Two-Day Sacred Stories: Encaustic Sculpture Workshop

In this two-day workshop, you’ll learn how to bring your personal journey and stories into a 3D encaustic sculpture. Through layering, texture, and 3D techniques, you’ll transform photos, fabrics, and meaningful objects into small wood pieces that come together into a deeply personal artwork. Together, we’ll explore cracks, textures, and the beauty of imperfection (wabi-sabi), discovering playful and unexpected ways to let your story take shape.

Day One –Sat Jan 17 - 10:00am AM – 2:30 PM (Underpainting & Play)

• Lay out photos, fabrics, and personal items to explore deconstruction — separating and arranging components onto small wood panels that will later be part of your larger piece.
• Create small experimental works through folding, layering, and texture play, focusing on process over perfection.
• Assemble your smaller pieces into a personal story sculpture in the afternoon, exploring 3D effects, cracks, and texture using joint compound and Powertex fabric hardener.

Note: Day one is a shorter day, as we will be using wet products that require adequate drying time.

Day Two –Sun Jan 18 10:30 AM – 4:00 PM (Encaustic Layering & Story Sculpture)

• Build on Day One by adding layers of encaustic, exploring texture, form, and personal narrative.
• Continue to refine and shape your story sculpture, creating a piece that reflects the stories you hold close.

Materials & What to Bring

Students bring:

• One 6x24” wood panel (no larger) for your main sculpture piece
• Personal items such as photos, shells, fabrics, buttons, jewelry, or other lightweight meaningful objects
• Anything you’re unsure about can be brought on Day One — we’ll assess together what works best

Optional: 3/4 cup of Powertex (fabric hardener) is included; additional 3/4 cup available for $20 each

Provided in the workshop:

• Encaustic medium, Powertex Universal Medium, Chalk Paint, Fabric, Joint Compound,
• R&F Oil Sticks
• Pan Pastels, Iridescent Powders, India Ink, Alcohol Inks, Walnut Ink
• Specialty Papers, String, Threads, Gold & Bronze Leaf, Sand
• Stencils, Mark-Making Tools, Heat Guns, Stylus Tools, Brushes, Palette Knives
• Small wood pieces for experimentation
• Access to Amanda’s treasure box of unique additions for your artwork

What is Encaustic?

Encaustic is an ancient art form using heat to melt natural beeswax and damar resin. It can be applied alone or mixed with pigments to create rich textures and vibrant colors. Each layer is fused with the previous, resulting in dynamic, long-lasting works of art.

About the Artist

Amanda Pierce is a Cree-Métis storyteller, sculptor, and contemporary encaustic artist. Her paintings and sculptures have been juried into exhibitions across Canada and the U.S. She is a Board Member with International Encaustic Artists and one of the editors for Wax Fusion Magazine. In her workshops, Amanda guides students to translate personal and ancestral stories into 3D encaustic artworks, exploring texture, layers, and narrative in each piece.