Thomas R. Dunlay recently offered his workshop participants the chance to paint on the farm of one of America’s greatest impressionist painters.
A few of the participants at the Dunlay workshop
Frank Benson (1862-1951) lived and painted on Wooster Farm, 18 acres of land on North Haven Island in Maine’s Penobscot Bay. Dunlay has arranged to hold workshops on the farm, and even paint in Benson’s north-light studio in the event of foul weather. “It’s like going back in time,” says Dunlay. “His home and studio are virtually untouched. Nothing has changed since 1906. It is an amazing environment to teach in — no phone or Internet.”
Dunlay workshop participants on the Wooster Farm grounds
A look inside Benson’s studio
Participants dine on the historic premises
Dunlay says he plans to make the workshop an annual event. The Boston artist has a deep link with Benson — Dunlay studied under R. Ives Gammell, who in turn was a student of Benson. For more information on Dunlay’s workshops, visit his blog.
