Who We Are Here at The EC
Welcome to EncaustiCastle—lovingly known as The EC—a living, breathing arts compound nestled right here in Lexington, Kentucky. We are a motley crew of eleven makers, dreamers, dirt-diggers, and rule-breakers: a constellation of painters, ceramicists, textile artists, wood workers, and designers sharing square footage, strong coffee, and an unshakeable belief in the power of creative community.
We are research-hungry seekers and teachers, master farmers and master architects, down and dirty doers and soulful poets. Here, amidst the wax, the woodchips, the pastel dust, and the garden beds, we have built a sanctuary where grit meets grace and art is a way of life.
Take a look around at the folks weaving their magic into the walls of this place—we are so glad you found your way to our table. With space for one more always held for twice-yearly artist residencies, come experience it for yourself, firsthand!
A bit about this path
Patricia Baldwin Seggebruch is the fearless spark and visionary engine behind EncaustiCastle—lovingly known as The EC. Artist, educator, and non-profit director all rolled into one, she wears every hat necessary to keep this creative compound humming with life. Whether she’s building robust studio programs, dreaming up residencies, or cultivating a sanctuary for makers, she leads with a rare blend of fierce determination and big-hearted hospitality.
As a visual artist, Patricia’s hands-on practice is an exploration of quiet power and profound attention. Working primarily with wax-based encaustic painting, mark-making, and mixed media, she loves to weave elements of the world around her right into her pieces. Her large-scale canvases balance a meditative stillness with an undeniable, vibrating strength, reminding everyone who enters her orbit that true beauty lives in the steady, deliberate work we do right in front of us. Wholesome, relentlessly creative, and deeply authentic, she is the gravitational pull holding this community of eleven artists and two residency sessions together, holding this space where inspiration, determination, and joy thrive.
Daniel Seggebruch is the steady, green-thumbed anchor and resident tradesman in the woodshop at The EC. His path toward a life rooted in the soil was cemented back in 2012 during a gap year abroad in Australia and Bali. Upon returning in 2013, he completed a certification in organic farming through Michigan State University, going on to help manage those operations through 2021 before bringing his deep ecological knowledge right here to the compound.
Living in the caretaker’s house, Daniel runs assist on managing the property and takes the lead on transforming former lawns into thriving vegetable beds, cutting gardens, and a growing small orchard. An avid creator in his own right, he spends his time in his shop—turning bowls and carving out furniture that occasionally catch a brush stroke from a resident artist! Grounded, resourceful, and deeply creative, Daniel is an essential heartbeat of The EC, cultivating beauty from the ground up.
Marta Dorton is a true foundational pillar and a deeply soulful mainstay of The EC, having held a studio here through multiple iterations of the compound. A gifted visual artist, writer, and poet, Marta weaves profound themes of connection, nature, and reclamation through her acrylics, printmaking, mixed media collage, and verse.
Her canvases carry an unmistakable vibrancy, deeply informed by the stark, stunning skies and landforms of northern New Mexico from her multiple artist-in-residence sessions in the American Southwest—including three stays at the legendary Ghost Ranch. Whether she is translating shifting desert light onto a painting or penning thoughtful lines of poetry, Marta brings a deeply soulful, grounded energy to the compound. Quirky, wise, and endlessly creative, she is an irreplaceable part of our team and a vibrant thread in the collective art of this place.
Jennifer Millard brings a vibrant explosion of color, history, and natural wonder to The EC, where her studio is wonderfully chock-a-block with an eclectic collection of vintage and antique frames. A gifted plein air painter, surface designer, and juried member of the Pastel Society of America, Jennifer pairs her dazzling command of soft pastel with a deep, reverent appreciation for the land, water, trees, and stories of Kentucky and beyond.
With a background rooted in a nomadic family history that carried her across the country before finding her artistic home in Kentucky, she brings an expansive, deeply observant lens to her work. Whether she is painting wild landscapes en plein air, designing surface patterns and mural installations, or carefully marrying her original pieces to the unique patinas of vintage frames, her work bridges the past and the present. Wholesomely creative, beautifully detailed, and deeply connected to her community, Jennifer weaves her distinct artistic voice and colorful energy into the rich, collaborative rhythm of the compound.
Fatemeh Tajaddod brings an exquisite blend of discipline, artistry, and spatial elegance to The EC as a brilliant ceramicist crafting bespoke works for interior design.
