Paint Big- September 2025 ~ 3 Full Days- Santa Fe, NM

$785.00

Paint Big – Santa Fe, NM

September 5–7, 2025 | 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM Daily
3 Full Days | $785 | All Materials Provided
Limited to 8 Participants
Location: Lauren’s 1,000 sq. ft. private studio, just 10 minutes from the Santa Fe Plaza

Step Boldly Into Large-Scale Painting

Now in its 9th year, Paint Big is Lauren’s most celebrated workshop—a dynamic, immersive experience that invites you to work fearlessly on a large canvas using mixed media. Whether you're an intermediate or advanced artist, this class is designed to gently push boundaries, stir up creativity, and unlock bold new approaches to your art practice.

Over three full days in beautiful Santa Fe, you’ll create a powerful large-scale painting (approx. 60” x 60”), with all materials provided—including your unstretched canvas, paints, collage tools, and more. You’ll also gain access to Lauren’s Paint Big Video Course, a virtual resource to revisit long after the workshop ends.

What to Expect

Over the course of three immersive days in Lauren’s inspiring Santa Fe studio, you’ll experience a powerful blend of structure, freedom, experimentation, and support—designed to reconnect you with the intuitive joy of making art on a grand scale.

Day 1: Enter the Creative Zone

We’ll begin by grounding ourselves with a series of loose, idea-generating exercises that spark imagination and gently nudge you out of your usual rhythm. Lauren will guide you through:

  • Tapping into your personal symbols and visual language

  • Exploring color, shape, and mark-making with energy and play

  • Working intuitively across a large canvas, embracing scale and movement

Expect to let go of “preciousness” and start building a foundation of expressive layers using mixed-media tools provided in the studio—from oil sticks and pastels to acrylics, collage, and beyond.

Day 2: Deepen, Layer & Expand

With your canvas already in motion, Day Two is about building momentum and complexity.

  • Add, subtract, and refine through cutting, pasting, painting, scraping, drawing, and editing

  • Learn to make bold decisions while also trusting the slower evolution of form

  • Explore contrast, composition, color relationships, and textural nuance

  • Receive individual guidance from Lauren to help refine your process and clarify your visual voice

This is a day to stretch—physically, creatively, and conceptually.

Day 3: Refine, Resolve, and Reflect

The final day focuses on integrating everything you’ve discovered. With Lauren’s support, you’ll begin to bring your piece into a state of completion—or creative pause—by:

  • Fine-tuning your composition with attention to shape, rhythm, and balance

  • Exploring personal narrative, symbolism, and storytelling within the work

  • Reflecting on your process and learning how to carry these techniques forward into your own studio practice

We'll wrap with a shared viewing of each artist’s work, celebrating what’s emerged over these three days of brave, big, and beautiful painting.

SEE THE FULL DESCRIPTION + DETAILS BELOW

Paint Big – Santa Fe, NM

September 5–7, 2025 | 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM Daily
3 Full Days | $785 | All Materials Provided
Limited to 8 Participants
Location: Lauren’s 1,000 sq. ft. private studio, just 10 minutes from the Santa Fe Plaza

Step Boldly Into Large-Scale Painting

Now in its 9th year, Paint Big is Lauren’s most celebrated workshop—a dynamic, immersive experience that invites you to work fearlessly on a large canvas using mixed media. Whether you're an intermediate or advanced artist, this class is designed to gently push boundaries, stir up creativity, and unlock bold new approaches to your art practice.

Over three full days in beautiful Santa Fe, you’ll create a powerful large-scale painting (approx. 60” x 60”), with all materials provided—including your unstretched canvas, paints, collage tools, and more. You’ll also gain access to Lauren’s Paint Big Video Course, a virtual resource to revisit long after the workshop ends.

What to Expect

Over the course of three immersive days in Lauren’s inspiring Santa Fe studio, you’ll experience a powerful blend of structure, freedom, experimentation, and support—designed to reconnect you with the intuitive joy of making art on a grand scale.

Day 1: Enter the Creative Zone

We’ll begin by grounding ourselves with a series of loose, idea-generating exercises that spark imagination and gently nudge you out of your usual rhythm. Lauren will guide you through:

  • Tapping into your personal symbols and visual language

  • Exploring color, shape, and mark-making with energy and play

  • Working intuitively across a large canvas, embracing scale and movement

Expect to let go of “preciousness” and start building a foundation of expressive layers using mixed-media tools provided in the studio—from oil sticks and pastels to acrylics, collage, and beyond.

