Summer Painting Retreat - Great Spruce Head Island

I had no expectations about visiting Great Spruce Head Island in June, except that it would provide me with a new coastal environment, a change after years of painting in Addison. The island, one mile long and one half mile wide, contains more than ten beaches, meadows, woods trails, cliffs, a garden and and cluster of houses, a small harbor, and magnificent Penobscot Bay vistas. During my stay I experienced the clinging dampness of rain and fog, as well as the clear space of sunny days. The change was constant, and the number of possibilities for painting seemed infinite.   I painted on the porches, outside in front of the house, at Landing Beach, Double Beaches, and in the woods. When I wasn’t painting I was walking, trying to absorb the complete sense of the space in the limited time that I had. It was exhilarating. The island and house, steeped in their visual history provided a springboard for all of us. The paintings became a record of my week, living and working in the space of this small island, and attempting to identify its unique sense of place.

I began twenty paintings while I was at Great Spruce Head and have been painting subjects from the island almost daily since I returned. My goal during the past year has been to work with strong, contrasting gestural marks that build the image like a drawing. The plein air experience provided many opportunities for that. These are some of the paintings that I have done.

The view from the house was hard to leave. I worked through several variations of weather and time of day. 

Toward Butter Island, 11x14

Morning Fog, Barred Islands, 11x14

Overcast Bay, 11x14

Early Morning Bay, 12x24

We had fog and rain at the beginning of our stay. When the sun returned, I borrowed a kayak to paddle along the shore in the early morning. These paintings were done in the studio when I returned home.

Great Spruce, Morning paddle 1, 24x30, oil

 Great Spruce, Morning Paddle 3, 24x30

 Great Spruce, Morning Paddle 2, 24x30

 Great Spruce, Morning Paddle 4, 24x30

After days of rain I crossed the island through the woods to experience the South Meadow. These paintings document my walk through the blueberries, grasses, and milkweed toward the view of the bay and Bear Island.

 South Meadow with Young Milkweed 1, 12x12

South Meadow with Young Milkweed 3, 12x12

South Meadow with Young Milkweed 2, 12x12

Everywhere, thickets of blowdown edged the woods trails. 

 Woods study 1, 12x12

 Woods Study 2, 12x12

Double Beaches at the end of the island was the site of four paintings one day, and I returned for walks on many other occasions.

 Morning at Double Beaches, 2

Morning at Double Beaches, 1

Afternoon Meadow from the Double Beaches, 11x14