Officers

Regina C. Quinn - President

Regina holds a Special Studies in Fine Arts bachelor’s degree from Trinity College where she received the Peyser Art Award, first prize, and a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Vermont. She has designed and painted sets for several Lyric Theater productions at Burlington, Vermont’s Flynn Theater for the Performing Arts and has worked as a muralist, graphic designer, and educator for 35 years. Regina is dedicated to sparking students’ creativity, innovation, and passion for environmental stewardship.

Lyn Belisle - Vice President

Lyn Belisle is a teacher, artist, designer, and writer. She began her career in art education with at-risk students and was recognized for her work in integrating Art and Technology in Special Education. Lyn recently retired from the faculty of the Computer Science Department at Trinity University where she taught design and essential technology skills. She now works full time at her studio in San Antonio, primarily in fiber, earthenware, and encaustic. She also teaches nationally, most recently in Santa Fe, Truro, and Washington State. 

Her online workshops and interactive e-books cover an eclectic array of creative topics. Her work has appeared in IEA’s Wax Fusion, in the digital exhibition catalog of Vignettes in Wax and Words, and in the Winter 2020 Issue of Encaustic Arts Magazine. Lyn has had six one-person gallery exhibits since 2011. Her work can be found at The Museum of Encaustic Art in Santa Fe and in the San Antonio Art League & Museum as well as in numerous private collections.

You can view her work at: www.lynbelisle.com/

Michele Randall: Interim Secretary

Michele Randall is an artist and instructor. A native of rural Pennsylvania, her work is influenced by her connection to environment and place. Trained as a printmaker, Michele incorporates these techniques into her encaustic work.
Michele has a BS and an MFA from Penn State University. She has taught a wide range of courses from the University level to advanced artist workshops at Conferences and retreats.  Currently, she works full time as an artist, workshop instructor and mentor in encaustic, cyanotype, and mixed media.

You can view her work at:   https://michelerandallart.com   Instagram:  @michelerandallart    Facebook:  michelerandallstudio.

Rhonda Raulston: Interim Treasurer

Rhonda Raulston is a Los Angeles based encaustic and oil painter who teaches encaustic painting workshops and regularly exhibits in galleries. Long familiar with the encaustic paintings in European museums, Rhonda finally took an intensive weeklong R&F Paints encaustic workshop in 2004 and now splits her studio time between encaustic, cold wax and oil painting.  She brings her experience as the WebManager and website designer as well as her 15-year tenure on the Pasadena Society of Artists' Board of Directors, to the IEA in support of their mission to encourage and support encaustic artists around the world.  She is a member of IEA and the Pasadena Society of Artists. 

  You can view her work at www.RhondaRaulston.com       Facebook.com/RaulstonART    Instagram:  RaulstonART

Directors

Melissa Stephens - Exhibitions Director 

Melissa Stephens is an artist, encaustic instructor, arts advocate, senior artist business coach and web designer. She added curator to her resume when she founded Hope Lives: Art for ALS, an educational fundraising exhibition at the San Francisco Women Artists Gallery in May 2021. She received a BA in Art from Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, IA, and continues her arts education through workshops and specialized instruction. Melissa currently exhibits her work nationally and internationally, and teaches over 20 different encaustic classes from her studio in Walnut Creek, CA. She also serves as: President and Social Media Chair, Valley Art Gallery; Exhibition Committee, San Francisco Women Artists Gallery; City Liaison, East Bay Open Studios; President, NorCAL Wax;  and IEA Pinterest Team.

Website: mascreations.com  Instagram Facebook

  Melissa Lackman (in memoriam) - Grants Director

We are sad to report that Melissa passed away in April.  She was a beloved and longtime supporter of the encaustic community, serving as an active IEA Board member for over a decade in various leadership roles. She was deeply passionate about providing resources to members, and as our Grants Director, she strongly advocated to fund more artists' projects.  At the time of her death, she was working with the Board to launch a Mentorship Initiative to assist new encaustic and professional artists by pairing them with experienced mentors.  Melissa was steadfast, compassionate, and encouraging - a treasured friend, colleague, and mentor -  and we will miss her deeply.   Click here to see the article about Melissa in the latest Wax Fusion Spring 2024 issue.  (pp 118-125)

You can view her work at: www.melissalackman.com

Regina C. Quinn - Social Media Director & Interim Grants Director

Regina holds a Special Studies in Fine Arts bachelor’s degree from Trinity College where she received the Peyser Art Award, first prize and a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Vermont. She has designed and painted sets for several Lyric Theater productions at Burlington, Vermont’s Flynn Theater for the Performing Arts and has worked as a muralist, graphic designer, and educator for 35 years. Regina is dedicated to sparking students’ creativity, innovation, and passion for environmental stewardship.

