First Lives – Susan Wahlrab

 

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary states, “Art is something that is created with imagination and skill and that is beautiful or that expresses important ideas or feelings.”

Many of our artists have always found a way to integrate art into their lives long before society ever called them artists. In their early years, they were drawn to color, design, photography, or just a really great napkin doodle. Regardless, it was in their blood. It was a knowing that beauty is meant to be captured in a form. They sketched or sculpted and always found a way to express themselves and their surroundings with visuals.

At a very young age, Susan Wahlrab was expressing her own “important ideas.” “My grandmother said I came home from whatever event and went right for my drawing pad or my desk chalkboard and immediately created a visual diary of what most interested me,” says Wahlrab. “Making images has been my way of integrating life’s experiences since I was very small.”  Having someone to nurture those interests and natural curiosities soon led Susan down the road to becoming an artist.

nhne0utw40odtcnsrg1z

“It was a natural step to go to art school,” remembers Wahlrab. However, it was while she was completing graduate work that she discovered a different passion, a passion for teaching. This lead to positions at Swain School of Design, Rhode Island School of Design, Brown University, Framingham State University and Maine College of Art.  Teaching became a way of sharing a love with others who understand that love.

The other side of Wahlrab’s life was quite different from her art. “I discovered movement from an early age, as well. It began with swimming, on to hiking and running, then to yoga,” says Susan. It is this exploration that led Wahlrab down a path which she thought would run parallel to her art, but became something separate. And yet, turn after turn these roads continued to weave together, one not complete without the other.  “At this point they are both such a part of me. I can not imagine a day without my morning practice and meditation followed by hours in the studio. The yoga brings the balance and connection I need to continue to grow.” Susan knows that on a practical level the physical strengthening and calm focus supports the demands of standing all day painting and working through challenges, yet she knows it is more than that. “On a deeper level yoga has integrated a full and complex life which I can use to inspire as I continue the journey of expanding as an artist.”

Again, a passion led her to teaching; something that has become just as natural as movement and art. “One thing is clear. When I find something I truly am passionate about, I want to share the excitement through teaching. The process and time I put into classes supports my own learning journey. A life of observation and connection of body, mind and spirit.”

DSC_0017.JPGSusan Wahlrab’s Studio

We welcome you to come in and see our complete collection of Susan Wahlrab’s work here at Maine Art Paintings and Sculpture in Kennebunk. Her watercolor technique is as beautiful as it is unique, and is meant to be seen in person. However, we know this is not often possible and encourage you to visit her Artist Page on our website. If you are interested in learning more about Susan Wahlrab and her art, please read an earlier blog about one of her works, Reflection.

Please click on the links below to share this on your Facebook page or Twitter feed.

A Bit o’ Green and Sunshine

Wind Scuplture, Garrett Reynolds

Traditionally on St. Patrick’s Day, even those who do not have a lick of Irish in them can be found donning green shirts, green hats and even green socks.  We don’t even blink when our beer turns green for one day a year; we just raise our pint all the higher and toast with a friend we may not have met yet. It’s the spirit.

Here in New England, even Mother Nature gets in on the action. Most years (let’s forget last year) by March 17th, she has begun to work her magic on the grass and flowers and leaves.  It gives those of us who have braved yet another hard winter a bit more to celebrate. There is nothing like a bit o’ green and sunshine to make a Mainer smile.

xlo3kywh5l5rb9l3f2wu

Between spring and St. Patty’s, we love this time of year at Maine Art. The streets outside our windows have a few more people wandering, shops that have been closed and dark since January are beginning to open their windows and air out the winter dust, and on those lovely days when the thermometer rises above 60 degrees, we start to smell the beginning of the season. Of course, our pot of gold looks more like Daniel Corey’s sunflowers in Of the Sun, and our Shamrocks are made of copper by Lyman Whitaker, but still we celebrate right along with the rest of you.

pinusx2cosc9l1mrb249kq2ekwq9ldtuqvum0zzh

So come in and share a permanent pint with Trip Park’s Old Country or bask in the spring leaves of Birch Tangle by Liz Hoag. We are here at 14 Western Avenue in Kennebunk and open from 10 – 5.  We are happy to be sharing the Luck of the Irish, or even some spring flowers with Light Over Shadow by Philip Frey. As always, you can view our entire collection online at www.maine-art.com.

eefwzav9vwjad1cu1tsn

Please click the icons below to share on your Facebook page or Twitter feed.

