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Pear, A Quick Peek at Process – Artist Insights from Ryan Kohler for Maine Art Hill in Kennebunk, Maine
Ryan Kohler Solo Summer Show 2023
RYAN KOHLER
July 22 – August 16
Artist Reception July 22, 5-7 PM
5 Chase Hill Rd. Kennebunk, Maine 04043
“Collage. is not a streamlined process, and it’s not practical,” says artist Ryan Kohler. “The upside is that I have clean shapes of pure color and exactly the shape I want.”
Kohler’s solo summer show will be open on July 22 on Maine Art Hill, 5 Chase Hill Road, Kennebunk. The gallery opens at 10 AM, and this show is available every day through August 16. Please note the artist is attending the opening reception from 5 to 7 PM on Saturday, July 22. All are welcome.
Ryan Kohler is a young Maine artist who works with many mediums. Acrylic led to the addition of collage, and now he is trying his process with oil. Even though Kohler finishes with collage, he is still a painter at heart.
“I spend a lot of time painting the initial colors, making sure my value structure and color design is as good as I can make it,” shares Kohler. “I respond to the painting a lot during this process. Some paintings want to be more painterly and loose, and others more graphic.”
Once he begins with collage elements, they look more illustrative. Kohler leans into this and uses it to his advantage.
“Once I have a quality, almost finished canvas, I move to the collage. The process and results are a bit like palette knife marks, except I have much more control,” he explains. “If I don’t like the piece I’ve just added to the painting, I simply remove it. I have a window of time before the glue permanently adheres the paper to the canvas, and even if I am beyond that window, I still have the option to continue gluing more paper to cover up. ”
It’s easy to say “good enough” when he is in the painting phase, but he always regrets it when it comes to the second step, collage. Each component added is like a revelation, revealing something that wasn’t as defined as before—the hull of a boat, a bird’s wing, the shadow’s edge. Sometimes it is necessary to walk back and forth from the easel after each piece, carefully observing how the painting changes from a distance.
“Sometimes that leads to the most interesting results. When layers and layers of paper are added to each other, especially something with patterns, it can look like mixed paint from a distance,” says Kohler. “I am always amazed at what each small step adds to the finished piece.”
This 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.
Click to see the VIRTUAL TOUR.
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.
Color and Detail – Artist Insights from Craig Mooney
“I have been pushing the boundaries of color,” shares artist Craig Mooney. “I am getting tired of grey paintings and grey skies. However, it has always been a challenge for me to be a creative colorist.”
“Some of my works in this show emphasize the strong colors in my palette, such as Prussian blue, Indian yellow, and alizarin crimson. There is a certain eclat, a sparkle, another French word,” says Mooney. “For many of these works, color is in my mind when these pieces are being created.”
When looking at Sumit Trail, you will find a looser brush stroke. It appears the paint has been applied very lithely, disregarding shape or proportion.
“I am always bouncing back and forth between a high level of definition to the other where it is loose. I use very wide brushes to convey a subject matter,” explains Mooney. “It forces the observer to distill what’s needed at that exact moment. The decision is made quickly as to what is not important.”
Sometimes the detail is necessary, so he returns with a palette knife or smaller brush to connect the piece to something broader.
“Generally, I do that with more abstraction,” shares Mooney. “However, when I tightly control it, greater meaning is attached.”
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
The Painted Words of William B. Hoyt – A One-Man Show
Artists have been traveling to coastal Maine for decades, each trying to capture the land’s beauty and waters bordering it. William B. Hoyt is an artist who knows and loves this area and works and plays here frequently. Each of his canvases has an almost photographic quality. This attention to detail forces the viewer to lean in closer to experience every facet that forms the whole and becomes classic Maine.
Hoyt says, “There is a challenge and a joy in seeing something ineffably beautiful or moving and resolving to make a painting of it. The threads of the canvas, the sea, family, friends, and Maine have woven themselves inextricably into my psyche and my work.”
Hoyt has always been an artist. He is one of few who hasn’t ever been anything else. His medium may change from oils on canvas to film, digital photography, or even hammer and wood when he built his home and studio in Vermont. The need to create is always there, especially during the summer and when he is in Maine.
“When summer is here, it means en plein air, being outside and finding the next fascination. I spend my winters with studio work. Summer is about inspiration and collection,” says Hoyt. “Sometimes I go looking, often early in the morning before setting sail for the next harbor or toward the end of the day after we anchor and the harsh light softens. Other times a subject recommends itself unsolicited with the realization that a painting is staring me in the face.”
An artist sees the world through different eyes, and it is rare to find Hoyt without his camera close at hand. He is always collecting moments and has trouble not stopping at each scene with the possibility he may someday be committed to paint. “Images are everywhere,” he says. “Some wonder if my need to stop and snap ever gets in the way. I can’t help but find that funny. It doesn’t get in the way; it is the way.”
Hoyt is a wanderer and an adventurer. He has been fortunate in his life to be able to find and create and reproduce the beauty around him. He has more stories to tell than most and remembers them in details as vibrant as his canvases.
