Road Trip: Mount Desert Island and Pemaquid Point – Day 3

View from the Light of the Pemaquid Lighthouse

Our second day at the Pastel Painters of Maine retreat (my third day), started off with a sunrise walk around Pemaquid Point.  Sunrise here is early – 4:57 a.m – and things were pretty quiet.  Around 7:30, I headed out to breakfast with a few folks at the adjacent restaurant (Seagull Gift Shop and Oceanfront Restaurant).  But as I went out, I met three painters coming in.  They'd already been out and painted before breakfast.  These are dedicated painters!

Pemaquid Point View 12x18 pastel

I was scheduled to do the traditional Saturday morning demonstration, so after breakfast I had a chance to scope out a few possible locations I'd identified on Friday.  The shadows had moved just as I had expected, so I settled on a spot and at 9, gathered the troops.  I don't think I've ever had so many painters in the field watching me paint.  I believe all 31 of them looked on from a variety of perches including picnic tables, folding chairs and stools.  The demo went well, and after the others departed for their own choice locations,  I was able to spend the rest of the morning on it.

View of  Painters from the Light of the Lighthouse

Done with the demo, I took a break.  I'd been painting in the shade and, believe it or not, I was actually chilled.  (Meanwhile, a few miles inland, temps were reaching 90.)  I moved into the sun and toured the lighthouse.  I got some great shots from the light – 30 steps up a spiral staircase plus seven steps up a ladder – of the painters.  Then I ate a quick lunch and checked e-mail.  We have no cell reception here, but we do have a great wi-fi connection.

Pemaquid Rocks Study 9x12, pastel

I was also scheduled to host the 4 p.m. group critique, but I wanted to get one more  painting in plus a much-needed shower.   I set up in the shade of the “fuel house” with a view of Pemaquid's spectacularly linear rocks reaching out into the water.  This was a quick, intuitive sketch for  me.  I used a black Conte stick to draw with first, and then laid pastel loosely over these gestural lines.

By 4, I was ready for the troops.  Paintings were laid out, and for an hour, we had a great discussion on the paintings – what worked, what didn't.  I was pleased with the overall high quality of the work.  Although this is a pastel group, several of the members also work in oil, watercolor and other media, so there were a few examples of these as well, which gave us an opportunity to expand our discussion.

Dinner followed quickly after.  This time, we headed five miles up to New Harbor and to Shaw's.  Shaw's reminds me of Thurston's in Bernard, only this place is bigger and with more going on.  It's also  where you take the Hardy Boat cruise to Monhegan.  New Harbor is a very scenic bay inlet with very  paintable buildings and boats.  Since I forgot my camera – how could I possibly do that? – I will have to go back in the morning to take some reference photos and perhaps to even paint a bit.

Weather for the proposed Monhegan trip tomorrow looks iffy.  NOAA is calling for seas of 4-7 feet and has already issused a small craft advisory.  Unfortunately, I need to be home sooner than later, so I'm not going to Monhegan, anyway.  But, I do plan to paint in the morning.  Many in the group are spending another night.  Even if we couldn't paint tomorrow, I would go away satisified.  We've had two very beautiful painting days!

Road Trip: Mount Desert Island and Pemaquid Point – Days 1, 2

Pemaquid Point Light

Each year, the Pastel Painters of Maine gathers at famously scenic Pemaquid Point to paint.  This year, I realized I had some room in my schedule, so I decided I'd go.  I was delighted when they asked if I would also present the traditional Saturday morning demonstration and do an afternoon critique for them.  So, yesterday, with Trina's blessing, I packed up the car and headed down the coast.

The Margaret Todd 9x12 oil

I wanted to spend a day on Mount Desert Island, so I made sure to arrange a night at a friend's house.  (I stayed with Gail Ribas, director of Acadia Workshop Center; she and her husband have become good friends of ours over the years.)  I arrived in the fog, but by the time I got to Bar Harbor, the fog had started to “scale,” as the locals put it.  I wanted to paint boats on my visit to MDI, so I was happy to find the schooner Margaret Todd at dock and not scheduled to leave until afternoon.  The fog made for a particularly mysterious scene.

Thurston's 9x12 oil

After a little lunch, I wandered on down to Northeast Harbor, which usually has some good boats.  But,  it is still early in the season, and the sailboats aren't really out at their moorings yet.  I prefer to paint working boats, anyway, so I drove to Bernard, near Thurston's Lobster Pound, where I can almost always find a hard-working boat.  I found this scallop dragger sitting at dock.

By the end of the day, I was beat, but the weather had turned out fine, so I took a nice hike at Ship Harbor before heading to Gail's.

This morning, I headed out at the crack of dawn for Pemaquid.  Hot weather was forecast, and I was shocked when I got all the way to Waldoboro, where you turn off the main highway to follow the peninsula to Pemaquid,  and the car thermometer already read 81 degrees – and it was only 9 a.m.!  But it was breezy and cool at the lighthouse.  I unpacked my gear and headed down to meet the other painters.

By the way, I painted in oil all day at MDI, and I decided to use up my paint and paint in oil my first day at Pemaquid.  (I'll return to pastel tomorrow for the demonstration and for the rest of the weekend.)

Pemaquid Fuel Oil House 9x12, oil

After my first painting, which was of the “fuel oil” building, I checked into my room at Hotel Pemaquid.  This is a beautifully-kept historic hotel with a carriage house.  The carriage house is functioning as our studio, should the weather turn.  From my second floor room, I have a good view of the ocean.  I could probably even see Monhegan Island, if the air weren't so thick out over the water.

Bell House 9x12, oil (painted with a knife)

I worked through lunch and did a second painting.  This was of the brick bell house.  (You can tell I am fascinated by these little structures; they could almost be hermit homes.)  Afterward, at the afternoon critique session, I caught up with my friends Caren-Marie Michel and Nita Leger Casey.  We all had dinner at the little restaurant next door.  This is a really great group – serious painters who know how to have fun.  I'm looking forward to tomorrow!

Hotel Pemaquid