Craig Mooney’s Solo Summer Show 2023

Posted on by Maine Art

 

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

Posted on by Maine Art

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.

Let's Go Fly a Kite

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.

Red Umbrellas Yellow Beach Chairs

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.

http://www.maine-art.com/paintings/Bethany_Harper%20Williams/63820/

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Artist Insights from Margaret Gerding

Posted on by Maine Art

MARGARET GERDING

June 24 – July 19

5 Chase Hill Rd. Kennebunk, Maine 04043

Margaret Gerding is just as gracious with her words as her paint. Below read a few insights into pieces she created for her Summer Show of 2023

“Rose Colored Sky captures that quiet, fleeting moment when the sun lights up the morning sky and has always inspired me. The unique colors show warmth and allow only a short time to register the scene.”

“Autumn Cliff Walk is about that wonderful view one has while meandering the path of the Marginal Way in Ogunquit. It is where the water meets the rocky shore, and the ocean mist is always present.”

“Sometimes the working pier can hold a stillness before the day’s hustle has begun, and the lights appear in the windows. Even though the sky is rolling in the clouds for the day, the water is still glass, and the ocean seems endless.” Cape Porpoise, ME

 

Click the links below to learn more.

Read more about Gerding.

See our entire collection of Gerding’s work

See the Gerding Show virtually 

Little Snippets – Artist Insights from Artist William B. Hoyt

Posted on by Maine Art

 WILLIAM B. HOYT

June 24 – July 19

5 Chase Hill Rd. Kennebunk, Maine 04043

We love it when artists share little snippets of what was in their minds when creating new works. Below are some details regarding different pieces from Hoyt’s latest show.

“As summer ebbed and fall waxed, I created a series of paintings featuring visions with windjammers from the vantage of our daughter and son-in-law’s house in Islesboro, Maine.”

Our puppy Ajax is now two years old and in his Afternoon Nap.”

“In winter’s grip, I turned to paintings of Round Pond where my sailing partner kept his boat, enjoying painting the assortment of boats and buildings.”

“When I turn to my kitchen and a still life dominated by a bag of flour (I like to bake bread) and some additional imagery of my own earlier work of the same subject, Bob Dylan, and Manet’s scandalous painting De Jeuner sur l’Herbe.”

 

Click to read more about Hoyt.

Click to see our entire collection of Hoyt works.

Click below to see the VIRTUAL TOUR

HOYT SHOW 

The Composition of Color and Pattern – Artist Insights from Bethany Harper Williams

Posted on by Maine Art

BETHANY HARPER WILLIAMS

June 10 – July 5

Gallery at the Grand

1 Chase Hill Rd. Kennebunk, Maine 04043

Artist Bethany Harper Williams has found a way to view the world that transports time and place and celebrates summer in Maine.

“When exploring the abstract in nature, first I take a landscape,” shares Bethany. “Then I create an overall sense of calm and energy by layering abstract shapes and patterns, juxtaposing warm and cool tones, and seeing how the colors react.” 

For Bethany, composition is so important, even though it is often unexpected.

“I enjoy cropping off the top half of people walking along the beach or the sails in the foreground,” she explains. “This allows the viewer to complete the image, fill in the blanks, and create their own story.” 

The colors and patterns are inspired by things she finds on the beach. Be it stripes and polka dots on beach towels and umbrellas, pools of water, or patterns in the sand. They are all abstracted realities.

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.

Gerding and Hoyt – Two Artists. Two Views. Two Shows.

Posted on by Maine Art

 

MARGARET GERDING

  WILLIAM B. HOYT

June 24 – July 19

Artist Receptions June 24, 5–7 pm

5 Chase Hill Rd. Kennebunk, Maine 04043

“A power couple is an unbeatable force. When two independent, intelligent, and hard-working people come together, nothing can stop them.”

On Saturday, June 24, two artists come together in side-by-side shows at Maine Art Hill in Kennebunk, Maine. The galleries at 5 Chase Hill Rd are hosting a dual showcase of two amazing artists, Margaret Gerding, and William B. Hoyt. The show opens at 10 am with an Artists’ Reception from 5–7 pm on Saturday, June 24

At Maine Art Hill, we know the power of dynamic duos. Scheduling two different but truly talented artists together simultaneously was purposeful.

