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THE PLEIN AIR CONNECTION NEWSLETTER September 16th, 2013
MAEA Fall Conference at HAYSTACK MOUNTAIN SCHOOL OF CRAFT 



"View of Jericho Bay, Deer Isle" an oil on panel 8 x 10 inches by Michael E. Vermette

The Plein Air oil painting workshop with Cooper Dragonette at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts started out with rain most of the day with little opportunity for us to get out and paint the landscape. So the class was moved in the guest artist studio on campus that would become our base for the next three days. We began with an informative demonstration by Cooper, who sub-divided up his acrylic 12 x 16 inch gessoed MDO panel into four small 5 1/2 x 7 1/2 inch rectangles. He then proceeded to paint a quick study in 15 minutes using Ivory Black, Titanium White and Burnt Sienna oil paint in 3 to 4 values. We then went and painted either from photographs in the studio or out side and near by on the studio deck. I chose to paint outdoors because it held off from raining about an hour and a half. We all used masking tape to sub-divide our panels that Cooper provided for us. I measured mine with a blue pen to find my center vertical and horizontal lines. I decided upon a view of a large truck sized boulder in the mossy deer Isle woods with lust greens, silver gray trees and pinkish toned rock. In the second rectangle we were asked to paint the same subject but with more color and 4 to 5 values. With the third rectangle I painted 9 values using about 12 colors. All of these studies were each quickies made in a 15 to 20 minute painting exercise. Then Cooper demonstrated the swedish artist's "Anders Zorn's" Palette by using only Titanium White, Yellow Ochre, Cadmium Red and Ivory Black. Using only these four colors with Ivory black as our blue, we were challenged to paint as many values that we saw in our photos or landscape as Zorn did. I used a combination of small filbert and flat brushes and a small palette knife to make my work. But the rain started to come down in a fine mist until it became a steady rain. So I moved into the studio and finished my painting from memory. I was impressed with just how many colors combinations I could get out of these four colors and will continue to use this palette for future studies. 


Michael E. Vermette's 4-panel oil study of value used as an emphasis in all painting. The last painting on the bottom right is Zorn's 4-color palette.


The workshop got off to a great start as everyone painted at least three if not all four of the studies. We then proceeded to paint another work from a photograph. I chose to paint directly from my laptop a Silver Sunset I saw on Monhegan Island in February years ago. I had always wanted to paint it and just never got around to doing it in the studio from a plein air study I did of it in oil. So having taken several photos of the Washer Women rock formation on Monhegan Island, it's crashing surf and the setting sun, I proceeded to paint another study of the painting that I want to work up in the studio this year in a larger format. Besides, the Zorn palette theory reminded me of this silver sunset on Monhegan Island and I think it lends itself to these colors. 


"Silver Sunset, Monhegan Island" an oil on board 8 x 10 inches by Michael E. Vermette

On Saturday morning the weather cleared to sunny skies and we got to know each other more. Cooper asked us to get into a circle outside on the deck and to each share a story about our favorite Brush with fame. This also helped us to remember each other's name since there were about ten of us in the workshop.

I shared how after being rejected by a few top art colleges as a senior in High school, and feeling dejected, my mother took me out to Monhegan Island which was the favorite summer haunt of my studio artist teacher Alicia Stonebreaker. She left me out there alone one beautiful September day as I climbed lighthouse Hill to witnessed my first sunset. The waters were so calm and a lobster boat as if on que, drove into the sun that was setting. It's wake grew widder and widder and I experienced a spiritual moment when I believe God spoke to me that this was like his love for me. Then I was told that I was to go to Maine College of Art this year and become His artist. The only problem with that was that School would start in two days. So after returning I went to a wealthy friend of mine, Norman Houde, in Brunswick and told him the story that I thought God wanted me to go to college. Up to this point I was thinking about taking a year off of school like many high school graduates do. But Norm had other ideas. He called up MECA directly and informed them that he had a student here that wanted a portfolio review for entrance into collage today. I remember being nervous and MECA agreeing to the sudden portfolio review, but that it would be for next year's enrollment. He corrected them and said, "No it's for this year's enrollment and we'll be right down!" as he hung up on them. At this point shocked and little caught up in the sudden turn of events I drove to Portland with him and I did end up meeting the director of the art college at the time who was Bill Collins. He was very impressed with my portfolio. To make a long story short, I got a perfect 10 for my portfolio and was immediately asked to go over to registration and sign up for classes that would start the next day. But I had another problem. I had to come up with $100.00 over night. Feeling that Norman Houde had done enough, my mother approached her boss, Mary White who owned Stowe Travel Agency in Brunswick where she worked. Mary lent her the money for me to start college. I received BEOG grants that paid in full all 4 years of my college and expenses. So I graduated debt free.  In the first year after paying for all of my supplies, I remember I had exactly $100.00 to the penny to pay back Mary White. And what many people don't know, is that I got my start in my art career from a millionaire accountant named Norman Houde and even more amazing the granddaughter of Governor Percival Baxter whom Baxter State Park was named after. His granddaughter's name was Mary Baxter White. My brush with fame!


