Join me for a unique presentation of my work and creative practice in November!
https://www.wendellgilleymuseum.org/
Enjoy a two-day playful and dynamic workshop examining the landscape on-site in a study format—in watercolor, gouache, pen and pencil. There is much to consider but we will develop a “toolbox” and process. Let’s explore how to create lines that dance and colors that vibrate TOGETHER to “bridge” drawing and painting. Our workshop will be divided between demos, in-class work sessions, and outside “looking” to the area landscape for developing subject and visual ideas. This workshop is perfect for the Artist who gets a bit stuck when introducing color or when its time to refine drawing decisions.
Sedona Arts Center, Theatre Studio, Sedona, Arizona
Fall back in love with your collections ~ you will be entranced by its connection to encaustic. Paper mementos, photographs, vintage fabric, dried flowers, this beeswax-based painting medium is a natural friend to your collections! Join us in an energetic day of exploration as we amplify your special pieces into lustrous encaustic works. Students will leave with a full understanding how one can pour, burnish, “dip” and fuse encaustic with collage elements.
Making space to devote time to our “work” is a common problem for makers, as well as access to complex materials and tools. This two-day workshop ie designed for the Artist who has some experience in encaustic but needs both a refresher and a need for everything encaustic to do their work. Artists will get a chance to deep dive into their work whilst being encouraged and guided – our class will examine what we are interested in exploring in both subject and content, and how the language of encaustic in technique, process, and practice relates. Individualized instruction and mentoring is a key component of this higher level workshop.
October 16 @ 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Play with the possibilities of small-scale sculpture using simple materials like cardboard, glue, color, and wood! In this hands-on class, you’ll experiment with creating small sculptures from familiar objects. We will explore simplified forms, texture possibilities, and the opportunity to work in relief or in the round.
No previous sculpture experience is necessary. Come ready to play with materials and see where the process takes you.
Cost: Pay what you wish — suggested donation: $15 per person or $30 per family. Please list your name(s) of registrant(s) in the comment section at the donation checkout.
Meant to Bee!
Bugs and their botanical besties
August 3–7 | Ages 5–7
9 AM-1 PM; drop-off begins at 8:45 AM
You knew that some bugs have a favorite plant, but did you know that some plants have a favorite bug too? Come explore the kinship between plants, insects, and the rest of the more-than-human world. All week long, we’ll take an ant’s-eye view of the preserve to get to know more about the hidden friendships and alliances amongst our local ecology.
ArtCamp | Week 1
July 20 - 23 | 9:00 - 12:00pm
8 - 11 years old | Limit of 12 campers
Sliding Scale $200 - $275
Instructor: Hélène Farrar
From Seeds to Blooms
Join in for a hands-on, playful week full of exploring plant life (from real plants!) and on-site observations of trees and fauna. We will develop an understanding of stages of plant life in both 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional form. From the small seed to a full flower bloom, we will slow down our eyes and study the forms in nature that compose plants, trees, and even their critters that inhabit these delicate and bold spaces. The CMCA current summer exhibits will serve as inspiration, as we integrate our learnings to unfold thoughts, pleas, and concerns respecting and adoring the earth.
Location: Steel House, Rockland
Whatever your interest, the light, the bold and grittiness of Coastal towns, or a simple end-of-day view, Hélène will walk you through creating your own authentic interpretation of the Maine landscape using encaustic painting. Mixing colors, color temperature, compositional design, surface design and abstract/realistic/ poetic interpretations whilst exploring safe and basic encaustic techniques.
Encaustic wax painting uses heated wax and pigments to create layered images. Artists are drawn to this quick-drying medium for its rich depth and ability to build up translucent layers. It's both a painterly and sculptural material in one, offering endless possibilities for texture, luminosity, and details.
Join instructor Hélène Farrar the Friday evening before for beverages and a snack on the deck at the Steel House overlooking Rockland Harbor to get acquainted and lay out the following day.
https://shop.downeast.com/products/maine-craft-association-workshop?srsltid=AfmBOoqfGw6binGxEjNfyCRIvvuQ0WojC_YQORVxzohfUk64S4kECGvl
More details to come!
