Finding the Fabulous in the Familiar – Insights from Bethany Harper Williams

“The Maine coast continues to inspire me,” says artist Bethany Harper Williams.

 

Williams is in the middle of a hugely successful show up here at Shows on Maine Art Hill. She has taken over half of this space until July 19th and has been exceptionally well received by locals and tourists alike.

“Our visitors have fallen in love with Bethany’s work,” says our owner John Spain. “Each painting holds a hint of a memory. It may be from their visit to Maine, or it may be from seaside spots closer to their own home. Either way, Bethany has a way of capturing that coastal light and magic each person wants to take home and hold on to.”

Williams spends most of her winter in Toronto. We lovingly call this her second home, because we think her first home is at her incredible spot in Biddeford Pool. Frequent trips back and forth fill her year. 

“Each time I return, I am amazed at how the views continue to captivate me. I find myself literally stopping and taking photos again and again, often of the same scenes,” she laughs. “The light is always different. The clouds. The water. I love seeing how the light and colors change through the year.”

 Dog Days of Summer

It is not uncommon to see Williams biking in the early evening, wandering in and around the shore. It is the perfect time for her to immerse herself in her surroundings.

“The light is so beautiful in the early evening. I can’t stop myself from stopping and taking even more photos of people on the beach, views across the pool, the clouds. All scenes I’ve seen and photographed for the last 30 years still inspire me,” Williams shares. “All these photos keep me going through the Toronto winters.”

Two Orange Boogie Boards Red Boat White Boat

And keep her coming back to spend her summers with us here in Maine. 

“I am thrilled to be a part of Maine Art Hill, especially at this time – new beginnings, great opportunities, and its blossoming art community.” She is sharing Shows on Maine Art Hill with David Witbeck until July 19.  We welcome you to stop in and see both artists’ work in person.  It is a real Maine summer treat. 

Visit virtually by following this link. 

Open every day from 10 am to 5 pm. Call for more info. 207-967-0048

Click here to read more about Bethany Harper William 

Click here to see her complete collection of work on Maine Art Hill

Marta Spendowska – A New Artist at The Works on Maine Art Hill

Marta Spendowska is a Polish-born, New Hampshire seacoast-based, American artist and illustrator. She currently works from her Artists of Salmon Falls studio in Rollingsford, NH and happily resides by the ocean, soaking up its every drop on summers and paints outdoors to breathe the New England landscape onto paper.  Her work currently hangs in The Works gallery which is part of Studios on Maine Art Hill in Kennebunk, Maine.

Currently, Marta works in two series, Gold Wetlands, abstract landscapes, which you will find at The Works gallery, and Bloomlands, abstract flora. She loves both with the same intensity.

“The Wetlands series come from my heart, directly,” says Marta. “The paintings are an extension cord to and of my yearly travels to Poland. The Bałtyk Sea is also, or mostly, a place of transcending the past. It’s where I hang out with my old self, revisit topics of belonging and lose – or sometimes gain – time.” For this artist, these works touch on the parents/daughter relationship, on becoming a child again and visiting the sea which cures her oversensitive body and spirit when she needs it.


This Land, The Anchor To My Heart The Mighty Heart of Loving Bits in Everything

“I work with water-based materials because they are immediately responsive. They remind me that life does not allow for ‘do-overs’,” she shares.  “The only certain thing is here, now.” The fluidity of her materials allows Marta to be spontaneous and curious which is essential to crafting a painting or series of paintings. “There is nothing better than a drop of water with paint merging into it,” shares Marta.

Living on the coast of New England now, this place has become her most cherished medicine. “The wind, the sand, the water, no matter how cold, the ocean, like a God Mother, nourishes,” explains Marta. “The touch of gold on my paintings serves as an offering to Her and becomes a shimmer of eternal hope.”

To see our complete collection of Marta Spendowska’s work follow this link.

Marta Spendowska – Artist Page

Richard Remsen on His Glass Work

Wait for just a second for the video to load. It is worth the wait….

