Artist Rob Mullen of Jericho, Vermont, began the Long Trail Painting Expedition in support of the Vermont Wildlife Coalition on Sept. 16. The expedition will see Mullen hike the 272-mile path over the next four weeks, allowing three weeks to hike and one week to paint (about 10 miles/day, plus painting).
No stranger to art expeditions, Mullen has spent years exploring and painting uninhabited regions of Alaska and Canada.
Indeed, Mullen is perhaps best well known in Vermont for painting a bear that was charging at him on a remote river in Alaska. With Covid-19 upending Mullen’s 2020 expedition plans to the “Barrenlands” of the Northwest Territories, the artist decided to stick closer to home and hike and paint the length of the state.
“I am greatly looking forward to hiking the entire Long Trail and having the opportunity to paint some of the exquisite landscape and possibly wildlife along the way,” said Rob Mullen. “I am so grateful to have the opportunity to spend a month in the Vermont wilderness. I am also thrilled that I can share some of that experience with those who cannot see it first-hand through my artwork.”
Mullen will be using the trek to raise the profile of an organization that is critical to the health of Vermont’s wildlife, the Vermont Wildlife Coalition (VWC). The VWC is devoted to creating an ecologically-sound future for Vermont’s wild species and fostering a more balanced approach to managing Vermont’s wildlife.
Mullen will be offering an opportunity to claim some artwork from the journey in exchange for sponsoring him on a mileage basis. A share of all of the proceeds will also go to the Green Mountain Club which maintains the Long Trail.
To pledge please visit: vtwildlifecoalition.org/sponsors.
