When it came to curating the show BIRD, artist Ellen Welch Granter was an obvious choice. Her work was meant to be featured on the walls of Maine Art Shows, surrounded by other artists with the same adoration for birds. “As a group, I think this work will create an environment that transports a viewer to the shallow water at the beach,” say Granter. They, the birds, are so much a part of the coastline here in Maine; it is a wonderful way to remind the locals and the tourists alike how integral they are to our landscape and charm.
Ellen Welch Granter has an affection for birds. They appear frequently in her work, and when first walking into Maine Art Paintings and Sculpture, she and her birds are easily recognizable. Another distinctive trait for Granter is the characteristic gold leaf found in her work. Be it a wire her birds are perched upon as in Every Fifth, a puddle they are watering in as in Wild, or the shimmering moon in Robin Moon No.2, this gold leaf brings a touch of beauty to each of her pieces that feature these winged wonders. “The long legs of the sandpipers make an interesting calligraphic pattern, especially over the brightness of the gold leaf and the color field behind them all.”
Ellen’s connection to her work becomes even more obvious as she explains her choices for this particular show. “These paintings are iterations of three themes I have been working on, sandpipers, egrets, and the lowly house sparrow. They congregate, then move apart, and reform a flock, so the shape of the group, as well as the spaces between them, are always changing.” With a varied collection such as hers, the motion she speaks of is felt as the visitor moves through the gallery from one piece to the next. There is a fluidity. It is natural and elegant and graceful.
The show BIRD runs until September 7th and will be open everyday from 11-5 at Maine Art Shows in Kennebunk. Please come by and see Ellen Welch Granter’s work for yourself, as well as the additional five artists showcased. If you cannot make it in, visit the collection on-line at BIRD. Maine Art Paintings and Sculpture also boasts a large collection of Granter’s work and is only a few steps away down at 14 Western Avenue in Kennebunk. Again, you can also view all of Granter’s work on her Artist Page.
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