Watch below as glass artist Richard Remsen shares his work, his purpose, and his insights into his art.

The Places They Live – David Witbeck and his Fishermen

“There are only so many ways to paint a guy holding a lobster,” says artist David Witbeck.

Lucky for us, he keeps painting them, anyway. Not only his lobstermen and fishermen but also the lovely harbors they call home. 

“This year I decided to focus a bit more on the environments my characters live in,” shares Witbeck. “It started with the skinny yellow horizontal painting. The buildings surround the water shape.” 

Friendship Sunrise

Friendship Sunrise, found at The Gallery, is that skinny little painting he is referring to.  With the reflection of the morning sun turning the surface of the water the brilliant yellow, it was the beginning of something more. 

Friendship Sunrise morphed into a few square paintings with the water shape defined by more or less silhouetted buildings,” explains Witbeck. “Although the color palette is similar, each has a different mood.”

Morning Commute Afternoon Commute

In Morning Commute, Afternoon Commute, and Sunrise Harbor this yellow hue is carried throughout. Whether the focus is on the commute to and from the fishing boat or the harbor in which these Mainers live, the glow is without a doubt the break of day when only the hardest of workers are up and at it.  Some Foggy also has these tones, but be sure the title of this piece is said with a thick Downeast accent or its just not the same. 

Some Foggy Sunrise Harbor

The last piece in this color series is Interloper.  Breandán, based on the small headshot, has made it out to the boat early in the day.  Most have assumed that the “interloper” referred to in the title is the squawking seagull at the bottom of this piece. By the shape of his beak, he is making sure everyone knows he is there.

Interloper Breandán 

Here are just a few of the cast who are starring in this year’s Witbeck show. Remember artist Bethany Harper Williams is partnering with Witbeck this year for two shows in one. Be sure to visit at Shows on Maine Art Hill at 10 Chase Hill Road in Kennbebunk. We are open every day from 10 am to 5 pm. Not in town? View the 360 virtual tour online by clicking here. VIRTUAL TOUR.  

Joseph Webster – Featured Artist at The Works

“Passion is everything. I make glass because I love the process and everything that surrounds it, ” Joseph Webster

 Local glass artist Joseph Webster joined Maine Art Hill in May of this year. A young emerging artist specializing in Venetian style glass techniques features a variety of his pieces at The Works at Studios on Maine Art Hill.  

Joseph is a Maine native, who first discovered glass at Haystack Mountain School of Craft while still in high school.  He graduated from Deering High School in Portland in 2010 and went on to receive his BFA with a concentration in Glass from Massachusetts College of Art and Design in 2015.

“In addition to my formal education, I studied under several renowned artists, including James Mongrain and Jeff Mack,” shares Webster.

His inspiration comes from traditional Venetian style techniques, as well as contemporary artists who specialize in these techniques.

“Over the years I have been making glass I have always strived to understand and refine the techniques behind the process. Through understanding the history of glassmaking I have gained a great understanding of how the material works,” explains Webster. “This understanding has allowed me to create the ideas that I envision into tangential works.”

His Ellipse Series is one form of his work you will find at The Works. Coming from a desire to loosen up and have some fun, Joseph’s Ellipse Series was born. 

“These are organic, fun forms with contrasting colors. They nest inside one another to create beautiful compositions,” he explains. “I start by blowing symmetrical, even forms, then I take a turn in the opposite direction and form them into organic ovoid shapes.”

The variety of shape, color, and composition are endless. These pieces are uniquely different from any other in his current body of work. 

“Glass is an amazing material that behaves like no other. It is an unforgiving and humbling medium to work with. But that is what makes it exciting to me,” says Webster. “It is something that in my eyes cannot be perfected. It is an endless journey of education, refinement, and practice to better myself as a craftsman that keeps my passion flowing. ”

Webster’s Float Series, a dynamic black, and brilliantly colored glass design was developed as an ode to the old fishing float designs that have been replicated repeatedly throughout history. 

