From the time I was a kid, I’ve had a secret longing to spend a week at a dude ranch, and next January I’ll finally have a chance to don my cowboy hat and give it a try. And what’s even better is that I can bring fifteen of my art pals along, so you’re invited!
January 4-8, 2027
5-day workshop near Tucson, Arizona
Imagine waking up each morning to a desert sunrise, stepping outside your cottage to smell the crisp mountain air, and seeing saguaros stretching tall against a glowing sky.
And think about how you would feel, knowing that your only task for the day is to take it all in, experience it fully, and draw your impressions of this very special place on the pages of your watercolor journal. Sounds pretty perfect, doesn’t it?
That’s the world awaiting you at Tanque Verde Ranch — one of Arizona’s highest-ranked guest ranches, nestled on 60,000 acres of breathtaking desert where the Rincon Mountains meet the Sonoran Desert near Tucson.
The Ranch
Established in 1868, Tanque Verde Ranch is one of America’s finest old-time cattle and guest ranches, providing guests with comfy accommodations, great food, and a wide array of exciting optional activities including horseback riding, yoga, fishing, hiking, astronomy, and more!
The scenery is spectacular, with sweeping views of rugged mountains soaring above vast valleys covered with cottonwood groves, prickly pear cacti, and iconic towering saguaros.
Bordered by Saguaro National Park, the ranch is surrounded by open, unspoiled wilderness that invites you in and opens up your spirit.
And those big, beautiful desert skies that are so captivating and inspiring in the daytime become other-worldly at night.
Far from the glare of city lights, the ranch is an ideal place for celestial observation. Low humidity and high elevation combine to create crisp, clear views of constellations, planets, and even the Milky Way.
You will have plenty of free time during the week to check out some of the activities available at Tanque Verde Ranch. In addition to stargazing and hiking, I’m hoping to go for a sunset trail ride one evening after dinner. Care to join me? I might have to dust off those cowboy boots that have been stashed in the back of my closet for the past ten years. It’s time to hit the trail!
The horses at Tanque Verde are one of the ranch’s main attractions, with 200-400 horses in residence at any given time.
It’s easy to get to the ranch from the Tucson Airport using Uber or by booking the shuttle offered by the ranch (fee).
The dining at Tanque Verde Ranch receives rave reviews, with several specialty events, like the Cotton Grove Ranch Barbecue and an outdoor pancake breakfast, planned for our stay.
There are a variety of lodging options at Tanque Verde Ranch….
And the resort has both an indoor and an outdoor pool, which are heated all winter, plus a whirlpool grotto that’s ideal for relaxing after a trail ride or an outdoor sketching session.
It looks wonderful doesn’t it?
This will be my third painting workshop with Madeline island School of the Arts (MISA), one of the top art teaching organizations in the country. I enjoy working with this highly-respected company because they are well-organized and responsive, and they have decades of experience running workshops at five different campuses across the US. They are pros at what they do, and I can rely on them to take care of all the details for me, so all I have to do is the fun stuff…teaching and spending time with my students.
The Workshop: Drawing, Painting, & Designing
Our main focus for the week, of course, will be sketching the things we see and experience during our time at the ranch, the things that make Tanque Verde and the Southwest so unique and filled with history, character, and inspiration.
There are interesting, quirky things to sketch everywhere you look on the property, like an old covered wagon…
horse saddles…
fun signs…
colorful cacti…
and cowboys gathering around the campfire for their morning cup of coffee.
And don’t forget the horses!
I’m definitely going to add a cute little javelina to one of my composite sketches.
We’ll be sketching outdoors on location each day, because there’s an energy and liveliness to sketches done onsite that can never be achieved when painting from a photo. I’ll give you lots of information about preparing your travel sketch kit before the workshop, so you will have everything you need to paint comfortably outdoors.
We will have a wonderful studio to work in, and I will be teaching there each morning in preparation for heading outdoors. (It will also offer us a warm place to paint if the weather doesn’t cooperate one day.)
I love sharing my “SketchDesigning” approach to watercolor journaling with my classes. It’s a real eye-opener for so many people. Giving thoughtful consideration to design options and creative possibilities at the start of a sketching session is the key to creating unique artwork that is visually pleasing and entirely original.
