Learn from the West’s Top Artists

Sorrel Sky Gallery has released a lineup of unique workshops with some of the West's top artists this spring. On March 5 and 6 at its downtown Santa Fe gallery, students will have an opportunity to work with award-winning Navajo jeweler Ray Tracey on the various aspects and techniques of producing a ring. The 2-day workshop is designed for all levels of experience and costs $600 with all materials and tools included.

During the same weekend at the gallery's Durango, Colorado, location, basketweaver Mimi Bonkowske will teach participants her personally developed technique for weaving pine needles gathered near her home in southwest Colorado into works of art, which she often decorates with spirit totems of feathers, stone, wood, bone, beads — even claws. The 2-day workshop costs $350 and includes all supplies needed to make a basket as well as a complete instruction book.

From March 11 – 13, landscape painter Sharon Abshagen will spend three days with students studying and painting the Durango landscape en plein air ($260). From March 18 – 20, Peggy Immel will work with students in Santa Fe using field studies, photographs, and sketches to develop studio landscape paintings ($275.00).

If wildlife is your passion, Edward Aldrich will teach you the tricks to depicting fur and feathers during his 3-day workshop in Durango April 8 – 10 ($395). "Effective painting is the culmination of a vast array of elements and vision," Aldrich says. "The true joy in painting is to be able to effectively use these elements to produce works that really speak to the viewer — to have one's vision come through. Teaching workshops is a wonderful platform to be able to express these vital elements that go into making a great painting."