Getting to Know Artist, Bethany Harper Williams

Williams often has figures in her paintings. “I am trying to capture a moment in time. I’m not concerned with who the people are, but I’m trying to invoke a memory others can relate to,” shares Williams. “My people have become even more simplified, much less detailed.” In her latest series of Beach Days, the figures are simple strokes of color. But as simple as they are, she still captures the movement and interaction, the mood and activity.

Artist Kathy Ostrander Roberts

My goal is to represent the essence of Maine coastal waters in encaustic painting, by capturing scenes from the coastline of Southern Maine and translating them into vibrant representations of movement and color.  Through layering and sculpting of the medium, I create depth and intrigue. My hope is to spark memories and longings for Maine’s rugged shores in the hearts and eyes of the viewer.

Time at the Beach with Alex Dunwoodie

“A goal this past year was stepping out of my comfort zone. This included painting larger, and trying some subjects I’ve been contemplating and meaning to get to, especially the beach rocks,” says Alex. “The larger scale allowed me to loosen up, and I can breathe in the spaces working larger. I realize my idea of “larger” is still others’ small works, but for me, these 12 x 12s and especially the 20 x 16 feels big.”

John LeCours – An New Artist at Maine Art

LeCours, who works mostly in oils, takes inspiration from the natural beauty of his native New England. “The first time I painted outside, en plein air, in Portsmouth Harbor, I realized that nothing can replace the excitement and energy of reacting to the elements and painting directly,” he says. “Feeling the sights, sounds and smells and reacting to them with ‘mark making’ was a true epiphany.”

Bethany Harper Williams – A New Artist at Maine Art

“I don’t like to paint the obvious. I like the viewer to look and find new things like the shapes of colors, textures, playful shapes and scribbles. The vast areas of sky or beach or water give me the room to play,” says Williams. “When looked at up close, all these interesting and unexpected shapes and subtle textures and colors can be found. Yet from a distance, it is clearly a sky or beach or water.”