Abstracted Botanicals 4-Day Workshop with Roberta Ahrens

This 4-day Cracked Linen Canvas and Abstracted Botanicals Workshop takes place April 20-23, 2024 at Willow Pond SLO, a 14-acre property on the Central Coast of California. The workshop is a journey into individual expression on an intriguing surface material, with emphasis on making plaster-embedded canvas or cracked linen. Each layer builds density and texture as you manipulate the surface with purposeful intention. You will learn to manipulate and master the plaster-embedded substrate to align with your vision, then translate a favorite botanical image onto your 2' x 2' square canvas, with the option of introducing gold or silver leaf. Final details may be carved into the plaster with a Dremel tool.

Instructor Roberta Ahrens is one of Northern California's Master Decorative Painters and Fine Artists with over 30 years of experience in the application of classic and contemporary painted finishes in the San Francisco Bay area. You will become familiar with her specific plaster mix, stretch and make your own 2' x 2' piece of cracked linen. You will work and experiment with how to transfer your image in light or dark environments using transfer and projection techniques. She will help you create a balanced abstraction of your image and bring the piece to completion. Completed pieces will be ready for framing in traditional and non-traditional applications, and can be hung as tapestries or presented in a variety of ways.

The workshop is open to beginner to advanced artists with basic art skills. Cost is $1,237, which includes lunch.