Join us for a playful and immersive four-hour art making workshop exploring materials and creative techniques, inspired by the exhibitions at the Farnsworth Art Museum. Together, we’ll look closely at artworks in the galleries and respond through a series of dynamic, hands-on processes.
Participants will experiment with collage, develop a drawing repertoire, work on paper, paint with water-based media, explore color, and incorporate text as texture. This lively session offers a range of approaches to making, encouraging curiosity and personal expression. Participants will enjoy this high energy and unique opportunity to see and make art. Perfect for all levels, bring a friend or family member and enjoy a creative afternoon together!
at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. Registration begins Feb 2.
https://www.mainegardens.org/learn/family-activities/youth-programs/
Whatever your relationship to flowers—whether you’re an avid gardener, a giver or receiver of bouquets, or someone with a creative eye—we are excited to offer this playful workshop inspired by summer blooms and the ancient medium of encaustic. Join Artist Helene Farrar to explore this hot molten wax painting medium as you drip, pour, drag, layer, heat, and scrape to create richly textured works. In developing a wide variety of effects and textures, we will observe and draw inspiration from summer flowers in the garden for their form, gesture, and color. Class time will be divided between demonstrations and individual work time. Proper studio ventilation, wax safety, and how to finish encaustic artworks—including framing and care—will also be covered. Students will leave with multiple finished pieces and a renewed sense of creative energy from this dynamic workshop.
https://www.mainegardens.org/learn/
Could it be the spirit of their flight, their decadent color, or the elegance of their shapes? Come explore your love of birds of all kinds in the creation of an art piece honoring your love of these flying wonders! Artists will be guided every step of the way in this 2-day workshop. Newcomers to encaustic welcomed, and those with some experience will benefit from this workshop to deepen their practice. Form, proportion, a sense of play, movement, and abstracted components will also be explored. Drip, pour, drag, layer, heat, and incise!
Waterfall Arts, Belfast https://waterfallarts.asapconnected.com/?org=5686#CourseGroupID=63795
Bundle both of Hélène’s workshops from this page for the discounted tuition of $600, a $25 savings. The tuition includes 3 days – both the 1-day Encaustics-Hot Beeswax Painting and the 2-day Developing Personal Vision Encaustic workshop.
March 27-29, 2026| Friday – Sunday | 10 am – 5 pm
First day Feb 26 @ 2:00 pm – 4:30 pm
Join us for a four-week art workshop exploring materials and processes as we look to the Farnsworth Art Museum Collection for inspiration. Each week will feature a different, playful opportunity to respond to visual “notes” from on-site visits to the museum. We will use collage, build a drawing repertoire, work on paper, paint using water media, dig deeper into color, and experiment with text as texture. Students will enjoy this high energy and unique opportunity to see and make art!
Each session with give students an exploration of media and a dynamic understanding of how to approach and respond to sources of inspiration.
https://www.farnsworthmuseum.org/event/drawing-in-color-with-helene-farrar/2026-02-26/
February 16 - 19 | 10:00 - 12:00pm
Relief Critter Creations
Bears, Raccoons, Crows and friends will be our source of inspiration as we study and sketch the geometry, form, and textures of Maine's winter critters. These sketches will serve as plans for creating dynamic, multi-level relief cutouts out of cardboard and other recycled materials that will be painted as the week develops. Participants will also develop a toolbox for creating texture and marks in paint.
Preparations to make in advance:
Get inspired: Visit us in-person, located in downtown Rockland and view the work on view by Sachiko Akiyama.
Dress for a mess: Sometimes messes happen; paint and glue in high use.
Free and open to artists of all ages: youth ages 12+ may attend without adult supervision with limited spaces available, complete our registration form.
Are you curious about watercolor and don’t know where to start? Start at the beginning, learn all the watercolor basics about paper, brushes, and blooms, and enjoy all of the playful qualities of this beautiful medium! Demystify that watercolor is difficult, and make lovely pictures that dance! Class time will be divided between demonstrations, individual work time, and step-by-step tutorials!
