Why Just Paint? – Artist Insights from Ryan Kohler

Posted on by Maine Art

RYAN KOHLER

July 22 – August 16

5 Chase Hill Rd. Kennebunk, Maine 04043

When asked when a painting is ready for collage is a tough one for artist Ryan Kohler. Ideally, a painting has to be perfect before collage even comes on the scene.

“I am still a painter at heart,” explains Kohler. “I spend a lot of time painting the initial colors, making sure my value structure and color design are as good as possible. I respond to a piece of work a great deal while putting paint on canvas. Some paintings want to be more painterly and loose, and others more graphic.”

Either way, they have to be the best they can be before Kohler starts to add anything more. Shortcuts in the painting process are not an option.

“I’m trying to be extra cautious about remembering where my light source is coming from. This mattered less to me in years past, but now it has become so important,” says Kohler.  “My subject matter continues to be the things I find most interesting regarding shape and color. Umbrellas, crosswalks, yellow cabs, duck boots, beach gulls, harbor boats and deer.”

In the end, both pieces of his artistic puzzle are important. One does not succeed without the other.

Kohler’s 2023 Solo Summer Show is on Maine Art Hill at 5 Chase Hill Road in Kennebunk until August 16. It is a must-visit if you have not seen Kohler’s work in person. His collage-like process is fascinating and worth a trip to Kennebunk.

Click to see the VIRTUAL TOUR. 

 

To see all available work from Ryan Kohler, click the link below.

Ryan Kohler –  ARTIST PAGE

To read more insights from Ryan Kohler, click the link below.

Ryan Kohler – INSIGHTS AND STORIES

Ryan also has a collection of videos.

Ryan Kohler –  VIDEOS

Two Sides of the Same Story – Artist Insights from Ingunn Milla Joergensen

Posted on by Maine Art

INGUNN MILLA JOERGENSEN

August 5 – 30

Gallery at the Grand

1 Chase Hill Rd. Kennebunk, Maine 04043

“A barn in a meadow, to me, it doesn’t get much better,” shares local artist Ingunn Milla Joergensen.

When looking at Joergensen’s newest work, you will see her traditional barns with their geometric lines and shadows often accompanied by a metal leaf horizon. They create a clean, calmness in any room. However, in this show, you will also find her warm, muted barns that give a subtle sense of home. For Joergensen, “They are two sides of the same story.”

On barns…

“I enjoy revisiting this motif. It almost becomes a form of meditation,” explains Joergensen. “I get lost in tones, values, and layers of pigments. Adding color, then washing off and letting the pigments blend together.”

The barns have their own rhythm. They are grounded to the earth, protective of their contents, timeless, calm, and mysterious.

“Since I live so close to the ocean and spend much time there, some of my structures become boathouses,” explains Joergensen. “It’s an ever-changing scenario out there…the same, but different.” 

On landscapes…

“I  spend a great deal of time outside in the forest or where the ocean meets the horizon.  I love the wet, marshy areas,” she says. “They are always changing colors and atmosphere, wide and open with the ocean in the distance.”

When you add the landscapes and the bars together…this is when the magic happens, and the story is complete.

 

Click to see the VIRTUAL TOUR. 

Click to read more about Joergensen.

Click to see Joergensen’s entire collection.

What’s in a Name – Artist Insights from Ryan Kohler

Posted on by Maine Art

RYAN KOHLER

July 22 – August 16

5 Chase Hill Rd. Kennebunk, Maine 04043

What’s in a name? Or a title? For Maine artist RYAN KOHLER, it’s all about color.

“For my titles, I’ve been naming each painting after a color,” explains Kohler. “Each is spelled out somewhere on each painting. The text is even printed on a piece of paper that color, like a paint swatch.”

Wandering into the gallery, not only are you captured by color and subject, you immediately lean in to see the detail. Upon learning of his titling process, it’s an added hunt for the small pieces Kohler has “hidden” in each piece.  The work above is called Cocoon. Below, Storm.

 

“I picked words for the titles that are appropriate to the painting in some way based on the subject matter, colors, and shapes,” shares Kohler. “Although I admit, it is sometimes in an abstract way.”

Abstract or not, Kohler has found yet another way to make his stunning artwork even more interesting. Indigo is featured below.

“I look forward to finishing each painting to find a color that fits; then I cut it out. Each is hidden on the surface somewhere,” says Kohler.  “It’s a fun game. Can you find all the titles?”

Click to see the VIRTUAL TOUR. 

 

Click the link below to see all of Ryan Kohler’s available work.

Ryan Kohler –  ARTIST PAGE

To read more insights from Ryan Kohler, click the link below.

Ryan Kohler – INSIGHTS AND STORIES

Ryan also has a collection of videos, including Secretly.

