January 25 – February 1, 2026

Workshop guided by Deborah Mechigian

This year’s winter art workshop will focus on desert landscapes. Deborah Mechigian of Flagstaff, Arizona will guide daily opportunities (Monday through Friday) to help you discover and inspire your inner artist to capture the beauty of the ranch using watercolor or pastels. On Saturday evening there will be a pop-up exhibit to share everyone’s work.

All levels of experience are welcome, including total beginners who haven’t touched a paintbrush since elementary school! That said, we do expect that lessons will evolve through the week, so it would be difficult to jump in mid-week, particularly if you are a beginner.

Workshop activities will take place in the mid-late afternoon Monday through Friday approximately 3:30 – 5:30; so you would need to do a short ride or hike in the afternoon. As the week evolves, timing of workshop activities will be adjusted to balance riding and hiking with workshop activities. On Thursday afternoon, when there are no afternoon rides, a longer workshop activity will take place.

Deborah Mechigian is a 35 year Arizona native currently living in Flagstaff. Her passion for the exquisite vistas of Arizona, especially the Grand Canyon, inspires her to paint both in acrylic paint and recently in pastels. She has been painting seriously for 20 years. She has studied with Lilias Apland in Tucson, Arizona but is largely self taught. Deborah currently teaches landscape painting through the Museum of Northern Arizona and the Artists’ Coalition of Flagstaff. She also hosts Plein Air outings every week during the summer and is a member of Arizona Plein Air Painters.

Helpful information:

There will be supplies available to borrow and/or you may bring your own or purchase a supply kit at the ranch (less than $50). A supply list will be available closer to the event.

There is no extra charge for the workshop, but the ranch will be paying Deborah’s travel expenses and will provide a teaching stipend. If you enjoy the workshop, a voluntary payment of $75 will be graciously accepted and passed directly to Deborah to help cover these costs.

MORE WORKSHOPS + EVENTS

OLD-TIME MUSIC
JANUARY 4 – 11, 2026

FOLK MUSIC
JANUARY 11 – 18, 2026

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY
JANUARY 18 – 25, 2026

Coming Into Balance: Exploring Relationships Through Horsemanship
FEBRUARY 1 – 8, 2026

HUMAN HISTORY OF THE ALTAR VALLEY
FEBRUARY 8 – 15, 2026

KATE AITCHISON – ARTIST IN RESIDENCE
APRIL 14 – 24, 2026 (TO BE CONFIRMED)

WORKSHOPS + EVENTS PAGE

Stay in the loop! Subscribe and receive the latest Elkhorn news in your inbox. Rest assured we won’t share your e-mail address with anyone.