June 18–21, 2026 | Thursday–Sunday | 10:30–4:30
Tuition: $1,250 — includes most materials, studio tools, four homemade gourmet lunches, and social-hour drinks.

ONLY 4 SPOTS AVAILABLE

$300 Registration to secure your spot.

Kelly Williams Art Studio | Portland, OR

Gather. Ignite. Illuminate.

In this immersion, each work becomes an artifact—shaped by gathered inspiration, transformed in fire, and revealed in the longest light.

The Summer Solstice Creative Immersion, inspired by my time working in Ireland, is a four-day, intimate retreat for artists ready to slow down, reconnect with their work, and deepen their practice.

During these four days, we work directly with fire, encaustic, ash, ink, and mixed media. Remnants from the Solstice ritual fire become pigments and inks. Plants and natural materials become mark-making tools and nature prints. As a group, we create shared ink and ash collage papers, while individual work evolves along distinct paths. We will also use sun, wind, and rain as creative collaborators when conditions allow.

Grounded in strong encaustic technique, we move from ritual into real application. You’ll build surfaces with intention, integrate unconventional materials with structural strength, and expand how your work lives on and off the panel. With only four artists, I offer close mentorship and responsive guidance rather than a fixed syllabus. The skills you develop extend beyond encaustic, strengthening your practice across media.

The Solstice, the longest day of the year, occurs during our workshop. It marks a height of light and visibility, a threshold for stepping forward in your work. Across four uninterrupted days, you’ll focus deeply, refine material decisions, and receive sustained attention in a setting designed for growth and grounded experimentation.

This retreat takes place in my Portland studio, a working space designed for depth, with places to make, reflect, and pause both inside and outside.

Each day, I prepare a thoughtfully crafted gourmet menu to nourish and support you. Gathering at the table becomes part of how we honor the Solstice and the work we are doing together. These meals become part of the rhythm of the immersion, a time for connection, nourishment, and quiet care.

The studio is fully stocked so you can arrive ready to work. Everything here supports sustained focus and serious making.

You’ll leave inspired, grounded, and well fed—with work that reflects the depth of the process, new tools to seed the next phase of your practice, and a renewed sense of yourself within it.

These sessions are a dedicated space—online or in person—to focus on your creative work and your growth as an artist. Depending on your needs, we might explore painting as a tool for personal reflection and emotional processing, or dive into strengthening your technical skills, composition, and artistic voice.

We might review works in progress, explore encaustic and mixed media techniques, plan a project from concept to completion, or develop strategies for sourcing materials and setting up your studio

1-Hour Online or Phone Session
A focused conversation to review works-in-progress, untangle creative blocks, or plan your next steps. This time can be reflective and process-oriented, or direct and skill-focused—tailored to what will serve you most.

3-Hour In-Studio Session
An immersive experience in my Portland studio, blending hands-on painting with meaningful discussion. We’ll work side-by-side—experimenting with techniques, refining your work, or using art-making as a way to process and grow.

Open For Private Group Bookings.

This fast-paced workshop is packed with information and offers a wonderful hands-on opportunity to explore the exciting realms of mixed media, collage, and encaustic painting. Throughout the session, you will receive personalized feedback tailored to your individual techniques and the materials you choose to work with, all aimed at helping you advance your skills and deepen your understanding of this rich and versatile paint medium.

A firm foundation of basic skills and safety will be covered with demos that will include set-up, layering and application techniques, fusing options, color mixing, surface texture and mixed media application. There will be plenty of time for hands-on practice and personal feedback. The only requirement is an attitude of curiosity and learning. This workshop is great for non-artist types and beginners, but I will also address those ready for more advanced direction in their painting practice.

I teach to the student, so bring your questions and curiosity and let’s paint!

Once registered, you’ll receive a detailed supply list along with expanded notes on materials.

Beautiful R&F paints and products are generously supplied in support of this workshop.

Painting With Fire: Season 5 – Encaustic Immersion Online

The global encaustic experience continues! In Season 5 of Painting With Fire, you'll join 27 world-renowned artists for over 60 hours of inspiring, process-rich instruction in this ancient and ever-evolving medium.

🔥 What I’m Teaching in Season 5

This year, I’m bringing two brand-new workshops designed to help you expand both your technique and your voice:

🔹 Materiality & Meaning
We’ll explore how to build deeper, more intentional content—moving beyond surface beauty to uncover the emotional, cultural, and environmental threads that bring power and presence to your work.

🔹 Working on Paper
Discover the sculptural, portable, and playful possibilities of encaustic on paper. From experimental edges to nontraditional display, this is encaustic unbound.

💥 Don’t Miss Season 4!

Season 4 is still available—and complements this year’s offerings beautifully. My featured workshop, “The Erotic Saint,” is a long-format lesson guiding you through creating your own bold, icon-inspired piece infused with humor, reverence, and social commentary. It's a unique opportunity to explore storytelling, symbolism, and the body through wax.

📅 Class Access & Info:

Season 5 begins April 24, 2025 so many lessons already available

Register anytime—you get instant access to already released classes

Classes drop weekly on Wednesdays at 12 noon EST

All lessons are prerecorded—watch anytime, on your schedule

Lifetime access to all content

Includes bonus basic technique videos

Exclusive discounts for Painting With Fire students

PLUS: Bonus content from in-person Encaustic Retreats at Essence of Mulranny, Ireland