“We have observed over the past few years that many of our collectors are enamored with the works of both of these artists,” says owner John Spain.” With that, this  is the second time we have paired these two  together not only for the enjoyment of our clients but also for the artists themselves.”

Margaret Gerding, an artist who calls Kennebunkport home, is thrilled to fill the walls with all her favorite places near and around the area. With broad sweeping strokes and soft, captivating colors, Gerding’s works are memories and moments captured in paint.

 “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 like no other,” shares Gerding about her oil paintings. “Only this solitude, whether outside or in the studio, allows the landscape to reveal itself to me.”

Gerding, a graduate of UMass, Dartmouth, had her first major show at age twenty-five on Newbury Street in Boston. Her early success and continued hard work led to her paintings being included in the book 100 Artists of New England by E. Ashley Rooney and New England Paintings (14th ed.), published by The Open Press. Many private and corporate collections also contain her work, including L.L. Bean in Freeport, Maine Medical Center in Portland, Fidelity Investments in Boston, and the Westin Hotel in Boston.

Alongside Gerding is artist William B. Hoyt, known for his realistic works of New England coastal and inland. With realism, a style in which the subject of the painting looks much like the real thing, it is only when examined close up do what appear to be solid colors reveal themselves as a series of brushstrokes of many colors and values. It is during this examination that the “wow” moments happen.

“I took two trips to museums, the first to an exhibit of John Singer Sargent at Washington’s National Museum, and the second to Amsterdam’s Rijks Museum exhibition of Vermeer. I painted some before going to Amsterdam and then a few as soon as I got back, utterly inspired by Vermeer,” shares Hoyt.

Sargent and Vermeer embody the horns of a dilemma Hoyt lives with. On the one hand, Sargent is loose and virtuosic with his painting, a quality, and mastery he aspires to. On the other hand, Vermeer, whose seamless rendering of light on his subjects defies belief and whose nearly photographic depictions inspire in a tighter, more controlled direction: Hoyt finds himself going back and forth.

Whether you are a lover of fine art or just beautiful things, this show is a can’t miss. Doors open at 10 am on Saturday, June 24, and run until July 19 at Maine Art Hill at 5 Chase Hill Rd. Kennebunk. Margaret Gerding and William B. Hoyt will both be in attendance at the Artists’ Reception from 5–7 pm on Saturday, June 24. This is a free public event.

Click to read more about Gerding.

Click to read more about Hoyt.

Click below to see the PREVIEW June 21

and the VIRTUAL TOUR on the evening of June 23.

HOYT SHOW 

GERDING SHOW 

A Walk in the City – Artist Insights from Bethany Harper Williams

Posted on by Maine Art

BETHANY HARPER WILLIAMS

June 10 – July 5

Gallery at the Grand

1 Chase Hill Rd. Kennebunk, Maine 04043

Last year, artist Bethany Harper Williams began calling New York City her second home. Of course, her first love is the Maine beaches and waters near and around her home in Biddeford Pool. Yet we were thrilled to get a small peek at the work that NYC has inspired.

“This show, I’ve added some paintings inspired by my new ‘city life’ in New York City,” shares Williams. “I take the same idea of capturing a moment, abstracting the landscape, which is now buildings instead of beaches. Then I focus on the figure’s mood without the details of representation. More subdued tones replace the colors of the beach. Fun to find textures and patterns on the city streets and even Central Park.”

With her two pieces featuring not only people but puppies in the city streets, we get an authentic feel for how her style transcends more than just the ocean and its coastline.

“When I create a single figure with lots of space, it focuses on the figure, the mood, and the relationship between them,” explains Williams. “It creates breathing space and invites the viewer to explore the painting discovering a pattern or an interesting layer or mark.” 

Williams has also started using little windows to glimpse something more happening in a piece than just the obvious.

“I have started bringing in larger, more defined patches of color. By abstracting the background into blocks of color that create movement and balance,” she says. “Then sometimes I leave a window into a painting, creating a mood that allows the viewer to think beyond.” 

