Exploring Color and Composition in Santa Fe March 2026
Susan Abbott, “Road to Ghost Ranch”, oil
Here’s your chance for an in-depth exploration of painting composition and color in beautiful Santa Fe. This intensive workshop will cover both the fundamentals and more complex approaches to designing a painting while using our location in the historic downtown as inspiration. We’ll combine a daily studio class and individual painting time with plein air painting around town and at Ghost Ranch, as well as slide talks, museum visits and personal critiques.
Medium: Oil, watercolor, gouache, or acrylic
Level: Intermediate to advanced (Students can be new to plein air, but should be familiar with their medium)
You’re the best teacher I’ve had by far, and that’s not to say I haven’t had some very good ones. The week was so worthwhile. I wanted to be challenged and was. I wanted to learn more about color and composition and did. Perhaps my most important takeaway is seeing how you “see”—simplifying shapes, eliminating detail and daring to use color in new ways.
See more student comments here.