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PLEIN AIR CONNECTION PAINT-OUT: The Astico Azalea Garden

The next Plein Air Connection Paint-out will be Saturday May 31st at The Astico Azalea Garden in Northeast Harbor, Maine. The following information comes from their web site:

The Asticou Azalea Garden
Modeled after a classic Japanese garden, the Asticou Azalea Garden explodes each Spring in every imaginable shade of pink, coral, crimson and peach. Stroll its paths and discover quaint stone bridges over a bubbling stream that leads to a placid pool that reflects this dazzling burst of color. Ancient stone lanterns peek out from among the plantings, and benches everywhere invite quiet contemplation of this serene scene. After a summer clothed in quiet greens, the color returns, this time the blazing reds, yellows and oranges of a New England Autumn! The Azalea Garden is owned and maintained by the Mount Desert Land & Garden Preserve.

Thuya Gardens & Thuya Lodge
Named for the site's abundant white cedars (Thuja occidentalis), Thuya Gardens is part of what is known as Asticou Terraces, created by Boston landscape architect Joseph Henry Curtis. An English-style, semi-formal perennial garden, it was adapted for Coastal Maine by Charles Savage. The result is a marvelous surprise of gorgeous, formal flower beds against a backdrop of craggy granite outcrops and alpine woods so typical of downeast Maine! Thuya Gardens, Thuya Lodge, and the Asticou Terraces are owned and maintained by the Mount Desert Land & Garden Preserve.

Directions: 

We will be car-pooling from Penobscot Plaza in Bangor in front of the old Aubachon Hardware store by 8:00 am. We will also stop at the Dunkin Donuts in Ellsworth for those who would like to car-pool from there by 8:30 am. If you plan on taking your own car from Ellsworth, take Route 3 South following the signs to Mount Desert Island. Just after you come onto the Island, the road forks – bear RIGHT onto Route 102. Proceed on Rte. 102 until you come to a traffic light. Turn LEFT at the light, onto Route 3/198. Continue STRAIGHT on Rte. 3/198 toward Northeast Harbor. Just before you reach the town, turn left onto Route 3, otherwise known as Peabody Drive. The parking lot for a walk up the terrace to the Lodge and Garden will be on your right, approximately 3/10 mile from this intersection. To access the upper hill area by car, proceed another 1/3 mile to Thuya Drive on your left. Follow the drive to the top of the hill where there is limited parking for cars.



Please bring a lunch or snacks, money for a restaurant/critique stop on the way back and to pitch in for gas.

Hope to paint with you tomorrow, it looks like a great day for painting,

Michael E. Vermette
Coordinator of the Plein Air Connection