Details

Penwood State Park

560 Simsbury Rd
Bloomfield, CT 06002 United States

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Event Type: Arts/Crafts

Audience: All are welcome

Organizer: Connecticut Forest & Park Association

Event Description

Join New England Trail (NET) Artist-in-Residence, Samuel Swap, for a fun outing of printmaking at the summit of Talcott Mountain, with the gorgeous Heublein Tower. Learn about Sam’s process of wood engraving, preview some prints he’s made for the trail, and then get to make your own print inspired by the lovely views of the Farmington Valley!

We’ll meet at the Penwood State Park parking area and hike 2.3 miles up to the summit of Talcott Mountain. The terrain can be steep and rocky in places, wear sturdy footwear. Bring a water bottle, snacks, bug spray, sunblock, and whatever else you need to be comfortable in the woods for a few hours. And don’t forget your creative spirit! All materials supplied.

 

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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.