Ryan Kohler –  VIDEOS

Ingunn Milla Joergensen – 2023 Solo Summer Show

Posted on by Maine Art

 

INGUNN MILLA JOERGENSEN

August 5 – 30

Artist Reception August 5,  5-7 PM

Gallery at the Grand

1 Chase Hill Rd. Kennebunk, Maine 04043

“For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated with texture and aging objects, particularly simple everyday things with stories that are equally important to me as the object itself,” artist Ingunn Milla Joergensen.

At 10 o’clock on the morning of August 5, Maine Art Hill in Kennebunk features new works from local female artist Ingunn Milla Joergensen. All you need to do is walk through the doors of the Gallery at the Grand at 1 Chase Hill Road to understand Joergensen’s story. The walls whisper soft words of comfort and calm, and the viewer is swept away. This show runs from August 5 to August 30, with an Artist Reception Saturday, August 5, from 5-7 PM. All are welcome.

“I have walked the empty beaches from sunrise to sunset in my life in Kennebunkport as well as during my time wandering elsewhere,” Joergensen says. “I hope my viewers can relate to what happens when and where I paint. My paintings offer a little sun bleached in an otherwise busy world.”

Joergensen works in layers, adding paint, scraping off, and often mixing the oil paint directly on the canvas. Being extremely tactile, she usually paints with her bare hands, simplifying more and more.

“With so much clutter and noise surrounding us, I pare down to the bare essentials, and I can breathe,” shares Joergensen. “The spaces in between…where nothing happens, are almost more important. It puts the rest into perspective. I am working towards my paintings being a mental pause for the viewer. If I suggest half the story, the rest is up to them. I spend a lot of time meditating. Therefore, approaching the same subject over and over becomes like meditative prose. Every time I try to get closer to the essence, or the soul of the subject.”

When Joergensen has just the elements to relate to, it is a much-welcomed timeout. The only sounds are the crashing waves and the screaming seagulls. It is confirmation of that need for simplicity, nature, the absence of clutter, and, most of all, to feel grounded.

 

“Instead of photorealism, I rather focus on the emotion the landscape brings out, the transparency or translucency of it,” she says. “I try to recreate my impressions in a simple, and hopefully to the viewer, peaceful and contemplative way.”   

Ingunn MIlla Joergensen’s solo summer show should not be missed whether you visit in person or online. Visit  Maine Art Hill from August 5 to August 30. Open every day at 10 AM with an Artist Reception Saturday, August 5, from 5-7 PM. All are welcome. FMI 207-967-2803 or www.maine-art.com/shows.

Click to view the VIRTUAL TOUR.

Click to read more about Joergensen.

To Collage or Not to Collage – Artist Insights from Ryan Kohler

Posted on by Maine Art

RYAN KOHLER

July 22 – August 16

5 Chase Hill Rd. Kennebunk, Maine 04043

Once a straightforward lover of acrylics, through the years, artist Ryan Kohler has continuously tweaked, added, and changed his process. Sometimes the changes are only noticed by him. Sometimes they are noticed by all.

“I’m collaging a little less freely for this show. It’s more thoughtful and slowed down. It’s a good thing,” shares Kohler. “I’m always thinking about how each piece contributes to the overall image. The impact from ten or more feet away means more to me than anything today.”

Viewers must take a step or two and back away from Kohler’s work. The details, the effects, and the work in its entirety truly change depending on where you stand. It is a continuous decision to place each and every piece of collage, and the result is something more, something different.

“Once I begin with collage elements, the work looks more illustrative,” shares Kohler. “No one uses paper cutouts for realism, and I don’t expect to get that out of it either, so I try to lean into it and use it to my advantage as best I can.”

So how does he decide? Trial and error and a whole tray full of papers, each holding unknown possibility.

“My collage materials still come from the same fun places like album covers, movie posters, advertisements, so pretty much anything,” says Kohler. “Yet I’m using them in a less obvious way.”

Please wander into the show galleries at 5 Chase Hill in Kennebunk. We open every day at 10 AM. For hours and show details visit us on out home page at www.maine-art.com.

Click to see the VIRTUAL TOUR. 

 

To see all available work from Ryan Kohler, click the link below.

Ryan Kohler –  ARTIST PAGE

To read more insights from Ryan Kohler, click the link below.

Ryan Kohler – INSIGHTS AND STORIES

Ryan also has a collection of videos, including Secretly.

Ryan Kohler –  VIDEOS

No Matter the Weather – Artist Insights from Ryan Kohler

Posted on by Maine Art

RYAN KOHLER

July 22 – August 16

5 Chase Hill Rd. Kennebunk, Maine 04043

“Liquid sunshine is a phrase that has lived in my head for months as I have continued to paint for the show,” shares artist Ryan Kohler. “Or maybe the absurd amount of rain we’ve had in May and June is seeping its way into my work, but my instincts have led me to use a lot of vertical strokes in my paintings.”

No matter the weather, Kohler can capture it. Be it streaming sunshine or pouring rain; he has found a way to see the beauty and paint it forward for the rest of us to admire.

“I find myself trying to capture the feeling of rain shine or sun showers. Both describe the phenomenon of rain even when it’s sunny,” he explains. “It’s gorgeous when it happens, and I love capturing it on my canvases.”