Students setting up in Cooper Dragonette's workshop at the beach near Haystack.

There were many stories like that with even more famous people. Cooper took us to two sites that day that he scouted out the day before. The first was a beach that we car-pooled to not to far from the Haystack campus. It reminded me of a beach in Carmel, California  or Monterey with large boulders is the bright Naples yellow sand. Although Cooper painted a view from the beach grass I painted right on the beach. We had about an hour and a half to paint and that included setting up and doing a thumbnail sketch about the size of an i-phone. I used palette knife with this painting because of time constraints and a brush malfunction. I was so happy to be painting in such a beautiful place I kept singing in my head the song we sing in my contenporary church band"Your Beautiful" by Phil Wickham. We got back with only minutes to spare for lunch and made a plan to  meet again after the MAEA meeting at 2 pm for our second paint-out. 

Saturday and Sunday I kept singing this song in my head by Phil Witham as I painted. If you want to listen to it click on "Your Beautiful" and then click on the first one when it takes you to the u-tube page.


"Beach on Deer Isle" an oil on board 8 x 10 inches by Michael E. Vermette

The second location was a little further from Haystack, and was a beautiful view of Jericho Bay, Deer Isle. Cooper worked it out with a private land owner who allowed us to paint on her land. The owners were two sisters, and one was present who enjoyed looking at all our work by the end of the day.  It offered a great vista of the bay and a small commercial fishing wharf. This place took our breath away as we turned the corner onto the property and got out of our cars. There were large bellowing clouds and the beautiful serene light of the afternoon. Cooper allowed us to spread out over the field and work on our own with a good 3 1/2 hours of painting time. 


MAEA Art Teachers painting en plein air  views of Jericho Bay, Deer Isle.

When we returned many of the artists had painted two small paintings in oil. These were considered studies and were used in the studio to make larger pieces. The studio was also used to complete unfinished plein air pieces. In the evening hours we worked into the night doing just that. Our studio was fantastically equip with everything you would need including its own bathroom. That evening I opted to paint a moonscape en plein air on the shore in front of Haystack. I had scouted this out early at sunrise and so I returned there with my head lamp. There is a trail that gives beautiful access to the shore and I chose the place where they usually built bond fires in the Clift of a huge rock.  There is a trickling waterfall that cascades down the rock and into the ocean, so I focused on the deep crevice line it made leading the eye to the moonlit waters.


