By Lindsay Peyton
For artists and creative types who want to explore a new medium, Northwest Encaustics provides plenty of room to play with pigmented wax in a safe and inspiring environment.
The studio, located at 7150 44th Ave SW in West Seattle, comes complete with large work surfaces, plenty of ventilation and top notch instructors, as well as all the needed supplies and tools of the trade.
It’s an ideal launch pad for those who have been curious about encaustic painting, or the technique of adding color to hot beeswax and layering the medium to create detailed compositions and intricate collages.
There’s a full calendar of classes and workshops – from Kirsten Wihlelm’s introductory course to weekend workshops on specific techniques, like Larry Calkins’ encaustic collage seminar.
The studio is also available to rent by the day, week or month. The space doubles as a gallery, with rotating work on display by instructors and local artists.
The next exhibit will feature former students and will be on display as part of the West Seattle Art Walk from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 14.