Drawing workshops
in the heart of
Northern New Mexico
Drawing Canyon, Sage, and Sky
Drawing workshops
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 (Summer 2021 and onward) bring the raw elements of the high desert to your home studio.
In-person residential sessions (in 2022) span four full days and five evenings, and are designed for practicing artists keen to connect their materials to the land.
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.
For the summer of 2021, only online workshops will be offered as we transition into less-viral days ahead.
In-person programming will resume in summer of 2022.
Online Workshops
In live online workshops, we draw with natural materials and geological specimens gathered in New Mexico and sent to your home. Sessions from New Mexico 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 ten. Admission by rolling application until 4/1/2022.
Rates range from $1850-2250 for the five day session, and includes workshop, meals, 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, the Chaco Lodge is spacious and comfortable, with large terraces, open fields, and panoramic views of the Sierra Nacimiento. We meet here daily for tutorials and studio work.
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 options include staying on-site in a private room or in a shared apartment in a nearby historic bed and breakfast, for five evenings. 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.