REGISTRATION

European students should contact Belen directly . email

For all the details of fees and registration, scroll down**, or  CLICK HERE

WORKSHOPS PAST AND PRESENT

To contact us:    Belen Email

In October, 2014, we did our first encaustic workshop and tour in Malaga, Spain. 

Artists from all over the world participated in this event. In addition, we were able to interact with the artists of the Malaga Arts Association, Aplama, which generously allowed us to use their space for the workshop. The local TV station showed up the first day, as did the Mayor, and we were on the European News. A great time was had by all.

In February 2016, we did it again!! This time in Belen's beautiful studio, and with more time to paint, and more places to see.

Read about our workshops in the IEA Zine destination workshops . Malaga has been chosen as one of the top ten cities for 2015 in the world by Rough Guides.... it gives an overview of the city… see the review.  It is now the New Spanish Art Hub!

Spring is the best time to travel to Europe. No tourist crowds, good weather.  Airline prices traditionally go down in the fall but new airline competition has brought down prices even more: check out Norwegian Air Shuttle, Airberlin, Wow Air and other international discount carriers (Norwegian has announced rates to Europe as low as $69!). These prices are making it easier than ever hopping between destinations across Spain and Europe -- same currency, short travel distances and unbeatable prices!"

The Artist-teacher:

Belén is a Spanish-born artist who will share her passion for Spanish art and culture.  Of late she has had a number of shows in Madrid and Malaga, exhibiting her encaustic paintings. She is featured in the book Encaustic Art in the 21st Century. A graduate of MHC and Columbia U, she pursued graduate art studies at Hunter College, Art Students League and the Woodstock School of Art. Belen has been working with wax and mixed media for over 10 years, exhibiting in the US and Europe.  You can see her work at

BelenMillan.com and work from her latest show:

Exhibit in Malaga January 2018, above and below

students in Belen's studio, with her paintings on the wall

COMING SOON: MARCH 18-24, 2018 . The week before the fabulous Easter Week in Spain!

The Workshop:

We have had two wonderful experiences, and we think we can make it even better, we listened to our students, added more studio time, and more options. This workshop will be: 

The workshop will cover all the basics of working with encaustic, for beginners, and a variety of new techniques for those already experienced in the medium. Most importantly, we will want all the new impressions of our explorations of the Costa del Sol to influence the work that we do while in Spain, and the work we do when we return. We will work small enough to fit in your suitcase, on both paper and panel, and will cover the basics, and special techniques, most importantly, our aim is to help you achieve your vision in this beautiful medium.

 From Sunday afternoon to Saturday morning:

• An Intense but flexible teaching and cultural tour schedule so students can make up their own experience:

• Make Your Own Studio Time: Five mornings of studio time, Painting, demos and critiques. Afternoons are optional: Paint or Tour 

studio and student work

• Top Malaga Cultural Tours: 2 half days of scheduled cultural activities (Picasso´s Museum and birth place, Museum of Modern Art and Malaga´s Pompidou Art Center, historical downtown and gastronomic walking tour) PLUS one whole day excursion.

                                            See many wonderful places!

from Picasso here in his birthplace,  to the new Pomidou..ancient and contemporary

• All-time favorite Spanish Lunches: six days included - plenty of local meals, fish, fresh fruit and wine ... a celebration of all the senses. We will also visit Malaga's fantastic local market.

• Daily Encaustic Demos, including all the basics: health and safety concerns, glazing, with reference to color theory, line, use of dry pigment, pouring on paper and panel, image transfer, and most importantly, a discussion of how to translate your creative impulses into your finished work.PLUS one-on-one conferences with Ellen or Belen
  studio and student work

• All teaching and encaustic supplies except paper are also included

Our explorations of the city and its surroundings will provide inspiration for our studio time. We will work on paper and panels, exploring the encaustic medium as it allows us to express our reactions to local experiences. We will cover all the encaustic basics but also explore a variety of exciting new techniques. This workshop is appropriate for beginning to advanced encaustic artists. 

Málaga - Ancient and modern art history in the South of Spain:The birth place of Picasso, with more than 25 museums, Málaga has excellent art offerings, incredible light and colors and Mediterranean culinary savors. The city itself has several kilometers of beach bordering the historical downtown with mountains and white-washed villages as a backdrop. A unique and inspirational combination of art, culture, sea and mountains.

COSTS AND REGISTRATION, travel info.. click here
**Program Fee: $1,750 for workshop participants and $400 for non-painters.

EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION: $200 off the artist's fee, and $100 off for your companion. 

So, with early registration it is $1550 for artists, and $300 for companions. Package price includes gastronomic tours with lunches every day to discover the flavors of the Andalusian cusine, sightseeing tours every day and a day trip, encaustic classes and demonstrations and wax and art supplies and equipment. 

Deposit: $500 for painting participants and $250. for non-painters (included in the fee above). 

You can pay the deposit with PayPal, top of the page, or by check.

Deposit is due at the time the reservation is made. Balance is due JAN 18, 2018

EASTER WEEK IN SPAIN and Student comments

There are many different ways to discover Spain: enjoying its coast and beaches, following a route around its various monuments, exploring the countryside, playing sports like golf... However, if you've never visited Spain during Easter week, then you simply have to come. And even if you already know this famous fiesta, it's well worth making another trip, as each region of Spain has its own way of celebrating the event.

In Spain, Easter week is celebrated with a great deal of emotion. People take an active role in its events and traditions. All day and night the streets are filled with the beat of the drums, masses of colourful flowers, and the consummate art of religious sculpture, all combining to produce a highly moving atmosphere.

World-famous fiestas

Easter week is celebrated in every city, town and village in Spain. Nevertheless, there are some fiestas that are especially well known for their uniqueness and beauty, and have received the International Tourist Interest designation.

During Easter week in Seville you'll see how the "cofradías" (religious brotherhoods) manage to withstand the colossal weight of elaborately decorated statues of the Virgin Mary as they parade through the narrow streets of the old town. Easter week in Malaga includes the ritual privilege of the freeing of a prisoner, and one of the most moving moments of all is when the figure of Jesus Christ blesses the convict. During the Easter week celebrations in Cuenca you can also enjoy the concerts in the Religious Music Week festival, which take place in historic buildings such as the cathedral.

More about Easter Week

WHAT STUDENTS HAVE TO SAY

Donna Hamil (Massachusetts)  “I was ready to start my next series but unhappily unclear about exactly where to go. Now I know and have experimented with techniques that will help me achieve what I want. I appreciated your enormous energy and organization, ever-present support in the studio, and your desire for us to be exposed to the totality of your country.  I learned a lot about your food, and the trip ended up also being a gourmet treat…the workshop was just perfect for me.” 

Brucie Jacobs, Santa Fe, NM, April 2017:  Ellen and Belen's encaustic workshop in Malaga surpassed my expectations. Each day's class ( a convenient few minutes walk from my hotel),was invariably rich with new information and techniques. Ellen and Belen- two of the most versatile and accomplished artists and teachers I've known- not only taught us as a group, but gave individual attention to every participant's artwork and were always ready to answer questions. Immersion in Encaustic while becoming immersed in Spanish life and culture (a paella feast on the beach, visits to Malaga's museums and historic places, markets and delightful restaurants and cafes, several trips outside Malaga, including amemorable mountain hamlet) was a fascinating combination. All aspects surrounding the workshop were well organized in advance. A small thing, perhaps, but still, not having to worry about hotels, transportation in Malaga, most meals and such, left me free to focus on encaustics and the magic of Malaga. And while a daily schedule was good to have, there was no pressure to join every excursion or meal (although one might regret missing out on any slice of the cornucopia of activities offered). I recommend this workshop to anyone with an interest in encaustics as well astasting life in Malaga/

Dianna Shomaker (New Mexico):  “There are many reasons people go to workshops. Artists are not just taking the time to learn how to be better artists (that’s always the hope of course). But for me it is also the social interaction, the sparks of new ideas, the creativity and the energy of everyone working to create in an inspiring environment. This workshop was not only all of that but it was a great cultural immersion into life in Malaga and Spain. I LOVED it.”

Maria Damiry Meza (Venezuela):  “I learnt a great deal about the technical aspects of handling wax and pigments. However, of even more importance was what I was taught about artistic form, design and composition. I was uncertain if I had the necessary skill and creativity to be a professional artist. After the course I feel confident of myself and my ability to embark on the challenge of producing really high-class work. Attending the course was a fantastic experience for me and I would recommend it whole-hardheartedly to anyone who has a serious interest in encaustic art.”

Penny Flick (New Mexico) . One workshop; two teachers. Many different techniques for both beginners and more experienced artists. Explore encaustic and enjoy the Spanish culture -- don't miss the paella on the beach! Explore the history of Malaga and la Playa Malaguena!

In the port of Malaga, after lunch!