Name: Fall Foliage Hike & Printmaking Workshop at Bluff Head with NET Artist-in-Residence
Start: 2025-10-18T10:00:00-04:00
End: 2025-10-18T13:00:00-04:00
Location: Bluff Head Trailhead

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Bluff Head Trailhead

Guilford, CT 06437

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Event Type: Arts/Crafts

Audience: All are welcome

Organizer: Connecticut Forest & Park Association

Event Description

Join New England Trail artist-in-residence Sam Swap for a fun guided fall hike to Bluff Head overlooking the Connecticut River valley. Enjoy vibrant fall foliage and sweeping views, then dive into a hands-on printmaking workshop.

Sam will introduce the art of wood engraving and relief printing, share a selection of his own prints, and guide you in creating your very own relief print inspired by the season to take home!

What to Bring: A sweater or light jacket, water, and anything else you need to stay comfortable during a 2–3 hour hike and workshop.
Meeting Location: Bottom parking lot.

NET AiR Bluff Head Event Registration

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By registering for this event, I confirm that:

I have read and understand the event description.
I verify that I and any minor children accompanying me are able to participate in the activity competently and safely and will use due care, ordinary caution and common sense while participating in the activity.

I agree to follow any safety instructions that have been provided to me.

I understand that there are inherent risks and unknown dangers that can lead to injury when participating in outdoor recreation activities.

I am fully aware that I am engaging in this activity at my own risk and am responsible for any injuries or damages that may occur to myself, property or third parties while participating in the activity, including as a result of operation or use of any equipment.

I release the Connecticut Forest & Park Association (CFPA) its officers, directors, employees, representatives, affiliates, agents, volunteers, and all other persons or entities acting in any capacity on their behalf (“CFPA Parties”) from any liability that may arise from participation in the event and waive any and all claims against them and all other persons or entities acting in any capacity on their behalf, including those resulting from my own negligence and/or the negligence of others, including CFPA and the CFPA Parties. Nothing herein shall supersede other agreements I have entered into with CFPA.

About Sam

Samuel Swap is an illustrator, printmaker, and educator from Connecticut. Born and raised in Ivoryton and now living in Middletown, Sam has lived in the Connecticut River watershed his whole life. Sam aims to shed light on the forgotten faces of nature, our native species, and how we as people interact with the natural world around us. After graduating from the Hartford Art School, he began teaching at Old Lyme’s Florence Griswold Museum and discovered the beautiful naturalist art of the Old Lyme art colony and surrounding artists. Taken aback by their beautiful depictions of the CT landscape, Sam dove headfirst into nature-inspired landscape art. Additionally, inspired by the many illustrators of his childhood like Bill Watterson, Martin Hanford, and James McCaulay, Sam started his own publishing studio called Third Cat Press (aptly named after his beloved cat Chatrois) to self-publish his own children’s books and wood engraving prints. In 2024, he published The ABCs of BATs, an alliterative adventure of nocturnal navigators, to highlight the vast biodiversity amongst his favorite mammals. This summer, Sam will be out on the trail making small plein-air prints of the New England trail. Using crosscut grain hard maple blocks, Sam will be using a method of printmaking called wood engraving, a process used prominently by American graphic artists, allowing for details galore. These prints will build up to a large-scale, detailed map of the NET as it flows through Connecticut and Massachusetts, highlighting towns, species, and the great ecology that lines our states and trails. Along with creating art, Sam will lead multiple plein air painting and printmaking classes so you can learn how to translate the vast beauty of our landscape. You will be able to find Sam on the trail this summer with his inks, paper, wood, and tools, and if you ask nicely, he may even gift you a doodle.

October 18, 2025

Fall Foliage Hike & Printmaking Workshop at Bluff Head with NET Artist-in-Residence

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Event Description

NET AiR Bluff Head Event Registration

Registration is required.

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Children

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