January 14-18th, 2027.

Thursday even 5-9pm | Introduction, Dinner and Fire

Friday-Monday | 10:30am–5pm

Tuition: $1,250 — includes most materials and beautiful meals. Begin each day with morning coffee/tea and nibbles, one dinner as we burn the ritual fire, four homemade gourmet lunches, and one dinner… and social-hour drinks and bites each day. You won’t leave hungry.

A truly intimate mini retreat with only 4 students.

$300 Registration to secure your spot.

Kelly Williams Art Studio | Portland, OR

Gather. Ignite. Release

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

This Winter Creative Immersion is a five-day intimate retreat for artists ready to slow down, reconnect with their work, and deepen their practice — with new inspiration, strong technique, and genuine self-care woven into every day.

During the dark and quite of winter, when light is at its lowest and the season sleeps, it is time to listen to what your soul is aching to make. We'll build the fire together and make vine charcoal and bone black — dark pigments for mark-making. Write what you're releasing on bay leaves and burn them to make room for what's next. Bring something personal to char or offer to the fire, and bring water that carries meaning for you — rain, river, sea, or well and we will make simple handmade inks. We'll share dinner while the fire burns, setting intentions, discussing prompts, and gathering what we need to begin.

Then we work. The next 4 full days we cover a lot of ground. Remnants from the solstice 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. Sun, wind, and rain become creative collaborators when conditions allow, and St. Brigid's Holy Well water from Ireland is on hand to add a little Irish magic.

Sunday—September 20, 2026 | 10:30am-4:30pm | $350

OR Build Your Own Workshop: 3-6 students—To Schedule: Email kelly@kellywilliamsart.com

This fast-paced workshop is packed with information and offers a wonderful hands-on opportunity to introduce yourself to the exciting realms of mixed media, collage, and encaustic painting. Throughout the session, I will share multiple techniques helping you deepen your understanding of this rich and versatile paint medium.

A firm foundation of basic skills and safety will be covered with multiple 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! Most materials, including beautiful R&F paints and products, are generously supplied in support of this workshop

EMBODIMENT: Symbolic Self-Portrait 

A Mixed Media, Collage & Encaustic Immersion

2027 Waiting list open

How do we translate our unspoken stories, internal sensations, and personal narratives into tangible form? In this intensive mixed-media and encaustic workshop, we dive deep into the intersection of narrative psychology, somatic awareness, and the creative process. Rather than working on traditional wood panels, we will utilize paper as a flexible, sculptural substrate to create an "embodied self portrait totem-scroll” that functions as a luminous multi-layered psychological self-portrait.

Using a symbolic narrative approach, you will explore how to make your internal landscape visible. Together, we will engage in mindfulness exercises, topographical emotional mapping, and writing prompts to uncover personal metaphors and translate verbal wordplay (such as "the weight of the world on my shoulders" or "a shiver down the spine") into a unique visual vocabulary.

Over the course of the workshop, you will learn to layer meaning and materials, building a physical artifact that holds your truth, honors your experiences, and captures your authentic voice.

This workshop is designed for intermediate to advanced artists comfortable with basic encaustic techniques who want to go beyond technique-focused instruction to explore personal content, take risks, and deepen their studio practice.

With a special thanks to R&F handmade paints for the materials support.

In Person and Online/Phone

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.

Painting With Fire: Season 4 & 5

Register Anytime | Lifetime Access

In Season 5 of Painting With Fire, I’m offering two all-new workshops focused on deepening both concept and technique. Materiality & Meaning explores how to build more intentional content—infusing your work with story, symbolism, and resonance. Encaustic on Paper introduces sculptural, flexible, and unconventional approaches for working without panels.

New to Painting With Fire? Season 4 is still available and pairs beautifully with this year’s lineup. My long-format workshop, The Erotic Saint, is a playful and powerful dive into icon-making, personal storytelling, and visual commentary on body, identity, and belief.

Classes are pre-recorded, with lifetime access so you can work entirely at your own pace. You’ll also receive beginner technique videos, exclusive student discounts, and bonus recordings from in-person retreats at Essence of Mulranny, Ireland.

Sign up anytime and start whenever you’re ready. Wax on, fire up.

Weekend Workshop | May 16-17, 2026 | 10:30am-4:30pm | $400

Discover the foundations of encaustic painting in this hands-on workshop designed for curious beginners and non-artists alike — though those ready for more advanced direction are equally welcome. I teach to the student, so wherever you are in your practice, there's something here for you.

Through multiple demos and plenty of time for personal exploration, we'll cover everything you need to build a confident foundation: studio setup and safety, layering and application techniques, fusing options, color mixing, surface texture, and mixed media and collage integration.

Throughout the session you'll receive personalized feedback tailored to your individual approach and the materials you choose to work with.

No supply runs, no scrambling — just show up. Everything you need is provided. Bring your curiosity and leave the rest to me.

R&F Paints and products are generously supplied in support of this workshop and they are FABULOUS.