PHOTOS: Russel Whitten’s 2025 Plein Air Painting Workshop at Laurent Farm | Ogunquit Art Association

The Robert Laurent Farm Studio in Cape Neddick came alive with brushes and creativity on Monday, July 14th, as Ogunquit Art Association (OAA) artist Russel Whitten led another unforgettable plein air painting workshop. Under a sky of perfect summer blue, a group of eager artists gathered to translate the Maine landscape’s quiet magic onto their canvases — this time, with renewed perspective and inspiration.

Whitten, whose own artistry was shaped by training at The Art Students League of New York and Heartwood College of Art, guided participants in the delicate dance of observing and interpreting form. This year’s workshop honed in on the interplay of shadow and structure, with the Laurent property’s historic farmhouse and sprawling fields serving as muse.

But this wasn’t just any pastoral scene — it was a living piece of American art history.

The Laurent Legacy

The workshop’s setting held special resonance for attendees familiar with Robert Laurent’s story. Born in 1890 in Concarneau, Brittany, Laurent’s journey — from protégé of visionary critic Hamilton Easter Field to Ogunquit’s modernist pioneer — left an indelible mark on the art world.

After Field brought him to Rome in 1908, Laurent’s training in Europe and eventual return to the U.S. cemented his role as a bridge between continents and movements. By 1911, he and Field had founded the Ogunquit Summer School of Graphic Arts, attracting luminaries like Marsden Hartley and Yasuo Kuniyoshi. Laurent was even juried into the Ogunquit Art Association in 1949. Today, Laurent’s works reside in the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art—but his spirit lingers in the very studio where Whitten’s students painted.

Continue reading below for more information…

Photos of the Russel Whitten Plein Air Painting Workshop at the Robert Laurent Farm Studio (by OAA Artist Member + President – Ogunquit Arts Collaborative/Barn Gallery, Deidre O’Flaherty)

VIDEO: Robert Laurent Home Movies

The film below includes footage of Laurent at work in his Brooklyn studio, of Fairmont Park, Pennsylvania, of family members in Brittany, of Gaspe, of Woodstock, New York including fellow artists Arnold Blanche, Carl Walters, Emil Ganso, Ernest Fiene, Stefan Hirsch, Rudy Dirks, and others, and scenes from a cocktail party in Ogunquit, Maine (given by Ker Fravaal) with Ogunquit artists and cartoonists. From the Robert Laurent home movies (1933-1938) at the Archives of American Art. Transferred from 16mm motion picture film to VHS video, from which this digital copy was made.

Technique Meets Time

This year, Whitten emphasized:

• Shadows — how they shape perception and depth
• Watercolor’s fluidity—balancing control and spontaneity
• The “artist’s eye”—training participants to see color and value

The result? A day of collaboration, experimentation, and quiet revelation, as each artist interpreted the landscape through their own lens.

Why Workshops Like This Matter

Beyond skill-building, the event was a celebration of continuity — a chance to step into the same creative currents that once inspired Laurent himself. As one participant noted, “Painting here feels like joining a conversation across time.”

Missed this year’s workshop? Stay tuned for future OAA events!