You can view her work at:  https://reginabquinn.net/

Mary Jo Reutter - Membership Director 

While other kids dreamed of being a rock star or astronaut, Mary Jo Reutter dreamed of the day when she would see one of her own creations on a shelf in the toy store. Mary Jo works as a toy & game inventor and designer with more than 20 years of experience in creating board games, video games, novelty items and interactive media. Her company, You-Betcha Interactive specializes in development, and primarily licenses concepts to larger companies who produce and market the items. Several of her games have won awards, and  Mary Jo herself was awarded the industry 2010 TAGIE Game Inventor of the Year award. If you want to play along, she recommends “Even Steven’s Odd” for the family, or if you’re looking for something more “adult,” check out “Midnight Outburst.” Because – everyone needs to play more!

S. Kay Burnett - Executive Editor "Wax Fusion"

S. Kay Burnett worked in the computer industry for thirty-four years. During that time, she worked as a scientific programmer, developed interactive software for children, and wrote online documentation. She’s published and presented scientific papers, been a guest artist at the CSU Summer Arts program teaching interactive creative writing, and taught several interactive multimedia workshops.

In 2013, Kay began pursuing her love of art and creative writing full-time. She’s the author and illustrator for “Emails From Paris,” a digital memoir/art book that includes over thirty encaustic illustrations, and co-author and illustrator of “A Gargoyle in Paris,” a children’s picture book illustrated with encaustic sculptures. The original artwork in both of these books were featured in her solo exhibition of encaustic paintings and sculptures at the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art.

You can view her work at: www.southofharmony.com

You can view his work at:  https://www.paulklineart.com/

Isabelle Gaborit  - Membership Director - Europe

Isabelle Gaborit is a professional visual artist from La Rochelle, France, holds a BA (Hons) and resides on Ireland’s west coast. Her artistic journey began at l’Ecole des Beaux Arts in Poitiers, France, where she honed her skills in sculpture, drawing, and painting. Graduating with honors in fine arts in 2006 in Ireland, she has since showcased her work in national and international exhibitions across the USA, Northern Ireland, Ireland, China, and France.

Isabelle's preferred medium of encaustic has ancient roots, inspired by the raw beauty of Ireland’s west coast environment. Her paintings undergo a series of stages mirroring landscape forces: construction, destruction, growth, and decay, employing an intricate technique of layering pigmented beeswax, scraping, scoring, and shaping to create highly tactile surfaces inviting exploration of nuanced histories embedded within each work.

You can view her work at:  www.isabellegaborit.com    Instagram:  @isabellegaboritencaustics   
Facebook:  isabellegaboritencausticartist

Mary Jo Reutter - Membership Director 

While other kids dreamed of being a rock star or astronaut, Mary Jo Reutter dreamed of the day when she would see one of her own creations on a shelf in the toy store. Mary Jo works as a toy & game inventor and designer with more than 20 years of experience in creating board games, video games, novelty items and interactive media. Her company, You-Betcha Interactive specializes in development, and primarily licenses concepts to larger companies who produce and market the items. Several of her games have won awards, and  Mary Jo herself was awarded the industry 2010 TAGIE Game Inventor of the Year award. If you want to play along, she recommends “Even Steven’s Odd” for the family, or if you’re looking for something more “adult,” check out “Midnight Outburst.” Because – everyone needs to play more!

Mary Jo has always been interested in working with new materials. To her excitement, in 2015 she discovered Encaustics. In her professional work she is constantly on the lookout for innovation and new ways to create. As a visual artist, she never before felt a kinship to any particular medium, outside of the computer. With her discovery of encaustics, she felt an instant love, and knew (as far as an art medium goes) she had finally found “the one.”

Instagram:  MJ_Reutter

Rhonda Raulston: Tech Director

Rhonda Raulston is a Los Angeles based encaustic and oil painter who teaches encaustic painting workshops and regularly exhibits in galleries. Long familiar with the encaustic paintings in European museums, Rhonda finally took an intensive weeklong R&F Paints encaustic workshop in 2004 and now devotes her studio time to encaustic, cold wax painting and printmaking.  She brings her experience as the WebManager and website designer as well as her 15-year tenure on the Pasadena Society of Artists' Board of Directors, to the IEA in support of their mission to encourage and support encaustic artists around the world.  She is a member of IEA and the Pasadena Society of Artists. 

  You can view her work at www.RhondaRaulston.com       Facebook:   RaulstonART    Instagram:  RaulstonART