Arrival & Hotel Check-in, Program Registration, Introductions & Orientation, Wine & Cheese Reception, Introductory Lecture

Afternoon: HOTEL CHECK-IN: Available from 3:00pm.

The hotel is within walking distance. A shuttle is also available. INTRODUCTIONS & ORIENTATION: 4:00pm. The on-site Road Scholar coordinator will greet you and we will have introductions all around. We will then have an orientation to the program including a review of the up-to-date daily schedule and any changes, responsibilities, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, key contact names and phone numbers, and answer any questions you may have. Please be aware that program activities and scheduled times could change due to local circumstances. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

WINE & CHEESE RECEPTION: Enjoy light refreshments as you begin getting to know your fellow participants.

PRESENTATION: Introduction to Watercolor: Capturing the Scenic Beauty of Southern Maryland with Barbara Cox. Barbara, our instructor, is a well-known artist and educator whose paintings hang in collections worldwide including the White House.

Lodging: Holiday Inn Select

Intensive Watercolor Workshop & Demonstrations with Barbara Cox, Evening Talk & Demonstration with Karen Quam Russell

Breakfast: Full continental breakfast at the Holiday Inn served from 6 - 9 a.m. Walk or catch shuttle to the museum..

Morning: WORKSHOP: Dive into the world of watercolor with artist-educator Barbara Cox during a morning in the museum's classroom. Barbara will give "renewal" instruction, techniques, and demonstrations, discussing topics such as color mixing, values studies, composition, and perspective. All participants are responsible for bringing their own materials and supplies as noted in the attachment.

Lunch: Lunch is in the members lounge overlooking the Drum Point Lighthouse. Prepared by a local caterer, meals will be served buffet style and will include a choice of entrees, vegetables or salad, and dessert. Vegetarian options included.

Afternoon: PAINTING EN PLEIN AIR: Under the expert guidance of our instructor, enjoy painting "en plein air" (in the open air) in the museum's boat basin. The museum is a waterfront facility with a beautiful view of the Drum Point Lighthouse. You are also surrounded by nature, where season beauty and wonder are evident in the abundant flora and fauna.

Dinner: Dinner will be served in the member's lounge featuring local fare preapred by popular local restuaruant chef. The meal will be served buffet style and will include a choice of entree, vegetables, and dessert. Vegetarian options included.

Evening: PRESENTATION & DEMONSTRATION: Enjoy a presentation and demonstration led by notable watercolor artist Karen Quam Russell. Karen’s approach to art celebrates the fragile and beautiful qualities of life, conveying the transient beauty of the world and the emotions it evokes.

Lodging: Holiday Inn Select

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Sotterley Plantation Plein Air Painting Field Trip & Exploration, Gallery Visit, Dinner & Evening On Your Own

Breakfast: Full continental breakfast served at the Holiday Inn from 6 - 9 a.m.

Morning: PAINTING FIELD TRIP: Sotterley Plantation. We will board the museum van to travel to Sotterley Plantation in St. Mary's County for “en plein air” painting supervised by Barbara Cox. Older than Mount Vernon, Monticello, and indeed the United States itself, Sotterley Plantation stands majestically on the banks of the Patuxent River. It is the only remaining Tidewater Plantation in Maryland open to the public and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2000. Sotterley's significant architecture features an early 18th-century Plantation House; a rare extant, restored slave cabin; a full array of outbuildings; and 95 acres of rolling fields, gardens, and riverfront.

Lunch: Box sandwich lunch on the grounds prepared by a local caterer.

Afternoon: EXCURSION: Guided exploration of the Sotterley plantation house and slave cabin. Learn about Sotterley’s founding, design, its decline and revival, and the people who lived here. The Chinese Chippendale staircase and shell alcoves in the drawing room are considered among the finest examples of 18th-century American woodwork.

FIELD TRIP: Returning to Solomons Island, we will visit Carmen's Gallery and meet the owner. The gallery has been in operation for more than 30 years, and was voted "Best Art Gallery on the Chesapeake Bay" by a readers' poll for three years running. The talented artists represented come from the Chesapeake Bay region and worldwide.

