“The painting Blissful Awakenings most expresses my intent to capture something I feel in nature.”
Claire Bigbee, a new artist with Maine Art Hill, is enjoying being part of her first Choice Art Show. A Maine resident, nature has always been a draw for Bigbee, and like all of us that call Maine home, it is about more than just the view.
“It is something behind the view that drives me to return to nature,” claims Bigbee. “The river and marsh have always struck me.” When Bigbee was young and first moved to Maine, she knew if she could paint just ten percent of what she felt when near the marshes, she would be honored. “There is something in the wind, like a warm breath. It moves through the tall marsh grasses, and the birds swoon in flocks not missing a beat. The sky is so vast and pregnant clouds shadow the marsh and river. It is breathtaking and mysterious, and leave me wordless.” For Bigbee, everything is interconnected and part of one force, a genuine feeling of oneness.
Bigbee feels similar to George Inness, a prominent American landscape painter when he expresses thoughts on the real visible realm and the invisible realm, a material realm, and a spiritual realm. “There is a vibration behind the material world, and we become more human when we touch it,” says Bigbee. “It is like peering behind the veil of reality to find some deeper truth. I use paint and canvas to try to depict this and capture that presence.”
A painting, for Claire, is an expression of those moments when struck by a view. It is her attempt to keep that white heat moment of excitement. The middle tones in this painting have a darkness, the colors are muted, but there is a harmonious glowing quality, like a thin veil over everything.
“When I am painting the visible world around me the invisible unexpectedly comes to me. That is my desire, my need, to capture both worlds.”
To read more about Claire Bigbee and her work follow this link.
Claire Bigbee – Stories and Insights
To see our complete collection of Claire Bigbee’s work follow this link.
To see more from Claire Bigbee and the other fourteen artists from the 7th Annual Choice Art Show in-person visit Shows on Maine Art Hill from June 9 to June 28. We are located at 10 Chase Hill Road in Kennebunk. The gallery is open every day from 10 am to 5 pm. FMI, please call at 207-967-0049 or email at info@maine-art.com. As always you can view the entire show and see the virtual tour by clicking here. 7th Annual Choice Art Show.