Plein Air Along the Oregon Coast
July 22-26 2024 - ASTORIA, OR

Do you want to learn how to capture the spirit of every place you visit? Here’s your chance. Spend four days near the idyllic town of Astoria, Oregon (2 hours from Portland) where charming Victorian architecture is surrounded by rugged coastlines and lush forests. We’ll test our plein air skills with a new location each day, emphasizing observation and small paintings. Through our exploration of subjects, shapes, and palettes unique to Astoria, you’ll learn to capture the spirit of the Pacific Coast using techniques you can take anywhere.

PLEIN AIR IN COSTA BRAVA, SPAIN
June 10-17, 2025

Do you want to learn how to capture the spirit of Costa Brava in paint? Here’s your chance. Join plein air and gouache painting veteran Judd Mercer in northeastern Spain for a whirlwind tour of one of the world’s most idyllic coasts.

Along the way, you’ll learn the power and portability of gouache, a fantastic medium for capturing the landscape no matter where you are in the world. Watercolorists, oil and acrylic painters, and urban sketchers alike will learn to use the speed and versatility of gouache to capture ideas quickly for plein air work (or studio use later).

Each day will feature two demos (morning/afternoon) and emphasize different plein air and gouache techniques including:

• Observation skills to better understand and capture light

• Composition techniques to narrow and exaggerate subjects in the field

• Speed with sketchbook studies to capture ideas on the go

• Storytelling to communicate the spirit of a landscape, city street, or whatever we find!

• Layering and color harmony to maximize gouache’s superpowers