Ancient Wax & Color Theory
(STEAM Focus)
Wax Lab: Encaustic Art for Teens
In this 8-week, drop-off studio class, teens explore drawing, painting, mixed media, and the ancient art of painting with wax. They build real skills in color theory, composition, and creative problem-solving while working in a professional encaustic studio.
Each session is thoughtfully planned with TEKS-informed objectives and gentle critique, so families across all learning paths can count it as meaningful fine arts and cross-curricular learning - not just crafts.
Unlike many casual art-and-craft classes, Wax Lab is designed as a true studio experience where teens learn the kind of skills and vocabulary they’ll use in high school, AP Art, or future creative paths.
At a Glance
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Ages: 12–16 (approx. grades 7–11)
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Format: Weekly drop-off studio class
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Length: 8-week session
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Day & Time: Saturdays, 10:00–11:30 AM
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Location: Studio 114 - The Silos at Sawyer Yards, 1502 Sawyer St, Houston, TX 77007
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Tuition: $43 per class - $344 total - all materials included
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Discount: 10% off siblings from the same household
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Class Size: Small group, limited seats for focused instruction and studio safety
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Each 8-week session is thoughtfully scaffolded, with lessons building progressively on skills from the previous week
Why Choose Wax Lab?
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Led by an experienced K–12 art educator with 15 years teaching dedicated art classes
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Focus on real studio art skills (composition, color theory, critique), not just cute crafts
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Professional encaustic materials and tools, thoughtfully adapted for teens and safety
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STEAM-integrated curriculum that links art with science, math, and history
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Small class size for individualized feedback and meaningful growth
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Saturday classes designed to accommodate busy and diverse family schedules
Who This Class Is For
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Teens ages 12–16 who love art and are ready to go deeper than casual crafts.
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Homeschool, public school, flex-school, and alternative-school families seeking a rigorous but joyful art experience.
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Teens who are curious about how art connects to science, math, and history.
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Students who can follow safety directions and enjoy a focused, studio-style environment.
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Families who want more than cookie-cutter projects and are looking for thoughtful, skills-based instruction in a real working studio.
If your child falls just outside the age range but you believe they are a good fit, please reach out to discuss placement.
For safety and a focused studio experience, this is a drop-off class. Parents are warmly invited to the final-day showcase to see what students have created.
Meet Your Teacher
I’m Shauna Marie Martin, a Houston-based artist and experienced K–12 art educator who has spent 15 years helping young people grow as makers and thinkers. I love creating a warm, inclusive studio where teens feel safe to experiment, ask questions, and develop their own visual voice. In Wax Lab, I share my passion for encaustic - an ancient painting medium made from beeswax and damar resin - so students can explore rich, luminous surfaces while building strong technical skills and artistic confidence.
What We’ll Explore Each Week
Week 1
Wax & Color Foundations
Teens are introduced to encaustic (wax) as a material and how it behaves in different states of matter (solid, liquid, gas). They learn studio safety, explore basic color mixing, and create expressive color studies using oil sticks on paper.
Week 2
Layers, Opacity, and Transparency
Students experiment with light, layering, and translucency - discovering how light passes through different materials. They build layered abstract compositions on paper using tissue and collage to explore opaque vs. transparent effects.
Week 3
Ancient Wax: Egypt & Greece
We travel back in time to ancient Egypt and Greece to see how artists used encaustic in Fayum mummy portraits and ship painting. Inspired by historical imagery, students create a portrait or symbol panel using visual references such as Egyptian hieroglyphs and classical stories.
Week 4
Texture & Tools
Teens dive into surface texture and mark-making, learning how different tools change the look and feel of wax. They experiment with scraping, carving, and building relief on an 8×10 wood panel dedicated to texture techniques.
Week 5
Math in Composition & Focal Point
Students discover the Fibonacci sequence and the rule of thirds as ways to create strong compositions and focal points. They design a geometric or patterned encaustic piece on an 8×10 wood panel, using color, line, or shape to lead the viewer’s eye.
Week 6
Mixed Media & Collage
This is a choice-driven week. Teens may continue refining last week’s work or begin a new 8×10 panel that incorporates mixed media and collage - adding text, papers, or fibers as visual elements to build rich, layered surfaces.
Week 7
Refinement & Gentle Critique
Students learn how artists revise their work and talk about art in a supportive way. They choose one piece to refine for the final showcase and participate in guided critique protocols that help them both give and receive feedback kindly.
Week 8
Reflection & Showcase
Families are invited into the studio for a mini exhibition and Skittles critique. Teens present their work, reflect on what they learned, and celebrate the end of the session in a relaxed, gallery-style setting.
Projects may vary slightly based on class interests and pacing.
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Tuition, Registration, and Policies
Tuition & Payment
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$43 per class
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$344 total for the 8-week session
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All materials included
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10% off siblings of the same household
Enrollment is confirmed once full payment is received. Class size is very limited to ensure high-quality instruction and safety in the studio. Your payment reserves your teen’s spot for the full 8-week session.
Refunds & Cancellations
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Tuition is fully refundable if you cancel 14 days or more before the first class.
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If you cancel 7–13 days before the first class, 50% of the tuition will be refunded.
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Cancellations less than 7 days before the first class, and any cancellations after the session has begun, are non-refundable, as your teen’s seat has been held and supplies have been purchased.
Class Cancellations by the Studio
If I must cancel a class (due to illness, emergency, or severe weather), I will either:
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Schedule a make-up class, or
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Provide a pro-rated credit toward a future session.
If the entire session is canceled by the studio, all tuition will be fully refunded.
Missed Classes
Because each session is planned as a cohesive 8-week course scaffolded to build upon skills learned in the previous week and class sizes are small, I’m not able to offer refunds or credits for individual missed classes.
However, I want your teen to get as much value as possible. When available:
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Your student may join a bonus open-studio style session scheduled later in the year, where they can enjoy extra studio time using the skills and techniques learned in class, or
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Provide a credit toward a future session (up to $43 maximum/1 class equivalent).
If you know in advance that your student will miss the first class, please contact me before registering so we can decide together if this session is still a good fit.
Age Range & Readiness
This class is designed for ages 12–16. If your child is just outside this age range but you feel they are ready for the content and environment, please contact me to discuss.
For safety and a focused studio experience:
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This is a drop-off class
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Parents are invited to attend the final showcase rather than staying in the studio during weekly instruction.
Ready to Enroll?
Give your teen a place to experiment, learn, and create with professional materials in a real working studio.