Day 2: Deepen, Layer & Expand

With your canvas already in motion, Day Two is about building momentum and complexity.

  • Add, subtract, and refine through cutting, pasting, painting, scraping, drawing, and editing

  • Learn to make bold decisions while also trusting the slower evolution of form

  • Explore contrast, composition, color relationships, and textural nuance

  • Receive individual guidance from Lauren to help refine your process and clarify your visual voice

This is a day to stretch—physically, creatively, and conceptually.

Day 3: Refine, Resolve, and Reflect

The final day focuses on integrating everything you’ve discovered. With Lauren’s support, you’ll begin to bring your piece into a state of completion—or creative pause—by:

  • Fine-tuning your composition with attention to shape, rhythm, and balance

  • Exploring personal narrative, symbolism, and storytelling within the work

  • Reflecting on your process and learning how to carry these techniques forward into your own studio practice

We'll wrap with a shared viewing of each artist’s work, celebrating what’s emerged over these three days of brave, big, and beautiful painting.

SEE THE FULL DESCRIPTION + DETAILS BELOW

What to Bring / Packing List

All core materials are provided, but we recommend bringing the following to enhance your experience and comfort:

Essentials:

  • Apron or painting clothes (things you don’t mind getting messy!)

  • Comfortable shoes (you’ll be on your feet and moving around)

  • Water bottle + snacks/lunch (we’ll take a midday break, fridge available )

  • Notebook or sketchbook for notes and visual journaling

  • Any personal ephemera, photocopies, or collage materials you may want to incorporate (optional)

  • A few favorite brushes or tools if you like to work with specific items (optional)

  • Materials Provided

    Lauren’s studio will be fully stocked and ready for creative exploration. Materials include:

    • Large, unstretched canvas (approx. 60” x 60”)

    • Heavyweight painting paper

    • Acrylic paints

    • Gesso and gel mediums

    • Pastels, oil pastels, oil sticks

    • Collage materials

    • Brushes, scrapers, brayers, palette knives, rags, and more

    • Easels, tables, and plenty of space to work

    • Access to water and cleanup stations

    You'll also receive:

    • Access to the Paint Big Virtual Video Course (sent prior to the workshop)

    • A take-home piece you can roll up (shipping guidance available)

    • Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

      Q: Is this workshop suitable for beginners?
      A: Paint Big is designed for intermediate to advanced artists, or those with some painting experience. If you’re new but adventurous and open to intuitive, process-based work, you’re welcome!

      Q: Can I ship my painting home?
      A: Yes—your large canvas can be rolled and shipped. We’ll offer guidance and local shipping resources if needed.

      Q: What’s the studio like?
      A: Lauren’s studio is a spacious, 1,000 sq. ft. light-filled space located 10 minutes from downtown Santa Fe. It’s stocked with all materials, has natural skylights, and is surrounded by inspiration.

      Q: Where should I stay?
      A: There are a range of Airbnb and hotel options nearby. Contact Lauren after registering to receive a list of suggested accommodations.

      Q: What’s the cancellation policy?
      A: Please refer to the registration page or contact Lauren directly with cancellation questions.

 
 
 

TESTIMONIALS 

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE

I spent the first week of May in Santa Fe, my third art retreat with my friend Diane. We immersed ourselves in journaling, painting, visiting galleries and talking non-stop about art, creative process and our challenges, desires and directions.

We set up the dining room table in our condo as our pre and post-class painting area. We'd wake up in the morning, eat, dress, go to the workshop and paint big, eat, then have a glass of wine or cup of tea and paint small until we went to bed.

Each day in the workshop I created (pretty much) a whole new painting. On the previous day's painting!

One of the most valuable parts of a workshop like this one is working alongside other artists. It really brought it home that I am not the only one who experiences highs and lows as I create. Almost every artist in the room had to reinvent each day. They took risks that didn't work, then reinvented and tried something else. It was amazing to both observe and participate in that process, because even though I invent and reinvent on my own in my studio, the sheer scale of a whole room full of artists doing the same alongside me was incredible. Such intense energy!

All the stimulation and perceptions from the week are still percolating inside. As my considerations lead to insights about where my art practice is heading and why, I'll share some of them with you.

-Jeanne Beck

 

Painting Big with Lauren Mantecon

I visited Santa Fe at the end of April specifically to take Lauren Mantecon's Painting Big/Anything Goes workshop at her studio. It was an enlightening and productive experience - much to recommend for all painters. Lauren is a wonderful instructor who knows how to guide but not hover. I highly recommend any of her classes.

-Diane S

 

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