The introduction slide show exhibits photographs of the surrounding area, paintings and shrine sculpture from the “Homage To Darwin Augustus Perth” series by Walter W. Nelson.

Creative Educational Workshops for Artists + Writers

Located about an hour north of Santa Fe, New Mexico

The undulating mountains, high-desert mesas, and stunning red rock buttes of Northern New Mexico touched Georgia O’Keeffe more than any other landscape and inspired some of her greatest paintings. Today, the incredible scenery surrounding Abiquiu, New Mexico, continues to attract artists and art lovers from all over the world.

It is here, in the heart of one of the world’s most spectacular landscapes, where Abiquiu Workshops offers 5-day workshops/retreats for artists and writers. Led by nationally-renowned artist-instructors, Abiquiu Workshops offers workshops in writing, photography, painting, and sculpture.

Instruction is designed for advanced amateurs to emerging and professional artists who want to develop and expand their technical skills in a diverse array of literary and visual arts. Workshop options are as varied as the terrain: from sculpting large stone and intuitive painting in your favorite medium (oils, pastels, watercolor or acrylic) to digital photography workshops, including one that takes participants into nearby canyons to erect a personal shrine sculpture made from rocks and other natural materials and documenting the process through photos.

Art Workshops as Varied as the New Mexico Terrain:

The Abiquiu Workshops are different from other artistic workshops. Our workshops, while they involve teaching high-level practical and artistic skills, go beyond just the technical. We take a holistic approach. Our goal is for the participants to leave the workshops having achieved a profound creative breakthrough. To do this, the workshops involve body, mind, spirit, and landscape in a retreat-like atmosphere. The participants may be involved in intense creative exercises, isolation and communion with the landscape, and other spiritual techniques that break down barriers and blockages, sweep away assumptions, and help the participants tap into their deepest wellsprings of creativity. You will leave these workshops seeing the world in a new way.

Our summer workshop series begins with a photography workshop that takes participants on a cultural journey to some of the most photogenic mission churches of Northern New Mexico.  A writer’s workshop led by critically-acclaimed novelist, Douglas Preston, closes our workshop series in the fall.

In addition to our artists’ workshops/retreats, we also offer escorted hiking trips called Sunrise to Sunset Excursions that offer the opportunity to make intimate connections with the natural environment and cultural mystique of the magical geographic area surrounding the picturesque community of Abiquiu.

View our entire summer art workshop schedule here.

Looking forward to meeting you in the Land of Enchantment.

Walter W. Nelson, Director of The Abiquiu Workshops