Susan Fisher is a professional artist who has been developing and working with encaustic techniques since the late 1990s. She has a BFA from Montreal’s Concordia University as well as a diploma in art education. After teaching in the Arctic and in northern Alberta, she continued her studies at Trent University and completed her MA in Anthropology under Joan Vastokas, the renowned expert on indigenous art history. Encaustic painting is her passion and her goal is to share the rich versatility of this newly revived ancient medium.

Encaustic painting, also called “hot wax painting”, involves using heated beeswax to which pigments are added. The liquid wax is then applied to a surface. Special brushes and metal tools can be used to apply and to shape the paint before it cools. Heat lamps, heat guns and other methods of applying heat allow artists today to extend the amount of time they have to work with the material. Because wax is used as the pigment binder, encaustics can be sculpted, as well as painted.

Susan Fisher shares her love of encaustic by offering courses in Haliburton and workshops in Peterborough and Toronto. She is a recognized encaustic instructor for R & F Encaustic Workshops, Canada.