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The Plein Air Connection Winter Painting Retreat. It's not too late to register! We can take one more person.

February 18th-21st, 2015

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

 There is still time to register for the Katahdin Lake Retreat in Baxter State Park, Maine! We are looking to register one more painter. We have 5 artists currently going. There are views like these and many more awaiting up to 8 artists.  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 suggest 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 a lot of fun and 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 not need to bring our own equipment in on a sled. We will park our cars at the public parking lot below the Abol store on the Golden road. There 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.  It is a good idea to cover your equipment in plastic bags to protect your equipment from the snowy ride in. Holly does have a tarp to cover the equipment but you never know. After she brings us to the Togue Pond gate house in Baxter Park, we are expected to cross country ski or snowshoe up to 6 miles. If we can not make the whole distance she will bring us in individually by snowmobile only if you are injured or completely exhausted for an extra fee. She will stop to check on us a few times on the trail. Otherwise she will give us all a second ride on the snowmobile from Avalanche Field into Katahdin Lake Wilderness Camps, an extra 3.6 mile ride. The total distance into this beautiful and remote camp is approximately 14 miles one way. So a six mile ski in is not bad at all!

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 stunning 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, towels and of course our warm winter clothing and paint gear.

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

What to Bring 

Each person will need to bring their own sleeping bag (not necessarily a polar one because there are plenty of wool blankets) and towels for washing up. All of the cabins have sinks, but there is no running water in the cabins and water is provided in a 5 gallon jug with a steel bucket to heat on the wood stove. Not all if any have gas stoves, but all have gas lighting that you need to turn out when leaving the cabins unattended. Of course you need to bring in your own art supplies. You must also bring a day pack to carry at least one quart or more of water for the ski in and some snacks for energy. You will burn a lot of calories skiing.  Please be ready to ski at least six miles on the well-groomed snowmobile trail in the park. It is also a good idea to bring a flashlight (headlamp) and a good compass. We will be sticking together for the most part but who knows. Also be prepared to bring proper ski pants for the ski in, snowmobile pants for standing in one spot for long periods of time when painting, a good winter coat, a polar vest or sweater, thermo or padagonia underwear and good smart wool socks and boots for possible below zero degree temps. You will also need gloves and a good hat with ear flaps that cover your ears from the wind. I always bring a facemask that I have on me at all times because the weather can turn on a dime. I use wool ( cut-off at the fingers) gloves and wear a rubber surgical glove over them when oil painting. But when skiing in between locations and the camps I have my thick wool gloves for polling. 

The Dinner Before

We will be having a pre-paint-out dinner at Kay Carter's house at 5:30 PM on Tuesday Night, February 17th that will include a soup, salad, bread and a lot of excellent conversation. 

The meals at Katahdin Lake Wilderness Camps

 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 instead of preparing food for ourselves. let us know if you have any special dietary needs when you send your deposit.

 If you are that one person who would like to go with us and this is something you would like to do, please notify me immediately at [email protected]. At this point, you will need to bring your deposit of $93.75 with you at this late in the schedule and pay your balance by the end of your stay.