Unleash Your Inner Artist

Plein Air Workshops

Join us at The Wilmington Inn for a Plein Air Painting retreat in Vermont’s Green Mountains. Immerse yourself in the lush mid-summer landscape, and create lasting memories and artworks inspired by the natural beauty around you.

Plein Air in the Green Mountains of Vermont

The Wilmington Inn in historic Wilmington is our base for a painting retreat in Vermont’s Green Mountains. Surrounded by lakes, mountains, and forests, the area’s mid-summer landscape is lush and colorful. As artists we will be taking the time to observe and record where we are and what we see. Our time there will be richer than that of most tourists who simply pass through. We will celebrate the Vermont landscape through an artist’s eye, our drawings and paintings becoming visual records of our experience. This workshop is an opportunity for you to experience the plein air painting process. Working outdoors on-site allows us to immerse ourselves in the land with all our senses – looking, listening, and smelling the unique character of the location.

The Wilmington Inn is a highly rated bed & breakfast located in Southern Vermont. The inn is located within walking distance of downtown Wilmington with a variety of shops & restaurants. There are walking trails located on & around the property for all skill levels. The Harriman Reservoir is a short drive from the inn for anyone looking to swim & enjoy a variety of water activities.

A colorful painting depicts a rural scene with a large red barn and a silo beside it, reminiscent of the charming landscapes near Vermont Bed and Breakfasts. A dirt path runs in front of the barn, and a green vine climbs up one side. The scene is set under a bright blue sky with soft white clouds.

A textured painting depicts a forest scene in muted tones. Large trees with birdhouses attached to them dominate the foreground, reminiscent of a peaceful Vermont Bed And Breakfast. A solitary figure in the distance walks along the leaf-strewn ground, evoking tranquility and solitude.

Painting of a countryside scene in Wilmington, VT featuring red brick buildings surrounded by lush greenery. A winding path leads to the buildings, reminiscent of charming Vermont Bed and Breakfasts, with a partly cloudy sky visible above.

A painting depicts a rustic red barn in a snowy landscape, reminiscent of picturesque scenes around Vermont Bed and Breakfasts. The barn is positioned centrally, its structure partially obscured by a tall, narrow tree in the foreground. Energetic, textured brushstrokes enhance the wintry atmosphere.

A painting depicting a rustic farm scene with a few weathered wooden buildings, a blue silo, and rolling hills in the background. Bare trees frame the composition, creating a peaceful, pastoral atmosphere under a partially cloudy sky – reminiscent of scenes near charming Vermont Bed And Breakfasts.

A vibrant impressionistic painting of a rustic barn partially obscured by lush trees and foliage evokes the charm of Wilmington, VT. The barn's red roof peeks through the dense greenery, reminiscent of Vermont Bed And Breakfasts. The scene is bright, with a clear blue sky in the background.

A painting of a rural scene in Wilmington, VT, featuring a white barn with a silo, surrounded by trees and greenery under a blue sky. A gravel path leads up to the barn, and red farm equipment is visible in the foreground on the left. Perfectly capturing the charm of Vermont Bed and Breakfasts.

A pastel-colored painting depicting a tranquil nature scene in Wilmington, VT, with trees in various shades of green, yellow, and brown. The foliage reflects softly in a calm body of water in the foreground. The overall style is impressionistic, with blurred and blended colors.

A vibrant painting depicts a house with a steep roof surrounded by tall trees. Sunlight filters through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the path leading to the house. The scene conveys a serene, natural setting.

About Our Instructors

Mary Padgett’s paintings are distinctive for her use of color. She works in both oil and pastel, is a signature member of the Pastel Society of America and has been featured in American Artist and Pastel Journal magazines. Her paintings are in numerous private and public collections, including Towers Perrin, Takasago International, and the Long Island Jewish Medical Center. She has participated in many local and national exhibitions, with exhibition and competition awards from the Pastel Society of America, the Fenimore Art Museum, and the Finger Lakes Plein Air and Frank Bette Plein Air Painting Competitions. Mary was educated at Boston University and Syracuse University. She has taught painting and color courses for Syracuse University and Cazenovia College, and currently conducts workshop programs in the US and abroad. She maintains a studio in New Woodstock, New York.

George Van Hook is an American impressionist painter born in Abington, PA. Van Hook studied at Oberlin College in Ohio and later received his B.A. in Art from Humboldt State University in California. Inspired by twentieth-century California Impressionists and artists like John Singer Sargent, Van Hook paints en plein air, capturing experiences and sensations that cameras can often miss.

For over thirty-five years, Van Hook’s paintings have been exhibited throughout the United States, Europe, and Japan. Van Hook was featured in Plein Air Magazine and made the cover of American Artists Magazine in 1989 and again in 2001. Van Hook has since settled with his wife and family in Cambridge, New York in the beautiful Hudson Valley, which inspires his work. He has continued to be involved in plein air competitions, in which he has received numerous awards and commendations.

