Encaustic Class Forming

Sign up now for an exciting two-day encaustic workshop being offered at the Buffalo Ranch Studio, "where imagination runs wild."

(Image left: a bison cow and her calf from the Picuris Pueblo's tribal herd).

The studio is located at Picuris Pueblo, an Indian reservation in northern New Mexico that has been continuously inhabited for more than five centuries. Tiwa, the language spoken at Picuris, is also the language of Taos Pueblo to the north, and Isleta Pueblo south of Albuquerque.

The studio was loving constructed for painter Harriette Tsosie by her husband Carl, a longtime tribal member at Picuris, whose father is full blooded Navajo and mother, Picuris. Carl sunk the studio below grade and joined two ends of an L-shaped house, calling the resulting space his "quarter-hogan." Seven large studio windows (image above right) look out on the northern New Mexico landscape, featuring gentle mountains and the prominent Jicarita Peak. The East-facing studio door greets the rising sun, Navajo style.

The other end of the studio is a reception area, featuring Harriette's work and giclee prints from her petroglyph series.

(Image left: studio reception area).

Students can relax and take breaks in this area during the workshop and it is where we will have lunch.

The workshop will begin Friday, July 11th, with a review of safety basics, making the encaustic medium (melting the wax, adding a hardening agent), preparing surfaces to accept the encaustic, painting, scraping, and fusing techniques, using both heat gun and propane torch.

(Left: "Global Warming #2," 2007.
Copyright Harriette Tsosie.
All rights reserved.
(Created by fusing with a propane torch.)

On the second workshop day, Saturday, July 12th, students will learn alternative encaustic techniques, such as embedding objects in wax, collaging with encaustic, transfer, and working with encaustic on paper or other surfaces.

"Divorce Diptych," 2007 ( Left).
Copyright Harriette Tsosie.
All rights reserved.
Dried poppy stems and heads embedded in wax using heat gun technique.

Workshop instructors Harriette Tsosie (right) and Nicki Marx have more than 25 years combined experience in working with encaustic and other media.

Cost for the two day workshop is $350 plus a $25 materials fee. Registration is non-refundable. Single day registrations are not available. Special alumni rates are available for students of prior Buffalo Ranch Studio workshops. Contact Harriette for details.

Classes will run from 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM daily with a break for lunch. Class size is limited to six students. Register now, the class is filling up fast.

To register, contact Harriette or Nicki by one of the methods below:

Harriette Tsosie
505/587-0427
hftsosie@earthlink.net
www.buffaloranchstudio.com

Nicki Marx
505/587-2383
marx@laplaza.org