I am a born mudlark, always searching for sea glass, shells, and treasure. ~ E. W. Granter.
On July 16, Ellen Welch Granter opens her solo show showcasing these treasures at The Grand Gallery on Maine Art Hill in Kennebunk. Located at 1 Chase Hill, this show begins at 10 am for sales and finishes the opening day with an Artist Reception from 5 – 7 pm. All are welcome, and the artist will be present.
Granter has always created. She has tried everything: painting, designing clothes, knitting, or even making jewelry. So why paint?
“What do I love about painting? I love the possibilities of a few new tubes of paint, a handful of good brushes, a blank canvas, and the glimmer of what I hope might be a promising idea,” Granter explains. “Of course, then comes the hard work, all the decisions. Pale or dark? Thick or thin? Loose or tight? Flat or dimensional? Edges? Patterns? Lines? Textures? Shadows? Each painting is the accumulated result of a thousand decisions. What is my process? Don’t ask me; all I know is that I love being up to my elbows in it.”
Granter works primarily in oil. However, she puts all her favorite things together for this show in one impressive display. From her birds to seashells, she captures the entire essence of the coast.
“A walk on the beach is different from a walk anywhere else. The sky is big at the beach. I love to see what is coming, approaching fog banks, contrails of planes arriving from the Atlantic, or mad flocks of gannets diving for fish,” says Granter. “As a painter, I am torn between looking down at the random compositions of the snarled seaweed, driftwood, and shells in the wrack line and looking up at the surf and skies for birds and clouds.”
Most artists have always known that they want to create. For Granter, it took a little bit more time, but she has certainly figured it out.
“My career took some long detours before I became a full-time artist, including seven years of studying Chinese and a thirty-year career as a graphic designer,” says Granter. “However, at each fork in the road, I turned more fully toward painting, toward what I love.”
Recently Granter left her home and studio near Boston, where she lived and worked for twenty-nine years. She now has a lovely space bordering a bird sanctuary near Newburyport, Massachusetts.
“It is a welcome change to be living a very different life,” Granter shares. “Less Fenway Park noise, student keg parties at night, and more crickets chirping and owls hooting. More of the treasures I love to paint.”
Ellen Welch Granter’s solo show runs from July 16 to August 11 at The Gallery at the Grand, 1 Chase Hill Road, Kennebunk. The gallery is open at 10 am every day. Again we welcome you to the Artist Reception from 5- 7 pm on July 16. This is a free event. All are welcome.
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