Grand Manan Island – Day One!

I’m back on Grand Manan Island, New Brunswick.  This is my twenty-third year of teaching on the beautiful ‘Queen of the Fundy Isles’. The workshop began last night with a delicious meal at the Marathon Inn. Good food and a chance to get to know each other.

This morning, we convened at our studio as the weather was a bit damp and cool. It gave me a chance to discuss some drawing fundamentals as well as a few basic pen and ink techniques. I drew a dory from memory so it was good news when the skies cleared and we headed to Dark Harbour to tackle the real thing!

We made a quick stop along the way to pick up a picnic lunch at Food For Thought. Great chili, sandwiches and rhubarb punch.

As you can see, there was no shortage of dories available. The group settled in for a full day of sketching and painting. Most worked on their laps but one resourceful artist turned a chair into an impromptu easel. I didn’t ask where he found the chair.

The Dark Harbour dories are used to gather dulse and other sea vegetables. On the way back to the studio, we pulled in to Roland’s Sea Vegetables to try some dulse and other healthy green goodies.

At last, it was time to take a look at our work. Most of the artists sketched but a few tackled a watercolour painting. We’re off to a good start.

 

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Tags: art holidays, Art Workshops, Barry Coombs, Canada, food for thought, Grand Manan Island, marathon inn, New Brunswick, outdoor painting workshops, pen and ink, plein air art vacations, plein air art workshops, roland's sea vegetables, watercolor, watercolour