Click any of the images below to see the finishing touches on several of Ryan Kohler’s new works for his 2022 Solo Show.
TETCHY
GENTLY
LULLING 
KIPPING 
QUIETING 
GUMBOOTS 
To see all available work from Ryan Kohler, click the link below.
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.
Many artists are well known for specific themes which marked their beginning years. Ingunn Milla Joergensen is not different. Three themes weave in and out of her work and are always present in one way or another in each body of work she creates. For her and her clients, they are classics.
Buildings
“I always return to structures, barns, and boathouses. I find them utterly beautiful. I need to rest in their uncluttered simplicity,” shares Joergensen. “It never ceases to amaze me how much people relate to these quiet buildings. Each person adds their interpretation.”
Nets
“Another returning theme is the nest. They are fascinating constructions on their own, so strong and fragile,” explains Joergensen, “Still, they also awake a feeling of being safe and surrounded. We all need that.”
Sheep
“I never get tired of these adorable creatures with skinny legs and fluffy wool coats,” Joergensen laughs. “These sheep happily rummaged around in a meadow by an old monastery.”
To read more about this talented woman, click the links below.
To see our present collection from this artist, click the links below.
“Some would argue that a painting, just by being a painting, is automatically abstracted to a small degree, no matter how hyper-realistic it is,” says artist Ryan Kohler. “My work falls on the abstraction scale, sure, but where doesn’t matter to me. Tasteful expression matters to me; strong composition and accurate drawing matter; mixing color with integrity matters.”
Kohler’s one-person show will be open on August 13 at The Gallery at the Grand on Maine Art Hill, 1 Chase Hill Road, Kennebunk. The gallery opens at 10 AM, and this show is available every day through September 8. Please note the artist is attending the opening reception from 5 to 7 PM on August 13. All are welcome.
Kohler has a BA in Art with a concentration in drawing from the University of Maine at Augusta. He practiced many mediums throughout college, but one continually came out ahead.
“While studying for my art degree, I was subjected to all sorts of torturous experimentations with various mediums,” Kohler jokes. “I knew drawing would still be a relevant skill whatever avenue I chose to pursue in art, so I took just about every art class, sometimes unwillingly, but painting was always my favorite.”
If painting was his preferred outlet, acrylic was his first love. Yet, Kohler has found a new passion, quickly stealing space in his heart and studio.
“My process is evolving. My work continues to be acrylic, but I’m incorporating the use of papers,” he explains. “I’m treating my canvas as collage. Each piece demonstrates different levels of this aspect. Some are more extreme than others.”
Kohler began experimenting over the last few years and has found incredible success. However, even this new process evolves into something more with each piece he creates.
“I like the freedom of adding and removing physical pieces to the painting. With this, I knew paint alone would never be enough for me,” shares Kohler. “However, I had to find a reasonable, sustainable option to combine with it. Long story short, I found paper. Completely safe to use, glue-able, paintable, flexible, archival, and millions of colors.”
The result of this work is similar to palette knife oil paintings. Parallel with distinct planes of color and various shapes layered over each other. For Kohler, the paper’s advantage is the workability, clarity of color, and the ability to work in small areas without the risk of the muddiness that can sometimes come with an oil painting.
“It’s beautiful when the right shapes in the right color all come together just the right way. I’m proud of these paintings. They are my clearest vision yet in my career and my most cohesive body of work.”
This show is a must see in person, and all are welcome to The Gallery at the Grand in Kennebunk to visit. The opening is Saturday, August 13 at 10 AM, with an artist reception from 5-7 that evening. The show runs until September 8 and is open every day. FMI 207-967-2803 or maine-art.com/shows
Kohler says, “An artist can be anything but boring,” and this show is anything but that.
To see all available work from Ryan Kohler, click the link below.
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.
Artist Ingunn Milla Joergensen is known for the essence of her work. Each painting brings peace to a gallery, a person, a home. Yet, as much as her home is her sanctuary, sometimes a person must wander to find rest.