“As an avid angler, I became fascinated by these small objects and saw much beauty and potential in them,” shares Webster. “This series brings the stunning forms, contrasting colors and childhood nostalgia I associate with these floats into this body of work.”

Another series you will find at The Works is his Doodle Series. This is a body of work where Joseph uses simple geometric forms as a canvas for filigree glass techniques. 

“After years of studying classic Italian glass techniques involving filigree patterns such as Zanfirico and Reticello, I began to stray away from the norm and developed the designs I call ‘doodles.’”

While being modern, fun and loose, Webster hopes with this series, to create his unique linework designs while still honoring tradition. 

Finally, we are thrilled to have Joseph’s stemware. These are regarded as some of the finest handmade objects on the market. 

“I dedicated much of my early career to the development of technique and refining my craft. I do my best to honor traditional Italian glassmaking techniques,” says Webster, “ but I create unique one-of-a-kind pieces. Made by hand, start to finish, one vessel at a time.” 

Click here to visit Joseph Webster’s Artist Page

We welcome you to come in and visit The Works at Studios on Maine Art Hill at 5 Chase Hill in Kennebunk. Studios have six different and unique gallery spaces and open every day at 10 am.  It is a must stop when in town and wandering through all the Maine Art Hill spaces.

Getting to Know Artist, Bethany Harper Williams

Repost: Bethany Harper Williams joined Maine Art Hill in the fall of 2017.  Because she hasn’t spent a summer show season with us as of yet, we wanted to take a minute to reintroduce her. She has found great success with us over the last few months, and we are excited to have her involved with David Witbeck in their dynamic duo of a show at Shows on Maine Art Hill at 5 Chase Hill Road in Kennebunk from June 30 to July 19. Please read on to learn more about this amazing artist.

 

In the Sun and Salty Air

“Water, sky, and beach inspire me, I love the big expanses of landscape. Couple this with the changing ocean light, and it’s magic,” says Bethany Harper Williams.

Maine Art Hill is happy to feature Bethany Harper Williams at Shows on Maine Art Hill at 10 Chase Hill Road from June 30 to July 19.  There will be an Artist Reception from  5-7 pm on Saturday, June 30. 

“I don’t like to paint the obvious. I like the viewer to look and find new things like the shapes of colors, textures, playful shapes and scribbles. The vast areas of sky or beach or water give me the room to play,” says Williams. “When looked at up close, all these interesting and unexpected shapes and subtle textures and colors can be found. From a distance, it is clearly a sky or beach or water.”

Red Boat White Boat

Williams often has figures in her paintings. “I am trying to capture a moment in time. I’m not concerned with who the people are, but I’m trying to invoke a memory others can relate to,” shares Williams. “My people have become even more simplified, much less detailed.” In her latest series of Beach Days, the figures are simple strokes of color. But as simple as they are, she still captures the movement and interaction, the mood and activity.

Spring is in the Air

“I work mostly with palette knives, big and small, always using a palette knife for my figures. It helps me to stay away from focussing on details,” says Williams. “Recently I have started to bring brushes back into my work to add texture, but I like using big brushes, like a broom!”

Williams’s work is often described as having energy but also a calmness and playfulness. “It is reflective of who I am. I am a doer. I’m very active. I love sports, tennis, golf, biking, swimming, and skiing. However, I’m also a very relaxed, calm person. I love to travel, especially adventure traveling.”

Ocean Blue

One gallery owner says this about Williams and her work. “Her work represents the youthful energy of the present day yet has peaceful and calm roots planted in nostalgia. This paradox is expressed beautifully in her simple yet sophisticated style of painting.”

What does Bethany Harper Williams say about her work? “It makes me happy that I get to do what I love and other people enjoy it too.

