WHO WE ARE

The Blue Mountain School of Landscape Painting is a non-profit organization based in Thornbury, Ontario. For over 40 years, we have offered a series of spring/summer plein air and in-studio landscape painting workshops in the South Georgian Bay area.

Plein air is a French term for outdoors and plein air painting is simply that - painting outdoors.  Indeed, before the invention of photography, plein air painting was the primary vehicle for capturing the beauty of the landscape.

Today, many artists are still drawn to the wonderful experience of painting outdoors.  Having all your senses engaged while immersed in the landscape you are painting and experiencing nature’s spontaneous changes helps you bring life to your painting.  It allows you to capture a scene’s true colours, light and shadows, scale and 3-D aspects, all of which are difficult when painting from a photograph.

Our workshops offer a chance to experience the enjoyment of painting outdoors with a group of like-minded artists. Our inspiring instructors cater to all skill levels and work in a variety of media.  You will be introduced to plein air painting techniques and gain an appreciation, understanding and hopefully a love of plein air painting.

COURSES
Each year we invite new and back-by-popular-demand, renowned artists to offer a week-long workshop of instruction, demonstrations, painting time, personal assistance and critique.

Each workshop caters to all levels of skill and experience. We offer oil, acrylic and watercolour workshops each year so please read the course synopsis on our Home Page carefully so you know which medium the instructor will be using. Make sure the workshop dates will work for you. Also, give thought to any mobility issues you may have considering that much of the time you will be painting outdoors in public spaces, country gardens and on farm properties etc. For further information on an overview of a  typical workshop day click here.

We limit our class size to 20 so it will be advisable to register early when Registrations open.