For the first time, I'm sharing my painting techniques and creative process in a 4-day hands-on workshop at PaintSpace NOLA, a destination art studio. If you’ve wanted to learn my approach, work through your compositional and technical challenges, or deepen your own artistic direction, this is your chance. This is an in-person, 4-day workshop in New Orleans from March 1–4, 2027, limited to just 10 participants and open to all levels.
The Art of Restraint: Approaches to Abstract Painting on Paper
Location: PaintSpace NOLA, 1202 Soniat St, New Orleans, LA 70115, USA
Dates: Mar 01 – Mar 04, 2027
Days: 4
Hours: 9:30 AM - 4:30 PM CST
Level: All levels
Class Size: 10 participants
Registration: $1,550
Note: Includes daily lunches and drinks served in the studio
This immersive experience is focused on contemporary approaches to painting and mixed media on paper, guiding you to practice restraint, experiment with diverse techniques, work through your compositional and technical challenges, strengthen your design sensibility, and deepen your artistic expression. The work we make will have a balance between spontaneity and intention, with negative space being just as important as the next mark.
Using watercolor paper as the surface, we will work slowly and with control, explore new techniques, let water lead the way, and tell a story or convey a meaningful place through abstraction. We’ll dive deep into layering and contrast, make bold decisions, and edit your work with intention. You’re encouraged to keep an open mind, let go of expectations, and follow your curiosity.
Each day will begin with a demo and teaching, leaving plenty of time for exploration and extended painting sessions. We will start small and work our way up to larger works, bringing together what you’ve learned while maintaining a balance between control, risk, and restraint. You’ll learn how to get the buckling out of your finished paintings and turn your work on paper into a finished piece ready to hang. The workshop ends with a collective conversation to share personal discoveries and processes from your creative journey.
In this hands-on 4-day workshop, we'll cover:
- Fundamentals of composition, contrast, and color (working with a limited palette)
- Reimagining what you see and simplifying ideas
- Overcoming creative blocks for paintings in progress
- Working with paper (from a roll, deckling the edges, removing the buckling)
- Various painting techniques
- Mark making and finding what speaks to you
- Building depth and interest through layering
- How to practice restraint and not overwork a piece
- How to work at a large scale with confidence
- Reworking paintings through cutting or collaging
- Mounting your painting to a wood panel and sealing it for protection
You’ll leave with a better understanding of how to control paper, a new library of techniques to deepen and further your own visual language and voice, two finished paintings mounted to wood panels, a handful of finished or in-progress works on paper, and a wealth of knowledge.
This workshop is open to artists at all levels who work on paper. A basic understanding of and some experience with abstract painting is required. Painting on canvas will not be covered or used in this workshop.
