2026 St. Martins Plein Air Festival

There are few places in New Brunswick that seem made for Plein Air painting quite like St. Martins. With it’s sea caves, dramatic coastline, beaches, fishing boats, colourful buildings, and ever-changing tides offering endless inspiration. This is a place my good friend Dale Cook and I paint regularly. Recently we spent three days fully immersed while participating in the 2026 Plein Air Festival in St. Martins. A very special shout out to the Peter Salmon Art Club and their incredible dedication and attention in organizing this wonderful event. I am very honoured to have participated as one of the ten invited artists and having the privilege of acting as a judge. Thank you for the experience!

The weather around the Bay of Fundy made sure we experienced a little bit of everything. The festival began under a blanket of fog that softened the coastline and muted the colours. Then the fog really socked us in – the landscape beyond 50 feet looked like a white board!  At one point, you could barely see the caves. 

Fog, rain, and cold toes were all part of the process. Every painting carries a little of the weather with it.

Why is it so foggy?

Here is a Fun Fact – The Bay of Funny is the one of the most foggy places in the world – averaging 70 foggy days per year! The dense fog in the Bay of Fundy is created by a distinct mix of geography and ocean currents:

• Mixing Temperatures: Warm, moist air blowing from the south passes over the frigid deep waters of the bay.
• Extreme Tides: The world’s highest tides (reaching up to 50 feet) continually churn the cold, deep ocean water to the surface, cooling the warm air and condensing it into dense fog.

The weather outside is…

The second day brought rain, sending us searching for shelter so we could attempt to capture the scene without getting soaked. By the final day, the temperatures had dropped, and painting with a cold nose and toes became part of the happy challenge. Plein air painting isn’t always comfortable, but that’s part of what makes it rewarding. And… it makes for great storytelling. Working through the elements forces you to simplify, adapt, and focus on what matters most in what you are painting – and to squeeze out more white paint!

Why are the tides so extreme?

The world-record tides are the result of two main factors:

• The Funnel Shape: The bay narrows and becomes shallower toward its head, physically forcing water higher up the shores as it pushes forward.
• Resonance (Seiche Effect): The natural rocking motion (or seiche) of the water in the bay takes exactly 12 hours to slosh from one end to the other. This perfectly matches the timing of the incoming Atlantic Ocean tides, essentially pushing the “swing” at the exact right moment to make the tides go higher and higher.

Making connections

One of my favourite parts of the festival was connecting with other artists. Being an artist is most often a solitary pursuit, so spending several days surrounded by people who share the joy and understand the challenges of painting outside is always energizing. There is a shared enthusiasm that comes from chasing the light, adapting to the weather, and trying to capture a scene before it changes.

This festival was a little different for me. While I spent my days painting alongside many talented  artists, I felt that I shouldn’t exhibit my work in the final show as I had the privilege of serving as one of the festival judges. Of course, I couldn’t resist setting up my easel and painting. One of the joys of participating in a Plein Air festival is the opportunity to spend uninterrupted time outdoors, responding directly to the landscape while swatting at black flies.

Below are my painting efforts from the Peter Salmon Art Club’s 2026 Plein Air Festival.

Visit my “Painted Places” interactive map to see more of my favourite painting locations with the art I created!

Being a judge gave me a unique perspective on the event. I was able to watch artists interpret the same landscape in completely different ways. Some were drawn to the rugged coastline and beaches, while others focused on quiet corners, fishing boats, or the colours of the Fundy shore. This is interesting, many of the artists from away commented on how intense the colours along the coast are compared to where they were from. The variety of approaches was a reminder that painting is never just about what we see—it’s about how we see it. I was so impressed not only by the quality of the work but also by the variety of approaches.

I left St. Martins with paint on my brushes, feeling inspiration, and with a renewed appreciation for this beautiful corner of New Brunswick. Whether I was standing behind the easel or evaluating finished work, it was three days well spent.

Until next time, St. Martins….Hoping it will be very soon