featured artwork by Andrea Bird
Andrea Bird
1961 – 2024
It is thanks to Andrea Bird that we are where we are today. The organizers of the Canadian Encaustic Conference first met each other at Andrea’s Encaustic Studio, The Hive in Caledon, Ontario.
In 2010, Andrea Bird and her artist husband, Daniel Beirne, established The Hive Encaustic Studio at the Alton Mill where they taught encaustic and creativity workshops and displayed encaustic paintings. They also launched Waxworks Encaustic Supplies to sell encaustic medium and other supplies online.
Andrea hosted monthly “Connect + Create” sessions where groups of artists discussed the sources of creative inspiration. These monthly sessions brought us together forming deep bonds of sisterhood, and trust.
LtoR: Denise Callaghan, Jane Cousens, Andrea Bird, Amelia Kraemer, Ruth Maude, Ruth MacDonald
In 2012, Andrea was diagnosed with breast cancer. Almost five years later, after having gone through all the recommended treatments, her cancer came back. In 2017, she received her stage 4 diagnosis. Andrea and Dan left the Hive to focus on the time they had left together.
In 2007, Andrea attended the first-ever International Encaustic Conference and taught there in subsequent years. The idea of a Canadian Encaustic Conference originated with Andrea and Dan but Andrea’s cancer diagnosis prevented them from moving ahead with the plan.
Amelia Kraemer never forgot about Andrea’s idea; she reached out to other Hivesters to form a Conference organizing committee. The inaugural Canadian Encaustic Conference was held in September 2025.
Andrea Bird died on May 10th, 2024, with her family and some of her closest friends by her side.
The Andrea Bird Memorial Emerging Artist Award
She was pleased to know that her vision of a Canadian Encaustic Conference would become a reality and honoured that the Andrea Bird Memorial Emerging Artist Award would be awarded annually in her name.
Each year, the Andrea Bird Memorial Emerging Artist Award will provide two emerging Canadian artists with free attendance at the conference.
Donate to the Andrea Bird Memorial Fund
If we collect more money than we award this year, your donation will remain in the designated fund to be awarded in future years. Monies raised from the Little Masterpieces fundraising event at the Conference goes into this fund.
Award Recipients:
- The 2025 recipients of the Andrea Bird Memorial Award were Donna Towers and Adia Van Buren.
- Award applications are now open for 2027. The deadline to submit is May 31, 2027