 

To read more about Bethany click below

Artist Insights – Bethany Harper Williams

To see our complete collection of her work click below

Artist Page  – Bethany Harper Williams

Join Bethany and David Witbeck, co-artist for this dynamic duo of a show at Shows on Maine Art Hill, at 10 Chase Hill Road in Kennebunk, is open daily at 10 am.  The Williams and Witbeck show will run from June 30 through July 19. FMI 207-967-0049 or maine-art.com. 

Bethany Harper Williams and David Witbeck – Two Artists One Amazing Show

Summer Solstice has passed. School is out. Summer has begun in the Kennebunks.

With that said, Maine Art Hill wants to welcome the second show of the season at Shows on Maine Art Hill. David Witbeck and Bethany Harper Williams exemplify summer in paint. Their fun and colorful works are perfect pairing, and we can’t wait to open this incredible new show.

From the larger-than-life fisherman and lobsterman to his classic coastal scenes, David Witbeck does not disappoint. The varied content and color palettes this season are an excellent addition to his traditional collections. Turbat's Creek

Add to that the beautiful beach scenes of Bethany Harper Williams and it feels as if summer has come indoors. Not only has she captured the lovely east coast beaches, but also a few harbors, and some other lovely Maine-inspired surprises. 

Starting on Saturday, June 30 at 10 am, we fill the walls of the gallery at 10 Chase Hill with these stunning celebrations of color and summer.  Both artists will be at Shows on Saturday evening from 5 – 7 pm. They each are excited to share their process, inspiration and new works. The Artist Reception is a free event. Food, wine, and music provided. 

The show is running until Thursday, July 19. This gallery is open every day from 10 am to 5 pm.  Please plan to stop into our other three locations. The Gallery at 14 Western Ave, The Grand Hotel Gallery at 1 Chase Hill, and the all-new Studios at 5 Chase Hill. All are open during the Artist Reception and every day this summer. Open daily at 10 am. Check the website for summer hours. maine-art.com

To see the show in its entirety including the 360-degree virtual tour click here. 

To see our complete collection of both artists’ works click below

David Witbeck  –  Artist Page

Bethany Harper Williams – Artist Page

To read more about the process, inspiration, and background of each artist click below.

David Witbeck – Insights and Stories

Bethany Harper Williams – Insights and Stories

POP UP at Chill at the Hill

Vinegar Hill Music Theater & Pop-Up on Maine Art Hill

CHILL AT THE HILL

Sundays from July 15 to August 26

Enjoy live acoustic music and cocktails while sampling fare from local Maine food trucks in Vinegar Hill’s rustic Garden Bar, every Sunday from 3-6 pm. July 15th -August 26th.

We here at Maine Art Hill are lucky enough to be the Presenting Sponsor and have been invited to spotlight our weekly Pop-Up artists and showcase their work each week.  Come and meet the featured artist, see a few pieces of work and chat with them about their work and their process.

Each Sunday Chill at the Hill will be followed by an early curtain call at 6:30 for a bigger name act.

