New Work

Keuka Lake

Around the Bend

 
 "Early Spring" was completed yesterday (see below).  For those of you familiar with Brunswick, it's a shot of the Crystal Spring Farm in early spring.  The ewes were very close to lambing, snow was still on the ground and the sky was crystal blue clear.  Working in the panorama format is very comfortable for me because as someone who wears glasses, that's pretty much the normal range of vision.  I also recently completed two works for friends outside Maine - an oil painting of "Keuka Lake" in upstate NY and a mixed media (oil, acrylic, digital image transfer using matte medium) "Around the Bend" from Yorklyn Delaware.  Having just finished a 3 month drawing class with Kathie Boldt, an excellent, excellent instructor, I am resolved for 2011 to feature more plein air and from-life work to balance out the work I have been doing from photo.  Cheers!!!



"Early Spring", Oil on Canvas, 30" by 10"



Bates Museum of Art - Excellent Shows

The latest show on the main floor of the Bates Museum of Art in Lewiston is stunningly beautiful. Artist Lalla Essaydi in "Les Femmes du Maroc" combines photography with Arabic calligraphy to present her decidedly non-romanticized vision of Arab women using poses corresponding to the familiar 19th century paintings of Ingres, Delacroix and others. Each picture has a clarity, symmetry and tonal consistency that seem just right for the subjects. The exhibit in total has a resonance that serves to amplify the wonder of each picture. 

The Landscapes of Maine show on the lower floor at Bates contrasts 19th century works by Delbert Dana Combs with more modern works by Maine artists such as Weliver (above right), Thon and Babb. My preference leaned toward the modern and the works on display were a very good cross-section.  Both shows end December 18th and if you have the opportunity, it is time well spent.

Ogunquit Art Museum

In Flight

Mildred Johnson Assemblage

Today, Alex and I just barely beat the 2010 closing date for the Ogunquit Art Museum.  We traveled down from Brunswick a little over an hour and the fall colors were still very impressive.  The Ogunquit Art Museum grounds, as always, were beautiful, this time including a heron in flight.  Inside the Museum, the four shows on exhibit were all extremely worthwhile.  We were especially happy to see Mildred Johnson's assemblages on display.  Mildred's most striking work was a double planed see-through assemblage that allowed one to peer through to the sea.  The shot taken from the outside above does not begin to do it justice.  Mildred has a studio around the corner from our studio in Fort Andross and she is always a joy.  Click here for a link to a photo album of our day at the Ogunquit Art Museum.

Yarmouth Arts Festival

Sunday was very busy.  Between the annual LACO Walk against Hunger and the annual College Guild benefit dinner, I dropped three paintings off at St. Bartholomew's in Yarmouth that were juried into this year's Yarmouth Art Festival.  These three paintings are Casco Tug and Barge, Heading to Peaks and Christmas Cactus.   In all, art works from 74 artists were selected for the the second Yarmouth Art Festival, Oct. 20-23 at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church, 396 Gilman Road, Yarmouth, Maine.  The gallery will be open to the public Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, Oct. 20-22 from 10 am to 7 pm, and on Saturday, Oct. 23 from 10 am to 4 pm.  In addition, on Thursday, there will be an artists' reception from 5:30 to 8 p.m., with music and refreshments.  That should be fun.  The full gallery of art that will be shown at this year's Yarmouth Art Festival can be seen by clicking HERE. 

Art Show, Jazz, Block Print

Last Friday night, the 10by10 show took place in Brunswick - an exceptional event.  The food and volunteer support were outstanding.  Alex and I wished we hadn't eaten dinner before attending, so much wonderful food.  And 60 works of art sold, including two of mine - Lobster Buoys and View from West Branch.  A very good start to the evening.  Then it was on to Bowdoin's Studzinski Hall for an hour of jazz by the Ahmad Hassan Muhammad trio.  Ahmad is a recent Bowdoin graduate who plays a very lyrical, rhythmic and jazzy piano.  If you haven't heard them, give them a try.  The trio is setting off on a tour and was recently featured on MPBN Friday Night jazz.  For video and audio from MPBN Friday Night jazz click here.  Lastly, I've completed a new block print - Off Wolfe Neck - a view of lobster boats at work off the shore of Wolfe Neck State Park.  It presented a different challenge in the variety of detail presented, but hopefully it works.  Click the image above for a larger view.  It will also be available in an edition of 25. 

Salt Water Farm Show at Fort Andross

The most recent show at the Coleman Burke Gallery (on the left as you are just getting to the Frontier Cafe in Fort Andross Brunswick) is a full room extravaganza of sculpture and found art assemblage that takes some time to digest.  The show is titled Salt Water Farm The Quimby Colony: A Collective, and features the cooperative and inter-related works of a number of Bowdoin alumni.  A review of the show in the Bowdoin Orient provides further detail and background.  On opening night, the gallery space was an absolute zoo and it was difficult to gain perspective and see things.  A second walk around during the day two weeks later when all was calm brought a lot of the work into focus, unfolding a whimsical, organic sort of Mad Max experience.  The Salt Water Farm show which includes Sam Gilbert as part of the collective, follows a show where Mr. Gilbert's work alone was featured, 141280.  Hopefully, we will be seeing more of Mr. Gilbert's work moving forward. 

Now Showing - 10 by 10, Town Council, Colby

The preview jpgs are now available for the upcoming Arts are Elementary benefit 10 by 10 show to be held on October 1, 2010 at the Curtis Memorial Library and St. Paul's Church Hall on Pleasant Street in Brunswick.  Click here for the 10 by 10 web site.  It is a one-day only sale, public preview 10am - 3pm with reception and opening 5pm - 8pm on Friday October 1, 2010.  I'll have three works in the show, Summer Snow, Lobster Buoys and View from West Branch.  It is a very popular event with lots of good art available. 

If you watched the Brunswick Maine town council meeting on local channel 3 this past Tuesday, you may have seen 8 of my paintings in the background.  My works have been selected for display 9/1/10 to 12/1/10 in the new council chambers.  Props and much thanks to the Five Rivers Arts Alliance Harriet Mosher and town councillor Benet Pols for facilitating this. 

Lastly for now, if you have a chance please make your way to the Colby Museum of Art in Waterville.  Two shows in particular there are very worthwhile - Sharon Lockhart: Lunch Break, a film and photo tribute to BIW workers and The Search for Beauty: Whistler and his Time, works in a number of media from the Lunder Collection from the latter part of the 19th century with a clear focus on the aesthetic of the time.  Click here for more info on these shows.  The Sharon Lockhart show ends October 17 so time is short to experience that show.