On the Road: Downeast Maine Plein Air Painting Workshop and Retreat

Sunday, August 22, 2021

On the Road: Downeast Maine Plein Air Painting Workshop and Retreat

End of Bar Road, 9x12 oil/Multimedia Artboard

I just returned from a whirlwind trip to Lubec, Maine, where I taught a workshop one week and then ran a retreat the next. Normally, I'd be there for the entire summer, but because the Canadian border was closed to me, I was unable to occupy our family home on Campobello Island, my usual base camp for workshops. Having rescheduled these two events from last summer because of the pandemic, I didn't want to disappoint anyone yet again, so I decided to fly up and rent car and lodging. Despite the extra expense and trouble, I had a fantastic time and enjoyed working with everyone.

Because of the unusual heat wave baking New England, a good deal of moisture pushed toward Lubec and the cold waters of the Grand Manan Channel, making for some foggy mornings and drizzly afternoons. Even so, we had some stunningly brilliant hours. Of course, one of the charms of Downeast Maine is the fickle weather, and as plein air painters, we are all used to rolling with whatever comes along. We painted at a variety of locations, including West Quoddy Head, where the cliffs and the ocean swells are most dramatic; in Lubec itself, where we enjoyed a bounty of ramshackle fish buildings and fishing boats; and in spots nearby, where we lingered on quiet beaches or near tidal streams that created interesting patterns among the seaweed-cloaked rocks.

For the workshop, students lodged where they pleased, but for the retreat, we all lodged at West Quoddy Station, just a mile from the lighthouse on West Quoddy Head. A beautifully-renovated US Coast Guard campus, it gave us immediate access to some of the best scenery and provided a comfortable place where we could be together and build the friendships that are so important to the retreat concept. I am scheduling this retreat again for next summer.

I wrote that the Canadian border was closed. This is not entirely true, as it did open up while I was at the retreat. Fortunately, I was able to fulfill the requirements for entry, and I went over for an afternoon, which was all I had time for. (The border agent asked, “You went through all that trouble just for a few hours?”) I checked on house and studio—it'd been two years since our last departure—and I'm happy to say all is in good order. I hope next year will be better for international travel.

In this post, I'm sharing some of the work I created while in Maine. They are all for sale at $200 each, shipping included to the lower 48 US states

By the way, if you are interested in my plein air painting retreats, here are two coming soon that I still have space in. Please let me know if you would like to join us!

Taos, New Mexico. September 26-October 1, 2021. $300, lodging and meals not included. Join me for some of northern New Mexico's best scenery! We'll paint at such beautiful locations as the Rio Grande Gorge, the scenic village of Arroyo Seco, the aspen-clad slopes near the ski area and, of course, in Taos itself. Our retreat will include visits to such historic sites as the Mabel Dodge Luhan House, the Nicolai Fechin House and the Couse-Sharp Studio.

Sedona, Arizona. November 2-5, 2021. $300, lodging and meals not included. I lived and painted in the Sedona area for over ten years, and I'm eager to share some of my very special painting spots with you. We'll paint among Sedona's stunning red cliffs and explore its rich riparian areas. At this time of year, we should have some good color in the cottonwood trees, which make for a beautiful pairing with the red rocks.

Unlike my all-level workshops, the retreats have no formal instruction. However, we'll have daily critique sessions, informal art talk, and I'll demonstrate my painting methods in both oil and pastel. The retreats are a great way to connect with the other participants and to learn from them. And, of course, I will be your in-house expert and happy to answer any questions! (You can learn more about my retreats here.) The retreats will be held entirely outdoors, and we will follow CDC guidelines for masking and distancing. Let me know if you're interested in any of these retreats.