Exploratory Landscape in Oil & Cold Wax with Karen Piercy

Exploratory Landscape in Oil & Cold Wax

Tutor: Karen Piercy

Saturday 12  September, 10am–4pm

Material cost is included ($75)

All materials and tools are provided, including oil paint, cold wax medium, A4 and A3 oil paper, pigments, pastels, and tools such as squeegees, palette knives, brayers and brushes. Karen also provides all supporting materials and incidentals, so you can simply arrive and focus on painting.

No need to purchase anything in advance — everything is set up and ready for you on the day. Just turn up and enjoy this amazing workshop.

In this one-day workshop, Kapiti Coast artist Karen Piercy will guide you through creating atmospheric, expressive landscapes using oil paint and cold wax medium.

Working through a series of structured, step-by-step exercises, you’ll be guided through how to build layers, create texture, and develop a sense of depth and distance — without needing to paint detailed, realistic scenes.

The focus is on capturing the feeling of landscape through colour, surface and mark-making, with the option to remain abstract or introduce subtle references to land, rock or plant forms.

You’ll explore:

• layering techniques using oil and cold wax
• creating atmosphere and depth through tone and colour
• blending and soft transitions for sky and distance
• adding texture to suggest landforms and foreground interest
• balancing abstraction with elements of landscape

The day begins with smaller studies on A4 oil paper to build confidence with the materials, before moving into larger A3 works where you can develop your own compositions.

You will also receive an 8-page printed handout covering the techniques explored, designed to support you in continuing your oil and cold wax practice at home.
This workshop is suitable for beginners through to more experienced painters looking to loosen up their approach or explore a new medium

About your tutor

Karen Piercy is a Kapiti Coast–based artist who works withoil and cold wax, creating layered, atmospheric works inspired by landscape and nature.

She has studied at The Learning Connexion and undertaken further training in oil and cold wax techniques with established artists in New Zealand and internationally. Karen is a member of the New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts and exhibits regularly, including at the Kapiti Arts Trail, Paekākāriki Art Show and the Manawatū Art Expo.

Karen has been running workshops on the Kapiti Coast and is known for her clear, supportive teaching style. She focuses on helping participants build confidence, understand the process, and develop their own way of working.

Website: www.karenpiercyart.com

Instagram: @karenpiercyart