“Bold & Glow in Watercolor” in Santa Fe
Instructor: Rehann Vazid
May 16-21, 2027
Workshop Overview
This workshop is designed to help artists break through hesitation and discover the power of bold painting. Through gestural brushwork, strong composition and unapologetic color, participants will learn to trust their instincts and find their visual voice in watercolor.
Open to artists at all levels who want to level-up their technique and confidence. Beginners will discover essential watercolor basics; advanced painters will push into greater boldness and paint more like yourself.
What you’ll learn
- Bold Brushwork. Let go of fear and embrace confident strokes that carry energy and clarity.
- Glow of Watercolor. Explore how to harness clean pigments, transparency and timing to capture luminosity in skies and water.
- Color with Courage. Experiment with limited palettes, explore warm vs. cool contrasts and push pigments to reveal vibrancy without muddiness.
- Techniques for Light. Dropping clean colour into wet washes, colour harmony & avoiding overwork.
Workshop Structure
Instead of treating watercolor as “one skill,” we break it into distinct, learnable parts. These micro-skills are anchored throughout the Southwest landscape and taught through
- Live demonstrations
- Plein Air Painting
- Guided sessions
- Personalised one-on-one feedback
Key Topics Covered
1. Seeing & Design
- Big shapes, placement, horizon, focal point
- Simplifying complex scenes
- What to leave out
2. Value & Tone in Watercolour
- Organising the painting through light, mid, dark
- Learning tonal hierarchies
- Painting the strong colours of twilight without losing subtlety
3. Colour Harmony & Temperature
- Learn the foundations of the color wheel
- Explore warm vs. cool temperature relationships
- Discover harmonious color combinations
- Use limited palettes to create more colours
- Practice mixing neutrals for subtlety and softness
- Build your core “color vocabulary” for the rest of the retreat
4. Drawing & Simplification
- Proportion and perspective (light-touch)
- Contour and big-shape accuracy
- Using drawing as a guide, not a foundation.
5. Water Control
- Timing (wet, damp, dry)
- Types of washes: flat, graded, variegated
- Colour Consistency: tea / milk / cream / butter
6. Brushwork & Edges
- Calligraphic & expressive strokes
- Edge control: soft, lost, hard
7. Bringing Colour & Light Together
- Use warm–cool contrast to create radiance and depth
- Learn how grays add atmosphere and mood
- Blend colours to create luminous transitions
- Combine neutrals and saturated hues for balance
- Apply temperature shifts to evoke twilight & daylight
- Create paintings that GLOW, where colour and light work together, something more than just pigment on paper.
Artist Rehann Vazid
Rehann’s artistic practice explores the dynamic and expressive potential of watercolour. After a 15-year career in product design, he transitioned to become a full-time artist and instructor. He is known for his innovative use of colour and his ability to capture natural light and atmosphere in his work. He regularly conducts workshops for art institutions across Australia and internationally. His teaching often focuses on developing intuitive painting skills, painting fearlessly and understanding how to create luminosity in watercolor.
Space is very limited (max 15 participants).
Samples of Rehann Vazid’s Art
Itinerary
Santa Fe is one of America’s most historic, artistic, and fascinating cities.
Known as “The City Different,” the nation’s oldest state capital city is a place unlike in other in the world.
There are scores of art galleries, restaurants, places to shop as well as a dozen museums featuring culture, history and traditions of this region and the world.
Santa Fe feels like a giant art museum, given how much amazing creativity is all around the city.
Day 1 (May 16): Orientation Meeting and Welcome Dinner
Meet your fellow travelers, your instructor and your tour leader, at our selected hotel in Santa Fe for our orientation meeting at 5pm on day 1.
We will go over the schedule for the workshop and treat you for a welcome dinner to celebrate the beginning of a week full of laughter, painting and new friendships.
Days 2 and 3: Painting in Santa Fe and in the Studio
Highlights include the oldest house in Santa Fe, the renowned galleries along Canyon Road, the historic mission, and the stunning Basilica. These sites will provide you with endless inspiration.
