Art Camp & the Community of Artists

To be among people one loves, that's sufficient; to dream, to speak to them, to be silent among them, to think of indifferent things; but among them, everything is equal. (Jean de La Bruyere)

"Sand Beach"  oil on wood, 2009

  The Sand Beach property in Stonington Maine is a breathtaking beauty that has been painting and photographed endlessly over the years. I first painted there in 2009 and was smitten right away. In one spot it has a sample of all the scenic wonders of Deer Island: 180º ocean views with scattered islands, island light, a moss covered spruce forest, scattered massive granite boulders on the sand beach, boats, meandering paths. Jean came by my easel that first fall and as I was so effusive about the spot she mentioned she was an owner and that they leased the beach property to the town as a public park. I have rented part of the family farmhouse in September across from Sand Beach every year since.

"Long View" oil in wood, available here

  That's the setting of the Stonington Art Camp. Various friends and family have joined me there for a week or a month, mostly other painters. We paint and photograph all over the island and beyond from dawn until dusk and then eat marvelous group dinners and solve problems in the evening. This years hot topic: the aurora borealis, which appeared one evening. Many ideas were voiced about the cause and effect of that atmospheric wonder, pretty much without any grounding in reality-art science at its best!

"Black Dinah" trail on Isle Au Haut, or the search for chocolate at the end of the earth.
Richard, Ginny, me, Robin and Astro, Elizabeth

  A trip to Isle Au Haut in a chartered lobster boat to paint mid week was a highlight, thanks to George, the resident artist and gardener on the farmhouse compound.

"Self Sufficient"  George in the garden
Gouache on Paper, available here

  LA Robin and Astro, the super dog, were new this year and blended smoothly with the old guard. It's the friendship around the creative experience that's ultimately the key to Art Camp. Other artists understand the frustrations and the sheer joy of the art making experience and are there to share both of those aspects of creativity. The conversations that keep you going when every piece you are working on fails to gel. The enthusiasm when the moment hits and you are a success. The endless talk about the minutia of process and all the shared work to look at. These  all feed the soul of the artist. I have been very fortunate to have my team and the time spend with them.

  Let's see if we can solve global warming next.


Isalos Gallery on Main Street in Stonington has a showing of my paintings of the area,  preview the show here.