEY: Past Conference Presenters & Workshop Instructors
This image presentation features work from the past 19 years of Conference Presenters & Workshop Instructors. Images will include both past and current work. As The Conference approaches its 20 year anniversary in 2027, lets begin to look back at our history.
TALK: Carol Pelletier:
The Use of Cold Wax in Contemporary Art
Many contemporary artists utilize cold wax in their practice, we wouldn’t always know about it due to the fact that their work is conceptually driven and not influenced solely by the medium. This presentation by Carol Pelletier will be an overview of contemporary artists who are currently working with cold wax both in the traditional sense and in unconventional ways. She will be touching upon a wide ranging group of styles, the ideation behind the work and how the medium has been used not only for two dimensional imagery but also for sculpture and other surfaces.
2:00 - 2:30
Break
2:30 - 3:30
DEMO: Leslie Giuliani
Faux Gilding
Learn how to create a faux gilded frame using an Ampersand panel, balsa wood and cardboard.
TALK: Patti Russotti
Between Hand and Lens Lies the Art of Noticing - Artists Who Use Cameras & Photography
TALK: Richard Frumess & Darin Seim
Making Color