★★★★★ 100+
Five-Star Google Reviews
An Intimate Abstract Painting Retreat in Santa Fe
Three immersive days of painting, personalized instruction, and creative exploration—plus a curated morning experiencing the art of Canyon Road. Limited to 8 artists.
read my cancellation policy
Kelly, April 2022
Andrea is simply amazing! I had zero painting experience and took a private lesson then did an Artist Retreat.
I tried taking a class 20 years ago elsewhere, felt so intimidated & quit after 1 class. This experience could not have been more different! Andrea is kind, caring, knowledgeable, patient, encouraging, helpful & provides constructive feedback. She taught me the basics in color, composition & mediums in a way that was easy for me to follow.
The retreat was so well organized! I was constantly impressed. We had an agenda that included morning exercises, Artist quotes & visuals to get us inspired then demos and painting time. Healthy snacks, beverages and all in a very comfortable/ inviting environment. The studio is beautiful with a lot of natural light, we had all the paints, brushes, mediums & materials to incorporate into our work that we could have needed.
Our group was a mix of experienced painters and newbies like me. Everyone really got what we each “needed” & came for out of it.
Do not hesitate to sign up for lessons and/or the Artist Retreat! You will walk away feeling so confident & inspired!
-Kelly Schneider
Andrea Cermanski is a gallery-showing artist with nearly 30 years of painting experience and more than 20 years of teaching. She holds a Master's degree in Art Education and has taught hundreds of artists to move beyond simply following demonstrations and develop the skills to make confident creative decisions of their own.
- What to bring: Acrylic paints, brushes, and a sketchbook.
- *If you do not want to travel with your brushes and paints, you can purchase a brush and paint package for only $75. You will be given the option to add this at check out.
- Class size: 4–8 students
- Investment: $1,695 (includes tax, welcome breakfast, 3 lunches, and most supplies)
- Duration: 3½ days
- Location: 1235 Siler Road, Unit F, Santa Fe, NM 87507
- Note: The studio is up one flight steps; be sure you can walk up the steps unassisted.
- Getting there: Rental car recommended, or Uber (~$12 each way from downtown)
- Accommodations: Click here for other Santa Fe accommodations
- Airports: Santa Fe (closest) or Albuquerque (1 hour away)
- Half-day Canyon Road art tour (Monday) + 3 full days of painting instruction (Tuesday–Thursday)
- Welcome breakfast at a local Santa Fe restaurant (Monday)
- Lunch Tuesday through Thursday
- Canvas and cradled wood panels
- Acrylic mediums, fabrics, art papers, and collage materials
- Palette knives and specialty tools
- Apron
- Snacks, coffee, tea, and sparkling water throughout
Three Days to Immerse Yourself in Your Painting
Spend three full studio days exploring abstract painting in an intimate group of just 4–8 artists. Rather than following a single project, you'll develop your own work while I guide you through color, composition, surface, materials, and the decisions that bring a painting together.
With a small group, I can spend meaningful one-on-one time with each artist—helping you identify what's working, work through what's not, and make stronger, more confident decisions on your own.
We'll begin our time together with breakfast and a curated visit to Canyon Road, looking at contemporary art through an artist's eyes before bringing that inspiration back into the studio..
painting beyond boundaries: abstract painting retreat:
2027
Painting Beyond Boundaries Retreat
MARCH 1-4
APRIL 12-15
MAY 10-13
JUNE 14-17
SEPTEMBER 13-16
OCTOBER 4-7
Where to Stay in Santa Fe
- 3 days/18 hours of instruction
- 3 stretched canvases
- Acrylic paint & mediums
- Fabrics, art papers & other materials
- A variety of brushes & palette knives to use
- Apron
- Snacks
- Tea, coffee, carbonated water.
Daily Schedule
- 9:00–10:15 am: Welcome breakfast at Pantry Rio
- 10:30 am–12:00 pm: Canyon Road gallery tour
- Afternoon free to explore Santa Fe
DAY 2: Abstract Painting & Texture
- 9:00 am–3:30 pm
DAY 3: Purposeful Play & Color
- 9:00 am–3:30 pm
DAY 4: Taking Risks & Unique Tools
- 9:00 am–3:30 pm
Where to Stay in Santa Fe
- 3 days/18 hours of instruction
- 3 stretched canvases
- Acrylic paint & mediums
- Fabrics, art papers & other materials
- A variety of brushes & palette knives to use
- Apron
- Snacks
- Tea, coffee, carbonated water.
Learn More About the Retreat
Discover your unique abstract voice in an intimate Retreat filled with like-minded painters and guided by an experienced artist who holds nothing back.
"I returned home inspired, with direction and purpose..."
"Quality instruction and inspiration was definitely provided by Andrea. An artist and educator, Andrea gave encouragement and tips for objective evaluation so my inner critic didn’t get the best of me. Color theory, principals of art and design, and texture application with all kinds of tools and mediums were the highlight for me. 3 full days to learn and create is long but a necessary retreat to break down barriers I was experiencing in my own creative expression. I returned home inspired, with direction and purpose and have been painting ever since! I have a show in April!"
" I cannot recommend Andrea highly enough!
"...For four days, I met with her for three hours each day, and we painted, we drew, we discussed, and when things got hard, I told her I couldn't do it, but she pushed me out of my box and coached me through it. I have learned how to draw, how to mix colors, how to create several different types of textures on canvas, how to paint. And I love it! If I ever forget what I learned, that's okay...because Andrea painstakingly took notes for me while I learned, and I still regularly use those notes at home when I paint by myself. Andrea was a high school art teacher, and she draws from best teaching practices to instill in her private students the basic knowledge needed to get started and then, just as importantly, to work independently...."
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