A recent MFA graduate in ceramics from the University of Kentucky, she approaches her craft with a remarkable level of mastery and intention. Her studio is a masterclass in running a tight, pristine ship—operating seamlessly as both a rigorous artistic sanctuary and a thriving professional business.
Wholesomely dedicated, impeccably organized, and boundlessly talented, Fatemeh shapes raw earth into stunning, functional sculpture, weaving her quiet strength and elevated design sensibility into the vibrant creative ecosystem of the compound.
Jordan Hines is an indispensable part of the fold at The EC, bringing a razor-sharp, witty personality and a lightning-fast comedic voice that adds a brilliant, playful spark to our daily rhythm.
By day is an educator at the University of Kentucky College of Design, bringing a profound dedication to teaching, mentorship, and creative craft that honors the deep value of shared knowledge. In this role, his mind is operating with the precise, structured logic of a designer and architect.
When he enters the studio and steps up to his canvas, that structural background brilliantly melds into his acrylic paintings, resulting in striking compositions that carry a definitive, architectural sense of space and form. Clever, deeply talented, and delightfully sharp, Jordan is a dynamic force around here, weaving his unique perspective and infectious humor into the vibrant fabric of the compound.
Bob Shay brings a profound legacy of vision, leadership, and deep artistic mastery to The EC. Having formerly served as the Dean of Fine Arts at the University of Kentucky, Bob now calls himself a hermited recluse, yet we here feel lucky to have him continue his creative journey right here on the compound!
In his studio, he creates breathtaking, atmospheric works in soft pastel, exploring nuanced light and depth with extraordinary sensitivity.
Alongside his drawing practice, he periodically returns to the UK campus to continue his hands-on work in ceramics. Wise, deeply accomplished, and endlessly creative, Bob is an invaluable presence whose quiet dedication and artistic brilliance enrich the entire rhythm of The EC.
Dr. Rebecca Wiltberger Wiggins is an unapologetic AuDHD hedonist with an insatiable appetite for complex challenges. That relentless curiosity has steered her through a wonderfully circuitous professional map—one that started in a custom sewing business, meandered through nonprofit administration, graduate studies in English literature and composition, and stints inside high school and college classrooms. Along the way, she has collaborated with US Coast Guard acquisition teams and worked alongside the American Embassy in Morocco, collecting a kaleidoscope of perspectives before finding her stride right here on the compound.
With all of this alongside her roots in a working-class upbringing, Rebecca brings a wonderfully grounded honesty to everything she does. Here in her studio space, she pours that same depth and focus into her tactile art practice. As a dedicated textile artist, she immerses herself in the slow stitch therapy of reclaiming old, forgotten materials and transforming them into timeless treasures, alongside taking her hands to crocheting, knitting, and a playful touch of paint when a brush comes to hand. Wholesome, fiercely creative, and delightfully sharp, as one of the studio artists currently weaving her distinct energy into the compound Rebecca is contributing to a rich, humming atmosphere of infinite possibility and collective creativity as she walks her creative way.
Ellen “Elly” Wallberg brings a rich lifetime of creative expression to her printmaking studio at the compound. Following a successful career as a floral shop owner and a chapter of life split between Florida and Lexington, Elly has turned her focus toward a fresh artistic expression of this historied attnetion to the earth and plant life.
She is studio’d here exploring and translating a lifelong passion for the beauty of flora and fauna into striking botanical prints, blending her deep-rooted appreciation for the natural world with hands-on printmaking techniques, including a walking press, which I look forward to experiencing!
Monet Forker brings a vibrant, earth-rooted energy to The EC as a dynamic multidisciplinary artist working in acrylic yet taking any medium she can into hand to enrich and expand her artistic expression.
Beyond her studio practice, Monet’s life is deeply tied to the land as a dedicated farmer operating Four Gardens Farm in Winchester and a trusted culinary creator with FoodChain Lex.
As the recipient of an artist studio grant made possible by The Husk Fund, Monet is using this dedicated time to dig deep into her own creative soil—solidifying her distinct artistic voice and style while leaning into the rich, collaborative community of the compound to expand her artistic vistas.
Wholesomely authentic, hard-working, and boundlessly curious, Monet is a wonderful creative force weaving her unique perspective into the life of the compound.
Monet Forker is the inaugural recipient of studio space generously endowed by the Husk Fund. The EC’s partnership with this local philanthropic fund is designed to provide an underserved artist with essential access, resources, and community—empowering them to grow, ignite, and transform their artistic reach, understanding, and professionalism.
