Fearless Abstract Painting Workshop
Join professional artist Samantha daSilva as she shares her unique method of painting: Rollers rather than brushes, tables instead of easels, lots of paint and water, canvas manipulation and plaster, salt, sand and wood shavings to create ethereal, textured abstract paintings. Let go of fear, silence your inner critic, tune into your intuition, and explore your own artistic style in a safe and supportive environment.
Through these wonderfully liberating and addictive techniques, your inner creativity (often dormant or silenced by many layers of “realistic”, linear-type thinking) begins to blossom, grow, and bring balance to your everyday life, reminding us that there is a creative source in all of us.
No previous experience necessary, just an open mind and an open heart.
* Fearless Metallics Workshop is a modern twist to using metallic paints, powders & gold leaf
** Fearless Decay Workshop incorporates collage, newspapers & paint scrapers to create "distressed", weathered & antique paint surfaces
Through these wonderfully liberating and addictive techniques, your inner creativity (often dormant or silenced by many layers of “realistic”, linear-type thinking) begins to blossom, grow, and bring balance to your everyday life, reminding us that there is a creative source in all of us.
No previous experience necessary, just an open mind and an open heart.
* Fearless Metallics Workshop is a modern twist to using metallic paints, powders & gold leaf
** Fearless Decay Workshop incorporates collage, newspapers & paint scrapers to create "distressed", weathered & antique paint surfaces
Workshop Outline | 2-days
1. Philosophy
"Begin. The process of creating evolves into ideas."
2. Materials Overview
Deep VS Thin profile canvas
Artist VS Student quality paint
3. How to Begin
Setting your intention
Toning your canvas
4. Fearless Abstract Painting Foundational Techniques
Using nature as a starting point
Paint application with a roller
Using water to blend colors
Canvas manipulation
Paper towels to lift & transfer color
5. Texture
Modelling Paste VS Gloss gel
Plaster
How to make your own mediums using salt, sand & sawdust
6. How to Create Depth in Your Paintings
Glazes VS Washes
7. Varnishing Like a Pro
"Begin. The process of creating evolves into ideas."
2. Materials Overview
Deep VS Thin profile canvas
Artist VS Student quality paint
3. How to Begin
Setting your intention
Toning your canvas
4. Fearless Abstract Painting Foundational Techniques
Using nature as a starting point
Paint application with a roller
Using water to blend colors
Canvas manipulation
Paper towels to lift & transfer color
5. Texture
Modelling Paste VS Gloss gel
Plaster
How to make your own mediums using salt, sand & sawdust
6. How to Create Depth in Your Paintings
Glazes VS Washes
7. Varnishing Like a Pro
What Is Fearless Abstract Painting?
Fearless Abstract Painting is both philosophy and technique. The philosophy is simple: "The process of creating evolves into ideas."
You might ask: “You mean, I don’t need an idea before I begin?”
Precisely! Contrary to popular belief, you do not need an idea before you begin to paint. The process of creating will evolve into an idea.
“OK. But what exactly does that mean?”
As a fourth generation artist, I was no stranger to the creative process. I was encouraged to indulge in all things creative from a very early age. But as the years went on, I became like so many of the artists I meet today: Paralyzed by fear.
Fear of the blank canvas
Fear you don't know how to begin
Fear you can't draw
Fear that your idea isn’t good enough
Fear that your idea had not only been done before, but done better by somebody else
Fear that due to your lack of technical skill, you would not be able to give the idea that’s in your head, shape and form on the canvas
Fear that your work will be judged
Fear that your work will be ridiculed
Fear that you will have “proof” that you aren’t a real artist (or creative) after all
Well, it’s no wonder that there is so much fear in art! We put so much pressure and the burden of expectations on ourselves! Enter Fearless Abstract Painting: no easels, no brushes, no pallets, no colour wheel and no preconceived ideas.
"What? Really? How is that possible?"
Yes! And it’s wonderfully liberating. And addictive. When you push the paint around, add water, tilt the canvas and play the process begins to take shape into an idea. Our inner creativity (often dormant or silenced by many layers of “realistic”, linear-type thinking) begins to blossom, grow, and bring balance back into our lives, reminding us that there is a creative source in all of us.
I’ve seen it thousands of times. Most haven’t picked up a brush (much less a roller!) since kindergarten, or they’ve been painting for years but they feel rigid and stiff. The result is that they begin to paint and think in a whole new different way when they use the Fearless Abstract Painting method. Snap!
You might ask: “You mean, I don’t need an idea before I begin?”
Precisely! Contrary to popular belief, you do not need an idea before you begin to paint. The process of creating will evolve into an idea.
“OK. But what exactly does that mean?”
As a fourth generation artist, I was no stranger to the creative process. I was encouraged to indulge in all things creative from a very early age. But as the years went on, I became like so many of the artists I meet today: Paralyzed by fear.
Fear of the blank canvas
Fear you don't know how to begin
Fear you can't draw
Fear that your idea isn’t good enough
Fear that your idea had not only been done before, but done better by somebody else
Fear that due to your lack of technical skill, you would not be able to give the idea that’s in your head, shape and form on the canvas
Fear that your work will be judged
Fear that your work will be ridiculed
Fear that you will have “proof” that you aren’t a real artist (or creative) after all
Well, it’s no wonder that there is so much fear in art! We put so much pressure and the burden of expectations on ourselves! Enter Fearless Abstract Painting: no easels, no brushes, no pallets, no colour wheel and no preconceived ideas.
"What? Really? How is that possible?"
Yes! And it’s wonderfully liberating. And addictive. When you push the paint around, add water, tilt the canvas and play the process begins to take shape into an idea. Our inner creativity (often dormant or silenced by many layers of “realistic”, linear-type thinking) begins to blossom, grow, and bring balance back into our lives, reminding us that there is a creative source in all of us.
I’ve seen it thousands of times. Most haven’t picked up a brush (much less a roller!) since kindergarten, or they’ve been painting for years but they feel rigid and stiff. The result is that they begin to paint and think in a whole new different way when they use the Fearless Abstract Painting method. Snap!