First Lives – Ellen Welch Granter

EllenGranter

Ellen Welch Granter has been with Maine Art Paintings and Sculpture for over ten years.  Her love of nature and wildlife, especially the winged ones, is well known in the Maine art community.  Her work is peaceful and warm and welcomes the viewer in with open arms. Yet, her life did not start at an easel.

School for Ellen looked a little different than you might expect.  A bachelor’s degree in Political Science, a master’s degree in History. Government? Politics? This isn’t the jumping-off point for most artists. Like so many of the most interesting people in our world, Ellen’s past is varied and fascinating. Having the opportunity to chat with Ellen at an opening is always a pleasure.  She is intelligent and well spoken, and offers so much insight into her work. However, there are pieces of her past one would never guess. The pinnacle being six years of studying Mandarin Chinese. “I started learning it as a study-abroad student in Hong Kong in 1982. Then I did Middlebury College summer intensive language training… twice. After that, another year in Beijing. I had an internship during that time at a very sleepy import/export company. There was virtually no importing or exporting actually going on at that time, 1985, so I hung out with the drivers and office staff and learned a lot of Beijing slang.”

There were some years, like the rest of us, Granter had to work her way through. Her patience with her art and with her clients certainly was earned from the beginning of her employment history. “My first job… I worked for the Sisters of Saint Joseph as a nurse’s aide in their infirmary at Nazareth College,” say Granter.  “I was also a lifeguard, a waitress, a quilt piece cutter and a knitting shop assistant.” She did it all. “Making submarine sandwiches for drunk students was in there somewhere as well,” Ellen remembers. “But hands down my worst job was working a folding machine in a print bindery. It folded those little paper instructions that used to come inside pill bottles. I lasted a full two days!”

Eventually, her odd jobs began to lean a bit into the art world. “I was a technical illustrator, video editor, t-shirt silk screener and graphic designer/art director in various places.”  When a person really looks at their past, it is hard to have regrets when happiness fills the present. “It all enriched my life, and sent me on my path. Non, je ne regrette rein,” says Granter. No, I regret nothing.

ght1ebo6oppmqya8hrbeo5a5wgtlnbomvty6mukw

Please visit Maine Art at 14 Western Avenue in Kennebunk to see all of Ellen’s work.  You can also see it online on her Artist Page.

Please click the icons below to share on your Facebook page or Twitter feed.

 

First Lives – David Witbeck

sy4yjj7xmpbidgplyqptawwaox0go9bwhu58lv8c

“As a kid, I thought I wanted to be an artist… or maybe a musician,” says David Witbeck. “As a high school senior my choices were music school in Potsdam, NY (the boonies, -40 in the winter), or Art School in the Big Apple. What would you choose?”

Did he choose New York City? Yes. He studied at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn for three years. Did he stay in New York? Yes. However, after quickly becoming “disenchanted with the crazy New York art scene of the time,” he read The Painted Word by Tom Wolfe, and photography seemed like a much more relevant pursuit.  He became aware of, “nitty-gritty black and white street photography and photojournalism.” He transferred to Rochester Institute of Technology. Rochester was not only home to a photography program, but also to his then pregnant girlfriend. “Ah, the 60’s,” says Witbeck as he looks back.

