Plein Air Workshop

Chimney Rock National Monument Tours

The Plein Air Workshop is offered once a month on a Saturday. In this workshop, participants will be introduced to the process of “plein air” painting – the act of painting outdoors to capture the spirit and essence of a landscape by incorporating natural light, color, and movement – in essence, learning to capture the outdoors while outdoors – and, of course, featuring the wonderfully scenic vistas at Chimney Rock National Monument. The first session will begin with a demonstration covering the use of materials, either watercolor or pastel, or both, and tips for composition and technique in the outdoors. This initial study/painting will be used as a reference for a more complete painting later in the day, which will be held indoors at a location in downtown Pagosa Springs. All materials are provided. No experience is necessary. All levels of ability are welcome! Bring a lunch/snacks/drink as appropriate. 

Check-in is at the Highway 151 entrance gate at the time stated below for each individual workshop. Please adhere to the check-in timeline. The gate will be promptly locked at the end of that time. Tickets are $75 for ages 10 and up. Making a reservation through the Recreation.gov website or the call center (877-444-6777) is the only way to guarantee a spot for this workshop. Recreation.gov charges a $1.00 reservation fee that is non-refundable. Reservations will be cut off 12 hours prior to the start of the workshop. Walk-ins cannot be accommodated unless prior permission is obtained from the teacher. Note: if no one has signed up for the workshop by online reservation within the allotted time frame, the workshop will not be held. Refunds will be issued only for cancelled - not modified - programs. No refunds will be issued for no-shows. 

Dates: 

June 22

July 27

August 17

September 21 

Check-in: 7:45 a.m. – 8:00 a.m. 

Workshop: 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. 

Capacity: 10

Select a date to see a list of times

Need to Know