Andrea Cermanski Art & Santa Fe Painting Workshops

Andrea Cermanski Art & Santa Fe Painting Workshops This page offers tips, lessons and techniques for beginner, intermediate and advanced acrylic abstract artists.

I curate Abstract Painting Workshops and Retreats in my large, sunny studio in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

I’m on the hunt for white 🤍Not the kind that comes in a tube. The kind I can find, collect, process and eventually coax ...
09/03/2026

I’m on the hunt for white 🤍

Not the kind that comes in a tube. The kind I can find, collect, process and eventually coax onto a canvas.

I’ve been working with natural pigments for a long time, and white remains one of the trickier colors to source.

Nature is surprisingly stingy with it 😝

This particular piece of rock caught my attention, so now it’s coming home with me for further investigation.

Which means I foresee a lot of rock banging in my future.

One of the things I love about working with natural pigments is that there’s always a little mystery involved. A stone that looks white in your hand may produce a completely different color once it’s crushed and ground. Warm. Cool. Creamy. Gray. Sometimes beautifully unexpected.

It’s a very different way of thinking about paint.

Instead of asking, “Which color should I buy?”

I’m asking, “What does the landscape have to offer me?”

Now, back to the rocks.

My natural pigments are calling my name.There’s something about this time of year in Santa Fe.Summer is winding down. Th...
09/03/2026

My natural pigments are calling my name.

There’s something about this time of year in Santa Fe.

Summer is winding down. The kids are heading back to school. And I’m finding myself drawn back into the studio 👩🏼‍🎨

Maybe it’s because I’ve spent so much time outdoors this summer, noticing the beauty of the high desert everywhere I turn.

The sandstone 🪨
The grasses 🌾
The weathered textures 🧱
The incredible light 🌄

I want to bring all of it home with me.

Not just as inspiration, but literally! 🤣

My studio is where earth becomes art. Collected sandstone, tumbleweed ash, wood stove charcoal and other materials from the landscape are transformed into the natural pigments that define my work.

I love that the materials I collect from the landscape often echo the things I’m naturally drawn to in a home: natural light, organic texture, quiet beauty and that feeling of being connected to the earth.

It’s one of the reasons I love seeing my paintings find their way into spaces where they can become part of that feeling.

NEW! "Iron Oxide Mountain"
24" x 24" round
Natural Pigments on Panel
Available

If you can see this one in your space, comment ART and I’ll send you the details.

xx
Andrea

One of the best parts of teaching is hearing what happens *after* a student leaves the studio.✉️ This message from my st...
08/26/2026

One of the best parts of teaching is hearing what happens *after* a student leaves the studio.

✉️ This message from my student Cindy made me smile:

“Last weekend the owner of a gallery bought one of my paintings! I was so excited—and also surprised—because I had been stuck on it and was afraid I'd wreck it. After we worked on it at your retreat I knew how to finish it. I kept thinking about what you said about not getting too attached to one area and that helped me make decisions about the painting. I am so grateful for your teaching!”

Of course, I'm thrilled that Cindy sold her painting.

But that's not actually my favorite part of this story.

It's this ⬇️⬇️

She knew how to finish it.

She had been stuck. She was afraid that one more decision might ruin the painting.

Sound familiar?

So many artists tell me some version of:

“I don't know what to do next.”

Or:

“I don't know when it's finished.”

That's the part of abstract painting we don't talk about enough.

You can have a painting you really like—and then keep working because you're not sure why it's working or whether you should leave it alone.

Cindy's breakthrough wasn't learning another technique.

She understood something about the painting that helped her make better decisions.

She stopped getting attached to one area. She could step back, see the whole painting, and decide what it needed next.

🎯 That's what I want for my students in Santa Fe.

Not a suitcase full of new techniques to take home.

I want you to leave with a deeper understanding of your own paintings—and the confidence to make decisions when you get stuck.

If you've been thinking about joining me in Santa Fe, I just opened the dates for my 2027 retreats! 🎉📅

Comment RETREAT for booking.

