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| West Quoddy Station |
Special Plein Air Painting Retreat
West Quoddy Station, Lubec, Maine
August 13-17, 2018
I invite you to join us for a very
special plein air painting retreat for experienced painters this
summer. Unlike my usual workshops in Lubec, this retreat will be
five luxurious days long, giving us plenty of outdoor painting time.
Our base camp will be at the beautifully-renovated West Quoddy
Station, a historic US Coast Guard compound right on the water. I
have reserved the entire week for our retreat, with check-in on
Sunday, August 12, and departure on Friday, August 17, for a total of
five nights. (And of course, you are more than welcome to extend
your stay!)
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| West Quoddy Head Light |
The Station offers many choices for
lodging as there are five buildings. Some are apartments for
singles or couples; others are cottages for one or two couples; the
Station House has five bedrooms. (All units have kitchens.) Because
of the variety, I urge you to bring not just yourself but your
painting buddies. If you are a member of a painting group, please
extend this invitation to your members. You can find full details
and pictures plus pricing on the compound at www.quoddyvacation.com.*
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| Painting the Bold Coast |
The Station is perfectly located for
our retreat, as it is right
next to Quoddy Head State Park with its trails and lighthouse.
If you've never been to this park before, it offers stunning views
of the Grand Manan Channel with rocky cliffs and rugged beaches as
well as interior trails that wind through bogs and spruce forests.
Like I tell my students, I could spend the whole week painting just
there! The Station itself, of course, has many picturesque
possibilities for us painters.
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| Lubec, Maine |
A short drive from the Station takes
you to Lubec, a historic village with a working waterfront that
includes fish houses and lobster boats. Lubec also has several
restaurants and shops, as well as a nearby medical center and grocery
store. (Check out www.visitlubecmaine.com
for more information.) Beyond Lubec, there are several trailheads
that offer painting opportunities, such as Hamilton Beach and Boot
Head. You will need a passport, as we will visit my studio on nearby
Campobello Island, which is in Canada, and also paint in the
Roosevelt-Campobello International Park, which has 3000 acres of
natural beauty. You won't want this retreat to end!
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| One of my favorite spots to paint! |
Each day will start at 8 a.m. with
critiques of the previous day's paintings. Following this, I
will give some helpful pointers on painting in the area. After that,
we'll paint as a group for the morning. Although I won't be giving
any formal instruction, I will be offering demonstrations to anyone
who wants to watch and also painting along with you. After
lunchtime, I will give you optional painting assignments for the
afternoon. Or, if you prefer not to paint, you can explore—go on a
whale watch, take a hike, or visit some of the other villages.
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| More Bold Coast painting |
To hold your space for the retreat,
I will need a $150 deposit.** The price of the retreat is $300,
which does not include lodging or meals. Please e-mail me at
mcj.painter@gmail.com
first to make sure I have space, and at that time I will give you
information about where to send the deposit. After I receive your
deposit, I will send a confirmation letter with details. Final
payment is due one month before the retreat starts.
To reserve your lodging or to check
on availability, please make your arrangements at West Quoddy Station
by calling them at 877-535-4714 or emailing to
info@quoddyvacation.com.
You cannot book directly online. Make sure you tell them it is for
the “Michael Chesley Johnson Plein Air Painting Retreat.” Once
you have made your lodging arrangements, let me know where you will
be staying and how many.
I'm looking forward to this retreat, as
it is so different from my usual workshops here in Lubec. I hope
you'll join us!
Michael
*Participants must stay at West Quoddy
Head Station, as this guarantees the use of Quoddy Hall for our
studio. Although the plan is to be outdoors painting as much as
possible, it's important to have indoor studio space for critiques
and rainy days. We will paint outdoors unless weather dictates
otherwise.
**Deposit is non-refundable unless
another participant can be found to take your place. You can read the
full cancellation policy here.
