Are materials included?

Yes — the workshop listing specifies that materials are included; there is an additional $40 materials fee noted in the course description.

What is the class size?

Classes are limited to 12 students to allow for focused instruction and individual feedback.

Is prior experience required?

No prior experience is necessary; the course is designed for beginners and progresses through core techniques.

Is there an age minimum?

No minimum age is listed in the provided description; contact the organizer if you have questions about youth participation.

Wear clothes you don’t mind getting dusty with pigment and avoid loose sleeves; bring an apron if preferred.

How long is each session?

Each session runs 2.5 hours (6:00–8:30 p.m.) across three Monday evenings.

Spring Beginning Encaustic Workshop with Kristianne Tefft in Midland, MI | Workshop | Guided Tour

On three consecutive Monday evenings in April, Spring Beginning Encaustic Painting arrives at 5501 Jefferson Ave in Midland, Michigan, offering a hands-on introduction to a craft that blends heat, pigment, and texture into luminous surfaces. Led by award-winning artist Kristianne Tefft, this three-night workshop (April 6, 13, 20; 6:00–8:30 p.m.) teaches encaustic collage, photo transfer methods, and hot-tool techniques. Tuition is $90 plus $40 for materials; classes are limited to 12 students for focused instruction.

The studio pulses with practical energy: small torches, heated palettes, blocks of beeswax, and jars of powdered pigment. Night one lays the foundations of encaustic collage—learning safe wax handling, adhesion, and compositional basics. Night two introduces photo transfers and mixed-media layering, an immediate way to fold personal imagery into translucent wax. The final evening is about control and risk: mastering hot tools, building texture, and making choices that turn experiments into finished panels. Materials are included, so you arrive ready to work and leave with multiple finished pieces.

Encaustic is unusual in a workshop format because it asks you to engage with volatile materials at close quarters; the instructor balances safety and creative freedom. Kristianne Tefft brings exhibition experience and a practical approach, breaking each technique into repeatable steps so beginners leave confident rather than overwhelmed. The small class size and progressive curriculum make this a compact skill-building retreat within a municipal neighborhood.

This course also connects to encaustic’s long history: derived from ancient encaustic processes used by Greek and Egyptian painters, modern encaustics mix archival pigment with beeswax and damar resin for durable, luminous results. That continuity—old materials, contemporary imagery—gives work made here a quiet resonance.

Practical notes: the workshop meets indoors; wear clothes you don’t mind getting dusty with pigment. The location is easy to reach from central Midland and suits travelers who want a creative evening between area outdoor activities. Local makers, photographers, and curious beginners all find a welcoming rhythm in the class.

Why book it? You’ll learn three core encaustic techniques, get guided studio time with an established artist, and walk away with finished art and fresh process skills. For visitors passing through Midland who want a focused, tactile creative experience off the beaten path, this three-night encaustic primer is an efficient, hands-on way to make something uniquely yours. Classes capped at 12 allow personalized feedback, and instructors adapt demonstrations to different learning speeds; the provided materials kit means you don’t have to source specialty wax or pigments. Whether you’re a complete beginner, an experienced maker branching into encaustics, or a visitor seeking a creative evening, this workshop delivers focused technique, immediate results, and professional guidance from Kristianne Tefft—an artist invested in helping students build sustainable studio habits. and confidence.