Oil and Cold Wax Exploratory with Rick Ross

Oil & Cold Wax Exploratory with Rick Ross Saturday-Sunday, August 9-10 2025 | 8am-4pm both days | Deadline to register: August 4, 2025 $230 Students should bring: See the supply list for what to bring Level: Beginner/no experience necessary/appropriate for beginners and those with some prior experience. Ages 18+ Painting with Cold Wax Medium is a popular artistic expression all over the world. In this class, you will explore the basic principles of Cold Wax Medium through instructor led demos, individual guidance, and exploration of individual pieces. The techniques are fun, creative, and only limited by your imagination. We will explore the process of building layers using printmaking methods, mark making, and adding textures. What is added and hidden under layers will be uncovered by reduction including scraping, scratching, gouging and the use of solvents. There are no mistakes in this class, only results that are yet to be discovered. You will leave with basic knowledge of the medium, a finished painting, and some works in progress. A variety of tools, substrates, and materials will be used along with my favorite methods to achieve fantastic results. We will play with materials such as oils, powder pigments, wax crayon, oil pastels, pigment sticks, metallic leaf, and much more. Tools will consist of brayers, palette knives, brushes, tissue paper, wax paper, skewers, scrapers, silicone scrapers or shapers, hand brooms clay shaping tools and other favorites. Instructor bio: Reflection of who I am as an artist keeps bringing me back to one word, evolution. I have always loved art – I drew and painted as a child, and as I got older, the transition into adulthood left me little time for creative expression. In my 30s, another major transition into parenthood gave me the unexpected inspiration to return to art. Spending time with my sons and seeing the world through their eyes, moved me to pick up the paint brush again and express color with renewed wonder for the world around me. Nature is my subject matter, whether literally interpreted through landscapes and still life or abstractly represented by the textures and depth of oil and cold wax medium. Like the evolution of my life experiences, I love to explore and imagine the journey of objects and am inspired by history, age, and patina. I am a member of several Artist Organizations including: River Arts Inc.,The Wisconsin Alliance Of Artist and Craftspeople, Wisconsin Visual Artists, and Mount Horeb Area Arts Association. I have my work represented full time by The River Arts Gallery and The Paoli Mercantile. Along with this I have been a guest artist displayed in numerous galleries and exhibitions, and participated in local art fairs for numerous years. Over the years I have demonstrated and talked about my work and the techniques I use to create with Cold Wax. After several inquiries, and a little encouragement from a few people, I have added teaching classes to my list of artistic endeavors.