Artistry with Clay & Lime

Number of Students: up to 15

Cost: $900

​The Project

During this six-day workshop we will cover the essentials of natural and earthen plasters and dive deeper into the more specific finishes for your home. Each participant will have their own practice panel to learn these methods with ease and repetition.

This workshop will cover a large range of natural wall finishes including:

• Simple clay & lime basecoats

• Smoothed and polished clay finishes

• Clay paint

• Lime finishes & fresco

• Stabilized exterior plasters

This course is suitable for both beginners and experts. You will learn everything from the basics such as finding soil, how to compose a mix, and applying that mix all the way to fine finish techniques of polished clay and lime. You will leave with a confidence and understanding of how to coat walls in your own home with beautiful, creative finishes.

During every workshop we make time for specific issues related to individual situations. This usually includes a careful look at different climates and regions, living with families or in communities, dealing with the building code, physical and financial challenges, appropriate technologies and more.

About Athena

Athena Steen grew up building with clay and adobe. She loves creating sculpted spaces that connect form with function, and walls rich with pattern, texture and color. Through the Canelo Project, a small non-profit organization, Athena and Bill, her husband, have been teaching workshops for over thirty years, in strawbale construction and earthen building. Focused on simple, low-skill, low-cost methods that build community between people, culture and nature. Co-authors of “The Straw Bale House,” “Small Strawbale,” and “Built by Hand," Their influence in the natural building world has been widespread. When Athena does not have her hands in the mud, she also enjoys publishing and designing books.

Oso, her son and co-teacher for this workshop, has been immersed in natural building, including working with clay. He has built several clay-plastered strawbale, adobe, and timber frame structures from start to finish. He is an excellent hands-on teacher.

About the Site

Rosewater Ranch is a 130-acre property and community 30 minutes northwest of Reno with gardens, orchards, goats and chickens, a mushroom growing business, developed permaculture aspects, an earthen cabin and pizza oven. It is set on a verdant north slope against public lands offering a gateway to mountains, forest and trails.

The area is in the high desert on the western edge of the Great Basin. The weather in June is usually warm, clear, and sunny during the days with much cooler nights. It can get hot and rain is unlikely.

Lodging and Meals

Campsites, van and RV sites are available at the site and are included with the workshop. Guests are welcome to arrive during the afternoon of Sunday, August 31st. Hot showers are on-site.

Delicious home-cooked meals, coffee and tea are provided and will be vegetarian with occasional meat options.

Registration, Payment, & Refunds

This workshop requires a $400 deposit to hold your space. When a deposit is made, Kyle will reach out to you, welcome you to the course, and get you in the email loop with all the details.

Go here to make a Venmo deposit or send a check for $400 made out to Cobitat and mailed to 2055 McCloud Avenue, Reno, NV 89512. Full payments are also gladly accepted.

Deposit is refundable (minus $50 for books and mailing cost if they’ve already been shipped to you) until 6 weeks before the start of the class. If you cancel with less than six weeks before the start of the class and your spot can be filled, we will issue a refund minus book costs. If it can’t be filled, your deposit will not be refunded.

Full payment is requested by two weeks before the start of the class.