“Early this spring, I was lucky enough to spend a week more or less in solitude on an island by the east coast. It was a week of light, color, water, sand, dunes, reflection, and meditation,” shares Joergensen. “This week very much led to the body of work in this show.”
When the tiredness of the pandemic and the sadness of human cruelty in our world and just a long winter were heavy, the solitude helped to heal this.
“Having only the elements to relate to for days was a much-welcomed timeout. The only sounds were the crashing of the waves and the screaming seagulls,” she explains. “I have found confirmation that I need simplicity, nature, the absence of clutter, and most of all, to feel grounded. I find all this in a close and deep connection with the elements.”
All you need to do is walk through the doors of 10 Chase Hill Road to feel everything Joergensen describes. The walls whisper soft words of comfort and calm.
“I have walked the empty beaches from sunrise to sunset in my life in Kennebunkport and during my week away,” Joergensen says. “I hope my viewers can relate to what happens when and where I paint. My paintings should become a little sun bleached in an otherwise busy world.”
To read more about this talented woman, click the links below.
To see our present collection from this artist, click the links below.
The Isles of Shoals is a group of small, rocky islands in the Gulf of Maine and six miles off Portsmouth, New Hampshire coast. It is also where Claire Bigbee found inspiration for her summer show.
“Toward the end of my painting for this show, I booked a three-and-a-half-hour day trip and tour to check out the Isles of Shoals with my sister,” shares Bigbee. ” I have lived in Maine since I was twelve and have never been there. So we were both very excited to finally visit.”
As they docked for their hour-long walkabout, the captain gave them a brief rundown of the island, its facilities, and a few suggestions on what to see.
“I was immediately turned on to the vibe at Star Island. I spoke to the personal retreat concierge at the Oceanic Hotel and booked four days and three nights for the following week in hopes of five more paintings for my show,” says Bigbee.
The Oceanic Hotel has a front porch scattered with oversized wooden rocking chairs, with most guests holding books on their laps and relaxing.
“Another landscape artist noticed me getting off the steamboat, lugging my plein air painting gear,” explains Bigbee. “I saw a garden cart at the end of the pier and used it during the days of painting around the island.”
“The community of people I met from all over the world was an unexpected surprise. I left with five paintings and a feeling of solitude, nourishment, and peace,” smiles Bigbee. “I will go back again and again to paint the magic of Star Island and the Shoals. And, of course, watch the breathtaking sunrises and sunsets in a comfy rocking chair.
Want to see the pieces Bigbee created while in this magical part of Maine? Her show runs until August 25. After that, we are open every day from 10 -5. So please come in for a visit. The show is always available virtually if you can’t make it in.
To read more about this talented woman, click the link below.
To see our present collection from this artist, click the link below.
“In addition to clam and mussel shells, seagulls, dories, and sanderlings, the subjects of this group of paintings include a series of moon snails,” shares Ellen Welch Granter. “I named them all for the features on the map of our moon.”
“These enormous and heavy snail shells, called moon snails, collect in specific places on the beach. I love their sun-bleached exteriors juxtaposed with their deep, darkly colored interiors,” shares Granter. “However, be careful picking them up. Hermit crabs also love to make their homes inside.”
Of course, when you love this part of the world, fear for its safety comes with it.
“Awareness of what is on the beach also leads to a depressing understanding of the sheer amount of trash that washes ashore,” explains Granter. “This ranges from the typical: water bottles, straws, fishing gear, and snack bags—to the weird: toys, shoes, golf balls—to the genuinely horrific: syringes, shotgun casings, and masks.”
The passion Granter feels for her beach and ocean doesn’t allow for the trash to make an appearance in her paintings. But…
“Maybe it should,” Granter continually contemplates.
To see all of the available works for our artists, click here.
To read more about any of our artists, check out our blog by clicking here.
If there are indeed two sides to every story, these two fabulously talented local painters tell the story of Maine at its best.
