The Lay of the Land: Mapping Memories in Layers, July 16-18 2027, Renvyle Bay, Ireland

Description

Description

The Lay of the Land: Mapping Memories in Layers

  July 16-18 2027, Connemara, Ireland 

Limited places available – small group experience

 

Description

 

The Lay of the Land: A Three-Day Encaustic Workshop in Renvyle, Connemara, Ireland

The Lay of the Land explores texture in both its literal and metaphorical forms—inviting you to discover how encaustic surfaces can hold stories, memories, and the environments that shape us. Over three immersive days, you’ll investigate the topography of wax as a language of ridges, valleys, translucency, and depth, learning how these elements can become powerful tools for personal expression.

Through demonstrations, guided exercises, and reflective discussion, you’ll expand your technical skills while deepening your conceptual approach. Texture is treated not just as an aesthetic choice, but as a way of conveying meaning—an avenue for capturing emotional states, lived experiences, and the subtle impressions of place.

About the Workshop

We’ll begin with mark-making warm-ups that build a vocabulary of surfaces, then move into layering, heat manipulation, and techniques for creating varied marks through intentional gesture and pressure. Drawing inspiration from natural forms, you’ll explore how cliffs, soft hills, shifting shorelines, and forest-to-river transitions can be translated into expressive wax. You’ll also develop personal terrains where valleys become moments of reflection, ridges symbolize growth, and smooth plains invite calm.

This fusion of outer landscape and inner landscape encourages you to see your work as a layered map of memory, symbolism, and imagination. The workshop culminates in completed encaustic pieces that integrate emotional, environmental, and narrative elements. Group critiques and sharing circles create space to reflect on your process and learn from fellow artists.

Open to all levels, this workshop offers beginners a welcoming introduction to encaustic’s tactile possibilities, while giving experienced artists fresh perspectives on texture as a vehicle for storytelling and transformation.

About the Location

The Renvyle peninsula, perched on Ireland’s western edge, is a feast for the senses: long stretches of pristine sandy beaches—White Strand, Lettergesh, and Glassilaun—rolling hills, sparkling lakes, stone walls, and vibrant paddocks.

In Spring, the mountains shift from grey to dazzling white, then glow golden-orange in the late afternoon sun. Storms bring dramatic changes: skies turn from black to blue, hills transform through shades of orange, red, brown, and green, and every element—from sky to rivers—sparkles with Connemara’s unique light. It’s a landscape that inspires painting at every turn.

 

Workshop Details

Dates: Friday to sunday, July 16-18 2027, 10:00–16:00
Location: Renvyle, Co. Galway, Ireland
Fee: €350

The fee includes:

• 3 days of total encaustic painting immersion
• All tuition and materials
• Support from R&F Handmade Paints
• A PDF guide with workshop information and supplier lists

Spaces are limited to 10 participants to ensure individual attention.

Payment Plan: A €100 deposit secures your place. Please contact me for full payment plan details.

Accommodation: Not included. Check Airbnb or Booking.com for nearby options. The workshop venue is just 10 minutes from Letterfrack and 20 minutes from Clifden.

What you will learn

How to safely work with encaustic paints

Layering, fusing, and scraping techniques

Creating texture, depth, and movement

Colour blending and heat control

Building expressive, abstract or semi-figurative work

Developing confidence with a tactile medium

Who this workshop is for

Perfect for:

• Complete beginners
• Painters wanting to explore new materials
• Mixed-media and abstract artists
• Anyone craving a tactile, creative day away from routine

No experience needed — just curiosity.

Why book early

This is a small-group workshop designed for individual guidance and hands-on support.

👉 Early booking is strongly recommended to avoid disappointment. Places are limited and allocated on a first-booked, first-served basis.

Once registered, you’ll receive detailed travel instructions, studio directions, and preparation tips.

Still have questions?

If you’re unsure whether this workshop is right for you, feel free to reach out before booking.

We’re happy to help.

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