Retreat Report: 2024 Downeast/Maritimes Plein Air Painting Retreat
And with whales!
"Whale!" Our eyes followed the first mate's arm to port. There, slicing up through the dark water, a minke whale appeared, its sleek shape vanishing a moment later. During our two-hour tour, we spotted other minkes, as well as playful porpoises, gray seals that eyed us curiously, and bald eagles, grappling and tumbling overhead.
Usually for my plein air painting retreats, I try to schedule a visit to the studio of a well-known artist. This time, we all went on a whale watch aboard the Tarquin, setting sail from Lubec, Maine. Although visiting a studio can be inspiring, a whale watch is just downright exciting!
I've offered painting retreats for experienced outdoor painters for years now. I've hosted one regularly in Lubec, with additional outings to nearby Campobello Island (New Brunswick, Canada) each summer. This year, we had the usual inspiring mix of fog and sun with a day of rain at the end. Twelve of us painted for three days (including the one rain day) in Lubec, with the other two on Campobello. For daily critiques and the rain day, we had a nice studio in a classroom of the local school. Participants ranged from Texas, North Carolina, Ohio and Pennsylvania, with some making the shorter trip from New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine. Media used included oil, acrylic, pastel, watercolor, gouache, pencil and pen-and-ink.
During the week, I offered two formal demonstrations (oil and pastel) plus the opportunity to watch me whenever I paint. (If I have an audience, I give a blow-by-blow account of what my brush is doing.) Also, participants went around regularly to see what everyone else was up to, getting tips on gear, materials and process, and the morning critiques, with input from the group, were enlightening and helpful. Overall, it was a very rich experience for each of us. (And we learned a lot about whales, too!)
I plan to host this retreat again next year, with the dates tentatively August 4-8, 2025. If you're an experienced painter—you don’t have to be an “advanced” painter just so long as you can set up your gear and handle a brush—and are interested, contact me for more details. Meanwhile, I've included images of my work from the week plus some photos.
