My teaching experience includes teaching in the public school system since 2003.
I am licensed in the state of Virginia to teach art (PreK- 12) and teach
classes and workshops at various venues nationally. See my resume page for specifics.
I do offer Open Studio Days and private lessons/critiques.
Email me for more info! I am here to help you reach your creative goals and find your voice!
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Email me for the location, to sign up for each class or workshop, materials lists, and more details.
FALL Classes 2025-
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Wabi-Sabi Bookmaking-
2 classes: COMING SOON from 10am-3pm
This is a great way to create enchanting mixed media works, and then bind them into small books/journals!
The Wabi-Sabi aesthetic is sometimes described as one of beauty that is “imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete”. Learn a new way to approach mixed media collage! We will also learn three ways to create image transfers. Each participant will have access to a variety of patterned fibrous papers and book covers to construct. On day one we will be 'cover making' and day two we will bind.
Permanent waterproof pens, various inks, and stains as well as binding materials will be shared with the class, but you may want to bring your own decorative /vintage papers and embellishments for a more personal book.
Beginners welcome!
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Beginning Encaustic- 2 classes: November 1 and 2, 2025 from 10am-4pm
Class size is limited to 4 students. No previous drawing or painting experience is necessary.
BEGINNING STUDENTS WILL LEARN
Safe studio practices, how to use a variety of tools, about encaustic materials: paints, medium, supports, collage materials, etc.
About encaustic techniques: paint application, layering, fusing, color mixing, creating texture, scraping/incising, collage/embedding, image transfer, masking and stencils. All materials provided.
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Construct/Deconstruct Collage Workshop- TWO SPACES LEFT!
2 days: October 11 and 12, 2025 from 10am to 4pm.
I will introduce you to pastes and mediums, found bits of ephemera and papers, ripped books, vintage images, along with ink and paint, etc. have to offer in creating meaningful or abstract collages. From the trepidation of where to begin to the excitement of letting things flow, you’ll come to see the common thread in the bits and pieces you’ve collected. You’ll discover new ways to think about arranging these bits in your work as you express yourself with compositional strategies and a few new ways of approaching composition.
Explore the world of Deconstruction/Reconstruction Mixed Media art with Expressionistic Experiments with paper. Some materials provided.
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Open Studio Encaustic- 1 Day - Coming Soon (email if interested), 2025 10am-3pm
For those wanting to come work in the fully equipped encaustic studio but not needing specific instruction. You will have the space and workstation waxes needed to complete and work on your pieces. 2D and 3D both welcome. Gina is available for critiques and guidance but there is no direct teaching.
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Cold Wax and Oil Alchemy Intensive Workshop-
3 classes: Coming soon
10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
Discover the beautiful layers, textures, and marks that only oil and cold wax can achieve, finding inspiration within your own marks, composition and intuition using non-traditional oil techniques.
We will explore various working methods, substrates, drying times, opaque and transparent color, pigments and powders, blending color schemes, glazing, solvent reduction, printmaking techniques, creating textures, transfers, and collage. There are plenty of demos and individual discussions. A great explorative workshop for beginners and those who want a refresher with advanced options and plenty of time to work. Provided: Cold wax, some sample oils, tools, R&F Pigment samples, 2 sheets of Arches Oil Paper, and 1 cradled birch panel and a free gift
bonus of two tools to keep for the first time class. Additional wax will be available for sale.
Upon registration, email Gina for a materials list and to confirm registration. Lougael@gmail.com
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COMING UP 2026:
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Nature’s Palette Workshop with Christine Kosiba and Keri Duff-Zink
@Keri Duff-Zink Metalworks Studio/Judith Duff Pottery Studio, Cedar Mountain, NC, October 2026
more info soon! ------->
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Alleghany Highlands Arts and Crafts Center
439 E Ridgeway St, Clifton Forge, VA 24422
To be announced for 2026
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2025
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Floyd Center for the Arts - Register online at https://floydartcenter.org/registration *Cold Wax and Oil (see description above) 3 classes, November 21, 22, 23, 2025 *Wabi-Sabi Book Making- 2 classes- December 16, 17, 2025 2026
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The Happy Shack Art Studio (Retreat Space)
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Ongoing Online Classes: Sign up here:
Both online courses are a year-long course that is devoted to studying best practices in Encaustic painting.