Shows on Maine Art Hill is thrilled to host artists Ingunn Milla Joergensen and Claire Bigbee from July 30 to August 25. Starting at 10 AM Saturday, July 24, this dynamic duo fills the walls at 10 Chase Hill Road in Kennebunk. In addition, there is an artist reception from 5 – 7 PM on July 30.
“Both Joergensen and Bigbee joined the gallery at the same time. They live locally and share a common love of Maine,” says gallery owner John Spain. “Over time, not only have they grown as artists, they have grown into friends. It is not uncommon for Bigbee and Joergensen to travel to remote locations for an artist retreat. They often share ideas and inspiration as they paint side by side, seeing the same landscape, each painting their vision.”
Claire Bigbee loves color. Her palette changes depending on her subject, but the celebration of color is continuous. Her process responds to the atmosphere, the view, and the painting. She is not necessarily using formula when she mixes her paints and applies them to her canvas. As a result, she doesn’t create her palate the same way every time.
“Many of my paintings are about the juxtapositions of playing with color modules. I use color to create form rather than value and line,” explains Bigbee. “My brushwork isn’t hidden in carefully blended color transitions. It’s explosive. I put a color on my palette knife and fan it over the painting to find the right color harmonies. The painting stands between me, nature, and the viewer.”
For Joergensen, the scene recreated has softer brush strokes and a more neutral palette. The beauty of the Maine landscape, the constantly changing elements, and the ocean are never-ending sources of inspiration for all of Joergensen’s art and design work. For her, beauty is found in the most unexpected places.
“I see not so much in shapes or lines but patches of color. That may surprise many as I am known for a somewhat neutral palette in my work,” says Joergensen. “I do not strive to recreate the landscape in a photo-correct way, but rather the emotions it brings out. The transparency or translucency of it. I recreate my impressions simply, hopefully to the viewer, peaceful and contemplative.”
This show varies from dawn to dusk, from rivers to the marsh, and of course, the ocean. These two artists spend a lot of time in these various places. It is where they breathe and reflect and share. These paintings are their emotional interpretations of those views.
Again, starting on Saturday, July 30, at 10 AM, the gallery at 10 Chase Hill welcomes the public to view and purchase these stunning celebrations of color and summer. Both artists will be at Shows on Saturday evening from 5 – 7 PM for an artist reception. They are excited to share their process, inspiration, and new works. The Artist Reception is a free event. All are welcome. This show runs until Thursday, August 25. This gallery is open every day from 10 AM to 5 PM. FMI www.maine-art.com or 207-967-0049
To read more about these talented women, click the links below.
To see our present collection from each artist, click the links below.
Most artist statements begin with, “Ever since I was a child, I knew I wanted to be an artist.” Not for Ellen Welch Granter.
“After I won the East Rochester Volunteer Ambulance Corps Ham Festival Dinner Poster Contest in 7th grade, I should have seen my future career path,” laughs Granter, “but I didn’t.”
Even though she hasn’t strayed far, she has strayed.
“Although I was always creating. Be it painting, designing clothes, knitting, or making jewelry. At each fork in my road, I fully turned toward painting what I love,” explains Granter. “What do I love about it? I love the possibilities of a few new tubes of paint, a handful of good brushes, a blank canvas, and the glimmer of what I hope might be a promising idea.”
Over the years, Granter’s need for change continues throughout her career as an artist. She explores from the love of her bird to turning an ordinary buoy into a work of art. She shares her childhood hatred of being on the water but the love being near it with each piece she creates, no matter the subject.
To see all of the available works for our artists, click here.
To read more about any of our artists, check out our blog by clicking here.
10 Chase Hill Road, Kennebunk, Maine
These three local women have come together for one fantastic show for Shows on Maine Art Hill at 10 Chase Hill in Kennebunk, Maine. All three have experienced multiple shows with Maine Art, but this is their first time showing together under one roof. Each celebrates Maine but features different aspects in different way mediums. We are thrilled to have this first-time-together show for these crazy talented ladies.
