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The Plein Air Connection Newsletter, December 5th, 2014

"The Beehive From Beaver Pond, Acadia National Park, Maine" an oil on oak gessoed panel 8 x 10 inches by Michael E. Vermette. If you would like to bid on this painting as a part of Michael's 50 in 50 Sale please press HERE.

The Paint Out is Cancelled for Saturday Dec 6th!

please note that the paint-out that was scheduled for tomorrow, Saturday December 6th has been cancelled due to the winter storm warning from 3 am to 7 PM. We will be getting a mix of parcipitation including freezing rain and it was 10 below zero in Millinocket today. Not the best day for painting outdoors in the open air!

The Plein Air Connection Winter Painting Retreat!

February 18th-21st, 2015

"Katahdin Alpine Glow from Katahdin Lake in February" an oil on oak panel 8x10 inches by Michael E. Vermette. 

Happy Holidays everyone! I can't believe it's been almost five years since I painted this small oil of the Alpine Glow of Katahdin from Katahdin Lake. There are views like these and many more awaiting 6 to 8  artists who would like to go on this year's Plein Air Connection Painting Retreat with me. Our retreat concept is simple. We all paint on our own during the day, supported by Holly Hamilton our guide, and the other artists who share great places to paint in the morning at breakfast. You can paint with someone or completely on your own it is totally your call. Then after dinner, we will all have a supportive critique and share the work we have made from our day's experiences. There is no instruction, just wonderful fellowship with  artists supporting each other to paint in a spectacular place en plein air.

Snowmobiles and staff at Katahdin Lake Wilderness camps.

We will park our cars at the public parking lot below the Abol store on the Golden road. We will meet Holly Hamilton, Katahdin Lake Wilderness Camp owner and guide and her staff there who will be taking our gear into the camps and giving us a ride from the Abol store on the Golden Road to the Togue Pond Gate House.  She will bring us to the Togue Pond gate house in Baxter Park where we are expected to cross country ski or snowshoe up to 6 miles or as much as we can. If we can not make the whole distance she will bring us in individually by snowmobile. Otherwise she will give us another snowmobile ride from Avalanche Field into Katahdin Lake Wilderness Camps an extra 3.6 mile ride.

Hilyard's Camp at the Katahdin Lake Wilderness Camps.

Once we are there we will be occupying up to three cabins that we will be staying at for three nights. The views from this place are absolutely amazing with the advantage of setting up our easels right on the lake. The cost of the four-day painting retreat is $ 435.00  and includes your snowmobile ride in, the transporting of all your gear via snow sled in and out of the camps, three meals per day and your shared cabin. We are required to bring our own sleeping bags and of course our warm winter clothing and paint gear.

Michael E. Vermette painting Katahdin en plein air on Katahdin Lake.

The meals are especially wonderful. Rachel and Holly do an excellent job accommodating our every need. Although you can bring your own food we will all be opting for their modified meal plan so that we can concentrate more on painting rather than preparing food. let us know if you have any special dietary needs.

If this is something you would like to do, please notify me immediately at [email protected] and after, mail your desposit of $93.75 to me at 14 Rolling Thunder Drive, Indian Island, Maine 04468. Registration is at a first come first serve basis and already I have four particpants who have committed to the weekend. So please don't delay in notifying me and sending in your deposit. We need to know within the next week. The rest of the balance will be due at the end of your stay. 

FEAR and ART

the Next Book Discussion and Paint-Out Dates:

 

Our last book discussion was a very rich discussion and we hope to do it again. The next book discussion will be December 13th at Kay Carter's House between 10 and noon. The Book we have chosen to read is: ART AND FEAR, The Perils and Rewards of Artmaking by authors David Bayles and Ted Orland. Please read Chapters two to four before the next discussion.

 

 

Kay's Address is:

76 Main Road S

Hampden, ME 04444

862-3957

 Directions:

From Bangor:  Go south on Rt 1A until you get to the center of Hampden.  Go past the old Hampden Academy on the left.  Go down a hill and 2/3 of the way up the hill on Rt 1A.  Our house is on the right.  There is a ‘76’ number sign on the front lawn.  It is about 1/2 mile south of the old Hampden Academy.  If you reach the Kennebec Rd you have gone too far.  The house is a big old clapboard house with a red barn facing it.  House color:  two tone putty.

 

From I-95:  Take exit 180 (Cold Brook Rd).  Go right at the end of the exit and follow ColdBrook Rd to Rt 202.  Turn right on 202 and follow it to the lights.  That is Western Ave.  Turn left on Western Ave and follow to Rt 1A.  Turn right at 1A and follow the directions above.  When you reach 1A you are about 1 mile from our house.

Happy Holidays, Safety and Peace to all,

Michael E. Vermette

Coordinator of the Plein Air Connection