“A very young marriage and parenthood necessitated finding whatever work I could,” says David. Darkroom assistant, wheelchair mobile driver, employment counselor…the irony! He eventually took a job as a yearbook photographer. Still not art, but getting there. After three years he quit and took a job with a small weekly newspaper. “The pay was less, but I could build up my photojournalism portfolio.” Art, right?

“Eventually frustration, poverty, disappointment, etc., led to divorce, at which point I decided to ‘bleep’ it all and just drive a truck,” says Witbeck. Sometimes taking a step back is necessary in order to take a step forward. After a year of driving a small fish-delivery truck, he made the decision to go big or go home. “As long as I am driving a truck, I should drive a ‘real’ truck,” he had thought. He took lessons, received his NY Class 1 license, and for the next six years was a Teamster driving tractor-trailers. Now that, ladies and gentleman, is an art.

“Driving trailers could be great fun in good weather, but a little terrifying in Rochester winters when, by March, there could be ten feet of accumulated snow,” David recalls. With the threat of becoming an old Teamster, he applied and was accepted to Rhode Island School of Design in 1980. Finally, the world of art had found its way back into his life.

He sold just about everything he owned and moved to Providence. “I graduated with a BFA in photography in 1982 at the age of thirty-five.” He had a couple beat-up cameras, a few sticks of furniture, his clothes, a few thousand in debt… and the promise of a job with a major daily newspaper to his name. “The job failed to materialize. The photo editor wanted me, Human Resources demanded a woman… I was the wrong gender. What now!?”

Lucky for us the “what now?” ended up eventually putting him on a path to the larger-than-life seaside fishing and lobstering paintings that grace the walls of Maine Art Paintings and Sculpture.  Alongside them hang the picturesque scenes of harbor villages and coastal life that Witbeck is known for in New England.  In May, Maine Art is lucky enough to be hosting a one-man show of David Witbeck’s work; offering more insight into this fascinating man, his history and the what, where and who that finally helped him find this Artist’s Life.

Dory

Please click the links below to share on your Facebook page or Twitter feed.

First Lives – The History of an Artist

IMG_3140

We each have a history. They can be quite long or quite colorful – or both. Personal history is a kaleidoscope of people and places who have touched us and left their mark.  It is often very different than our present. But for all of us, it is what made us, for better or worse, who we are today.

While spending time at Maine Art Paintings and Sculpture, a customer begins to see connections between pieces from the same artist. There are threads that lace together works in a meaningful way. Each collection is, in many ways, a history in itself.  The staff at Maine Art is more than happy to share our artists’ names and inspiration behind the art that has captured your attention. Through this dialogue you begin to picture the artists at work. A room of blank canvases leaning against well worn walls, sunlight streaming though windowpanes illuminating partially painted pieces and brushes and palettes covered with color fill our imagination. It is a dream world, a haven, a place where this person lives and breathes. It is an artist’s world.

But there is more, so much more. Each of these artists has a history, a life, that brought them to where they are. However, like many of us, it is not what you may envision. When we look at a breathtaking landscape or detailed watercolor of the perfect autumn day, we don’t see lifeguards or waitresses at the easel. We don’t see mothers and fathers sculpting clay.  We certainly don’t see teachers or truck drivers with brush in hand, painting broad strokes across beautiful canvases. Yet, they are there. Hidden in the background, rooted in the memories and entwined in the art are these people.  These people that used to be, but have grown, changed and become artists.

Over the next few weeks, we will be introducing you to some of these people.  The yoga teacher, the nurses aide, the photographer turned truck driver turned first grade teacher. And maybe, if we are lucky, the lead singer of a rock band who gave it all up to buy a small coastal art gallery. We shall see.

As always, we welcome you to come visit the gallery at 14 Western Ave in Kennebunk or visit online at www.maine-art.com , but remember to check out our blog on Thursdays to get a peak inside The First Lives of the artists of Maine Art.

Interior10

Please click the icons below to share on you Facebook page or Twitter feed.

