Learner pursues first in Art painting outdoors (8)
I believe the answer is:
alfresco
'outdoors' is the definition.
('alfresco' can be a synonym of 'outdoors')
'learner pursues first in art painting' is the wordplay.
'learner' becomes 'l'.
'pursues' says to put letters next to each other.
'first in' indicates taking the first letters.
'painting' becomes 'fresco' (fresco is a kind of painting**).
The initial letter of 'art' is 'a'.
'l' put after 'a' is 'al'.
'al'+'fresco'='ALFRESCO'
(Other definitions for alfresco that I've seen before include "exposed to the fresh air" , "Outdoors, meal perhaps" , "Outside" , "Meal eaten in the outdoors" , "where it's cool" .)