Liz Hoag – Three Views of Maine

“This piece is more of a study of undergrowth. But, again, it’s the late afternoon sun of late winter/early spring, which I love. The darks and the golds against each other are a great vehicle for showing depth in the seeming tangle of branches, and the dark greens offer a soft and subtle background to the brighter happenings in front. I enjoy the complex movement of the branches and how typical it is of what I see off to the side of any path I walk in Maine. There’s so much going on right off the path.”

Ellen Granter – Three Views of Maine

“When choosing three images for this show, I thought of how variable any day in Maine can be. Crystal clear, sunny, and hot one day, then foggy and mysterious the next. So I decided all three of my submissions could be beach-based and still represent how I see Maine.”

David Witbeck – Three Views of Maine

“There is a misty painting with some buoys in the foreground in this piece. Bouys are one of the staples of Maine clichés. It’s impossible to avoid clichés, but I think if I’m going to succumb to them, I should try to improve on them. The first buoy-in-the-foreground-boat-in-the-background painting I did was 72 x 48 and was the client’s idea. I thought she was nuts at first, but she was insistent. I was surprised how well it came out.”

A One Woman Show – Artist Liz Hoag at Maine Art Hill

“I use the woods as a starting point for an abstract idea. Then, by intentionally cropping the view, I consciously retain a substantive structural focal point within the composition,” shares Hoag. “I use other elements that guide the audience to look around the space and return to the focal point. The forms from nature I choose to retain are weighted and colored in a way that makes the viewer feel sure of their footing, feel balanced, feel comfortable.”

The Therapeutic Power of Water – Artist Insights from Ellen Welch Granter

“Secretly…it is about the effect of light on the water. Sparkling or leaden, transparent or opaque, glossy or flat, the water’s surface is always mesmerizingly beautiful,” shares Granter. “I tried to convey the sense of peace that the water surface inspires with deeply saturated color fields. Of course, the birds are nearby.”

Big Water – Artist Insights from Jill Matthews

“I decided to work much larger for this show. It’s a bit of a challenge for me. I can’t focus on one spot of the canvas for too long. After all, it’s so large I have to constantly be backing up, taking in all in, and reworking things,” says Matthews.  “I can move around a big piece differently than I can a smaller one. It’s free, but I still have to focus. So it’s a little mix of both.”

My View of the Water – Artist Insights from William B. Hoyt for WATER

After following artist, William B. Hoyt for years, there is no other that captures the light and love found in water.  Hoyt is also quite famous for his storytelling abilities. With that said, we are fortunate to have him share a little insight into a few of the pieces he created for WATER.

Returning to Maine – Artist Insights from Artist Margaret Gerding

“Goose Rocks Beach holds special lifetime memories for me. It is full of sun, adventure and fun. Now that I live locally I am able  to capture this beach in paint anytime. It is a joy,” shares Gerding. “This is one of the first ‘beach’ paintings I have attempted, and it truly tells the story of what the beach means.”