A Study in Wax: Luminous Layers with Melissa De Winter
25-29 June 2026
Immerse yourself in a three-day encaustic retreat set in the wide-open beauty of the Western Australian Wheatbelt. Designed for both beginners and advanced artists, this experience blends structured learning with generous studio time to help you build skills, explore new techniques, and create your own finished piece.
Across the retreat you’ll learn:
• Foundations of encaustic materials, tools, and safe practice
• Core techniques including layering, fusing, carving, creating texture, and embedding materials
• Advanced methods such as image transfer, working with translucency, shellac burning, and using ink with wax
With hands-on demonstrations, personalised guidance, and dedicated time to develop your own artwork, you’ll leave with technical confidence, fresh inspiration, and a deeper connection to your creative voice.
Whether you’re an experienced artist or are rediscovering your creativity, this retreat provides a welcoming environment to explore, play, and grow.
Escape to the quiet of the Wheatbelt, connect with like-minded makers, and enjoy three days of focused, nourishing creative practice.
BIO
Melissa De Winter is a contemporary Australian artist whose practice explores the quiet tension between nature and our place in it. Working primarily in encaustic, she layers molten wax, pigment, drawings and natural materials to create textured, atmospheric works that feel both ancient and immediate. Her process is intuitive and tactile, allowing each piece to evolve organically as she responds to the surface, the material, and the story emerging beneath.
Originally from South Africa, Melissa now lives in the Perth Hills in Western Australia where she took up Apiary (bee keeping), this significantly influenced her artistic direction, driving her to experiment with, and push the limits of encaustic (hot beeswax).
Operating from her home studio, she continues to explore nature's beauty through a meticulous process that often involves layering many thin sheets of translucent wax to achieve depth and complexity in her art.
Melissa has exhibited in various group and solo shows, and enjoys sharing the wonders of this ancient medium through workshops and demos. She continues to develop her practice through experimentation, exploration, and a commitment to capturing the quiet emotional undercurrents of the world around her.
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Materials List
A Materials list will be emailed to you upon confirmation of booking.
Price
$1800 includes 4 nights /5daysof accommodation, meals (full board), 3 days tuition, late access to studio, airport transfers and field trips (If applicable). For a full list of inclusions/exclusions click here.
To apply please complete the below application form and an invoice will be sent to you for a deposit of $300 to secure your spot. (Balance due within 60 days of booking/or 60 days prior to workshop (whichever is sooner).
To view our cancellation policy please click here.