SketchDesigning offers practical ways to add energy and excitement to your work. It gives you the tools needed to feel confident and successful in your sketching.
At Tanque Verde Ranch, I’ll give you a framework of design options to work with throughout the week; these will serve as a foundation for you to build upon to create sketches that reflect your own style, personality, preferences, and insights. After you’ve taken a SketchDesigning class, your sketchbooks will never be the same!
A big part of page design is lettering, and I’ll show you EASY ways to add the exact right lettering style to any sketch you create. I’ve put together a collection of southwest-inspired fonts to get you started.
I empower my students to create better sketches than they ever dreamed they could. Nothing makes me happier than seeing the pride on their faces when they hold up a sketch that they worked so hard on…and they absolutely love it!
My students tell me that one of the best things about my workshops is the fact that, for each workshop trip, I prepare a full-color handbook which contains all of the information I cover during our time together. The handbook is customized for each tour, so it is specific to the location and subjects you’ll be painting.
It’s packed with great ideas for designing beautiful journal pages, and it includes a section of helpful step-by-step tutorials showing how to paint the subjects we encounter during the workshop. It goes hand-in-hand with my daily lessons and painting demonstrations and provides a graphic reminder of what was taught and shown in class.
The handout ensures that you can relax during the workshop, knowing that even if you can’t absorb everything during the week, you’ll have complete information that you can refer to later on. With my enthusiastic support, encouragement, and assistance, even if you’re a beginning watercolorist, you’ll surprise yourself with what you can do!
Note: The handbook is provided in PDF format prior to the workshop to allow plenty of time for printing at a local shop or at home. You will also have the option of purchasing a printed copy from me.
I hope this gives you a good idea of what you can expect during my first-ever dude ranch sketching workshop. I think it’s going to be a blast! It’s so different from home, and the timing will be perfect – a relaxing break after all the busyness of the holidays.
Also, I’m glad I have a new US workshop option for those of you who prefer not to travel overseas. This venue is very different from any other place I’ve taught, and I’ve heard nothing but good things about Tanque Verde from students of mine who have been there for other MISA workshops. It promises to be exciting, inspiring, and FUN, and I’m looking forward to having entirely new subject matter to fill my sketchbook pages.
So pack your sketchbook, grab your watercolors, and come join me in the desert this January! Whether you’re an experienced sketcher and watercolorist or just beginning your journey, this week at Tanque Verde Ranch promises to be an adventure for all the senses — and your sketchbook will never be the same.
There’s something magical about creating art in a place this unique and beautiful and working alongside people who share your love of nature, travel, and watercolor journaling.
I can’t wait to watch the sunrise over the mountains with you, sketch a covered wagon side-by-side, and sit around the campfire talking about life, family, and memories.
Spots are limited, so don’t let this one slip by — your inner cowboy artist is calling!
Still wondering if it's right for you?
I know, it’s a big decision to sign up for a workshop, and I’ve tried to address some of what you may be wondering about here in this post, but here are some final thoughts that may help you to decide…
- There are art workshops, and then there are experiences — and this one falls firmly in the second category. Sure, you’ll come home with a sketchbook full of paintings you’re excited about and proud of, but that’s just the beginning of why this week will be unlike any other.
- Come because you’ve always wanted to try a dude ranch, and you’d love to share it with people who see the world the way you do — through the eyes of an artist.
- Come because sketching a saguaro cactus in person, with the desert breeze on your face and the smell of sage in the air, is an entirely different experience than painting from a photo at your kitchen table.
- Come because you’re ready to break out of your creative rut. The Southwest has a way of doing that — the colors are bolder, the light is different, the shapes are unlike anything in your backyard. New surroundings unlock something in an artist that familiar ones simply can’t.
- Come because you want to grow. Whether you’re a beginning sketcher who has always been a little afraid to paint outdoors, or an experienced watercolor artist looking to push your work in a new direction, this workshop meets you exactly where you are — and takes you further than you expected.
- And come because life is short, January is long, and somewhere out there a desert sunrise and a baby javelina are just waiting to be painted. Why not be the one to paint them?
January 4-8, 2027
I hope to see you at Tanque Verde Ranch!