Even though many days leading up to Kohler’s solo summer show were rainy with sprinkles of sunshine, a few sunny days created a challenge for any artist.

“Ok, ok. I admit sometimes it’s just rain that I’m trying to paint, and then sometimes it’s pure sunshine,” Kohler laughs.”There are a few overcast-lit paintings in the show. However, there are always still some strong lighting effects or tricks at play. Objects are the most interesting when they are split in half by a shadow. It is a recurring theme in this body of work.”

 

Click for the VIRTUAL TOUR of the 2023 Solo Summer Show 

To see all available work from Ryan Kohler, click the link below.

Ryan Kohler –  ARTIST PAGE

To read more insights from Ryan Kohler, click the link below.

Ryan Kohler – INSIGHTS AND STORIES

Ryan also has a collection of videos, including Secretly.

Ryan Kohler –  VIDEOS

Craig Mooney on Being Ambiguous

Posted on by Maine Art

Our long-time clients and visitors have come to love and recognize the works of Craig Mooney. No one captures the color and expanse of the Maine sea and sky the same way he does. Viewers love the fact that the places he paints can be anywhere, but he also holds this same standard to his figurative works.

“My landscapes are places only I have been. They are the epitome of New England’s perfection. There is a piece and part of each beach, mountain, or ocean I have visited, and they represent somewhere I found peace,” Mooney says. “But for you, it should be a memory from a place that makes you happy.”

Along this same line, his new figuratives are beginning to push the abstract while still capturing the essence of the person. Works like Beach Morning and Tempus Fugit have a much looser feel to them without losing the connection to place and person.

“The way I do figurative work is the same way I do landscapes. My landscapes are not a specific place, but they are familiar. The trick with figures is to make them ambiguous but with a sense of realism,” says Mooney. “I want you to put yourself or someone you love into the work.”

Whether you are a collector of Craig Mooney’s or you are a first-time viewer, this show will be a delight. We have been representing him for close to ten years, and this is by far some of his best work.

“I am trying to reimagine my image of Maine Art Hill. It has become so much more than the traditional Maine gallery, and this show has so much more than the classic Mooney sky,” says Craig. “It is by far the most all-encompassing display of my work.”

Again, Mooney’s 2023 Solo Show runs through Thursday, August 2. The Gallery at the Grand on Maine Art Hill can be found at 1 Chase Hill Road and is open from 10 AM to 6 PM daily. FMI visit www.maine-art.com or call  207-967-2803.

To read more about Craig’s process and past – Craig Mooney – Artist Insights.

To see Craig’s entire collection – Craig Mooney – Artist Page.

THE VIRTUAL TOUR OF THE SUMMER SOLO SHOW

Those Who Can, Teach – A Sense of Community with Ryan Kohler

Posted on by Maine Art


After an incredibly successful artist reception during the summer of 2022, Falmouth art teacher and Kennebunk local Nancy Goldstone connected with Skowhegan artist Ryan Kohler. The rest, as they say, is history, or in this case, art.

“I fell in love with Ryan’s work the moment I saw it. His process is so interesting and unique,” says Nancy Goldstone. “During his artist reception last year, we connected for a few minutes and decided we needed to reconnect again over the winter when things slowed down a bit.”

Kohler calls Skowhegan home, but like all Mainers, a road trip is always an adventure. After speaking with Goldstone over the phone, the two hatched a plan for a classroom visit and a time for sharing. Kohler brought a blank canvas to begin during class and a “finished” piece to start the collage component of his process.

“I was able to give them my thoughts about paintings and show them how adding mixed media and collage elements can bring their paintings to a higher level,” shares Kohler. “I was nervous during the actual painting part of the demo, but I think it went really well.”

The students asked great questions and seemed incredibly interested and very into it to the point where a room full of high school students was actually quiet.

“I believe they truly enjoyed seeing how easy and fun it was to add all sorts of things to the painting’s surface. They were shocked that I use album covers and posters for materials,” shares Kohler. “It’s cool to think I helped to inspire younger artists. I would have loved to have been exposed to it at that age.”

Five of the pieces Goldstone’s students created are available to view during Kohler’s Solo Summer Show on Maine Art Hill in Kennebunk, ME. Please visit at 5 Chase Hill Road. The entire show is a must-see in person, and all are welcome to Maine Art Hill to visit. Again, the opening is Saturday, July 22, at 10 AM, with an artist reception from 5-7 that evening. The show runs until August 16 and is open daily at 10 AM. FMI 207-967-2803 or maine-art.com/shows.

To see Kohler’s Summer Solo Show virtually.

THE VIRTUAL TOUR

To see all available work from Ryan Kohler, click the link below.

Ryan Kohler –  ARTIST PAGE

To read more insights from Ryan Kohler, click the link below.

Ryan Kohler – INSIGHTS AND STORIES

Ryan also has a collection of videos, including Secretly.

Ryan Kohler –  VIDEOS