Beginner-friendly plaster & pigment workshop exploring texture, layering, and sculptural painting. **About the Workshop** Texture & Tension is a contemporary abstract art workshop focused on working with plaster, pigment, and layered surfaces. Rather than copying a finished image, participants explore how material, pressure, and restraint shape an artwork. You'll begin with small experimental surfaces to understand how plaster behaves — how thickness, carving, scraping, and layering create tension in a composition. From there, you'll move to your final canvas and develop your own abstract piece. The workshop is guided but open-ended, allowing each participant to discover their own visual language through material exploration. Expect a calm studio environment with focused making, quiet music, and natural light. No prior experience is required. **What This Workshop Is (and Isn't)** V Open to complete beginners V Focused on contemporary abstraction V Guided, but not step-by-step imitation V Calm, serious studio atmosphere × Not a paint & wine night × Not decorative crafting × Not about "talent" **What It Feels Like** You'll begin by experimenting with plaster and pigment on small test surfaces, discovering how thickness, texture, and pressure change the result. Then you'll move to your final canvas. You'll layer. You'll carve. You'll subtract. You'll decide when to stop. The room stays focused and steady. Music low. Natural light. Hands moving. You don't need to know what you're making in advance. The surface will guide you. **Workshop Structure** Material Exploration Test plaster textures, palette knife techniques, and pigment mixing. Surface Construction Build raised areas, embed material, and create depth. Subtraction & Tension Scrape back. Carve lines. Reveal lower layers. Learn how restraint creates strength. A Moment to Pause We close with a short silent viewing. You'll see how differently everyone approached the same material. There is no critique. Only observation. What You'll Leave With • One textured abstract artwork on canvas • Experience working with plaster and pigment • A deeper understanding of texture in contemporary abstraction