Colored door striking on adobe buildings
Charming adobe-constructed buildings
San Miguel Mission, oldest church in the US
Wonderful art galleries on Canyon Rd
Colored art everywhere
Indigenous culture of the South West
Day 4: On Georgia O’Keeffe’s footsteps in Ghost Ranch
We will spend the day painting on site, with a midday break for lunch. You will have the rare opportunity to work en plein air in the same dramatic desert landscape that inspired Georgia O’Keeffe, surrounded by expansive views, striking rock formations, and exceptional light.
Day 5: Show and Share and Farewell Dinner
The sketching workshop will conclude with a “Show and Share,” offering a moment to celebrate the work created before our farewell dinner.
Yet this isn’t the end—you’ll leave with lasting memories and new friendships forged over days of painting together.
Day 6 (May 21): Departure
It is time to say goodbye but hopefully we will meet again. You can leave at your convenience or extend your stay to enjoy this wonderful place. If you live close to Santa Fe, you can leave the night before after the farewell dinner.
Accommodation
(not included in the price of the workshop)
We have selected a very charming hotel located only 2 blocks from the main plaza.
The tour leaders as well as the art instructor will stay there. We recommend that you stay with the group at the hotel so you can access our studio to paint whenever you want.
We have booked some rooms for the group at a discounted price. Once you have registered, you will receive an email with the hotel info and how to book at the group rate. You need to call the hotel directly in order to get the discounted price. The hotel will not charge your card. They offer free cancellation until 5 days prior to the workshop. However, because of the limited number of rooms we were able to secure, please do not book a room if you are unsure you will stay there.
The air-conditioned rooms are designed with Spanish art work and include amenities such as free Wi-FI, bathrobes and refrigerators. Cable TVs, coffee makers and ironing facilities are provided.
They also offer free full breakfast and free parking.
Price varies with the dates and type of rooms: it starts at $199 + tax for a traditional room.
FAQs
How do I get to Santa Fe?
Fly into the Albuquerque International Airport, a 45 minute drive away from Santa Fe:
At the airport you can choose from more than seven car rental agencies.
There is also the Santa Fe Municipal Airport but it only boasts daily direct flights from Denver, Dallas or Phoenix. Once you’ve arrived, you can find two car rental agencies right at the Santa Fe airport.
What hotel is the group staying at?
Is there a discount at the hotel booked for the group?
Are we painting in the studio or outdoor?
How much painting will we do?
How many participants will be in the class?
Is much walking required?
Pricing and Booking
Pricing Details
The maximum number of participants is 15.
Price: $1,690
The hotel is not included.
How to Book
Payments
- A $600 nonrefundable deposit is due at booking ($300 transferable to a future workshop; see cancellation policy below).
- The remaining balance is due 3 months before departure, with flexible payment plans available.
- Pay by credit card (2.9% fee) or ACH/bank transfer (no fee) through our secure system.
Price includes
- A welcome reception
- 2 dinners: one welcome dinner on day 1 and one farewell dinner on day 5
- All art classes (daily demos, one-on-one support and instructions)
- Transportation and entrance to Ghost Ranch
- A tour leader throughout the week
- Use of a studio
Price excludes
- Your hotel. We have booked some rooms for the participants interested in staying at the hotel where the teacher and the tour leaders are staying. Once you have registered, you will get an automatic reply with the the hotel name and how to book at the group rate.
- Some meals (the ones not listed as included)
- Painting supplies
- Tour leader tips
Cancellation Policy
| If you cancel: | Cancellation Fee per Person |
|---|---|
| more than 90 days before departure | $300 can be transferred to another trip with a departure date within 2 years of cancellation date |
| 61-90 days before departure | 50% of total cost forfeited |
| 31-60 days before departure | 75% of total cost forfeited |
| 0-30 days before departure | 100% of total cost forfeited |
| If French Escapade cancels | you get a full refund |