10/7 – 10/28 Tuesdays 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
https://waterfallarts.asapconnected.com/?org=5686#CourseGroupID=63795
I’m delighted to be teaching at Haystack this weekend for the Maine Art Education Association. ❤️ Haystack ❤️ Art teachers.
More information to come
Reveal and Conceal: Interpreting the Maine Landscape in the Ancient Medium of Encaustic
Description: Whatever your interest, the light, the bold and grittiness of Coastal towns, or a simple end-of-day view, Helene will walk you through creating your own authentic interpretation of the Maine landscape. Mixing colors, color temperature, compositional design, surface design, and abstract/realistic/poetic interpretations whilst exploring safe and basic encaustic techniques.
Join me the Friday evening before for beverages and snacks at the Steel House overlook. We will get acquainted with each other and outlay the following day.
On Saturday, we will have a full day of painting. The class starts at 8:30 am and runs until 5.
Class times will be divided between demonstrations, individual work time, and small group work.
This is in partnership with the Maine Craft Association and Downeast Magazine.
In 2025, I’ll be teaching two three-day workshops for childern! Details to come but these dates are tentative! Both of the workshops will be themed on using recyclables to construct relief and sculptural pieces! Will put up the link, once its live!
Join me at the Center for Maine Contemporary Art Sunday, June 15th as I demo and discuss how to build an abstract history in your work. This will be a super fun demonstration and discussion about how the construction of marks can create a strong relational beginning to evocative work.
This one-day workshop first is for an intro to encaustics or a refresher and two-day intensive is designed for Artists who have had some experience in encaustic and are fluent in the basics or have taken previous Introductory Workshop. In this intensive, students will be encouraged to develop their voice with this medium and landscape painting with individual attention and work time. Students will learn how to transfer landscape sketches and techniques specific to encaustic for building up surface and interpreting form, color and light. We will work towards making work that demonstrates a style emerging or a particular interest. Students will leave feeling accomplished and inspired!
$50 additional fee paid to the instructor on the first day for materials she provides. See more information about materials students need to bring to the workshop by clicking the Materials List tab above.
Helene is also teaching a 1-day workshop Introduction to Encaustics on May 3, 2025 Also, join Helene and she coteaches with Ed Buonvecchio who will lead teach two days of Intro to Value and Color in the landscape - - - you can join me for 5 days or working —- eek!
https://sedonaartscenter.org/product/transforming-plein-air-encaustics-25-0506-hf/
Join us for a playful workshop where we dive deep into working with encaustic on a basic level and its relationship to textile, photographs, natural materials, and more. Beautiful things happen when the ancient medium of encaustic meets with mixed media materials! Students will investigate how to transfer images, stencil, collage and the various techniques for building up surfaces.
This class runs for two consecutive days, April 24th & 25th.
Could it be the spirit of their flight, their decadent color, or the elegance of their shapes? Come explore your love of birds of all kinds in the creation of an art piece honoring your love of these flying wonders! Artists will be guided every step of the way. Newcomers to encaustic welcomed, and those with some experience will be benefit from this workshop. Form, proportion, a sense of play, movement, and abstracted components will also be explored. Drip, pour, drag, layer, heat, and incise!
https://waterfallarts.org/event/for-the-love-of-birds-a-2-day-encaustic-painting-workshop/
Join me at the Center for Maine Contemporary Art on Sunday, February 16th for ArtLab! FREE and open to the public! Listen, look and make program!
https://cmcanow.org/artlab/
https://cmcanow.org/event/adult-makerspace-feb/
Join me for some locally created artwares for gift giving at Allagash Brewing in Portland! Located at 100 Industrial Way! Saturday and Sunday, December 7 and 8, 11 to 4 PM!