John Spain, owner of Maine Art Paintings and Sculpture and Maine Art Shows, explains the fusion of Hoyt’s story with his art, “I have been very fortunate to have had the unique experience of visiting Wimby’s home and studio. It is truly an insight. Where most have photographs of people and memories, he and his wife Kathy have paintings. On top of that, everyone has a story that can only be told by the master storyteller himself.”
To honestly share the man behind the art, we have coupled Hoyt’s pieces with his memories, inspirations, and insight. These stories highlight his work and share his thoughts. In addition, Hoyt has added private studies and family sketches (not for sale) to this one-of-a-kind show.
William B. Hoyt’s show opens at Maine Art Shows on Saturday, August 13, through Monday, September 5. As always, we will have an Artist’s Reception from 5-7 PM on opening night. This will provide an excellent opportunity to meet and talk with the artist. The show can be viewed on our website beginning Wednesday, August 10, at www.maine-art.com/shows.
Click to read more about Hoyt.
Click to see our entire collection of Hoyt works.
Click below to see the VIRTUAL TOUR
HOYT SHOW
Tempus Fugit – Artist Insights from Craig Mooney
“The Latin phrase, Tempus fugit, is interpreted as time flies,” shares artist Craig Mooney. “I have been thinking about it a lot lately and the ephemeral nature of life. There are a few of my paintings that truly grasp that idea.”
Mooney’s version of Tempus Fugit is personified as a solitary female figure gazing through a window.
“For most of my career, I have tried to make paintings that capture the essence of the passage of time,” he says. “Whether it’s a dramatic sky or a figurative piece, both reflective and contemplative.”
For Mooney, the choice of brushwork is always a conscious one. The brushwork in some of his works for this show is very tight. There is a high level of detail—much more than he usually does. Such as in Tempus Fugit.
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
The Mind of an Artist – Insights from Margaret Gerding
Of all the questions about our artists, these three are the most asked. What goes through their mind before they begin painting, as they work, and finally, how do they know when they are done?
Margaret Gerding answered a few of these questions, at least for her.
“It’s all about the moments put down on the canvas to capture a portrait of the region,” shares Gerding. “My vision has been to capture these quiet moments in a way that exhibits their mood, along with the scene and its complex palette.”
As an artist who prefers to paint “on the scene”, her process can differ slightly from one who prefers studio work. En plein-air, meaning to paint outside, allows an artist to be in a place with all senses.
Gerding says, “Each piece is based on a real place, a moment I have experienced and been inspired by. There is something about being alone with nature—a quiet that connects me. Only this solitude, whether outside or in the studio, allows the landscape to reveal itself to me.”
Even the most diligent plein-air painters usually have a bit of studio time. For Gerding, this is usually where the finishing touches happen.
“My studio gives me more time to examine my work. It’s more intellectual, and the final pieces are polished. When I work en plein air, it is fast, intuitive, and exploratory,” says Gerding. “With both spaces as part of my process, I have the time to develop a piece and push my understanding of the atmosphere and abstract simplifications in the landscape.”
Margaret Gerding’s show will run until July 19 at Maine Art Hill at 5 Chase Hill Rd. Kennebunk.
Click the links below to learn more.
Read more about Gerding.
See our entire collection of Gerding’s work
See the Gerding Show virtually
More Snippets – Artist Insights from William B. Hoyt
Just a few more snippets from artist William B. Hoyt. Getting a look inside an artist’s mind relating to his work is always fun.
Green Machine
“Anyone in the market for an emerald green Chrysler Cordoba? I want to lie in a hammock on that upstairs porch among the swaying shirts and blue jeans.”
Hading Out, Dawn Patrol
“Wake up call, 4 a.m., anyone? There are worse alarm clocks than the throttle of a lobster boat setting out to lay traps. And the sunrise over Louds Island, Maine, is easy on the eyes.”
Block and Tackle
“Can you hear the whir of rope and clink and clank of a block and tackle? The soundtrack of coastal Maine in summer.”
Golden Pear Unwrapped
“The gift that keeps on giving. Yoyo Ma sent friends Charlie and Miranda a box of fruit. Their daughter Sophie is an event coordinator for Yoyo. Thank you so much for the nourishing inspiration!”
Homage to Vermeer
“My wife’s summer bouquet united with The Milkmaid by Vermeer helped whet my appetite for my trip to Amsterdam. Piecing together a still life of things from our home with the work of a Dutch master brought this modern painter all sorts of challenges and happiness.”
Round Pond Sunrise
“Round Pond is where one of my best friends, Spenny, kept his boat, Mist. We’d sleep on the boat, rocked by a gentle lull. Around 4:30 a.m., the lobstermen would wake us up when they set traps. They’d go slowly through the harbor, and when they got to where Spenny’s boat was anchored, they’d hit the throttle, put the gas to it, and wake us up. The gentle lull would quickly turn to rocking and rolling. Spenny could fall back asleep, but not me. I’d creep around the harbor in the dinghy taking in the light rising in the shingled buildings and houses and imagining all the ways I’d revisit this place in paint. When I returned to the boat, Spenny would always be up, and the coffee would be ready. I will never tire of painting Round Pond.”
