The Infinite Benefits
of
Taking an Art Workshop








My top three reasons for taking an art workshop



#1 - The Instructor
Each instructor brings their unique vision and expertise to the experience. They can help you look at things in a whole new way, help you to see things that would have previously gone unnoticed and learn new techniques that you can bring into your own studio and adapt to your own work.

#2 – Your Fellow Attendees
Working in close proximity of other artists can really be a beneficial component to the way you learn. Seeing what everyone else is doing and allowing them to see what you are creating can be wonderfully inspiring. The resulting interaction can really be valuable to your art-making process.

#3 – The Workshop Topic
I am a firm believer that learning something new, no matter how inconsequential it may be, is always a good thing! When considering an art workshop, you never know what you will end up taking back to your studio. A new technique may not seem a logical fit with your work but it is likely that this new knowledge will rattle around in the back of your mind, perhaps materializing in some form or another sometime in the future.

This weekend I was fortunate to attend the workshop Encaustic & Wax Resist given by Maine artist Kim Bernard. I have long been of fan of her 2D encaustic work as well as her remarkable sculpture and installation work and was thrilled to have the opportunity to work with her. An Illinois Arts Council grant allowed me to attend at no cost to me.

My fellow workshop attendees were also fellow members of FUSEDChicago, a group of artists in the Midwest that work in the medium of encaustic. It was an excellent opportunity to get to know these artists through, not only just through socializing during the two days, but also by seeing them at work and seeing how they work and how they think. Additionally, for me, it was nice to work with other artists as I work in a studio by myself. I found that this creative interaction inspired me to create work that was out of my comfort zone.

I plan on taking two more workshops this summer; Jeff Hirst’s Silkscreen & Encaustic Workshop and Linda Womack’s online workshop Surface Work with Pastels, Inks and Mixed Media. It will be interesting to see how the knowledge I gain through these workshops will make its way into my art!



Kim Bernard www.kbernard.com
Jeff Hirst www.jeffreyhirst.com/
Linda Womack www.womackworkshops.com