"Deer Isle Moonscape" an oil on board 8 x 10 inches by Michael E. Vermette

I started painting on location at about 8:30 pm after seeing Cooper's presentation of his artwork at the multimedia building called "Breezeway". It was a perfect Segway into painting. I used only palette knife for this painting and would make a few alterations in the studio. The cool shore made me quit early at about 10:30 pm. The moon reflection was starting to move anyway out of position. I didn't want to make up what I was seeing and too chilled by painting without a coat, I returned to the studio to make the last and final touches. I left the studio like so many of us did that night at 11 pm. In fact we were working so hard we were surprised to find it to be that late. I had in mind to head in early and gain a few hours sleep before I would return to this same place on the coast to do a sunrise. In fact it was funny how I happened. I was  actually getting up just as my roommate was getting to bed at 4:30 am! Only at Haystack! I went to the studio to find it completely dark. By turning on the bathroom light and cracking the door, I was able to get enough light to fetch my plein air equipment and head out on the trail. I arrive on site at 5:00 am and set up under the light of my headlamp until the sky began to get brighter. The sun rose at about 6 am, but by then I had drawn in most of the landscape with charcoal pencil and had set out my paints. I was ready! I was surprised to discover just where the sun actually was positioned in my painting when it finally came up. And as it did, the mosquitos started to swarmed me. But this time I was better prepared. I had my rain coat on with my hood pulled over my hat and gloves on that they couldn't penetrate. But despite all that they still swarmed in front of my face the whole time I painted becoming quite a distraction. Two of them even landed on my nose at the same time while still others waited for their chance on the rim of my hat. I'm still having nightmares of these mosquitoes from hell who seemed to have long johns on. I was helpless to swat them away with my painted hands and oddly enough two MAEA art teachers came out to see what I was painting and what I was swatting at. They had more exposed skin than I yet they left them completely alone. I guess I was an easy meal for them or maybe it was the smell of my black oil wax medium. at any case, I stopped at 7:30 am and went back to the studio to find Copper up and working with artists. then I went back to my cabin to wash up and get ready for breakfast.


"Deer Isle Sunrise" an oil on board 8 x 10 inches by Michael E. Vermette

The morning session was busy for us cleaning and organizing the studio for an exhibit of our work called a "Walk Through."
Before that Cooper asked us to pick one of our best most excellently composed painting that we liked and include it in the group critique. But the way he conducted the critique was very unique. We all sat on chairs in a half round circle facing his easel.  He handed out note cards that described character traits of different types of people. For example a card might say underlined in the upper corner of the card "Doctor." In that case you were to act in the character traits that would be analytical, predict a prognosis, and offer a diagnostic prescription to the problem. We had to critique each other's work in charter and pass a new card each time someone else's painting was put on the easel. You could be asked to be a psychologist and empathise with the artist, or a scientist and just keep to the facts. Still you could be a philosopher and sum up what everyone else was saying in a few words. And my favorite, you could be asked to impersonate a humorist. Of course I used my imitation of Tim Sample when I got that "Kaaad!" and told the "ahh-tis" that she needed to put a few gulls in the picture! " Everyone laughed and It was great fun. We all had the courage to pay our roles superbly. And I believe the group critique was also enriched by the challenge.

I would like to personally thank Cooper Dragonette for his wit and very entertaining demeanor who showed us not to take ourselves too seriously and just become painters. It served to open my eyes to new techniques, new equipment and new theories I had never explored before, particularly in Anders Zorn's color scheme. I like to thank all the MAEA teachers who put up with me this last weekend and were true painters. It fills your well to paint with such enriching and encouraging people who sharpen you in unexpected ways. In fact each of the art teachers, art administrators and facilitators were professional, hard-working and completely caught up in the spirit of making and sharing art.  And that is what Haystack is all about for me and the kind of invaluable experience that will stay with me throughout the year for my students.

I'd also like to thank my principal at the Indian Island School, the school board, and the administrative staff at Maine Indian Eduction who did such a fine job with my registration so that I could attend the workshop of my 1st choice.  This was a very meaningful experience for me that I will share with my students as well as the many rich project and lesson ideas I gained by talking with other art educators in my field. Haystack is more than just another conference at a beautiful place, it's an immeasurable support system that coördinates and enriches art educators throughout the state through the Maine Art Education Association and beyond with the National Art Education Association and its standards. Thank you everyone!

Next weekend I will be painting at Katahdin Lake. Anyone who would like to go with me may do so by contacting the Katahdin Lake Wilderness Camps and making your reservation. I think there still might be room and the weather is supposed to be great! I will not be teaching, just painting from Friday afternoon to Sunday afternoon with the Plein Air Connect group and any of you who would like to join us. You will just have to pay for your stay at the Camps. 

Have an outstanding week everyone and remember, Your Beautiful! Ooooh... (x3),

Michael E. Vermette
Coordinator of the Plein Air Connection
Art Teacher at the Indian Island School

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