Workshops

Sharon Sperry Bloom is an Albuquerque painter and photographer specializing in encaustic painting. She is a passionate proponent of artistic self-expression and enjoys working with both emerging artists and with career artists who are exploring new paths. Her work is currently exhibited at the Encaustic Art Institute.

Her teaching philosophy is simple: to encourage the student to freely explore and take chances, allowing the utmost creativity to materialize.

Have you ever wondered what kind of painting you could create with beeswax?  Have you thought you’d like to give it a try sometime? Try a lesson at Sharon’s studio.

Currently, I am teaching private and semi-private workshops only. Please contact me to see how I can tailor a session to meet your needs. Most workshops will be on a Saturday, at my studio near Albuquerque’s Old Town.

Typical Encaustic topics covered:

• What is encaustic anyway?
• Hot wax fusing techniques
• You can create lines and shapes
• Use photos and other media in your work
• You can produce smooth surfaces or rough textures
• How to save money by making your own supplies!
• Different types of surfaces and supports
• You can be very creative with encaustic
• Where to get supplies, videos, and reference materials
• How to work safely with wax

There are several ways to create art with wax. All sessions are geared to you the student, and like you, no two are alike. An introductory workshop focuses on learning to paint with hot wax on a hard surface. We normally use birch plywood as our surface. The wax medium is made with natural beeswax and damar crystals.

Depending on the student’s level and willingness to explore, we can delve into a bunch of things you can do with encaustic.  Add to it, take away from it, incorporate collage elements, use other mediums, and above all: experiment.  All supplies will be provided, and you can take your artistic creations home with you!

I attended Sharon’s Encaustic workshop on Aug 6 and would highly recommend it to any Artist interested in this medium.  She gave us a wealth of information and supplied all the tools necessary to create a few masterpieces of our own.  Sharon taught us many different techniques, showed us how to use transfers and tools and really got our creative juices flowing!  This is a must do workshop for anyone who is curious of the Encaustic process.~ Mellany Herrera, Photographer

Perhaps painting isn’t exactly your thing. Collage is a great way to get your message across. You can use photographs, your own sketches, objects, and printed materials to express your creativity. Mixed media or assemblage is a popular art form. Pull it all together with encaustic!

Private and semi-private sessions: Private workshop sessions are currently available for new students or for artists who want to learn or work on a particular technique.  Come for as little as one hour at $50/hour, or longer for $40/hour. Let my studio be your workshop to explore new ways of creating your art.

Call me at 505-235-5474 or e-mail me ABQ.sundog@gmail.com to schedule your session. Thanks!

Coming from out of town? You’ll love Albuquerque. It’s a trip!  Check out www.SantaFeCreativeTourism.org for other fun art workshops to take!

I can’t wait to see what you create with encaustic!