LIZ HOAG
Liz Hoag, who paints in acrylic, features more of the inland beauty of this area. Steams, brooks, and enchanting woods have all inspired this Portland artist. Each piece of Hoag’s work features nature and light interacting to provide a new and different perspective on the everyday surroundings of the natural world. Mother Nature often illuminates her creations in a way only few stop to notice. Hoag is one of those few.
KATHY OSTRANDER ROBERTS
Kathy Ostrander Roberts’s primary goal is to represent the essence of Maine coastal waters in an encaustic painting by capturing scenes from the coastline of Southern Maine and translating them into vibrant representations of movement and color. Through layering and sculpting of the medium, she creates depth and intrigue. It is a hope to spark memories and longings for Maine’s rugged shores in the hearts and eyes of the viewer.
JILL MATTHEWS
As with anything, art is a process, and Jill Matthews’s recent work represents how it has evolved. One of the hardest things for an artist is to find a voice in their work. Matthews spent a long time focusing on replicating things she saw rather than genuinely seeing them through an artistic eye. Her work now is based on an initial idea or vision.
This show is wrapping up soon, don’t miss this opportunity virtually or in person.
To read more about these talents, women click the links below.
To see our present collection from each artist, click the links below.
I am a born mudlark, always searching for sea glass, shells, and treasure. ~ E. W. Granter.
On July 16, Ellen Welch Granter opens her solo show showcasing these treasures at The Grand Gallery on Maine Art Hill in Kennebunk. Located at 1 Chase Hill, this show begins at 10 am for sales and finishes the opening day with an Artist Reception from 5 – 7 pm. All are welcome, and the artist will be present.
Granter has always created. She has tried everything: painting, designing clothes, knitting, or even making jewelry. So why paint?
“What do I love about painting? I love the possibilities of a few new tubes of paint, a handful of good brushes, a blank canvas, and the glimmer of what I hope might be a promising idea,” Granter explains. “Of course, then comes the hard work, all the decisions. Pale or dark? Thick or thin? Loose or tight? Flat or dimensional? Edges? Patterns? Lines? Textures? Shadows? Each painting is the accumulated result of a thousand decisions. What is my process? Don’t ask me; all I know is that I love being up to my elbows in it.”
Granter works primarily in oil. However, she puts all her favorite things together for this show in one impressive display. From her birds to seashells, she captures the entire essence of the coast.
“A walk on the beach is different from a walk anywhere else. The sky is big at the beach. I love to see what is coming, approaching fog banks, contrails of planes arriving from the Atlantic, or mad flocks of gannets diving for fish,” says Granter. “As a painter, I am torn between looking down at the random compositions of the snarled seaweed, driftwood, and shells in the wrack line and looking up at the surf and skies for birds and clouds.”
Most artists have always known that they want to create. For Granter, it took a little bit more time, but she has certainly figured it out.
“My career took some long detours before I became a full-time artist, including seven years of studying Chinese and a thirty-year career as a graphic designer,” says Granter. “However, at each fork in the road, I turned more fully toward painting, toward what I love.”
Recently Granter left her home and studio near Boston, where she lived and worked for twenty-nine years. She now has a lovely space bordering a bird sanctuary near Newburyport, Massachusetts.
“It is a welcome change to be living a very different life,” Granter shares. “Less Fenway Park noise, student keg parties at night, and more crickets chirping and owls hooting. More of the treasures I love to paint.”
Ellen Welch Granter’s solo show runs from July 16 to August 11 at The Gallery at the Grand, 1 Chase Hill Road, Kennebunk. The gallery is open at 10 am every day. Again we welcome you to the Artist Reception from 5- 7 pm on July 16. This is a free event. All are welcome.
To see all of the available works for our artists, click here.
To read more about any of our artists, check out our blog by clicking here.