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The PLEIN AIR CONNECTION NEWSLETTER January 14th, 2014
The Schoodic Point Paint-out


"High Surf at Schoodic Point, Acadia National Park" an oil 16 x 20 inches on board by Michael E. Vermette

On Tuesday January 14th the Plein Air Connection painting group descended upon Schoodic point, Acadia National Park. It was raining a light and steady mist when we left Bangor but it soon cleared and even the sun tried to break through the clouds when we arrived. The surf was high and the waves must have been 10 feet or more as they crashed ashore one after another. The rocks were wet so the going was slow and we were the only ones there. The ones who painted in our group were Kay carter, Becky Whight and myself.  We stood and watched the wonder of these towering comers curling into churning bright white surf, as if we had all the time in the world. But we didn't. About an hour into our painting the rain picked up again. We were believing for a 4 hour window without rain but what we really recieved was about an hour. It was always a light mist that gradually got heavier the nearer we were to noon time. But we stuck it out because the color was so richly glazed and mesmerizing . Our painting palettes would quickly bead up with water drops but if you angled your painting just right it wouldn't get any rain on it at all, with the exception of the back which became totally saturated. Gypsum painted oak panels are best for this type of hearty painting because they actually absorb the rain long enough for you to get something established. Also the Black Oil Wax medium provides a glue property that when mixed with the oil paint helps the paint to stick to the surface, even if the substrate is wet! I used a ton of it in my painting because I accidentally broke a jar of it on the rocks. I was in the position to either use it or lose it. But my panel was not a gypsum panel. It was a panel given to me by my friend Cooper Dragonette, and it was a 16 x 20 inch acrylic gessoed hard board. It worked OK for applying paint because no rain actually hit the surface of the painting due to the angle I painted it at. But the back did get partially saturated and it started to warp. Becky and Kay didn't add as much, if any, black oil wax medium to their oil paint. They admitted to me that they found it difficult to control the paint from sliding off and making a mess. Frustrated, they actually finished about a half hour before I did and I might have stayed longer if my rain gear held out and I had a gypsum gessoed board. 
By afternoon it just continued to rain steady and so I quit and went back with the others in Kate's warm station wagon. On our way back we talked a lot about the black oil wax medium and its ability to not only increase color brightness but to improve adhesion even on days like these. I talked with them about my friend Ann Hubert who use to tell me that James Fitzgerald would lay a light coat of Black Oil Wax medium over is canvas the night before and add an iron oxide oil color to it to tone the canvas. The next day he would paint on that surface and he told her that there would be just the right tack to paint on it. We really don't think about paint adhesion, but it is really important as plein air painters who need one less thing to battle on location. James Fitzgerald knew this and he lived on Monhegan Island which is one of the dampest out-to-sea islands along the coast of Maine. 
So we all decided to try this again. Next Tuesday we are going to paint at Schoodic a second time. If you would like to car-pool with us we are meeting at the Penobscot Plaze at 8:30 am. We will also meet up with other painters at the Dunkin Donuts in Ellsworth at 9 am sharp. The weather is supposed to be better and still warm enough to plein air paint. This time, we all decided, we'll prepare our canvases or panels with a thin coat of Black Oil Wax medium and a pigment to tint the substrate the night before. They should be excellent surfaces to paint on no matter what the weather conditions are that we may face. Sometimes all need is just one more crack at it in better weather to see a painting idea through, even if we did come away with effective paintings. It reminds me of one of my favorite quotes from Robert Henri, " Things being as they are, the life of an artist is a battle wherein great economy must be exercised. The kind of economy which will result in moments of pure freedom in spite of the world's exactions. -Robert Henri



"Schoodic Point, Acadia National Park" an oil on canvas 8 x 10 inches by Becky Whight

We stopped over on our way back at Chases Restaurant in Winter Harbor at around 1 o'clock. None of us really wanted to show our paintings to each other, but we did. We quickly ordered our lunch and ended up had a great critique right in the restaurant even though they were scheduled to close at 2 PM. It is amazing how a painting will seem better when you have had a hot cup of tea and can get away from the battle. 


"Schoodic Rain" an oil on canvas 9 x 12 inches by Kay Carter

  Coming up on the schedule this Saturday is the continuation of "The Art Spirit" book discussion by artist and author Robert Henri. Those who are planning on attending should bring books of drawing reproductions of Rembrandt, Cezanne, Monet, Degas, and other master painters that Henri has talked about in his book. We are going to refer to these drawings reproductions as we re-read last weeks section of the drawn line.  We will then look at the drawings of these masters by cross-referencing them with what we read between p.110 and p. 114 of Robert Henri's book as an exercise. This promises to be a very interesting activity and very educational. You might also want to keep up with the readings we are doing. The next section that we ask you to read before next class is A Sketch p. 126 up to My People p. 143 in The Art Spirit book by Robert Henri. 

Here are some dates you will want to save:  

Tuesday, January 28th at the Brewer Creative Arts Center (at a wonderful ceramic shop) I will be hosting our first Bangor Art Society Meeting of 2014. Everyone who attends will be invited to paint/glaze on plates and platters, choosing their own sizes and style. More information will follow as we get closer to the date. This meeting is open to everyone but there will be a fee for the firing and glazes of the pottery provided.

The deadline for the registration for the Waterville Open Juried show 2014 is coming right up on February 21st. Registration is $30.00 but substantially higher at the door on the day of the show's in-take on March 22nd at the Waterville Library at 77 Elm street between 9:30-11:00 am. For more information on the show and to acquire an entry form click hereor go to http://www.watervillemainstreet.org/events.php.

The Plein Air Connection is already planning a gallery visit and tour of the Alfond-Lunder Family Pavilion on Saturday, March 22nd after we drop off our paintings off at 11:00 am at the waterville Public Library. Last year we had a lot of fun meeting and sharing with our fellow friends and artists of southern Maine and we hope to do it again. More to come as the date draws near. 

I hope to see everyone who has wanted to attend our Plein Air Connect meetings at the Grace Church Holy Grounds Coffee shop is able to join us this Saturday.  Kay Carter is making he amazing corn chowder and bread. It's all free as well as the coffee and tea. Come a share your thoughts over lunch with us.

Warm thoughts and best wishes for the greater art life,

Michael E. Vermette
Coordinator of the Plein Air Connection