The Beauty and Brains Behind Maine Art

IMG_4376

As the owner of Maine Art Paintings and Sculpture, John Spain is the first to admit to all the work and hours that go into making a gallery a success. However, he is also the first to point out that the business would not be where it is today without the dedication and talent two women put in year-round. Amy Lewia, Gallery Director, and Natalie Lane, Gallery Manager are an integral part of Maine Art.

Nine chances out of ten when walking into Maine Art Paintings and Sculpture on Western Ave. or Maine Art Shows on Chase Hill, one or both of these women are there. Not only do they make the behind the scenes run smoothly, they are continuously on hand to help the rest of the staff provide excellent service and knowledge to the customer. Both women are well acquainted with the artists, their work and their stories.  Both woman offer insights and details before anyone makes a purchase. Customers comment frequently on what a “happy place” Maine Art is, saying that it was such a “fun experience.” These two women continuously go above and beyond and are responsible for the welcoming atmosphere and fabulous service found here.

Amy Lewia has been with Maine Art the longest. Last winter she celebrated ten years at the gallery. John often says she is the daughter he never had who has come in and learned the family business from square one. She is the marketing exec, the curator, the staff coordinator and the talent agent all rolled into one. If you have a question, she has an answer. If you have a problem, she will help you fix it. If you just need a great eye and an honest opinion, she is the one to go to. She does it all. However, as much as she loves the business side of the gallery, her heart belongs to the customer. “I love the different feelings, memories and senses that are triggered by art,” says Lewia. “In any one piece, the reactions tend to vary from one viewer to the next. It’s wonderful to hear stories from our clients who are inspired by a painting, sculpture or artist that grabbed their attention and pulled them in.” Amy has a personal connection to the business and the artists, and customers immediately feel this when dealing with her.

IMG_3419

If Amy is the daughter of this “family” business, Natalie Lane is the sister. She is the organizer, the calm head, and the voice of reason. She is going into her tenth year at Maine Art, and as in any small business, a manager must be a jack of all trades. “I have worked with color and textiles all my life,” says Lane. With over twenty-two years in frame design, Natalie is the guru of the frame shop. She knows which pieces should be in which frames, which frames compliment a room or a space and can turn family photos into heirloom pieces. “I love to frame old family photographs and memorabilia. The idea that the relatives of long past will be part of and appreciated by the present or future generations is one of the reasons I enjoy what I do.”  Natalie is also the ring master on the gallery floor. With a staff of a dozen employees, she makes the day to day smooth and easy.  With over thirty-five years of sales experience, she is a natural. “It is always my goal to welcome and engage each customer in a manner that will have them coming back to the gallery year after year. Their experience during a visit, to either gallery, will have them feeling as comfortable as they are in their own home.”  Natalie has a loyal client following that seek her out for those “special projects” or want her help finding the next piece to add to their collection. Yet, new clients are just as rewarding for her. “I enjoy welcoming a new customer to the gallery. Bringing a collector and artist together at a reception and hearing the artist share their inspiration or technique is a favorite part of my job.”

IMG_4121

We know when you walk into Maine Art it is the paintings and sculptures that draw you in. But it is our knowledgeable, warm and friendly staff that keep you with us for years to come. Come see for yourself and become part of our family.

 

When Winter is White

There are some Maine residents that escape to warmer climates by December.  They don’t like the cold and hate the snow. There are also many who were born and raised, or transplanted by choice, who may not love an overabundance of the snow, like that which covered us from January to April last year. However, we have certainly grown fond of Mother Nature’s blanket holding us captive in front of fires, celebrating a day off from school and freezing the pond for skating. Then, there are “the crazies” – those who love it. They dream of skiing while they sit on the beach. They count the days until the snow sled is allowed out of the garage. They even wait patiently to cut holes in the lake and sit all day on frozen water and call it fishing.  For them, we are sorry that this year Thanksgiving was spent at the beach or golf course, Christmas should have been a BBQ and the Snow Sled Parade in northern Maine was an ATV extravaganza. For them, we are sharing a little reminder of, “when winter is white.”