26+ world renowned Encaustic artists sharing their knowledge and expertise on all aspects of this wonderful medium plus you get to peek into
their practice and see what is behind the scenes and what inspires them. Plus a look at their studio setup!
Each class has over 50 hours of tuition for one low price of $289.
Painting with Fire 2024-2025!
Intuitive Nature! Garden Inspirations!
follow the link to sign up for my online course. --> https://tinyurl.com/bderucze
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Lesson One: Sketchbook Inspirations.This lesson will focus on the use of grid (thumbnail) sketching and viewfinder technique, specifically for observing and considering nature at a variety of scales. We will begin in the garden or using images looking at the flowers and foliage creating thumbnails in our sketchbooks inspiration. We will then take those thumbnails and we will add color using collage and a variety of materials. (30 minutes)
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Lesson Two: Intuitive Nature - From the ‘Thumb’ to the Substrate. (1 hour)
We will return to our sketchbooks from Intuitive Nature Part 1 and choose an image(s) and create on to the substrate using encaustic mediums and pigments along with mixed media and a plethora of tools to create and enhance our pieces to create the cultivation and evolution of our
own botanical visualizations.
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YOU CAN REGISTER ANYTIME! YOU GET INSTANT ACCESS TO THE ALREADY RELEASED CLASSES WHEN YOU SIGN UP.
Classes delivered each Wednesday approximately 12 noon EST as prerecorded video and once they are available you can watch whenever you wish.
Lifetime access to all classes. Weekly classes are approximately 60 mins or longer.
Work along, at your leisure or just watch, and jump in when you are ready.
There will also be basic instruction videos as a bonus, if you need to get a little of the basics before you get to the fabulous fancy stuff. It has more to offer than just Encaustic!
PAINTING WITH FIRE 2023:
follow the link to sign up for my online course.
I will be teaching two lessons called, New Dimensions in 3-D with Encaustic. You will learn how to prepare a substrate and a plethora of techniques to create your own voice on the structures you build.
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In this workshop we will dive right in exploring the sculptural possibilities of plaster cloth, wax and encaustic to construct an encaustic 3-D work which best represents your personal idea or creative desire. Rigid and strong when dry, plaster cloth makes a wonderful support for dimensional encaustic work.
For this lesson you will need scissors, a pan of water, plastercloth and green floral foam or another sturdy substrate of choice, and encaustic medium.
This lesson is about creating the bases for the 3-d Sculptures that we will create in much more depth in lesson two (to be shown in the coming months).
Safety: “ALL foam needs to be 100% completely covered with plaster before any fusing occurs. Papers must be transparatized with wax prior to fusing. Only LIGHT fusing is needed to bond to plaster and wax. Always practice safely and have emergency items handy, as one always should.”
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Coming Soon: 'The Art Project' is coming!
Classes, Art Shows, Studio Rentals, and More!
Contact Gina for more info!
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For 2025/2026 (Please email me with interest.) I am offering a variety of online, private classes, and mentoring at my home studio to guide you in your creative process. Consider giving a 'gift' of an art experience of choice at my home studio. I also travel and host online classes for those who cannot travel to my studio. Email me for more info and for available dates and pricing I am here to help you reach your creative goals!
Please inquire by email for dates and various offerings or to request a class or session.
The classes available are from the following:
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Encaustic (beginning, advanced, and 3-D methods) ON-Going Basic/Experimental Drawing (multi-media)
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Cold wax and Oil (beginning and advanced)
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EcoPrinting-Cyanotype
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Printmaking without a Press (geli, linocut, and encaustic)
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Mixed Media and Collage (including WabiSabi and bookmaking techniques)
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Painting (Oil, Acrylic, and Watercolor)
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Beginning Drawing
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Children and Teen classes (8 and up.)