with ELIZABETH MESSINA & LEAH MACDONALD
ENCAUSTIC ARTE
AN IMMERSIVE IN PERSON PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP
THIS WORKSHOP IS DESIGNED FOR
ARTISTS
&
WHO WANT TO DEEPEN THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO THE
PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGE & EXPLORE THE LUMINIOUS
POSSIBLILITIES OF ENCAUSTICS
JULY 24 - 26, 2026
ELIZABETH MESSINA
ENCAUSTIC PAINTING
JOIN ARTISTS & EDUCATORS
PHOTOGRAPHY
LEAH MACDONALD
FOR A 3 DAY IMMERSIVE WORKSHOP
EXPLORING THE INTERSECTION OF
&
&
PHOTOGRAPHERS
workshop Itinerary
Meet & greet at ELIZABETH's Southern California studio. Attendees will connect, enjoy refreshments, share artistic intentions, and be introduced to the structure and philosophy of the workshop. This opening session sets the tone for a collaborative creative experience.
Participants will participate in an immersive PHOTO SHOOT with a model (under ELIZABETH’s guidance & support). Emphasis will be placed on THE FEMALE PORTRAIT in natural light, composition, gesture, and emotional narrative. This session offers insight into ELIZABETH’s refined approach to portraiture. Attendees will not only observe first hand how ELIZABETH poses, interacts with and creates artistic natural portraiture, but will also capture their own unique images to add to their portfolios.
Learn the ancient ARTE of encaustic techniques. LEAH will guide participants through the fundamentals of working with organic beeswax & photographic prints, including layering, fusing, painting, surface manipulation, and image integration. Artists will learn how wax alters light, depth, and texture, allowing photographs to evolve into tactile, luminous works of ARTE that bridge photography & painting.
JULY 24
JULY 25
JULY 26
HOW TO SIGN UP :
TOTAL PRICE
$
1,000
$
RETAINER DUE NOW to RESERVE YOUR SEAT
FINAL BALANCE DUE : JULY 1, 2026
*SPACE IS VERY LIMITED TO MAINTAIN AN INTIMATE & SUPPORTIVE STUDIO ENVIORNMENT*
PAYMENT DETAILS : To reserve your place in the workshop, a $1,000 RETAINER is required at the time of registration. The remaining $1,500 balance is due by July 1, 2026 : ALL PAYMENTS ARE NON-REFUNDABLE and NON-TRANSFERABLE TO any other person, product or workshop.
2,500
IN PERSON PHOTO
& ARTE WORKSHOP
ENCAUSTIC ARTE
DETAILS
This workshop offers a rare opportunity to experience both the discipline of intentional image making and the contemplative, hands on practice of encaustic. Participants will leave with completed work, expanded technical knowledge, and a renewed connection to process-driven artmaking.
LOCATION
The workshop will take place in SOUTHERN California. (The exact address and arrival details will be sent to participants by email prior to the workshop).
WHAT TO BRING
Participants should bring their camera for the photography portion of the workshop. Any camera you feel comfortable working with is welcome (film &/or digital.
MATERIALS
All encaustic materials and supplies needed for the workshop will be provided. This includes the wax, pigments, tools, and surfaces used during the encaustic process.
WHEN :
JULY 24 - 26, 2026
Encaustic painting is one of the oldest known painting techniques, dating back more than 2,000 years. The word encaustic comes from the Greek enkaustikos, meaning “to burn in,” referring to the process of fusing heated beeswax and pigment with heat.
The technique flourished in ancient Greece and Rome, where artists used heated wax mixed with natural pigments to create luminous paintings. One of the most remarkable surviving examples are the Fayum mummy portraits from Roman Egypt (1st–3rd century AD). These portraits were painted on wooden panels using encaustic and placed over mummies. Their astonishing realism, color, and preservation demonstrate the durability and beauty of the medium even after nearly two millennia.
Encaustic was also used to waterproof and decorate ships in ancient Greece, showing how versatile and durable the wax-based medium was.
Encaustic experienced a revival in the 20th century, when modern artists rediscovered its expressive possibilities. Today it is widely used in contemporary painting, mixed media, and photographic work, where artists embed images, paper, and pigment within layers of translucent wax to create depth, texture, and a luminous surface.
What continues to draw artists to encaustic is the unique combination of fragility & permanence: delicate, translucent layers of wax that once fused can preserve an artwork for generations.