Many will say, “If you don’t like the weather in Maine, wait a minute.”  This is funny.  When this post began, lawns were almost green. Now, as the finishing touches are added and links are being put in, Maine has been covered by the wintery white stuff  which we have been missing for most of the season. Finally, we are in it.  Maine Art and our artists are thrilled with this. We love snow as much as we love the sun… or almost as much.

irwdcdfziiyue0yftexp-2 ugd7m8duvghlcjrcqalo

Craig Mooney, the master of the beachscape, is a skier in disguise; a snow bunny, not a snow bird. This is obvious in Snow Blanket, where he captures the quiet serenity and peace only a snow-covered landscape holds.  Many locals would love to be trapped in the little cabin which sits so perfectly in Hidden Cabin.

jynjydvu1u8hnfj6boag rb3fmc7ft8ihdejip0ot

Then there is Jill Valliere. This time of year she normally lives surrounded by a winter wonderland. Pieces like Carried Away and Catching the Drift are a beautiful representation of what is ordinarily her back yard.  As February arrives, she is finally enjoying the beautiful bend of trees under this new-fallen snow and the crystal-coated branches which are often her inspiration.

agkgrl5bzoefqwdiqty7-2 w7k2jhi19yholbuit8yo

Valliere is not the only one of our artists who finds beauty in the winter trees. Artist Susan Wahlrab captures the whitewashed branches with her unique watercolor technique.  First Snow and Snowflake are both done on claybord and finished with varnish.  The paths that she travels are familiar and mysterious at the same time.  They capture you and bring out a desire to find your own winter walk in the woods.

hv2tu6vapdt4vzmm4886 jqpgz8wzdjrwz00xjdqj

Lastly, there is Jeffrey Fitzgerald’s Silver and Skyward Boys.  These two hint to a cooler time and place.  A place where the rocks, shells and sea life are in a sleepier spot to wait out the winter.  The silver and blue whisper of winter, and bring us back to the coast of Maine during a time of year many others leave it behind. This place is a local place.  It is the sunny day in February that often lures us back to the rocks for a just a few moments in the sun.

Our hope is not to jinx, but just to remind of the wonderland we call home. Mother Nature kept us waiting in anticipation, but has now decided to decorate Maine in a way we here at Maine Art Paintings and Sculpture are much more accustomed to this time of year. There is no way to know how much snow will come between now and spring. It will be welcome. Maybe not when we are shoveling it, but at least when we are sledding, skiing and walking through what we love about winter in Maine.

 o5a5wgtlnbomvty6mukwSame Time by Ellen Granter

Please click the icons below to share on your Facebook page or Twitter feed.

 

The Sculpture

When someone asks of art in Maine, the mind goes to seascapes and fishing boats; classic Maine scenes captured in oil, acrylic or watercolor hung on walls in memory of a time and place lest we forget the beauty. Yet, when walking into Maine Art Paintings and Sculpture, one quickly realizes it is more than just one-dimensional. Here, among the canvases, is sculpture.

Sculpture, by definition, is the art of making two- or three-dimensional representative or abstract forms, especially by carving stone or wood or by casting metal or plaster. Though Webster says this in the most succinct way, it lacks the passion and awe that sculpture evokes.  Helen Keller held the key to the best way to experience sculpture. “I sometimes wonder if the hand is not more sensitive to the beauties of sculpture than the eye. I should think the wonderful rhythmical flow of lines and curves could be more subtly felt than seen,” she said. Great sculpture draws the hand as well as the eye. Our fingers lift and twitch with the overwhelming desire to touch it.

