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Painting Workshop
Painting in nature with Doug Swinton
Elevated art guidance, inspired by the outdoors
Learn from renowned artist Doug Swinton as you immerse yourself in the iconic landscapes of the CMH Bugaboos. Over four unforgettable days, you’ll fly by helicopter to remote alpine viewpoints with a small group, where Doug will guide you through analyzing, interpreting, and capturing the scenery in your own style. In the evenings enjoy the full CMH experience by relaxing, dining, and unwinding at the legendary Bugaboo Lodge.
This adventure is suitable for all artists and mediums, including oil, acrylic, watercolor, pastel and pencil. Whether you’re just beginning or already a seasoned painter, this is the trip you’ve been dreaming of.
Trip Dates:
4 day trip at Bugaboos
July 28 - 31, 2026
Activity level:
All levels - beginner to advanced
Your itinerary and trip highlights
Each day you’ll fly to multiple inspiring locations and receive personal instruction as you paint landscapes you’ve only imagined. We aim for three or four unique destinations per day, where you’ll paint as many pieces as conditions and time allow. After a day spent painting a cascade of colours, you’ll enjoy additional painting instruction and art discussion in the cozy comfort of our lodge.
The below featured experiences are not guaranteed and are weather dependent:
5:00 am
Depart via the CMH coach from Calgary, Banff or other pick-up locations and journey along the spectacular Yoho National Park on your way to the helipad.
9:30 am
Arrive at helipad for heli-transfer to CMH Bugaboo Lodge
10:30-11:00 am
Upon arrival, you’ll get acquainted with the lodge
11:30 am
Lunch
1:00 pm
After a helicopter safety briefing, enjoy your first afternoon of exploration and painting instruction
4:00-5:00 pm
Return back to the lodge where you can enjoy après-adventure refreshments, a soak in the hot tub or a massage
7:00 pm
Enjoy your first CMH gourmet family-style dinner – staff will join you for the meal each evening
7:30 am
Wake up with a dynamic warm-up class
8:00 am
Fuel up with a hearty breakfast to start your day right. Pack your lunch for the day and get ready for your day of adventure.
9:00 am
First group will fly into the mountains. Fly to a stunning location before breathing in and finding inspiration in some of the most astounding scenery in Canada. Mother Nature will happily be your muse
12:00 pm
Lunch in the field
4:00-6:00 pm
After a memorable day of painting, return to the lodge, where you can enjoy après-adventure refreshments, a soak in the hot tub or a massage.
7:00 pm
Swap stories of your incredible adventures in the mountains as you enjoy family style dinner with your guides and lodge staff
8:00 am
Enjoy a hearty lodge breakfast before departing the lodge with your final heli-transfer
11:00 am
Private coach transfer from helipad to Golden, Lake Louise, Banff, Canmore and Calgary International Airport
2:00 pm
Estimated arrival time in Banff
3:30 pm
Anticipated arrival at Calgary International Airport (YYC). We recommend guests do not book flights until after 6:00pm MT.
Featured experiences
Meet your instructor, Doug Swinton
Doug never set out to become an artist, yet creating has always been central to who he is. As a child, his schoolbooks overflowed with drawings, and he grew up watching his mother paint in their kitchen studio. The prairie and mountain landscapes of Calgary, where he has lived all his life, continue to inspire his work. Doug loves the intense focus painting requires—the physical pleasure of paint, the thrill of the first mark on a blank canvas, and the quiet satisfaction when a piece comes together. When it does, he still feels like his ten-year-old self, eager to share what he has made.
Today Doug's work is held in public and private collections worldwide. He earns his living as an artist, teaching painters at all levels, and running an art supply store in Calgary. Yet art has always been more than a profession. He's still discovering what it means to be an artist, with the same curiosity and joy he felt as a child—echoing Robert Henri’s belief in art as a way of living a life, not merely making a living.
Bugaboo Lodge: A CMH Icon
Welcome to your historical headquarters in the famed Bugaboos. Perched at 1,490m (4,888 ft), our 32-room log-hewn lodge at the base of Bugaboo Glacier is enshrined as the birthplace of the heli-skiing industry. With mind-blowing scenery that’s captivated mountaineers for over a century, history abounds here – and so do modern comforts.
Inspired cuisine, deluxe accommodations, full-service amenities and one of the best hot tub views on the planet make Bugaboo Lodge the perfect alpine escape. Soar into an incredible summer adventure at CMH Bugaboos.
Amenities
- Rooftop hot tub
- Stunning mountain views
- CMH Museum
- Gear & gift shop
- Games room
- Music room
- Steam room and dry sauna
- Massage
- Indoor climbing wall
- Swimming pond
- Chef-prepared meals & snacks
- Pastry chef
- Full-service bar with extensive wine cellar
- Wi-Fi
- Complimentary laundry facilities
Each room includes
- Hand & body wash
- Bathrobe
- Shampoo / conditioner
- Hair dryer
Additional details
Single supplement is available by request on a space-available basis, depending on the lodge and the number of nights in your stay. As a solo traveller you may book on a twin-share basis, and we will attempt to match you with a same-gender roommate. If we are unable to do so, you will not be charged for the upgrade to single occupancy.
All prices are $CAD ($USD prices shown are based on currency rates available from www.bankofcanada.ca and are subject to change).
Group travel options
Book an entire lodge or bring your group and mingle with other guests. Plan a corporate retreat, a family reunion or a special celebration, and let us help customize the details.
Learn more
Learn more about your trip
Whether by land or air, it's about both the journey and the destination.
Here’s what you get with every CMH heli-hiking trip.
Answers to the most-asked heli-hiking questions.