CLAIRE BIGBEE

September 2 – 27

Artist Reception September 2,  5-7 PM

Gallery at the Grand

1 Chase Hill Rd. Kennebunk, Maine 04043

“On the shore of nature’s magic, I dreamed summer knew no end.” -Angie Weiland-Crosby.

Join Maine Art Hill in ushering out the last beautiful rays of summer sunshine through the eyes of local female artist Claire Bigbee beginning September 2. This is the last show of the summer season and runs the fall welcomes it in on September 27 at the Gallery at the Grand at 1 Chase Hill Road in Kennebunk. On Saturday, the doors open promptly at 10 AM for viewing and sales. Join the gallery staff and the artist for a complimentary public reception from 5-7 PM. All are welcome.

No matter what time of year, the palette and subject of Claire Bigbee’s acrylics and oils bring an endless summer to canvas. With colors that push even Mother Nature’s boundaries, Bigbee captures memories of places in Maine and New England that hold warmth and beauty for all.

“My approach to painting borderlines on an abstract viewpoint. I aim to achieve something more permanent, or my inner landscape,” explains Bigbee. “The views around me are classic Maine, a lulling sea with long-range tides, wind-swept clouds framed by Maine’s unmovable rocky coastline.”

For Bigbee, Maine and her landscapes are just a part of her. They have known each other for as long as she can remember, and their connectedness is evident in her painting.

“Around the turn of the century, Perkins Cove in Ogunquit, where I grew up, was settled with fishing boats and farmlands along the sandy, rocky coast,” says Bigbee. “There is comfort in the permanency of the Maine landscape. It’s my home, and I have been painting it since I was young. It is intimate and personal.”

Milton Avery’s landscapes have influenced Bigbee. His exactness in locking the picture planes together inflects distance without shading and flattens nature but retains nature’s integrity.

“Avery eliminated anything decorative and found the innate impression of a view,” explains Bigbee. “He was going after the solid, monumental, and impactful feeling behind nature.”

This show is a must-see for locals and out-of-town visitors from September 2 to 27. Every day from 10 AM to 6 PM at the Gallery at the Grand at 1 Chase Hill Rd in Kennebunk. The artist reception is from 5 -7 PM on opening day. If you can’t visit the gallery,  see the show virtually at www.maine-art.com/shows. FMI 207-967-2803.

Click for the  VIRTUAL TOUR