People from the rest of America sometimes talk about New England as if it’s one place. I get that, since I sometimes use “the west” or “the south” or “the Midwest” as verbal shorthand. But New England comprises many distinct regions, each with its own light, geology, atmosphere and visual language.
A quick note on weekly classes before we get into it
Claim your spot in Painting Nocturnes, Tuesday evenings or Painting Water, Monday evenings. Both are 6-9 PM, starting the week of August 17, 2026.
I upload videos of these online classes and you have access to them forever (or for as long as there’s YouTube.) That means you can review them if you feel you need a refresher or have to cut out early for some reason.
The rocky coast of Maine
This is a world of granite ledges, pine and spruce forests, tidal rivers, and a mercurial ocean. A lot of it is coastline, but even more is unspoiled mountains, lakes and rivers. The light is cool, clear and crystalline. It has attracted painters from Winslow Homer to Rockwell Kent because it strips away sentimentality. Maine rewards honest observation and strong design.
The White Mountains of New Hampshire
Cross into New Hampshire’s White Mountains and suddenly the landscape becomes about mass and structure. The mountains rise abruptly, the forests are dense, and the weather changes with astonishing speed. The painters of the nineteenth-century White Mountain school weren’t simply documenting scenery—they were fascinated by geology, atmosphere and scale.
Rolling farmland
Vermont is much more polite. Rolling farmland, sugar maples, stone walls and villages nestle into broad valleys beneath the Green Mountains. Its beauty is orderly rather than dramatic. That attracted painters like Aldro Hibbard who loved rhythm, pattern and subtle color harmony. This landscape rewards patience and observation.
Beachy New England
From southern Maine through Connecticut, the New England coast is dotted with beaches—some extensive and some tucked into quiet pockets. Childe Hassam and Edward Hopper both explored this part of the coast.
Berkshires
The Berkshires of western Massachusetts are something else entirely. They’re softer than the White Mountains but grander than Vermont’s hills. The broad valleys, winding roads, old farms and dense woodlands have inspired generations of artists, writers and musicians. The Berkshires invite painters to look beyond mere representation and ask, “What is the emotional heart of this place?”
Southern New England
Connecticut’s river valleys and coastal marshes offered the American Impressionists an entirely different challenge. Childe Hassam and Willard Metcalf chased broken light across meadows, beaches and village streets. Rhode Island’s rocky shores and historic harbors attracted both marine painters and Impressionists like Mabel May Woodward.
Landscapes shape painters
Every region asks for different choices in composition, edges, color temperature and brushwork. That’s why I encourage students to travel and paint in many places. Every new landscape stretches your visual vocabulary. You begin to recognize that painting isn’t about memorizing formulas. It’s about learning to see.
Whether we’re working on the granite coast of Maine, beneath the immense skies of Acadia, among the lyrical hills of the Berkshires, or exploring color and composition in Rockport, every workshop is really about the same thing: learning to understand what makes a place unique, and discovering how to express that with confidence and authenticity.
If you’re ready to deepen your understanding of landscape painting, I’d love to paint alongside you. My workshops include plenty of one-on-one time so you’ll leave with stronger paintings, sharper observational skills and a repeatable process you can take home. Painters of all levels are welcome!
Registration is now open for workshops in 2026! Reserve your spot:
- Sea & Sky | Acadia National Park, ME, August 2–7, 2026
- Find your Authentic Voice in Plein Air | Berkshires, MA, August 10-14, 2026
- New! Color Clinic 2026 | Rockport, ME, October 3-4, 2026
- New! Composition Week 2026 | Rockport, ME, October 5-9, 2026
Can’t commit to a full workshop? Work online at your own pace: