John Alsop
Registered Maine Guide
Wilderness Plein Air Painting Guided Canoe Trips
Custom guided wilderness plein air painting canoe trips to painters seeking inspiration and artistic renewal in the legendary Maine wilderness, following in the tradition of outdoor painting practiced by Winslow Homer, Tom Thomson, Marsden Hartley and other well-known North American painters.
Contact
John Alsop at Johnalsop51@gmail.com or 207-474-4650 to design and schedule your trip.
Dates
Available May through October
Length
Typically 2-4 days, day excursions are available in the Delorme maps 29-31 area.
Locations
Primarily in the West Branch Penobscot/Upper Chesuncook and Southern Allagash regions of Maine
Instruction
Informal painting instruction is offered.
Sharing of ideas and techniques is encouraged.
Canoe Experience
Helpful but not required
Fees
To be discussed in advance. Ordinarily painter will pay for food, North Maine Woods gate and campsite fees and a guide’s per diem varying from $150 to $250 per day depending on the length of the trip and size of the party.
Channel Your Inner Winslow Homer!
Unlike traditional guided canoe trips on the rivers of Maine, which travel each day from point to point, the emphasis of these trips is to take time to explore and experience a particular area in depth. A base camp is established on the first day of the trip, with daily forays thereafter on foot or by canoe to painting locations in the vicinity. Ample and delicious breakfasts and suppers are provided as well as picnic lunches.
Painters can also remain at the base camp for plein air painting, swimming, reading, resting and other traditional camping activities.
Painters need only bring clothing, tents and sleeping gear and their painting kit, watercolors, oils or acrylics. John Alsop provides all other equipment including canoe, paddles, PFDs, campsite/kitchen and dining gear.
John Alsop is an experienced Maine Guide, a canoeist and plein air painter with a lifelong love for paddling canoes and painting in the outdoors. John, (Colby ’74), worked for legendary Maine Guide Gardner Defoe while in college on the St John and Allagash Rivers. He has placed in many Maine downriver and flatwater canoe races and has completed the “triple crown” of North American marathon canoe racing, (The Clinton, Ausable and La Classique). He is an accomplished mountain biker and also tends to his woodlot with his skidder, “Lulu.”