08/25/2026

One of the hardest things about painting alone is this ⬇️⬇️

You can stare at your canvas for 20 minutes and still think, I don't know what to do next.

Maybe the composition feels off, but you can't tell why. Maybe the color isn't working. Or maybe you actually like the painting... but you're afraid that “one more thing” will be the thing that ruins it.

This is exactly why I love teaching in person 👩🏼‍🎨

When I'm standing next to your canvas, I can help you see what's working, what's not, and—most importantly—why.

And after a few days of doing that together, something starts to shift.

You begin to see those things for yourself 👀

🎨 Painting Beyond Boundaries 2027 retreat dates are now open:

March 1-4
April 12-15
May 10-13
June 14-17
September 13-16
October 4-7

Each retreat begins with a private half-day tour of the galleries on Canyon Road, followed by three full days of painting in my Santa Fe studio—with soaring ceilings, beautiful natural light, and just 4–8 painters. I provide most of the supplies, too, so you don’t have to haul your entire studio to Santa Fe.

We work with color, composition, texture, layering, and the foundational principles behind strong abstract paintings. But we're also constantly looking at your actual work together.

What's working here?

Why does this area feel unresolved?

Does this painting need something more—or is it time to leave it alone?

The goal is for you to leave with a stronger eye, more confidence in your decisions, and a clearer sense of what to do next.

I keep these retreats small on purpose so everyone gets plenty of personal feedback. If you've been thinking about coming to Santa Fe to paint with me, take a look at the 2027 dates and see which one works for you.

Comment RETREAT for booking 🖌️

08/20/2026

💬 "I never know when my painting is finished.”

If you've ever said this, you're not alone.

Knowing when to stop is one of the hardest parts of abstract painting.

You see something you like, so you add a little more.

Then something feels off, so you fix it.

Then you fix the thing you just fixed.

And suddenly the painting that had so much promise feels overworked.

I've been there. And so have countless artists I've taught.

❌ The answer isn't simply learning to stop.❌

It's learning to see what the painting needs.

Inside the Abstract Landscape Challenge, I'll show you how to recognize when your composition is balanced, when your focal point is working, when your color relationships are doing what you want them to do, and when your painting is telling you, enough.

You'll also learn the principles behind those decisions, so you're not just learning how to finish this painting.

You're learning how to make better decisions in the next one.

And the one after that.

Because the goal isn't to have someone tell you when your painting is finished.

It's to develop the confidence to know for yourself.

The Abstract Landscape Challenge begins August 24.

Join me for just $10.

Come paint, experiment, and learn to trust your artistic decisions.

Comment LANDSCAPE for the 🔗🎨

08/18/2026

Before you buy another tube of paint, try this.

I love Golden's Green Gold color. It’s luminous, transparent, and beautiful in landscapes.

But you don’t necessarily need to buy it.

In today’s new YouTube video, I’ll show you how to mix a very similar Green Gold using colors you may already have—and, more importantly, I’ll show you why the mixture works.

Because once you understand what a color is doing, you can start mixing what you need instead of buying another tube every time.

Comment MIX and learn how to mix your own green-gold.👇

And if you’re joining me for the Abstract Landscape Challenge, consider this your head start! 🎨

We’ll be using this beautiful yellow-green in the Challenge, so watch the video, mix yours ahead of time, and you’ll be ready to paint with me.

Haven’t joined us yet? We start in a week!

👀 You already know how to paint what you see. But painting a landscape in a way that feels like you? That's a completel...
08/16/2026

👀 You already know how to paint what you see.

But painting a landscape in a way that feels like you? That's a completely different skill.

And this is where so many artists get stuck with abstraction.

You have the technical ability. You understand color. You can draw. You know how to mix paint.

But when you try to loosen up, you find yourself going right back to what you know.

Trees become trees.
Mountains become mountains.
And suddenly your "abstract landscape " looks an awful lot like the reference photo you started with.

💬 If you've ever thought, "I want to loosen up, but I don't know how to get there", you're not alone.

The Abstract Landscape Challenge is designed to help you make that shift.

Over 4 days, I'll guide you step by step through creating an abstract landscape while showing you why I'm making the decisions I'm making, so you're not just following along. You're learning how to make those decisions for yourself.

We'll explore how to translate a sense of place into color, shape, movement, and atmosphere without simply copying what you see.

Because abstraction isn't throwing away everything you know.

It's about understanding the principles well enough that you can make different choices.

That's where the freedom comes in.

And that's where your painting starts becoming your own.

📅 We begin August 24.

Four guided painting lessons, creative meditation, live masterclass and live Q&A sessions all for $10.

Reserve your spot and let's paint! 👩🏼‍🎨

Comment landscape for the 🔗

08/14/2026

If your abstract landscapes feel muddy or too realistic, you're in the right place 📍

You may know how to paint. Maybe you've taken classes. Maybe you've watched plenty of tutorials.

And yet, when you stand in front of a blank canvas, you still find yourself wondering:

Where do I begin?
What does this painting need?
Is it working?
When do I stop?

If you've ever thought, “I don't know why it worked,” after making a painting you love—or found yourself saying, “One more thing…” and then wishing you hadn't—you are not alone.

This is the messy middle of learning abstraction.

The problem isn't that you don't have enough techniques.

It's that you need to understand 👉🏼 why a painting works, why it doesn't, and what to do next.

💥That's exactly what we'll work on inside my Abstract Landscape Challenge.

Over four days, I'll guide you through creating an abstract landscape while showing you the why behind the decisions, not simply telling you what to paint.

We'll look at:
✓ how to create luminous color
✓ how to establish a strong focal point
✓ how to find the balance between looseness and control
✓ how to recognize when your painting is finished.

Because here's the truth: when you understand the principles behind your decisions, you don't have to keep guessing.

You start seeing what your painting needs.

And that's when you can begin trusting your own judgment.

📅The challenge begins August 24.

Join me for four days of painting, learning, and creative exploration for just $10.

If you're ready to stop guessing and start understanding how abstraction works, join today!

Comment LANDSCAPE for the 🔗

Here's the truth: most abstract paintings don't fail because of talent. They fail because nobody explained the *why* beh...
08/14/2026

Here's the truth: most abstract paintings don't fail because of talent. They fail because nobody explained the *why* behind the decisions.

You follow a tutorial step by step, and it still doesn't look right 😕

You know something's off, but you can't name it 🤔

That's not a talent problem — it's a principles problem, and it's exactly what I want to fix with you at the end of August! ✨

I'd love for you to join me for the Abstract Landscape Challenge, four days of guided painting where I don't just show you what to do — I explain why it works, so you can use it in EVERY painting after this one.

Here's what you'll get for just $10:

🎨 Four guided painting lessons — building one confident step at a time, from a blank canvas to a finished abstract landscape

🧘‍♀️ A creative meditation to quiet your inner critic before you even pick up a brush

💬 Three live Q&A sessions — ask me anything about your painting, the challenge, or my process

When: August 24–28, 2026 
(Welcome Party on Zoom, Friday, August 21)

Investment: Just $10

By the end, you'll understand why some paintings feel balanced, expressive, and alive — and yours will too. Not because you copied mine, but because you'll finally know the principles behind it.

Comment "LANDSCAPE" to reserve your spot.

You're closer than you think.

Here's to bold brushstrokes!

xx
Andrea

"The Flowers Within Us" — Sold 🤍We all carry a little garden within us, and I'm grateful that this one found its person....
08/11/2026

"The Flowers Within Us" — Sold 🤍

We all carry a little garden within us, and I'm grateful that this one found its person.

👉🏼 Discover more abstracted floral paintings at andreacermanski.com.

Address

1235 Siler Lane Unit F
Santa Fe, NM
87505

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 5pm
Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm
Sunday 10am - 5pm

Telephone

+15054906232

Website

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