Join Ellen Ogden for a mindful landscape painting class held outdoors ("en plein air"). This class welcomes both experienced oil painters and beginners. Participants will learn novel approaches to connecting with the painting process through techniques in paint handling, translating the landscape, and exploring the internal growth that can occur when focus meets intention.

Each participant will create an oil painting while working under cover outside the museum on an accessible paved sidewalk. An open and receptive mindset is encouraged. The museum will provide all necessary materials, including tabletop easels for shared workspace. Participants are welcome to bring their French plein air easels (with drawers), favorite brushes, tools, and preferred oil paint colors.

Ellen Ogden has been a visual artist specializing in plein air painting since 2010. Her current practice blends her painting background with her experience in large-scale architectural stained glass, resulting in thoughtful murals and commissioned artworks. In 2023, she completed a community artist residency, working collaboratively with Indigenous Upper Sioux THPO, the historical society, city hall, and local residents. You can spot her vibrant murals and window paintings throughout the town; her latest work is a native flora and fauna mural on the Ochsner Cancer Center.

Ellen encourages anyone who sees her setting up her plein air easel—especially in cemeteries, where she finds inspiration in the cultural heritage and quiet contemplation that these spaces provide—to stop and chat.

She is excited to share her tools and experiences while guiding participants in a non-judgmental and contemplative workshop at LASM.