Drawing workshops
online and in the heart of
Northern New Mexico
Drawing Canyon, Sage, and Sky
Drawing workshops
online and in the heart of
Northern New Mexico
Drawing Canyon, Sage, and Sky
Surrounded by piñon and juniper, complex geological formations, endless cloudscapes and Milky Way skies, this high desert environment is open for sensory discovery through drawing. Artist Agnes Martin called this region of New Mexico her home, working in concert with the terrain. Here, we set up portable studios within badlands and sage fields, gather earth pigments, handcraft charcoal and natural paints, and expand drawing practice through tutorials and independent studio work, all as connected to the experience of place.
Online workshops bring the raw elements of the high desert to your home studio via interactive studio sessions.
In-person residential workshops span four full days and five evenings, and are designed for practicing artists keen to connect their materials to the land.
**The May 2022 residential workshop has filled - if you would like to be added to the waiting list, please complete the application. Thank you!**
Working with artist and professor Sara Schneckloth, participants come away with fresh techniques, a body of mixed-media drawings, relationships with new colleagues, and the experience of being immersed in the open air, vast silence, and remarkable natural diversity of this singular landscape. Together, we explore stunning field locations and generate drawings that embody the land and sky of Northern New Mexico, with natural materials as our guide.
Online Workshops
In live online workshops, we draw with natural materials and geological specimens gathered in New Mexico and sent to your home. Sessions are fully interactive, and combine demonstrations, materials exploration, and professional dialogue. You'll receive a shipment of art supplies, natural pigments, and diverse stones to work from in one- or two-day workshops. These sessions are geared toward artists at any level seeking to deepen their drawing practice, engage with natural materials, and meet new colleagues, as we work between the high desert and your studio.
Residential Workshops (Summer 2022)
The in-person workshops combine field drawing, tutorials, independent art production, and professional dialogue. The residential session is geared toward experienced artists seeking to deepen their drawing practice, craft and work with natural materials, meet colleagues with shared interests, and be immersed in the landscape of this less-traveled corner of New Mexico.
Maximum enrollment is eight. Admission by rolling application until 4/1/2022. **Proof of Covid-19 vaccination and a recent negative PCR test are required to participate in the workshop.**
Rates range from $1850-2150 for the five day session, and includes workshops, meals, supplies, local transport, and lodging.
The Setting
Based at a ranch house just outside the town of Cuba (alt. 7000'), we venture to nearby badlands, canyons, forests, and mesas. We set up studio tents directly within the environment for daily drawing sessions, where we will typically be the only people we encounter. The locations are chosen for their blend of remoteness and accessibility, sweeping vistas, rich color, and the abundance of compelling natural forms. Many of these sites lay bare 60 million years of geological history and are virtually untouched. Light hiking over uneven ground is required, for distances up to a mile.
The Workshop Site
Lodging and Cuisine
The Workshop Site
Our base of operations for the workshop, Suenos Encantados is a spacious and comfortable lodge, with private and shared rooms, large terraces, open fields, and panoramic views of the Sierra Nacimiento and surrounding mesas.
Creative Director
Lodging and Cuisine
The Workshop Site
Sara Schneckloth's studio practice brings together art and science with an abiding love for the southwestern landscape. She has taught drawing professionally for twenty years and her mixed-media artworks have featured in over eighty exhibitions. During the pandemic, she launched online botanical and geological drawing workshops for a global audience.
Lodging and Cuisine
Lodging and Cuisine
Lodging and Cuisine
Lodging is on-site in a shared or private room in an historic bed and breakfast. Shared meals reflect the best of local New Mexican cuisine and include vegetarian options. Five nights of lodging, lunches, and four dinners are included in the price of the residential workshop.
The Region
Application
Lodging and Cuisine
The Cuba region is ideal for hiking (including the Continental Divide Trail), biking, and exploring the nearby badlands. Cuba is located 90 minutes from the Albuquerque International Sunport, and within easy driving distance of Abiquiu, Chaco Canyon, and a number of hotsprings. Add a day before or after the workshop to explore the area.
FAQ
Application
Application
Do I need a vehicle? What is the weather like? The altitude? What materials do I need to bring?
These and more can be found below.
Application
Application
Application
Applications for the residential workshop will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with acceptance based on experience, portfolio, and stated interests.
Online workshops do not require an application.