Click to read more about Hoyt.
Click to see our entire collection of Hoyt works.
Click below to see the VIRTUAL TOUR
HOYT SHOW
Craig Mooney’s Solo Summer Show 2023
CRAIG MOONEY
July 8 – August 2
Artist Reception July 8, 5–7 PM
Gallery at the Grand
1 Chase Hill Rd. Kennebunk, Maine 04043
“Mother Nature has supplied me with a great deal of drama and mystery in her New England skies,” says artist Craig Mooney. “I have taken those skies and captured their light with new colors bringing depth and excitement to this newest work.”
Craig Mooney’s 2023 Solo Show runs through Thursday, August 2, at The Gallery at the Grand on Maine Art Hill at 1 Chase Hill Road in Kennebunk. It promises to be a show full of big skies and perfect landscapes. The artist is in the gallery for an Artist Reception from 5 – 7 PM. This is a free public event. This gallery is open from 10 AM to 6 PM daily.
“I’m trying to work both sides of the room for this series of work. Some of the work is more detailed than I typically do, and some are more abstract,” explains Mooney. “What ties them together is the need for the painting to have some drama and mystery.”
Each of Mooney’s works for this show is captivating. Each contains something compelling about the structure of the composition. Light play is essential in these pieces, as well. No matter the color at the end of Mooney’s brush, he applies it with confidence and a sweeping stroke.
“I’ve been experimenting with more color. I am not a creative colorist. I’m a bit more tonal and reserved when it comes to coloring. I prefer a little more of the contrast between light and dark, which is about the value, not the hue,” says Mooney. “So, in a way, it’s more impressionistic for me.”
As far as the brushwork is concerned, Mooney’s work is very immediate. He takes very little time to process what he is painting. For him, the process is almost automatic.
“I find another gear to go in, and the paint is immediately applied to the canvas in a stream of consciousness. I don’t have a chance to refine and shape it until the next time I look at that painting,” shares Mooney. “Sometimes it is a slow process, but it’s incredibly quick many times.”
“Because Mooney’s ‘place’ is always a culmination of the beauty he finds in every corner of the world, this is a must-see show for visitors and locals alike,” says John Spain, owner of Maine Art Hill. “It is easy to glimpse pieces of Mooney’s work in your world. It’s his magic power.”
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. There is a free public artist reception from 5–7 PM with local food, great wines, some jazz, and the artist himself. 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.
Click to see the PREVIEW on July 5
The VIRTUAL TOUR on the evening of July 7.
A Mainer by Heart and Home – Artist Bethany Harper Williams Shares
When artist Bethany Harper Williams was young, she was introduced to Maine via a little spot just up the coast from us called Ocean Park. Even as a child, she was drawn to the water and knew her first visit to our coast would not be her last. She, like the rest of us, knew that once Maine’s saltwater gets in a person’s blood, it never leaves. Now she is lucky enough to call Biddeford Pool home.
Williams has always been creative, sketching, drawing, and painting, even as a child. “My parents have very amateur paintings of mine framed in their cottage,” Williams shares. “My grandmother passed down her old oil paint set when I was ten, and my grandfather built me an easel.”
She attended Concordia University in Montreal for Fine Arts and graduated with an Honors BFA in Graphic Design. “After graduating, I moved to Toronto and worked for a design firm. I stayed there for 15 years. I loved my job and the creative atmosphere.” After son number three in 1999, however, she left the firm to start her own small design business from home. “I figured I could be more flexible but still keep my creative side happy.”
“One Saturday afternoon, everyone was occupied, a rarity in my house. I brought out my paints which I had purchased on a just-in-case whim. I had a photo of one of my kids running with a kite on the beach in Biddeford Pool. Big beach, big sky, little person. I was very nervous,” admits Williams. “I painted all afternoon. The time flew by. I was in a zone and on a high. I painted until midnight.” Even at this point, she knew this was the beginning of something bigger.
It was William’s husband who first brought her back to Maine. He had been coming to Biddeford Pool since the early ’70’s.
“It started off taking a week or two of holiday. Then once I quit working full time, we spent the month of July and Labor Day weekend,” shares Williams. “We rented for many years and finally bought over ten years ago. The community has become home.”
Williams only painted a few paintings a year for the next few years, but all were inspired by summers in Biddeford Pool.
“It wasn’t until 2011 I decided to have a show,” says Williams. “I knew I wanted to do something in Biddeford Pool, but I didn’t know what. We ended up throwing a cocktail party for all our friends. Many friends had no idea I painted. It was a big success.”
This inspired her to want to go further with her painting and changed her focus from graphic design to painting.
To see Bethany Harper Williams Show in person, visit the Gallery at the Grand at 1 Chase Hill Road in Kennebunk from June 10 to July 5. The doors to the gallery open every day at 10 am. FMI call 207-967-0049 or www.maine-art.com/shows.
Click to see the show virtually.
Click to read more about Bethany Harper Williams.