When viewing James Rivington Pyne’s Diver, this need is very real.  If tracing a finger from the tip of her toes to the end of her fingers, the impression of diving into the cool water of summer time is present. The smooth lines and deep colors of this piece hold the sense of water gliding over skin and blocks out everything else. There is an understanding of the sculpture. You have been there.

qmzykrullrsw14i4d31q

Elizabeth Ostrander agrees. “Both gentleness and strength inhabit my sculptures. Their quiet joy is a ‘hooray’ for life. It can be a reminder that we can all meet in that wisdom place. And sculpture also invites touch and the soothing experience of graceful shape and the nuance of texture,” says Ostrander. Her sculptures, while still using human form, find a mingling of nature and man, or more often, woman. In her piece, Trust, Elizabeth captures that connection with nature. The smoothness of her skin and softness of her closed eyes begs for a touch which connects the viewer to the art.

od6juandzccdutr4efgn

Though Webster’s definition indicates a casting or carving, which both Pyne and Ostrander do so well, modern art has discovered a repurposing or redesigning of materials to convert the normal and familiar into the beautiful. Patrick Plourde does this well.  His work still demands the viewer to engage, to reach out, but the emotion is different. Spigot Flowers is one of these pieces.  The repurposing of the water spigots in this piece immediately brings memories of summertime sprinklers. You know the metal is cool to the touch as it pulls a knowing smile full of old friends and family gatherings. Plourde collects such items and blends them flawlessly into his work.

vr9hevpcogkzp9op7tkk

These are the sculptures of Maine.  Maine art and Maine memories.  We welcome you to come in, visit, and see for yourself the beauty of Maine in three-dimension.  You will find us at 14 Western Avenue in Kennebunk.  Check for our website for winter hours. www.maine-art.com.

Please click the icons below to share this on your Facebook page or Twitter feed.

For the Love of Red

ght1ebo6oppmqya8hrbe

For the month of February, Kennebunkport is turning red – every shade of red.  Driven by the Kennebunkport Resort Collection, we are embracing the month of February and all it stands for.  The town will transform its normal winter wonderland into a sea of scarlet lights and ribbons. Visitors will find amazing deals on hotels stays, restaurants and of course, shopping. If you are in doubt for what to do to celebrate this very special time of year, look no further; Kennebunkport is ready and waiting for you to Paint the Town Red.

Audrey Hepburn, the woman that personifies the color, said, “There is a shade of red for every woman.”  Whether it be crimson, rose or ruby, we all love our favorite shades. The artists at Maine Art Paintings and Sculpture do too. They know how to capture not only your interest, but your emotions with sweeps and strokes of this most remarkable color. “Red is the color of extremes. It’s the color of passionate love, seduction, violence, danger, anger and adventure,” says Color Matters.  “It is the color of energy and primal life forces.”  Our very own Robin Mix is skilled at swirling this fire and spirit into his glass sculptures.  Pieces like Temple of Doom and Roualt Red with Orange are filled with power, or you can find the calm and gentle love delicately blended in pinks in his piece Pink Smoke.

dt5abt4rz8z4bq657wcw ld2kbgen3citovean8ui tawbsjgam0fhb60m8hxr

The walls of Maine Art are proof of the varied emotions this color can produce.  The bright reds Mother Nature herself provides, especially in the flora that surround our state, bring a smile and much happiness with just a glimpse. They are a reminder of love and passion even in nature. Karen McManus, Sandra L. Dunn and Monique Sakellarios all capture this in acrylic. Summer Harbor Hollyhocks, Opium Field and Paula’s Poppies will bring joy to any room.

gx8gha47bmosv7ok5gbb no2fypohdymbri8kkmj1 yobqhnsonziec3lr9szt

There is the fun and whimsy of a carefree color that excites both adventure and amusement.  Though their works are very different, each of these artists loves the effect this color produces.  Home Slice by Trip Park, William B. Hoyt’s Clippers and Dillan, David Whitbeck’s much loved lobsterman, each grab your attention.  Amazingly, not only does the wonderful red tone catch your eye, it holds it.

gfre2mfrllbsqvbgj1v4 iuccpkphrulukzrsyuum plpustckq2clcgmxvqfm

Lastly, you will find the classic red that is scattered throughout Maine.  Her barns and boats come alive with dark shades of crimson and cinnamon. They are iconic. In Russia, the word “red” means beautiful. No other word is necessary for the feelings of home and warmth that radiate from works like Mountain Barns from Janis H. Sanders, The Red Peaked House by Abbie Williams and Lucky Day from William B. Hoyt. Each draws us in and reminds us of the comfort found inside these places.

