Monday, October 13, 2014

Painting in the White Mountains - Field Report

View of Crawford Notch from our base at the AMC Highland Center
The White Mountains, arguably the east coast's most "sublime and picturesque" terrain, have never ceased to fascinate lovers of the outdoors. So it makes sense that some of nature's most rapt admirers - landscape painters - are coming back as they once did to explore the Whites in their art.

The AMC Highland Center at Crawford Notch.
A couple of weeks ago, six men and women joined me for a three-day beginners-welcome workshop at the AMC Highland Center, a wonderful, hotel-like lodge at the base of Crawford Notch in the White Mountain National Forest. . From Sunday till Tuesday all we did was get up in the morning, have an all-you-can-eat breakfast, and walk out the door, set up, and start painting. There were easy hikes to elevated viewpoints and a van at our disposal to take us anywhere in the Whites, but who needs them when everywhere you look there's a painting to be made? We'd break for lunch, paint until 4, and then we'd all meet at 6 for the gourmet dinners served family style complete with beer, wine, and freshly baked bread. 

Painting at the edge of Saco Lake, across the street from the Highland Center.

After dinner the first night I gave a slide talk on the history of White Mountain painting. The next day we painted from a different side of the lodge and that evening we watched Brush and Pen, Artists and Writers of the White Mountains, a documentary on White Mountain history, art, and literature.

The inaugural AMC Highland Center Crawford Notch Artist in Residency was an unqualified success. In a wonderful circularity, two of the participants in the first revival of the Crawford Notch residency - Lisa Shapliegh-Koepke and her mother Elizabeth - were actually descendants of the same Shapleigh family as was the site's original artist-in-residence Frank Henry Shapleigh. 

Frank Henry Shapleigh

Frank Henry Shapleigh's restored 19th century studio building, part of the Highland Center.

Frank Shapleigh was artist-in-residence for 16 years from 1877-1893 at the Crawford House, one of the grandest of the grand hotels, the abandoned hulk of which burned to the ground in 1977. 

Early engraving of the original Crawford House

The Crawford House in its heyday.

Crawford House in 1977, the summer before the fire.

At the age of 86, Elizabeth was an inspiration to us - despite using a walker to get around, she wasn't held back at all and painted with us in all of the locations (it's that easy to find spectacular scenery to paint within easy walking distance of the lodge).

The unstoppable Elizabeth Shapleigh (age 86).

My rendering of the gate of the Notch from Saco Lake.
On Tuesday afternoon, after the official close of the workshop, I hiked up 2,864' Mount Willard (the trailhead is right there). I invited folks from the workshop to join me and three took me up on it. I brought my paint kit so I could sketch the same view that Shapleigh famously painted.

Shapleigh's view from Mount Willard

My photo from roughly the same spot as Shapleigh's painting.

 The view was unbelievable and more than worth the effort of the hike, which wasn't all that bad actually, even with a 30-pound paint kit on my back. The sketch doesn't look like much, but it's got the information I need to build a study and then I can work from there on something larger.

My sketch of the valley of the Notch.

I was fascinated by this peak, and I still want to paint it.


This was nearby but we didn't end up painting it. Next time!
Burning Off, an 8" x 10" I painted from outside the Highland Center

I'm hoping the AMC Crawford Notch residency will become an institution of American plein air painting. The idea is to invite artists from all over the country - plein air painters, mostly - to spend a week in residence at the Highland Center. Each artist will conduct a painting workshop for a set portion of the week and is also encouraged to present an evening program, a talk or presentation, of some kind.

A White Mountain landscape, c. 2013, by contemporary painter Eric Koeppel. 

I think it's great that plein air painting is surging in popularity. The secret is out: oil painting is no longer the difficult, smelly, esoteric, highly specialized art it once seemed. With terabytes of free how-to videos and web texts online, getting started and learning the basics is the easiest it's ever been in the history of the world. It is only a matter of time before the rich history of American landscape painting again becomes common knowledge.

Who knows but a new era of White Mountain painting may even now be on its way?

THE CREW: (L-R) Volpe,  Carrie Masci, Ann Marie Corbett, Lisa Koepke, Elizabeth Shapleigh, Catherine Bickford, David Kimball

15 comments:

  1. Wonderful post, Chris. Crawford Notch is one of my top five favorite places in the world, and I'm sorry I missed this! I hope you'll be there again so that I can take part.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Looks like a great trip Chris! Maybe next year . . !

    ReplyDelete
  3. I am so interested in joining you next year! PatENickerson

    ReplyDelete
  4. What a great post! Beautiful pictures all around!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thanks a lot for sharing such a great article as well beautiful paintings. I want to buy Aboriginal Art paintings for my house and looking for some genuine sites where I can get discount. Could you please suggest me sites from where I can buy aboriginal art paintings?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Venta las nueva camiseta futbol barata 2016-2017,camiseta seleccional, comprar Real Madrid,Barcelona,Chelsea,Manchester City ,mujer,nino con la buena calidad y mejor precio en la camisetas Real Betis baratas
    camisetas Sevilla baratas
    camisetas Real MadridCamisetas de futbol baratas

    ReplyDelete
  7. This NFL Flag for Chicago Bears is constructed of polyester, measures 3x5 feet, and has two metal grommets for attaching to our 6' aluminum flagpoles or any of our tailgate pole systems. The perimeter of this flag is double stitched and the team logos are screen printed into the flag so they remain durable and won't peel. Because of its large size, these flags are great to hang on any wall in your game room, sports room, or garage.
    sports flags sale Detroit Lions flags
    Green Bay Packers flags
    Houston Oilers flags

    ReplyDelete
  8. La cresta Roma iconica è stata utilizzata come logo principale durante gli anni 1980 e 1990, mentre ha visto molti ri-apparizioni sui kit di distanza e il terzo in seguito. Dopo che il club ha presentato il suo marchio aggiornato nel 2013, il nuovo logo di Roma è stato utilizzato su tutti e tre i kit di Roma ogni anno.calcio italia online shop,comprar maglie calcio,maglitte calcio serie a, Maglia Deportivo italia shop
    Maglia real madrid italia 2017

    ReplyDelete

  9. Louis Vuitton Replica Bags Best Luxury Replica Bags & Cheap Replica Handbags, Gucci Replica Bags Replica Bags – Buy Wholesale Cheap Luxury Online Replica Réplique Sacs Faux Louis Vuitton Gucci Herems YSL Sacs à main Vente

    ReplyDelete