Going Deeper with Cold Wax: Exploring Composition

Intuitively, we know that good composition is key to making a piece of art “work.” In this exploratory, two-day workshop, mixed media artist Denby Dale will teach you how to organize design elements (color, texture, line, etc.) to create more cohesive, balanced, and engaging cold wax paintings.

Day One will be all about hands-on experimentation! First, Denby will take you through several short, guided exercises to review how to incorporate color, texture, line, and other marks into cold wax paintings. Then, she’ll introduce design principles and discuss ways to use them to produce aesthetically pleasing compositions. Next, she’ll lead you through a longer guided exercise focused on composition that will, ultimately, build the visual foundation of your final piece. You’ll combine learning with play as you practice “dialoguing” with your painting, modifying design elements according to design principles and your piece’s direction.

On Day Two, after your initial wax layers have had time to dry, you’ll leverage your learnings from Day One and continue to build and refine your paintings.

You’ll leave the class with an assortment of small cold wax studies on various art papers, an 11” x 14” work on paper, and a finished 8”x10” cold wax painting on a 3/4" cradled panel.

While confident beginners are welcome to participate, some experience with cold wax is helpful.

For more information, visit the Purple Crayon website: www.purplecrayonavl.com/workshops.