Vinalhaven Island, Maine Nature Painting Workshop

Overview

In this drawing and painting nature workshop students will be immersed in the beautiful views of Vinalhaven on the coast of Maine. Vinalhaven is not your characteristic Maine destination, it will feel like stepping back in time, without the typical New England tourism or development.  Arriving by ferry, you will stay in the only hotel on the island. Days will be devoted looking and exploring using the painting and drawing medium of your...

Overview

In this drawing and painting nature workshop students will be immersed in the beautiful views of Vinalhaven on the coast of Maine. Vinalhaven is not your characteristic Maine destination, it will feel like stepping back in time, without the typical New England tourism or development.  Arriving by ferry, you will stay in the only hotel on the island. Days will be devoted looking and exploring using the painting and drawing medium of your choice.  There will be several evening salon-style reviews and conversations about the work,  allowing for group discussions about process and ideas in a supportive environment. Join me this fall to paint in nature on this pristine coastal island for the perfect artist retreat for like-minded landscape painters. This departure is limited to a maximum of ten participants. We always welcome tour companions who are not artists. The trip’s leisurely pace will provide ample opportunity to wander around town and enjoy time with the locals that call this island home.

There is wireless internet at your accommodations. Individuals can pay for parking fee at the Rockland Ferry parking lot along with fee for walking on the ferry. We will notify you if there are other participants living in your area, so you can carpool to Rockland. Keep in mind that the Maine coast weather forces us to be flexible, but not to worry, there are plenty of scenes to capture right from your accommodations. There is also a lovely art gallery to explore.

Kathleen Jacobs and About this Class

In this class students will start with intuitive sketches of the natural hills, trees, and foliage of the landscape. Students look carefully to make pencil compositional studies to settle into the view of such a special place. Working in any painting medium, students will make small intimate paintings in one sitting. Like Corot, students will look to investigate composition, using form, shape, line, and color while working in nature. Emphasis will be placed on capturing the feeling of the landscape, without over analysis. We will use the historic color paint palette of Corot to express emotion.

Kathleen Jacobs will provide individualized instruction during plein air excursions, demonstrations, discussions, and presentations that will provide the format for an intensive exciting learning experience. Working small, participants will work to create work with a spirit of place. Her teaching emphasizes looking at the landscape and to understand the formal elements of painting, shape, color, space, form while responding to the grace, order and beauty that is in front of you. There will be ample opportunity to discuss each other’s work and to discuss other international painters throughout history to enrich your experience.

Fitness and Health
Walks and hikes can be on rough terrain and up to a couple miles in length. Trails can be uneven, slippery. You need to be able to climb uphill or over rocks. All participants need to be agile and able to manage their own gear and luggage in and out of the vehicle. Anyone who is reasonably fit should be able to take part in most of the activities. If you have any special needs or any physical condition that you feel might prevent you from fully participating, please contact Strabo Tours with your concerns (607-423-2525).