Shop here on my online shop for perfect pieces to give to your beloveds while supporting you local neighborhood artist:) I will be dropping 30 pieces under $150 HERE for holiday giving:)
In this 2-day workshop we will celebrate the vibrancy of Autumnal trees and earth in the ancient medium of encaustic. Explore a variety of ways to transfer your sketches and photographs onto the beeswax! Learn additive and subtractive encaustic processes to create a dramatic landscape painting. Also, develop approaches to painting that push your individual vision. Class is Friday October 25 and Saturday October 26.
We will also touch on proper studio ventilation, wax safety, and how to “finish” artworks in terms of framing and care. Students will leave with multiple finished pieces and the understanding of proper studio set-up. This class is perfect for a newbie to encaustic painting or someone who wants to revisit process and practice!
Starter panels will be provided by the instructor, but students are expected to bring their own panels for finished works or developed drafts. Upon registration, you will receive further details about panel choices, along with a list of additional materials that you are invited to bring to the course.
Wednesday-Friday, October 9-11, 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
This is a unique opportunity to work with wood and the ancient medium of encaustic in creating a “critter” in the form of a relief wall piece!
Whether a chipmunk, baby barred owl, or hedgehog is your critter of choice, we’ll explore forms on board and then learn to cut with a jigsaw to establish wings, feet, and other creative design elements. Students will be introduced to the molten beeswax paint to create a rich surface for their critter.
This annual sales event is a great source for shopping local for the holiday season. I will be sharing at this event my smallish critters!
This fundraiser supports funds to provide help in energy and food assistance to the greater mid-coast area. This event is at the Page Gallery in Camden, Maine. September 19 to 28.
This is a lively event for all - - - works for sale!
THIS SHOW WILL FEATURE MY RELIEF ENCAUSTIC WORKS OF CRITTERS!
Featuring approximately 120+ juried exhibitors from Maine and the greater Northeast exhibiting fine craft in the following media categories: baskets, ceramics, fiber-decorative, fiber-wearables, furniture, glass, jewelry, leather, metal, mixed media, paper, printmaking, stone and wood, as well as outreach booths featuring New England and Portland arts organizations, international artists new to Maine, guilds and schools by special invitation, and sponsor booths.
The Portland Fine Craft Show remains one of the only Maine craft shows open to artists not living in Maine and has a reputation for being well-organized and high quality, with high attendance.
August 15th, 1 to 4 PM
Enjoy a three-hour playful workshop exploring how to create your own abstract painting using pourable paint, squeegies, pantone color cards, and line on paper! Truly a FUN experience to share with a friend or family member. Looking first to the Farnsworth’s exhibition of Lynne Drexler for inspiration, we will dig deep in a short amount of time exploring color, texture and movement.
Hélène Farrar is a contemporary American artist who works primarily in encaustic. Her colorful paintings draw themes from both the natural world and her observations of people, and they have a depth and luminousness achieved through careful attention to texture and surface quality. She considers her work part of a conversation about humanity, beauty, and nature. Farrar’s unique style is playful but also serious. Farrar’s art has been exhibited at galleries around Maine and her What We Carry series was featured in a solo exhibition curated by Nancy Davidson at the Maine Jewish Museum in 2022. Farrar comes from a family of self-taught artists and designers. She was raised in Farmington, Maine, and is influenced by the natural beauty of her home state, as well as her parents’ New York City backgrounds and her travels around the world. She has art degrees from the University of Maine, and Goddard College in Vermont, and she is the president of New England Wax. She lives in Manchester, Maine, with her husband and daughter.
COST: $75; $65 for members; $8 for materials. All ages 5+ welcome- this would make a great class to do with your child or grandchild! Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.
https://www.farnsworthmuseum.org/event/no-fear-abstract-painting-with-helene-farrar/
The City of South Portland's Art in the Park is an annual summer favorite for both artists and attendees dating back to 1980. Held on the second Saturday in August in beautiful Mill Creek Park, the show features original art and photography by up to 170 artists, a food court, and music in the afternoon. Admission is free to the public. The show opens at 9:00 a.m. and closes at 4:00 p.m.
My booth will be in the same spot as last year, circling the pond, just under trees!