Jill M. Pottle is an artist from Worcester County and she exhibits her paintings and drawings locally and nationally. She is a graduated from Syracuse University with her BFA and graduated with her MFA from the Boston Museum School. She is an accomplished artist and art teacher for 38 years. Her works have been included in shows at the Three Stones Gallery, W. Concord and the East End Gallery in Provincetown, MA. She is a member of the The Robert Collins Gallery, Rockport, MA, True Grit Gallery in Middleboro, MA and Creative Connections Gallery in Ashburnham, MA . She was the artist in residency at the Fruitlands Museum. Her accomplishments include being in a variety of collections: 2022: Danforth Museum/Framingham State, “Pandemic Wedding Dress”, Hebrew Rehabilitation Center for the Aged in Roslindale, MA, Sterling Drug Inc., Fidelity in Boston and Avon Breast Center Art Collection. She won two grants from the Somerville Artists lottery and has published in the “Artists Magazine”. She won a grant from New Vue Fitchburg, MA.

David Lussier is an award-winning contemporary impressionist and nationally recognized plein air painter and workshop instructor. He is a painter in the purist sense of the word. In his poetic and intimate oil landscapes, he strives to capture the essence and sense of place of his subject matter. His use of bold broad brushwork brings the surfaces to life and begs the viewer to return for a second look. As a commercially trained illustrator, he quickly realized that his passion was in the fine arts and he changed careers. His work has received more than 75 prizes and is in numerous private and corporate collections throughout the United States and abroad. His paintings have been featured in many art journals and he is a professional member of some of the finest art associations and groups in the country. David is also an official U.S. Open artist for the United States Golf Association. Four of his paintings hang in the permanent collection of the USGA Museum in Far Hills New Jersey and most recently two of his paintings of the iconic and famous number 2 course at Pinehurst Resort were installed at the USGA’s new campus at Golf House in Pinehurst North Carolina.

What’s included for our participants

Painting tuition
Full breakfast daily
Lunch delivered to the painting location
Welcome receptions every evening at the inn with local artists; heavy hors d’ouevers will be served with a cash bar on-site
Final evening catered meal at the inn

Misc. notes

Workshop Dates:

Sunday, June 22nd - Thursday June 26th

Instructor: Jill Pottle
Medium: Acrylic / Oil
Level: all levels welcome
Workshop: $750 per participant, $200 per guest (lodging not included)

Monday, July 28th - Friday, August 1st

Instructor: Mary Padgett
Medium: Pastel
Level: all levels welcome
Workshop: $750 per participant, $200 per guest (lodging not included)

Sunday August 24 – Thursday August 28th

Instructor: David Lussier
Medium: Oil- color
Level: all levels welcome
Workshop: $750 per participant, $200 per guest (lodging not included)

Sample Itinerary

Arrival Day:

We ask all participants to arrive by 5pm for the welcome reception. Welcome reception will be on site from 5-7pm allowing participants to meet with the artist & mingle with other guests. Guests will be on their own for dinner.

Day 1:

Breakfast will be served from 8-9am
Group will depart for off-site location
Lunch will be served at the location
Group will return to the inn in the afternoon
Group discussion & critique
Evening reception at the inn from 5:30-6:30pm
Guests will be on their own for dinner

Day 2:

Breakfast will be served from 8-9am
Group will depart for off off-site location
Lunch will be served at the location
Group will return to the inn in the afternoon
Group discussion & critique
Evening reception at the inn from 5:30-6:30pm
Guests will be on their own for dinner

Day 3:

Breakfast will be served from 8-9am
Group will depart for morning off-site location
Group will return to the inn for lunch
Group will depart for afternoon location
Group will return to the inn in the afternoon
Group discussion & critique
Catered meal at the inn for the final evening

Departure Day:

Breakfast will be served from 8-9am
Checkout time is 11:00am

What Our Guests Say

I want to thank you again for providing such an affirming atmosphere to learn, create and gain skills and perspective. I came away from the workshop with an enhanced ability to view and assess composition in my drawing and renewed confidence. As important, I enjoyed myself and felt part of a group of artists.

I would like to thank Charlie and Megan for organizing and hosting an amazing experience at the Plein Air pastel painting workshop that I participated in, based in their Bed and Breakfast, the Wilmington Inn, in Wilmington Vermont. Charlie and Megan together with our instructor, Mary Padgett, arranged beautiful and picturesque locations in the area for us to paint. Their warmth, consideration and anticipation of all of our needs enriched the three day workshop and further enhanced the positive dynamics of our group. Each day we had a clear schedule that started with a delicious breakfast. Megan prepared lunches for us that were brought to us on site. Each evening we were served delicious appetizers with wine while Mary led a discussion about our artwork and the group offered feedback, questions and support. The Inn is beautifully furnished with an open and warm lobby. The Inn’s location is convenient. Our room was clean, comfortable and was furnished with beautiful wooden furniture that gave us the feeling of staying at a beautiful Vermont Inn as well as a home.

I loved that our time at the inn was so focused, fun, and, productive and I would absolutely do it again! I really appreciated the format of the workshop with the predictable rhythm of work time, group discussion, and meals, plus flexibility for individual preferences. Of course it all held together because Charlie and Megan (and Henry!) were in the background making the logistical machinery run smoothly.

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