Learn Landscape Painting with Stephen Purdy
Schedule
Sat May 30 2026 at 09:00 am to 12:00 pm
UTC-06:00Location
Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park | Cochrane, AB
About this Event
What IS Plein Air Painting?
En plein air is a French expression meaning “in the open air”, and refers to the act of painting outdoors with the artist’s subject in full view. Plein air artists capture the spirit and essence of a landscape or subject by incorporating natural light, color and movement into their works.
Date: Saturday May 30th, 2025
Location: Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park (please meet at pathway entrance to the park).
Time: 9:00 AM -12:00 PM | Meet at 9:00 AM at the picnic tables by the parking lot.
Cost: $25.00
Audience: All Ages!
Attire: Dress for being outside. Warm layers, sunscreen, etc. Pack water or something warm to drink.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
What Students will Learn
Learn to make the landscape that you see real in your paintings.
Students will learn how to compose a painting, establish a strong base design and an approach to detailing and finishing.
The goal of the class is for each student to take home a painting they can be proud of.
The format for the class will be a demonstration of painting stages, with most of the time focused on each individual student’s painting.
What Students Need to Bring
Each student will be responsible to bring:
- Your choice of paint (oil, acrylic, watercolour etc…)- 2 each of the primary colours red, blue and yellow | 1 x white
- Small to medium sized canvas or board.
- Brushes: a mix of brushes, including a larger ½” wide brush.
- Palette and palette knife to mix paints.
- An easel if you want to stand.
- A few reference photos of your favourite scenes.
Registrants are encouraged to also register as a participating artist for with opportunities to put their learning from the workshop into practice at the park and to join the Plein Air community for our events and Artist Soiree at Route 22 Gallery in Cochrane!
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR
“Armed with brushes and a paint box, reveal the beauty that surrounds us, well enough to make you cry.”
Stephen’s focus in painting is in re-creating the magic of the real world on canvas. Focused on the primary challenge of using paint to represent light, using brushes to craft nature's beautiful shapes, all to create an image that approximates the infinite grandeur of a natural scene. Stephen spends a lot of time outside painting from the source. His intent is to represent a natural scene with as little artifice as possible, reducing a scene to its essential beauty.
Stephen’s teachings focus on the methods and techniques to create a successful painting. Using his experience of the painting qualities of good composition, strong values, mark making and colour, Stephen endeavors to assist the student in developing a successful painting of their own.
purdypaintings.com | @purdy_paintings
Where is it happening?
Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park, 255001 Glenbow Road, Cochrane, CanadaEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
CAD 29.36
