Creative Cold Wax and Oil Painting for Photographers

with Jill Skupin Burkholder

July 14 – 18, 2025

Tuition $1995.00

(includes meal plan, see below)

Location and Materials Fee $155.00

Standard Deposit $400.00

Course Description

Expand your creative possibilities by melding the captivating worlds of photography with fine-art painting. An easy-to-setup technique is presented in this workshop: inkjet printing on archival paper and painting with cold wax medium and oil paints. Unlike encaustic wax methods, this technique is free from any heat requirement. No extra equipment is needed to transform your photographic images into painterly fine art, rich with oil paint’s lush color and the tactile texture of beeswax.

If you have been wanting to paint onto your images but did not know how to begin, this workshop led by Jill Burkholder is for you. Whether you are new to oil painting or have experience in this classic art medium, you discover how to transform the photographic image into an altered creative version that shines with your personal style and evidence of a handcrafted process. Each piece is one-of-a-kind.

Beginning with digital images prepared during class and printed onto oil painting paper, participants edit images with a variety of digital options including layering images and other stylizing apps. The printed, archival inkjet photographs are then painted with cold wax medium and oil paint using brushes and palette knives.

Through instructive presentations, you learn how to mix paint colors, create texture and detail, work with brushes and palette knives, create transparency, and everything you need to know to give your image beauty and intrigue.

Over five days, Jill introduces a spectrum of possibilities for enhancing photographic images with painterly techniques and mixed media—all offer unique contributions to an artist’s vision. We also spend time making new images of the Santa Fe area, learning to photograph with the cold wax process in mind, and developing workflow strategies tailored to each participant’s needs.

Join Jill and discover new avenues of artistic expression as you combine photography with the seductive medium of painting with oil paint and cold wax.

Additional Information

WHO SHOULD ATTEND:

This program is open to photographers of all levels who are interested in learning to paint onto their images. Participants do not need prior printmaking or painting experience.

What You Should Know:

All materials necessary for the workshop are provided by SFW. Participants may bring additional art supplies as desired. Details will be sent before the first class.

Participants should also come prepared with digital files they are interested in printing and using in the cold wax process. Participants must be able to download and select images using image editing software for class sessions.

Activity Level:

To get the most from your workshop experience, participants should be in good physical (mobility, stamina) and mental health. Come prepared for the high elevation of Santa Fe, long days, and seasonal weather including high temperatures. You must be able to carry your own photographic and personal gear at all times, both on campus and on location. You are responsible for being open and honest about your physical fitness, and we reserve the right to remove you from the workshop if we find your fitness to be less than that which you have described.

This workshop will include a location visit to create new photographs for use in the cold wax process. Participants should be able to engage in moderate outdoor exercise for up to an hour or more at a time.

Policies:

View Payment, Refund, Withdrawal, and Transfer Policies for domestic workshops.

Accommodations:

Participants are responsible for making their own housing arrangements in Santa Fe. On-campus accommodations are not currently available.

Meals:

Lunch Monday through Friday, dinner before the Friday evening Image Presentations, and daily beverage service are included.

about

Jill Skupin Burkholder

Jill Skupin Burkholder is a photographer and artist whose work includes handcrafted techniques like bromoil printing, an alternative photography process using brushes and lithography ink to create an image. Recent work combines photography with cold wax medium and oil paint to achieve painterly, one-of-a-kind art pieces.

Her work is in private collections and permanent collections at The Museum of Fine Art, Houston, Texas, and The Harry Ransom Humanities Center in Austin, Texas. Jill’s prints have been exhibited at SohoPhoto in New York, R&F Handmade Paints Gallery in Kingston, New York, and other galleries and various publications.

Focusing on alternative photography, Jill adapts her photographic imagery to include distinctive textures and a twist of fantasy.

Website: jillskupin.com