Links & Resources for Plein Air Painters

Cobble Mountain Vista Paintout
August 20, 21, 22, and 23

Curious Cow at Laurel Ridge Farm
Featured Farm, CT Farmland Trust

The Gazebo at Elizabeth Park

Painting the gardens at Harkness

Origins of Plein Air Painting

Cold Weather Painting Tips
from Beth Ellis

Advice for First Time Plein Air Painters
from Katherine Simmons

Fishing at Hammonasset

PAINT OUT WITH THE CONNECTICUT PLEIN AIR PAINTERS

Everyone in attendance enjoyed our Member Picnic at Harkness State Park this month; look at all those happy faces in this picture taken at the picnic. Many of our members paint on location all year round. But our planned paintouts are scheduled monthly from April through October of each year. We invite CPAPS member and non-members to join us for these monthly paintouts. Painting out together is a great opportunity "speaks" to you, stay for the whole day to paint.

Paintout Locations for 2010 - Updated July 21, 2010

April 16, 17, 18 & 19 - Smyrski Farm, Merryall Road, New Milford, CT
 For directions to the farm, click HERE.

April 25 & 26 and May 2 & 3 - Laurel Ridge Farm, 665 Wigwam Road, Litchfield, CT 06759
This is the featured farm for this year's CT Farmland Trust Celebration in September. Farm Website.
For directions to the farm, click HERE.

May 16 & 17 - Southport Harbor, Fairfield, CT
Sailboats, shoreline views, antique homes on quaint narrow streets
For directions to Southport Harbor, click HERE.

May 21, 22, 23 & 24 - Hunt Hill Farm - Paint the beautiful Litchfield Hills at Hunt Hill Farm. Click HERE for directions to the farm.

June 6 & 7 - Elizabeth Park, the country's oldest municipally-owned rose garden in the countr at the corner of Prospect St. & Asylum Ave., Hartford, CT. Large perennial garden, pond and stone bridge - lots of paintable sites. Park Website.
Dirctions to Park from I-84 West bound to Exit 48 (Asylum Street): Stay to the Right on Asylum. Follow for approximately 1.8 miles. Turn left into the park (1555 Asylum Avenue, West Hartford).
Directions to Park from I-84 East bound to Exit 44 (Prospect Ave): Straight thru stop sign. Left at light onto Prospect. Follow approximately 1.8 miles. Entrance on Left (915 Prospect, Hartford)

June 11, 12, 13 & 14 - Alice McCalister Memorial Park - Weantinogue Land Trust Location Alice McCallister Memorial Park is on Camps Flat Road, which turns into South Kent Road.  The best and easiest painting sites are along Mud Pond road.  You have to drive down the dirt road a bit.  Be careful parking because the rain run-off across the road has made some soft areas.  At the end of the pond, the road has wide spots where you can pull over.
 
Directions from Litchfield: Take Rt 202 toward New Milford. When you come to the Northville area, look for Northville Store. The next road on the right is Little Bear Hill Road. Go right. The road goes up and down and turns into Bear Hill Road. Continue to a stop sign. Squire Hill Road is on the right. Take Squire Hill to the end (3? minutes). Go left onto Barker Road. Barker turns into West Meetinghouse turns into Camps Flat. It is windy and turny. Mud Pond Road will be on the left and is a dirt road. Go left onto Mud Pond Road, and travel a half mile and the brush will clear and the pond is visable.

OR, continue past Mud Pond Road, just pass the pond (go slowly) on the left is a big wooden sign for the Park, and the trail is there. Space for parking about three cars. It's hard to see the sign as is is set back a bit. The trail is flat, and has a branch to the right that goes up a hill to a view. The view is mostly hidden by leaves now.

Directions from New Milford: Take Rt 202 towardLitchfield. When you come to the Northville area, look for Northville Store. The road before the store on the left is Little Bear Hill Road. Go right. The road goes up and down and turns into Bear Hill Road. Continue to a stop sign. Squire Hill Road is on the right. Take Squire Hill to the end (3? minutes). Go left onto Barker Road. Barker turns into West Meetinghouse turns into Camps Flat. It is windy and turny. Mud Pond Road will be on the left and is a dirt road. Go left onto Mud Pond Road, and travel a half mile and the brush will clear and the pond is visable.

July 11 & 12 - Harkness State Park, 275 Great Neck Rd., Waterford, CT
Seascapes, marshes, beautiful perenniel gardens, this site has everything. Restroom facilities available.. Harkness Website For directions to Harkness, click HERE.

July 25 & 26 - Rosedale Farms and Vineyard, 25 East Weatogue Street, Simsbury, CT - featuring vineyards; restrooms available. Rosedale Website.
Directions: From Hopmeadow Street (Rte 202/10) in Simsbury (Weatogue), Take Route 185 East. As you cross the bridge over the Farmington River, look to your left to see the Pinchot Sycamore (CT's largest tree). Turn left onto East Weatogue Street at the next intersection rotary. Continue .2 miles - Rosedale will be on the left.

