Overview
Cold Wax with Daniel Cunningham
TWO DATES:
Dates: Aug 22 and 23, 2026
Time: 10 am to 4 pm
OR
Dates: Oct 10 and 11, 2026
Time: 10 am to 4 pm
Price: $375 ($350 ESAC Members*) PLUS $30 Supply Fee
and its use as a medium throughout art history. Through hands-on mixing of colour
and application, students also learn fundamentals of critical thinking regarding
abstract painting.
making tools to gain an understanding of the medium. Issues of color, contrast
and composition along with shape, pattern, texture, mass and depth will be
addressed through discussions on creating abstract landscapes as well as
non-representational abstractions in addition to touching on the use of cold wax
in representational work.
1. Gain an understanding of the components, uses and history of cold wax.
2. Instill greater application of color theory through the mixing of colours and building
of texture
3. Learn the components and purposes of abstraction through hands-on creation
of artwork.
A $75 fee will be charged for all workshop refunds due to a withdrawal. Refunds will be given up to one (1) month prior to the workshop start date. Thereafter, norefunds will be given, unless the ESAC cancels the workshop.
Refund Policy
- A $25 fee will be charged for all class refunds due to a withdrawal. Refunds will be given up to seven (7) days prior to class start date. Thereafter, no refunds will be given, unless the ESAC cancels the class.
- A $75 fee will be charged for all workshop refunds due to a withdrawal. Refunds will be given up to one (1) month prior to the workshop start date. Thereafter, norefunds will be given, unless the ESAC cancels the workshop.
Daniel Cunningham
Instructor
Daniel J Cunningham is a fine artist known for his work in cold wax and encaustic as well as installations dealing with themes and issues pertaining to modern conflicts. Prior to painting, he worked as a photographer before transitioning into graphic design and art direction, enjoying a career that spanned more than two decades. He added Painting to his repertoire in 2008, when he began studies in encaustic at The Encaustic Center under critically lauded artists Bonny Leibowitz and Deanna Wood – until his life took an unexpected turn in 2015 when he was diagnosed with an extremely rare disease, Gorham-Stout, which resulted in the disintegration of an entire vertebra in his neck. After multiple reconstructive surgeries, he found himself navigating a path of chronic pain and inconvenient at best, physical limitations. During a prolonged convalescence, Cunningham returned to painting as a way of coming to terms with his disease, being forced into disability and the trauma of slowly losing autonomy. Despite his setbacks, he returned to The Encaustic Center in 2020 to study with renowned artists Lisa Pressman and Jane Cornish-Smith as well as taking part in The Yellow Chair residency with internationally celebrated artist Michael David followed by independent study through the Cold Wax Academy with Rebecca Crowell and Jerry McLaughlin. Cunningham’s abstract works are often a reflection of the continuing dialog between his canvas and the often conflicting thoughts and emotions regarding his disease and the changes it has forced on his life. Conversely, he finds peace and inspiration for his abstract landscape work in the incredible vistas provided by life on an island next to the Gulf of Mexico. His technique involves the conspicuous addition of layers to create intricate textures, building depth only to scrape them away to reveal that which lay underneath, creating visual narratives which move beyond representation. Cunningham’s art has been well-received, with works in institutions such as The Encaustic Institute in Santa Fe, NM as well as private collections throughout the world.