July 15

Acoustic in the Garden – The Quiet Riot Act

Artist in the Garden –  Phil Laughlin

Food trucks –  El Rodeo and Mainely Burgers

6:30 Curtain Show – Lee rocker

 July 22

Acoustic in the Garden –  Eric Fernald

Artist in the Garden –  Cynthia Woehrle

Food Trucks -Texas Grace and TBA

6:30 Curtain Show – The Gatlin Brothers

July 29

Acoustic in the Garden –  Never Been to Tennessee

Artist in the Garden –  Erika Manning

Food Trucks –  El Rodeo in Richie’s Jamaican

6:30 Curtain Show –  Ronan Tynan

August 5

Acoustic in the Garden –  TBA

Artist in the Garden – John LeCours

Food Trucks – Richie’s Jamaican and TBA

6:30 Curtain Show – Annie Royer

August 12

Acoustic in the Garden – Max Ater

Artist in the Garden – Robin Swennes

Food Trucks –  Fish and Ships and Richie’s Jamaican

6:30 Curtain Show – Jason Spooner and Friends

August 19

Acoustic in the Garden Eric Fernald

Artist in the Garden Rachel Altschuler

Food Trucks – Texas Grace and Mainly Burgers

6:30 Curtain Show – Juanito Pascual Trio

August 26 

Acoustic in the Garden Max Ater

Artist in the Garden – Kristine Biegal

Food Trucks –  Fish and Ships and El Rodeo

6:30 Curtain Show – Maine Youth Orchestra and Friends

To read about all of the visiting Pop Up Artists click below

To see all events at Vinegar Hill Music Theater click below

 

2018 7th Annual Choice Art Show on Maine Art Hill

Maine Art Hill opens our summer season with the 7th Annual Choice Art Show.  We are offering a sneak peek into the show Friday, June 8 during our Block Party, and then the show will open at 10 o’clock Saturday morning. Not only will you find many of this year’s Choice Show artists at the Block Party, several will be sticking around to welcome the first visitors to Shows the next morning.

We began with eighty-four original works from fourteen artists; six pieces each.  It was then narrowed down to three pieces from each artist. These three are carefully “chosen” to be in the show. This is where it gets fun.

This year we have a new choice, The Designer’s Choice, chosen by none other than Kennebunkport’s own Louise Hurlbutt from Hurlbutt Designs. The next piece the artist chooses. This sounds easy, but they have such difficulty with this. Then finally there is the third piece for each artist, the People’s Choice, and that choice was up to you. By casting your vote for your favorite piece by each artist, you decided the last twelve paintings that will be featured.

Monday, June 5th we announced the “People’s Choice” winners.

If you haven’t already, we suggest you go to thekennebunkportfestival.com  and buy your tickets for our Block Party to be one of the first to see these selections in person. Remember this is a ticketed event. The site will give you all the details. BUY TICKETS HERE.

On Saturday, June 9th, the 7th Annual Choice Art Show opens at Shows at Maine Art Hill on 10 Chase Hill in Kennebunk.   Will your favorite make it to the walls of the gallery?  Come in and find out. The show is open for three weeks, closing Thursday, June 28th.  Remember – if you can’t find the piece you fell in love with, visit the artist’s page on our website or The Gallery at 14 Western Ave. All the works are far too beautiful not to showcase somewhere at Maine Art Hill.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

**If you cannot make it to Kennebunk to see the show in person, the full catalog will be available for online viewing. CLICK HERE

To read more about each artist by clicking their name below. To see other artwork from each artist, click here.

Claire Bigbee

Charles Bluett

Alex Dunwoodie

Jeffrey T. Fitzgerald

Margaret Gerding

Ellen Welch Granter

Liz Hoag

William B. Hoyt

Ingunn Milla Joergensen

John LeCours

Jill Matthews 

Craig Mooney

Susan Wahlrab

Bethany Harper Williams

 

White Light – Liz Hoag, Artist Choice

White Light

In the fall of 2015, artist Liz Hoag joined Maine Art. She filled our gallery space with her classic Tangle series and the rest is history.  With Acadia National Park as one of her favorite wandering sites, this Portland-based artist finds the quiet and classic Maine and replicates it in a way we all can enjoy.

Each piece of Hoag’s features nature and light interacting in a way that provides a new and different perspective on the normal surroundings of the natural world. Mother Nature often illuminates her creations in a way only few stop to notice.  Liz Hoag is one of those few.

“In all of my work the light is critical to the feeling, but in this one, the light itself is the focus,”  shares Hoag on White Light, her Artist Choice piece. “I focused on balance and composition like I always do. The late afternoon glare on the water, however,  is what struck me when I made the decision to paint it. The rest became secondary.”

To read more about Liz Hoag and her work follow this link.

Liz Hoag– Stories and Insights

To see our complete collection of Hoag’s work follow this link.

Liz Hoag – Artist Page

To see more from Hoag 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.