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.

Pastels – Artist Insights from Lyn Asselta

Posted on by Maine Art

Artist Lyn Asselta shared a few words with us about her work. Not only does she create magic with pastels, but she is also pretty amazing with the written word.

My medium of choice, pastel, sometimes seems unusual to anyone not familiar with it, often equating it with “chalk.”  But pastel is actually quite different from chalk.

Pure pigment is mixed with a binder and either rolled into stick or block shapes by hand, called soft pastels, or the pigment and binder can be extruded under pressure to create hard pastels, which are of varying thicknesses and hardnesses, both square and round.  It is a medium that has a long and enduring history, with the first artists’ pastels being manufactured in the 16th century.  Although mistakenly thought to be a somewhat fragile medium, as long as the pigments are pure and of high quality, there will be minimal or no fading of color over time.  Pastel paintings from the 1600s are every bit as vibrant now as they were when they were created.

The papers I choose to use for most of my paintings are similar in some ways to sandpaper that one would find at a hardware store, but the materials used to make the papers are acid-free and archival.  By using the highest quality materials I can find, my work will stand the test of time as long as it has been properly framed.  To avoid accidental damage to the surface of a pastel painting, it must be framed under glass or high-quality acrylic glazing. There are fixatives that can be used to “set” the pastel, but I choose to use them sparingly, only as a means to help add extra layers of color rather than to “fix” the surface of the painting upon completion.  The te ure of the paper holds multiple layers of pastel, so there is actually no need for a fixative. Choosing to forego fixative also eliminates the risk of damaging or darkening the colors of the painting.

What I love most about pastels is their immediacy.  My hands are a direct part of the painting process, and I can choose a color either to use in its pure form or to blend over other colors to create something new.  There are no tools involved, just the stick of pigment and my hand. The continuous adjustment of pressure on the stick as I paint allows for myriad textures and marks, creating the unique qualities of this painting process. 

Just After the Rain, 36 x 24, pastel in Ampersand pastelbord, re-worked and completed 05012023

As if painting isn’t enough of a reward in and of itself, just seeing the boxes of pastels laid out in my studio is, for me, a visual treat.  Each day, when I step into the studio and remove the covers from my work boxes, I feel almost as though I’m greeting a colorful, eccentric bunch of old friends.  In those bo s are the perpetually bright and cheerful colors, the grey and curmudgeonly colors, some colors that are simply serene, some bold, some dark and ominous.  Together, they allow me to play and experiment and put my thoughts on paper.  They invite us to carry on the legacy of other painters who have turned to pastel: Carriera, de LaTour, Monet, Toulouse-Lautrec, Cassat, Hassam, Degas, Chardin, Redon, and so many others.  

As an artist, I couldn’t ask for better company or for a more expressive medium.  

~Lyn Asselta  

Please visit all the galleries at Maine Art Hill at 5 Chase Hill Road in Kennebunk. We are open from 10 am to 5 pm daily. Asselta’s show runs until June 21. If you can’t make it to Kennebunk, check out the show virtually.

 

Bethany Harper Williams – Solo Summer Show 2023

Posted on by Maine Art

BETHANY HARPER WILLIAMS

June 10 – July 5

Artist Reception June 10, 5–7 pm

Gallery at the Grand

1 Chase Hill Rd. Kennebunk, Maine 04043

“People often tell me my work is happy or makes them smile. That truly reflects me,” shares artist Bethany Harper Williams. “I am in my happy place when I am painting, especially when painting memories of Maine.”

Maine Art Hill and The Gallery at the Grand invite you to see the coast through the eyes of Biddeford Pool resident and artist Bethany Harper Williams. This summer solo show features all new works from  Williams and runs for three weeks, beginning June 10 through July 5. In addition, there is a public opening artist reception Saturday, June 10, from 5 to 7 pm. This is a beautiful time to meet the artist and enjoy these incredible works.

Attending the Maine Art Hill Block Party? You can preview the show in person during the gathering on June 9.

Click here to buy tickets. 

