Some 26 artists came together at Grimes Cove to paint, enjoy one another’s company, and immerse themselves in the extraordinary coastal Maine setting on Wednesday Sept. 4. The rain held off but the skies and ocean were gray and the strong southerly wind blowing straight into the cove kept the temperatures down and even knocked over a couple of easels.

The annual Great Paint Out hosted by Corinne McIntyre of Ocean Point is part of a nationwide series of events that run through the fall, from Alaska to Arizona, Maine to Maryland, under the auspices of Oil Painters of America. McIntyre arranged the first Maine event in 2009 and it has been held every year since, always at Grimes Cove.

The artists come from far and wide. Some, like Candy McKellar, walk down the street from Ocean Point, while others come from farther afield in Maine, and still others from as far as Canada, Pennsylvania and South Carolina.

They all come to reconnect with old friends, get to know new ones, and make beautiful art in the great outdoors.