Natural Plaster and Alíz Workshop with Carole Crews


October 24th - 27th 2025




This October celebrated natural builder and artist Carole Crews will be teaching a 4 day workshop on the art of natural plaster, wild pigments, and alíz - a traditional clay slip paint used on the interior of adobe walls. We will finish the rough earth block walls of our library with clay plaster before applying an alíz made from wild harvested pigments. We are honored to have the opportunity to learn this ancient and essential skill from Carole and look forward to welcoming her to SCA this Fall where we will work together to apply these techniques to the interior of our new library. 

“As a child growing up in Ranchos de Taos in the 50’s, Carole Crews lived in an old adobe house and became familiar with earthen building at a young age. After earning an art degree from UT Austin in 1972, she returned to New Mexico and began building and experimenting with earthen materials used as art supplies to make murals and movable panels. Later, she and Lori Lawyer collaborated to develop new aliz formulas and started the business, “Gourmet Adobe”, through which Carole made her living for many years. After building an off-grid adobe dome, she taught these techniques to a generation of Natural Builders through workshops, colloquia and her book, Clay Culture: Plasters, Paints and Preservation.

At the School of Constructive Arts we combine hands-on education with detailed instruction to empower people to build resilient homes and communities that are healthy for people and the environment. Our goal is to offer robust classroom education in parallel to hands-on experience in a range of construction methodologies. In addition to the expertise shared by Carole, we may informally cover compressed earth block construction and other regenerative design topics. Take your education off-line and off-grid.  Learn the ancient art and cutting edge science of building with the earth. 





What's Included?


If you register for the full 4-day workshop, breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be provided all 4 days and dinner will be provided the night before the workshop begins (Thursday October 23rd). If you register through the single-day option (1, 2, or 3 days), all meals will be provided for the days you choose and dinner will be provided the night before you arrive. There are other food options available at the Terlingua Ranch Lodge and in the Terlingua Ghost Town.

Workshop Itinerary


The workshop will begin early the morning of the 24th and conclude in the afternoon of the 27th. Each morning we will begin working at 9AM sharp. If you are traveling from out of the region, please plan to arrive the evening of Thursday October 23rd. If you are not attending the entire workshop, please plan to arrive the evening before the day you register for.

Day 1 - Friday - October 24th:
Learn to mix and apply a one-coat plaster.

Day 2 - Saturday - October 25th:
Learn how to harvest, process, and mix wild clays for earthen pigments. We will learn about the local geology, how to identify suitable material in the field and process it for use, and we will experiment with mixing pigments to create the perfect color for your project.

Day 3 - Sunday - October 26th:
Learn how to repair damaged interior and exterior plaster, and apply a lime-fresco finish.

Day 4 - Monday - October 27th:
Learn how to mix and apply an interior alíz finish coat plaster. We will finish around 3PM on this day and fire up our earthen oven for a wood-fired pizza dinner celebration to close the workshop.

Who should attend?


Anyone interested in learning the ancient art of plastering and painting with all natural materials, and building in a healthier, more humane, and more efficient way. All skill levels are welcome. We recommended participants be 18+ or 12+ if accompanied by an adult. The course is well suited to seasoned builders, beginners, students, professionals, homeowners, and aspiring homeowners alike.

Workshop Registration


We are offering a full workshop registration which includes all 4 days of the workshop, or a daily rate for those who would like to attend individual days.

Full Workshop Registration
Limited time offer! Take $100 off the full 4-day registration if you sign up before 10/10!
$650 $750 + service fee (0.299% + $0.30)
All 4 days - October 24th - 27th
Arrive the evening of Thursday October 23rd

Daily Workshop Registration
$200 + service fee (0.299% + $0.30)
Single day registration
Register for 1, 2, or 3 days
Day 1 - October 24th
Day 2 - October 25th
Day 3 - October 26th
Day 4 - October 27th
Arrive the evening before the date you register for

Registration is limited to 15 participants, so don't wait!



 
 

Location and Transportation


School of Constructive Arts Main Campus
1316 Snake Road
Alpine, TX 79830

The School of Constructive Arts is based in the Big Bend Region of West Texas, in an International Biosphere Reserve, between Big Bend National and State Parks, and within the largest dark sky reserve in the world. This remote location requires some planning to get to. Our campus is just off the Terlingua Ranch Road, 60 miles south of Alpine. The closest airports are in Midland/Odessa (3.5 hours by car) and El Paso (4.5 hours). There is an Amtrak station in Alpine, TX. It is not necessary to have a vehicle through the duration of the workshop, but we cannot guarantee carpooling can be coordinated. If you are willing to ride share from the airport or a major city, please let us know. We will do our best to arrange pick-ups in Alpine and Marfa for arrival and departure. 

Accommodations


We have reserved a number of cabins for workshop participants at the Terlingua Ranch Lodge (13 miles from SCA). Rooms each have two queen-size beds and a private bath. You have the option to book a room to yourself or to share a room with another attendee.  Campsites with hookups are also available. There is a restaurant (Bad Rabbit Cafe), laundry, showers, and a swimming pool (seasonal) at the Terlingua Ranch Lodge. Cabins are limited and first come first serve, so availability is not guaranteed.

You are also welcome to camp at our campus. We provide camping in shared large canvas bell tents with wood stoves, cots, and camping pads (please bring your own sleeping bag / blanket). We have a private composting outhouse and a shower facility on our campus. Camping arrangements include the use of our shared outdoor shower facility, which have hot water and ample privacy. We can also accomodate those who would like to camp independently with their own tent and camping gear, or in a car or camper van. Generators and RV’s over 20’ are not permitted on our campus. Please contact us with any questions about our facilities.

If you would like to arrange lodging beyond the program dates or have other specific requests please reach out to us. Because we cannot anticipate the number of participants who will require accommodations, rooms are available on a first come first serve basis. We recommend reserving your place as soon as possible. 

Basic Camping at SCA
Shared canvas bell tent or your own tent/camper, hot outdoor showers, composting outhouse
Price per night



Private Cabin at Terlingua Ranch Lodge
Two queen beds and private bath
Price per night


Shared Cabin at Terlingua Ranch Lodge
One of two queen beds and shared bath
Price per night


Camping at Terlingua Ranch Lodge
Tent or car camping, indoor showers and bathroom
Price per night


RV Camping at Terlingua Ranch Lodge
Please contact the Lodge directly to book





About Us


The School of Constructive Arts is a field-school teaching design, building, and ecology through direct participation and experimentation. Our approach combines ancestral knowledge of natural materials and energy with advancing technology and contemporary building techniques to advance sustainable models of living for our time. Through our ‘build through teaching, and teach through building’ approach we are establishing our campus in the Big Bend. The workshops, residences, and land here allow us to support hands-on educational programs, individual research, experimentation, and innovation.

Learn More