Fearless Abstract Painting
Led by Samantha da Silva
Play, experiment, have fun. Step into a space of spontaneous creation where there are no rules and the work is free to unfold in its own way.
Join professional artist, Samantha da Silva as she shares her unorthodox method of painting: rollers rather than brushes, tables instead of easels, generous pours of paint and water, and gentle canvas manipulation. Learn the quiet alchemy of plaster, salt, sand, and wood shavings. Together these elements build ethereal, textured abstracts that feel both grounded and luminous.
Heart-centered conversations will support you in releasing fear, quieting the inner critic, and listening more closely to your intuition as you explore your own voice in a safe, supportive environment. We’ll move through practices such as 6 Questions to Help You Paint Fearless, Compassionate Critiques, and How to Tell When Your Painting Is Finished.
Everyone is considered a beginner. No previous artistic experience is necessary — only an open mind and an open heart.
Please click here for a brief overview & introduction from the Instructor, Supply List and Workshop Schedule.
Program Tuition: $345 (does not include Room & Board)
Join professional artist, Samantha da Silva as she shares her unorthodox method of painting: rollers rather than brushes, tables instead of easels, generous pours of paint and water, and gentle canvas manipulation. Learn the quiet alchemy of plaster, salt, sand, and wood shavings. Together these elements build ethereal, textured abstracts that feel both grounded and luminous.
Heart-centered conversations will support you in releasing fear, quieting the inner critic, and listening more closely to your intuition as you explore your own voice in a safe, supportive environment. We’ll move through practices such as 6 Questions to Help You Paint Fearless, Compassionate Critiques, and How to Tell When Your Painting Is Finished.
Everyone is considered a beginner. No previous artistic experience is necessary — only an open mind and an open heart.
Please click here for a brief overview & introduction from the Instructor, Supply List and Workshop Schedule.
Program Tuition: $345 (does not include Room & Board)
Program Details
Start Date:
End Date:
Categories:
Art
Ghost Ranch Program
Painting
Date & Time Details:
3:00 pm Check in
10:00 am Check out
10:00 am Check out
Location:
Ghost Ranch
Address:
280 1708 Dr, Abiquiu, NM 87510, USA
Contact:
Programs
programs@ghostranch.org
505-685-1000
Email Us About Program
About the Leader
Samantha da Silva
Samantha da Silva (b. 1978, Santos, Brazil) is a Brazilian-born sculptural abstract artist based in Salt Lake City, Utah. A third-generation artist shaped by migration and repeated displacement, her practice uses art as both anchor and map — a way to root herself in new places and transform displacement into creative liberation.
She is best known for large-scale relief sculptures that echo topographic maps and cracked earth, built from locally foraged materials such as iron-rich dirt, Great Salt Lake salt, sawdust, and plaster. Her work explores place, belonging, and the passage of time, and has been exhibited at Gallery MAR, Springville Museum of Art, Utah Museum of Contemporary Art, and Ogden Contemporary Arts. She is the recipient of the 2026 Individual Artist Advancement Grant from the Utah Division of Arts & Museums and the author of Fearless Artistry: A Journey from Doubt to Creative Liberation (2026).
Da Silva has led transformative workshops and retreats across the United States, Canada, Hawaii, Mexico, Costa Rica, and France. Her practice invites participants to move from doubt to fearless expression and to find home within the creative act itself.
She is best known for large-scale relief sculptures that echo topographic maps and cracked earth, built from locally foraged materials such as iron-rich dirt, Great Salt Lake salt, sawdust, and plaster. Her work explores place, belonging, and the passage of time, and has been exhibited at Gallery MAR, Springville Museum of Art, Utah Museum of Contemporary Art, and Ogden Contemporary Arts. She is the recipient of the 2026 Individual Artist Advancement Grant from the Utah Division of Arts & Museums and the author of Fearless Artistry: A Journey from Doubt to Creative Liberation (2026).
Da Silva has led transformative workshops and retreats across the United States, Canada, Hawaii, Mexico, Costa Rica, and France. Her practice invites participants to move from doubt to fearless expression and to find home within the creative act itself.