1903_JHS1091 efpsog6hyemkhzlyrmwl teaoa0ojs9gqnso4cvub

So bring your woman or man, or even just yourself, to the coast of Maine this February and help us celebrate the love found here. Eat, drink, shop and play in Kennebunkport.  We welcome you to visit Maine Art at 14 Western Avenue to check out all artists or visit us at www.maine-art.com.

povgpzup4lao5xiqrf8i

 

Please click the icons below to share this on your Facebook Page or Twitter Feed

Trees

 

Hoag_Square Tangle Orange and Red-for_artcloud

This past fall we introduced Liz Hoag to the Maine Art extended family.  The entire first floor of the gallery at 14 Western Ave. was filled with a collection of her work which was centered around her love and interesting perspective of trees. “Tangle” was a wonderful success.  However, Hoag is not the only artist we represent that has a fondness for these incredible works of Mother Nature.

qdhdtuz5w2iyk8rh8hgf

Hermann Hesse, the winner of the 1946 Nobel Prize in literature, wrote, “For me, trees have always been the most penetrating preachers. I revere them when they live in tribes and families, in forests and groves. And even more I revere them when they stand alone.”  Our artists have expressed this exact sentiment through paint and brush. The up close look at the intricacies of birch branches like the the work of Liz Hoag, the blur of green from a “tribe” of pine and spruce in Dusk, Mink Island by Karen McManus and of course, the strength and courage found in the simplicity of Lone Pine by Abbie Williams and Majestic Pine by Sandra L. Dunn.

cxkrcnzsvc2sm23llzus enqmbofc9fkzdjstuojd

We are familiar with trees that represent all aspect of our lives: the family tree, the tree of life and even the famous children’s book by Shel Silverstein, The Giving Tree.  Strong branches and deep roots are personified in poetry and song all over the world.  Metaphors are found scattered in literature both new and classic. Confetti-like leaves, strong as the old oak, or the centennial pine. For years these wonders of nature have sheltered, decorated and inspired.  So it comes as no surprise that these same themes are seen in art. Be it the famous works of Van Gogh or O’Keefe or new pieces just created, like Catherwoods from Trip Park.  We surround ourselves and celebrate the trees.

xgph6xffwrhhkbz43pks

Most amazingly, their beauty is found in all forms from the stark bark waiting in hibernation as in Susan Wahlrab’s varnished watercolor, Snowflake or the resting Catharsis from Jill Valliere. We celebrate the color of autumn we see in Edge of the Woods by Alex Dunwoodie or even the promise of spring and new beginnings which Henry Isaacs illustrates in Saturday Afternoon, Santa Barbara. Even in the death or darkness of these plants we find meaning and beauty.  Our own Philip Frey displays this perfectly in Forest Floor.

qi5xlikftt0wc3zpyjby ygv53nqvbyffylvzgabr a1crotxiooprb4gf2p51

We house so many beautiful and inspiring pieces that spark viewers to stop, take a breathe and enjoy.  We welcome you to come in and share them with us. You may just want to wander through and appreciate the work, or maybe, just maybe, you will take one home to help fill your house with this happiness.

“Trees are sanctuaries. Whoever knows how to speak to them, whoever knows how to listen to them, can learn the truth… whoever has learned how to listen to trees no longer wants to be a tree. He wants to be nothing except what he is. That is home. That is happiness.”  – Hermann Hess

Please click the icons below to share this on your Facebook page or Twitter feed.