Click here to learn more about the Maine Art Hill Block Party

 

This is Williams’ first solo show in a few years, and the excitement has been building all winter. The space at the stunning Grand Hotel at 1 Chase Hill Road has been redecorated to truly enhance the works of art displayed during the summer season.

“To have Bethany open the Gallery at the Grand this year was a deliberate decision,” shares Maine Art Hill owner John Spain. “Her works capture a sense of summer like no other. Her work’s palette and dimension is light, airy, and welcoming. If there is one word to describe the work of Williams, it is joy. It is simple and real. We hear it often as clients walk through the galleries.”

Many describe Williams’ work as representational. However, the abstraction in the detail gives each piece a distinction that is purely Willams. By simplifying the landscape, Williams aims to capture a memory without the details of representation.

“I am always looking for the abstract in nature – removing the details and using the large spaces to play with shapes, patterns, and colors,” says Williams. “I stay loose, not trying to recreate a specific place or person but to capture a moment or a memory. So the viewer connects by relating to their memory.”

When questioned about her work, especially the interesting patterns she creates in paint, it always comes down to how the process works. What is the plan? Ironically, the answer is that there is no plan.

“I don’t plan where the patterns will go. They are just an expression of what I’m feeling now,” Williams says. “I often leave a painting and come back to it to see it from a different perspective and then add to it. That’s usually when the fun stuff happens!”

To see “the fun stuff” in person, visit the Gallery at the Grand at 1 Chase Hill Road in Kennebunk from June 10 to July 5. Don’t forget the public artist reception from 5 to 7 pm on Saturday, June 10. After that, the doors open, and sales begin at 10 am on Saturday and every day. FMI call 207-967-0049 or www.maine-art.com/shows.

CLICK TO PREVIEW

BETHANY HARPER WILLIAMS

SOLO SHOW

Click to read more about Bethany Harper Williams.

Click to see the PREVIEW on June 7 and the VIRTUAL TOUR on the evening of June 9.

Attending the Maine Art Hill Block Party? You can preview the show in person during the gathering on June 9.

Click here to buy tickets. 

Click here to learn more about the Maine Art Hill Block Party

Don’t forget the Grand Hotel’s new sushi restaurant also opens this weekend. They use all local seafood. Check out Rosella KPT if you are in town.

 

Finding the Hidden Spots – Artist Insights from Liz Hoag

Posted on by Maine Art

When artist Liz Hoag searches for inspiration, she carries a camera and map. For her, it is all about discovering new and exciting places. It is the hidden gems that spark creativity for this Maine artist.

“Most of my walks in the Maine woods are with a particular artist friend,” explains Hoag. “We look for preserves, parks, or trails that we have yet to walk. Last fall, I found a great hidden spot in Edgecomb; I think it was called Salt Marsh Cove. I am hoping to find more places in and around this area. Salt Marsh Cove was absolutely private and absolutely beautiful. Four or five of my new pieces are from Edgecomb.”

Hoag is usually found in the woods, but she does still love the saltier side of Maine. We always find a piece or two celebrating the oceans and marshes and brackish waters.

“We recently walked through the Clark Island Preserve up in St. George. A couple of my pieces came out of that walk,” explains Hoag. “I still have quite a few paintings from right in Portland and Falmouth where I take my camera out any time I’m at the beach or somewhere I think I can get a good photo.”

Many visitors to Maine never venture too far from the ocean and the lobster. As a Portland resident, of course, Hoag loves that side too, but her heart is still at its best in the woods.

“As always, painting is a comfort to me. It’s something that gives me a sense of peace and accomplishment when other parts of my life are chaotic. It is nice to have something stable when I’m in the middle of big transitions in my life. So for me, art is comfortable.”

Please visit all the galleries at Maine Art Hill at 5 Chase Hill Road in Kennebunk. We are open from 10 am to 5 pm daily. Hoag’s show runs until June 21. If you can’t make it to Kennebunk, check out the show virtually.

CLICK TO SEE THE LIZ HOAG SHOW

Click to see our entire collection of work from Hoag.

You can click to read more about Hoag.