Workshop Details

Spend the week creating encaustic paintings in the charming French village of Sauveterre de Béarn, enjoying cliff views overlooking the Gave d’Oleron river and the Pyrenees mountains.

In this 7-day course you will:

• Explore Luminous Color: Deep dive into making paintings that explore the radiant color and beauty of encaustic paint.
• Expand Color Knowledge: Thoroughly explore opaque and transparent color relationships, prismatic color, muted tones, and chromatic grays.
• Create Sophisticated Relationships: Make paintings that use color in sophisticated ways, referencing the local colors of Southwest France.
• Incorporate Mindfulness: Engage in mindfulness drawing exercises each morning to open ideas to creativity and “flow”.

Please note: We will address each participant’s work within the class and discuss best practices for moving the work forward. The class requires no experience and is suitable for everyone from beginners to advanced painters.

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Goals

1. Working with transparent and opaque color in encaustic paint.
2. Discovering how cool and warm color can coexist to form dynamic relationships.
3. Learning the difference between prismatic color, muted tones, and chromatic grays.
4. Creating paintings that open new doors to how you think about color through rapid-fire study exercises.
5. Understanding how oil and wax can work together and how to use glazing.
6. Incorporating tools, contemporary drawing concepts, and local environmental elements into your work.

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Schedule

Details:

• Dates: Tuesday, June 2 – Tuesday, June 9, 2026.
• Instruction: 7 days of instruction in the studio.
• Daily Routine: Morning mindfulness drawing exercises, followed by studio time.
• Excursions:
  • Day 4: A day-long field trip (optional) which may include visiting Bilbao, Spain and the Guggenheim Museum.
  • Local Trips: One or two half-day trips around the local area.
  • Walks: Time to explore Sauveterre de Béarn, walk the Camino Trail, or descend to the river.

What is included:

• Welcome appetizers and drinks.
• 7 days of instruction.
• An awesome painting studio with spacious working areas.
• 7 continental breakfasts.
• 6 lunches (3-course, includes wine/tea/coffee).
• 6 dinners (3-course, includes wine/tea/coffee).
• Daily coffee, tea, and water.
• R&F Handmade Paints and other encaustic materials.
• Lodging in a beautiful private room at the 1,000-year-old castle (where the workshop takes place).
• Half-day local trip.

What is not included:

• Airfare, trains, and taxis to/from the airport.
• Optional free day excursion to Bilbao, Spain (museum entry, etc.).

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Pricing

Cost: €3,200 per person

Payment Schedule:

• Deposit: €1,600 (50%) due at time of registration.
• Balance: €1,600 due 90 days before the class (February 28, 2026).

Payment Methods:

• Stripe: Invoice sent via email (5% charge applies).
• Paypal: (Fees apply).
• Bank Transfer: No fees, any currency accepted.

Cancellation & Insurance: IMPORTANT. TRAVEL INSURANCE. There is no refund for the deposit if the class is not full but still takes place. Please take out travel insurance so you are covered if you have to cancel. If the class is full with a waiting list or you can find a replacement, Be-artz will refund less the cost of bank fees.

Meet Your Instructor: Jeffrey Hirst earned an MFA from Louisiana State University in 1990. He has been showcased at venues around the U.S. and Europe and is represented by galleries in Chicago and Columbus. Hirst owns Hirst Printmaking in Chicago, specializing in experimental printmaking and mixing painting and prints. He is a recipient of a Minnesota State Arts Board grant and a City of Chicago grant.

TO REGISTER: please contact Magdalena Groszek at info@be-artz.com

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Meet the Instructor :

Jeffrey Hirst is a distinguished artist and educator who seamlessly blends painting, printmaking, and sculpture. With an MFA from Louisiana State University and a BFA from the University of Minnesota, Jeffrey has been exhibiting his work throughout the United States and Europe since 1987. He is a co-founder of Catalyst Art Lab, an artist community membership and art school established in 2021.

Artistic Focus Jeffrey’s work explores the relationship between manmade architectonic structures and the natural world. He investigates how architecture defines social space in urban environments, often combining architectural concepts with themes of urban decay, fragmentation, and repetitive pattern. His unique process involves building irregular-shaped panels that possess a sculptural presence, juxtaposed with ethereal and atmospheric painting surfaces. His pieces address ideas of decay, beauty, place, and renewal through a lens of play and construction.

Professional Experience & Recognition An experienced instructor, Jeffrey teaches encaustic, drawing, and printmaking workshops across the U.S., Mexico, and Ireland. His professional highlights include:

• Exhibitions: Showcased at venues such as the Minneapolis Institute of Art, Addington Gallery (Chicago), The McKinney Contemporary (Dallas), and the Bienal do Douro (Portugal).
• Residencies & Awards: A recipient of numerous grants and a prestigious fellowship at the Ballinglen Arts Foundation in Ireland, where he has completed multiple residencies.
• Representation: Represented by Addington Gallery in Chicago and Brandt-Roberts Galleries in Columbus, Ohio.

His work is held in numerous public and private collections across the U.S., Portugal, Italy, and Ireland. Jeffrey brings decades of process-oriented expertise to his students, guiding them through the intersection of structure, surface, and materiality