If you’ve ever dreamed of learning to paint outdoors — to capture light, color, and atmosphere right from life — 2026 is your year. Join me, Carol L. Douglas, for a new season of plein air painting workshops across some of America’s most inspiring landscapes: coastal Maine, the Berkshires, and the red rocks of Sedona, Arizona.
Whether you’re a beginner wanting to learn to paint from scratch, or an experienced artist ready to refine your technique, these workshops are designed to help you paint with confidence, structure, and joy.
What you’ll learn
Each workshop combines plein air painting, focused demos, and individual coaching. Together we’ll explore:
- Composition and design — how to simplify complex scenes into strong, readable paintings.
- Color theory — how to mix vibrant, believable color for light, shadow, and atmosphere.
- Value control — understanding contrast to bring structure to your work.
- Mark-making and brushwork — developing an expressive, personal style.
- On-location problem-solving — painting outdoors in changing light and weather.
These workshops are about learning to see what’s in front of you and translating that into paint.
2026 Plein Air Workshop Schedule
Canyon Color for the Painter – Sedona, AZ, March 9–13, 2026
Explore the vivid palette of Sedona’s red rocks. This Arizona plein air painting workshop emphasizes bold color, composition, capturing the heat and glow of desert light. Click here to learn more.
Advanced Plein Air Painting – Rockport, ME, July 13-17, 2026
Back home on the coast of Maine, this session focuses on strengthening structure, value, and visual storytelling. Ideal for returning students ready to deepen their plein air practice. (If I don’t know you, I need to see a portfolio before you’re admitted. This is my only workshop that’s limited to advanced painters.) Click here to learn more.
Sea & Sky – Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park, ME, August 2–7, 2026
A week painting the wild, wind-swept beauty of Acadia. Learn to handle shifting light and ocean atmosphere in oils, acrylics, or watercolor. Click here to learn more.
Find Your Authentic Voice in Plein Air – Berkshires (Lenox), MA, August 10–14, 2026
This Massachusetts painting workshop blends landscape study with artistic self-discovery. Perfect if you want to strengthen both your technical and expressive skills. Click here to learn more.
NEW! Color Clinic 2026 – NEW! Color Clinic 2026 – Rockport, ME, October 3-4, 2026
A focused color workshop exploring temperature, harmony, and color design. Learn to mix with purpose and paint with emotion. Click here to learn more.
NEW! Composition Week 2026 – Rockport, ME, October 5-9, 2026
Strong composition is the backbone of every great painting. This studio-based week dives deep into structure, rhythm, and creating balance on the canvas. Click here to learn more.
Who should attend
These plein air painting workshops are for artists of all levels (including beginners) who want to:
- Build stronger foundations in drawing, value, and color.
- Push past pretty to create meaningful, well-composed paintings.
- Work outdoors with confidence — even when the light changes.
- Join a supportive community of painters who love learning.
What you’ll take home
By the end of your workshop, you’ll leave with:
- Finished plein air studies and field sketches.
- A clear process for approaching any subject.
- More confidence in color mixing and decision-making.
- A refreshed, inspired outlook on your painting practice.
Why learn to paint outdoors
Plein air is simply the best training for artists. It teaches editing, observation and adaptability, which are skills that improve every kind of painting. When you paint from life, you stop copying and start interpreting. You learn to trust your eyes, your brush and your intuition.
Learning to paint isn’t about talent. It’s about curiosity, practice and guidance. My workshops give you all three.
Ready to join us?
Workshops fill quickly. View the full schedule and register here.