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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.)
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| 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.
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| 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!
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| Hotel Pemaquid |