Dinner: Dinner this evening is on your own. Explore local restaurants and choose what appeals to you most. Suggestions will be provided.

Evening: FREE EVENING: Take the evening to explore on your own, spend time with new friends, or just relax and get ready for another stimulating day tomorrow.

Lodging: Holiday Inn Select

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Annmarie Sculpture Garden Watercolor Workshop, Art Curator Talk, Wine Tasting, River Cruise

Breakfast: Full continental breakfast at Holiday Inn served from 6 - 9:00 a.m.

Morning: PAINTING WORKSHOP: Barbara Cox leads another watercolor workshop in the classroom at the museum.

Lunch: Hot lunch will be served in the members' lounge, buffet style, and will include vegetarian options.

Afternoon: PAINTING FIELD TRIP: Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center. We will travel in the museum van to this lovely spot in Solomons where the Patuxent River meets Chesapeake Bay for another “en plein air” painting session led by Barbara Cox. The sculpture garden features a quarter-mile walking path that meanders through the woods past permanent and loaned sculpture, including works on loan from the Smithsonian Institution and the National Gallery of Art. PRESENTATION: Annmarie Garden Art curator Melissa Langley give her perspective on how artists are selected for the juried art shows at AMG and be available to answer specific questions about how to best present your artwork.

Dinner: Dinner featuring local seafood and farmer's market fare accompanied by a wine tasting from a local winery under the Drum Point Lighthouse.

Evening: EXCURSION: Solomons Harbor & Patuxent River Cruise. Board the museum’s historic 60-foot excursion boat, the Wm. B. Tennison, for a relaxing and delightful cruise. This National Historic Landmark vessel — the only Coast Guard-licensed log-hulled vessel in America — was built in 1899 and later converted from sail to power. See the coastline pass by as you learn about the area’s history and heritage.

Lodging: Holiday Inn Select

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Cove Point Lighthouse Watercolor Workshop, Beach Picnic, Afternoon Workshop, Evening Entertainment

Breakfast: Full continental breakfast served at the Holiday Inn from 6 - 9:00 a.m.

Morning: PAINTING FIELD TRIP: Cove Point Lighthouse. Barbara Cox will lead another watercolor workshop in the cottage at the lighthouse followed by "en plein air" painting. Maryland's oldest continuously operating lighthouse was built in 1828, designed to mark one of the narrowest parts of the Chesapeake Bay and guide ships safely into the Patuxent River. The 38-foot tower has a beautiful winding staircase that ascends to the lantern.

Lunch: Enjoy a box lunch on the beach at Cove Point where you can pick up 20-million-year-old fossils from the Miocene period.

Afternoon: WATERCOLOR WORKSHOP: Returning to the museum, the afternoon workshop provides an opportunity to finish up projects.

Dinner: Dress in your best for the closing dinner buffet with tablecloths, china, and wonderful food. BYOB.

Evening: ENTERTAINMENT: The Folk Salad Trio. Often compared to Peter Paul and Mary, the trio performs a variety of acoustic music including folk, light rock, oldies, originals, and more. Their vocal harmonies and upbeat stage presence have made them popular throughout the Chesapeake Bay area.

In Transit Overnight:

Lodging: Holiday Inn Select

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Full continental breakfast at the Holiday Inn from 6 - 9:00 a.m.

Morning: HOTEL CHECK-OUT: By 11:00am but please plan to check out after breakfast.

CRITIQUES & WRAP-UP: After checking out of the hotel, we will gather in the museum lounge for a final critique of student work with Barbara Cox. This is a wonderful opportunity to share what you've learned and discovered during the week. The program concludes with this final session. We hope you have enjoyed our first watercolor program in and around the beautiful Cheseapeake Bay and will return for other rewarding Road Scholar programs in the future. Best wishes for all your journeys!

Meals Included: Breakfast