August 8 & 9 - Tiffany Farms, 156 Sterling City Rd., Old Lyme, CT
Great farm views - Hamburg Cove is right down the road. Cattle, horses, pastures. No restrooms.
For directions to Tiffany Farms, click HERE

August 20, 21, 22, & 23 - Weantinogue Land Trust Location - Cobble Vista in Kent
For a property map, click HERE; scroll down to page 6 for the Cobble Mountain Vista map.
Directions to the site: From the intersection of Routes 7 and 341 at the monument in Kent Center, take Rt. 7 north 1.9 miles, right onto Studio Hill Rd., then turn right onto Studio Hill Circle. The trailhead and small parking area are on the right side of the road.  The property can also be seen from Cobble Road which connects Route 341 and Route 7.

August 29 & 30 - Hammonasset State Park, 1288 Boston Post Rd., Madison, CT
Meig’s Point is a particularly lovely place to paint in the park.Marsh scenes, shoreline trails, and, of course, lots of beach, rocky or sandy. For directions to the park, click HERE.

September 10 & 13 - Anderson Acres, Kent
DIRECTIONS:
 From Washington/New Preston/New Milford. Take Rt. 202 to its intersection with Rt. 45. Turn onto Rt. 45 and pass through New Preston Center to the stop sign at the tip of Lake Waramaug.  Continue straight through the intersection for 1.6 miles on East Shore Rd.  The lake will be on your left.  Turn left onto North Shore Rd. and continue for 2.2 miles.  Continue straight onto Anderson’s Acres Rd. for 0.7 mile.  The entrance will be on your right.

 From Kent Center (intersection of Rt. 341 and Rt. 7). At the monument in Kent Center (Rt. 341/Rt. 7), turn onto Rt. 341/ Maple St. for 0.6 miles, then bear left following Rt. 341/Segar Mountain Rd. for 4.6 miles.  Take a sharp right (by the intersection with Kenico Rd.) onto Kent Hollow Rd. and continue for 1.7 miles. Turn left onto Anderson's Acres Rd. The entrance will be on your left.

 From Downtown New Milford (intersection of Rt. 202 and Rt. 67). From the intersection of Rt. 202 and Rt. 67, take Rt. 202 north for 5.8 miles.  Turn left onto Sawyer Hill Rd. and follow for 2.1 miles.  Sawyer Hill Rd. becomes Kent Hollow Rd.  Continue for 1.7 miles, and then turn right to stay on Kent Hollow Rd. continuing for another 0.5 miles to the intersection of Beardsley Rd.  Turn left to stay on Kent
Hollow Rd. and continue for 1.4 miles to Anderson’s Acres.  Turn  right to the entrance.

 From Litchfield.  From Litchfield, follow Rt. 202 south for 7.3 miles to Rt. 341. Turn right onto Route 341/Warren Rd. continuing past the stop light intersection in the center of Warren, for 7.9 miles.   Bear left (by the intersection with Kenico Rd.) onto Kent Hollow Rd. and continue  for 1.7 miles. Turn left onto Anderson's Acres Rd.   Anderson’s Acres will be on your left.

September 19 & 20 - Griswold Point, Old Lyme, CT
Waterviews of the CT River and Long Island Sound. Directions to come.
Directions: Take I-95 to Exit 70. From Northbound direction, turn right at the end of the exit onto Route 156 and go south for 2 miles. From the Southbound direction, Turn left on Lyme Street; go 1.5 miles through Old Lyme;turn left on Route 156 and continue for 0.3 mile
Next: All traffic turn right onto Old Shore Road (from Route 156). Follow Old Shore Road to Griswold Point Road. Take a quick right turn onto Griswold Point Road.

October 3 & 4 - Hill-Stead Museum, 35 Mountain Road, Farmington, CT
Stately home and museum, farm buildings, landscape views; restrooms available. Open daily from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm. (If you decide to go on another date, please contact Sharon Stotz at 860-677-4787, extension 140 or stotz@hillstead.org.
Directions: Take Exit 39, I-84 East or West. Follow Route 4 West. Turn left onto Route 10 South. At first traffic light, turn left onto Mountain Road. Museum entrance is 1/4 mile up the hill on the left.

October 17 & 18 - River Highlands State Park, Cromwell, CT - dramatic view of the Connecticut River from the top of a high bluff. No restrooms.
Directions: From junction of Rt. 3 and I-91 proceed east on W. Street for 1.7 miles. Turn right (south) on Route 99. Follow Route 99 for 1.9 miles. Turn left on Golf Club Road.  Follow Golf Club Road for 0.3 miles to Field Road.Turn right on Field Road. In 1 mile Field Road turns right at the stop sign.  Follow Field Road for an additional 0.3 miles.  The park will be on your left.

November 7 & 8 - Chaffinch Island Park, Chaffinch Island Road, Guilford, CT 06437
Salt marsh, water views, trees, etc. Parking and restooms available.
Directions to the Park, click HERE.