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I like to paint on site. When looking at your subject an incredible amount of information is available that you can put into your painting. I’ve heard it called working directly, and that my paintings are very direct. OK, good enough. What does that mean? It can be very simple, or it can be a lot of different things. Let me tell you about a painting trip.
 

I like painting at Katahdin Lake in Baxter State Park, here in Maine.  Frederick Church and Marsden Hartley liked painting at Katahdin Lake, long before it was Baxter State Park. They were good painters. The massif we know as Katahdin is very much in the view from many spots on the lake. In the years 2005 and 2006, I joined many other artists and donors and gave a painting to help raise money to purchase the land around Katahdin Lake for $14 million and donate it to Baxter State Park. This fulfilled the dream that Governor Baxter had to include the lake in the park’s holdings. What a thrill it was for me to be a part of that.
 

I painted at Katahdin Lake and surrounding area for about 10 years after that purchase effort.  One year I went with a friend to the Twin Ponds near Katahdin Lake. That trip included the 3-1/2 mile hike into Katahdin Lake Wilderness Camps. My friend and I then took a canoe ride for several miles across Katahdin Lake to the north-east corner, which in itself was a fabulous trip. Then we hiked about another 3 miles near and through the now Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument to the Twin Ponds. After this long journey carrying our gear, we arrived at the shoreline of upper Twin Pond looking up at a terrific view of a ridge and some rocky cliffs. We quickly went to work, and each made two small studies of what we saw. We were both excited and totally inspired. This feeling of sparkle and buzz for me happens best after a journey like this to get to someplace unique. It’s not just that we’re away from civilization and all its constructs. More importantly it’s about being immersed in the full energy of the natural world. Many artists, poets, and writers have responded to that same feeling. That is direct connection. My paintings are always better for it.
On our way home that day we saw an amazing view of the sun as it traversed across the peak of Katahdin and the clouds made the mountain look like it was some sort of volcano that was actively erupting. That kind of direct experience gives me everything I need to make paintings.