Where did October go? Bring Back Maine!

Two pastel paintings done at Seal Cove, Oct 2, 2014

It's true. I came back from Maine - bursting with lots of information and memories. Paintings partially finished from a great class with Michael Chesley Johnson, loads of photos to pour over, museum visits to think about and visits with friends and relatives to treasure.

And did I blog about it? Did I say much at all? No, I am ashamed to say, I did not. I got pitched back into the frenzy of deadlines and a new job and catching up with friends and family I didn't see on my trip.

Thursday at Seal Cove

Thursday was so pretty - we went to Seal Cove to paint. The ocean was sparkly and the sun was warm. It was a nice change from the previous dreary days and it was a joy to paint in the sun on the rocks, watching a barge move the moorings around, and listening to the chickadees and the woodpeckers in the woods. (See paintings above.) That's why I like to paint outside - It allows me to relax and enjoy the beauty of nature. I even bring my binoculars and bird book.

Highlights of Maine post-workshop

Friday was such a stellar day! My original plan was to go to Rockland & the Olson House, but I decided to spend the day in Acadia Park and head there in the evening.

On Cadillac Mountain

Jessup's Path near Sur du Mont

The Cave at Schooner's Cove

Thunder Hole

Along the Ocean Trail

Monument Rocks

The weather went down hill as I left Mount Desert (no pun intended), so after a few scenic stops I got to Rockland just as the rain started.

Ft. Knox, Maine

Fort Knox. Looks like they're prepping for a haunted house. This is a pretty neat spot. I'll have to make time for it next year.

Speaking of haunted houses...my favorite falling down house outside of Searsport (across from Hobby Horse Flea Market). I always wonder about the stories it could tell.

I got a hotel room (at The Claddagh Motel) and went into Rockland where I had the MOST STUPENDOUS Lobster Mac & Cheese at The Lobsterman's Restaurant. I was so overcome, I didn't even take a picture!

Next up...The Farnsworth Museum and the Olson House.

ONE Week Countdown to NH & Monhegan Island!

Seagull, Otter Cliffs, Acadia National Park, Mt. Desert Island, Maine

6x6 colored pencil on black paper

Buy it from my Etsy shop

I'm getting very excited about my up coming trip!

First visiting friends in NH and going to the Hopington State Fair! Piggies and Cows and Goats and Sheep! Love it!

Then it's off to Monhegan Island. A wonderful pilgrimage if you're an artist.

(From the Boston Globe) Located 10 miles off the mid-Maine coast, the island has been drawing artists from around the world for more than 150 years. Giants in the US art world have been inspired by Monhegan, including George Bellows, C. K. Chatterton, Randall Davey, Robert Henri, Rockwell Kent, Edward Willis Redfield, Frederick Judd Waugh, and three generations of the Wyeth family: N.C., Andrew, and Jamie.

“All the major American artists were here at one time,” said Ed Deci, director of the Monhegan Museum. “You can actually study American art by studying Monhegan art.

Have I mentioned that I'm excited?

Monhegan (from what I've read and seen) is a wonderful place - no cars or bicycles, sort of like Fire Island only less beachy and more wild and rocky. I'm staying three nights & two full days in the rustic and lovely Monhegan House. 

So, here's my challenge - for all the years I have taken workshops and classes, my car has never been more than a few hundred feet away. Wherever I was, there was always plenty of room for the "what-ifs." What if I'd rather use pastel today? or What if I want bigger or different paper? A cooler with lunch or extra water were always near by.

Paring down my supplies isn't too tough, I can easily and happily carry just a watercolor sketch book, travel brushes, some pencils and watercolor palettes in a little zip bag if I'm at the beach, birdwatching in the local preserve, or bike riding.

In fact, for many years, I've not bothered with an easel. I just threw a blanket on the ground or sat at a picnic table. I even figured out how to use the bike rack on my car as an easel.

This trip to Monhegan (and my obsessive need to bring my Cheap Joe's Field Easel), made me reconsider how to pack for plein air. It's time to channel my inner McGyver-girl-scout-backpacker and figure out how to get everything I need for a day of hiking and painting into one compact streamlined unit.  

Stay tuned as I bring you: My search for the perfect backpack (ie: one that fits the field easel) and what goes in the pack.