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Maryland Pastel Society

Opportunity to paint en plein air with your MPS colleagues and Richard McKinley


On Saturday, Oct 3, the Howard County Plein Group organized under the auspices of the MPS is scheduled to go paint on the beautiful grounds of the Howard County Nature Conservancy (address and directions are below). This is the day that the Conservancy is holding its annual Fall Fest, with great food, live music, crafts and history displays, pony and hay rides, and much more, and we've been invited to be a part of this celebration of nature and the arts. In addition, we're extremely pleased to announce that Richard McKinley will join us for this paint-out. Richard is a nationally-known pastelist and very popular instructor who's here in Maryland giving a workshop and jurying our own Shades of Pastel national exhibition at Strathmore Mansion. However, he's joining us on the 3rd not as a teacher, but simply as a colleague and fellow plein air painter.

The Fall Fest begins at noon, but you can arrive as early as 9:00 am. If you arrive before 11:30, which is when the parking attendants start work, just come in and park in the lot. If you arrive after 11:30, just tell the attendant that you're with the Maryland Pastel Society and are there to paint by invitation, and you will not have to pay the $10 entrance fee. No matter when you arrive, enjoy a day of painting and then join us when we gather at 3:00 pm outside the Conservancy's Montjoy Barn for a group showing of all our plein air work.

Here's how to get there: the address is 10520 Old Frederick Rd, Woodstock, MD.

   * If you're coming from the south, take Rt 29 all the way NORTH, past all the entrance ramps to Rt 70, until Route 29 dead-ends at Old Frederick Rd (Route 99). Turn LEFT onto Old Frederick Rd/Rt 99. Go about 3.2 miles to the entrance to the Conservancy, on the RIGHT.
   * If you're coming from the north, come down to the Baltimore beltway (US695) and take it around to the exit for Route 70 West, toward Frederick. Stay on 70W for about 8.4 miles and then take Marriottsville Rd NORTH (exit 83). Go about 2 miles and then turn RIGHT onto Old Frederick Rd/Rt 99. Go about 1.3 miles to the entrance to the Conservancy, on the LEFT.

See you there!