Three Rooms. Three Local Female Artists.
One Fabulous Show
Liz Hoag, Kathy Ostrander Roberts, and Jill Matthews
This is their first time showing together under one roof. Each celebrates Maine but features different aspects in different way mediums.
It‘s going to be three for three at Shows on Maine Art Hill in Kennebunk. Three local female artists are featured in this upcoming show. The works of Maine painters Jill Matthews, Liz Hoag, and Kathy Ostrander Roberts are opening on Saturday, July 2 at 10 AM with a reception for the artists from 5 to 7 PM at 10 Chase Hill Rd in Kennebunk. All are welcome.
“These three talented women all have strong ties to Maine and capture the true essence of our diverse state,” says gallery owner John Spain. “Between Matthews and her ethereal oils, the wonders of Hoag’s acrylics, and the stunning encaustics of Ostrander Roberts, all of Maine is celebrated well.”
The first artist, Jill Matthews, was born and raised in Vermont and studied Fine Art at The University of Vermont. Upon graduating with a B.S. in Art Education, she moved to San Diego, California, where she continued studying painting at The University of California, San Diego. After a brief career as a fine art educator, she realized her true passion was being more hands-on in creating, and what better place to do this than Maine. Mathews has now called Kennebunkport home for several years. Like many artists who find themselves encompassed by the beauty here, Matthews is inspired and influenced by her surroundings.
“I am struck by things visually in an instant. Be it the way light plays off something or the color interactions on a clear blue day. But my favorite days are foggy. They force my eye to see the beauty in simplicity. I strive for this in my pieces, strong uncluttered compositions,” shares Matthews. “I always edit as I work, stripping away details, leaving a strength to what remains.”
Artist Kathy Ostrander Roberts also calls Kennebunkport home, but unlike Matthews, she brings a particular part of the landscape to this show, water, encaustic water, to be exact. Encaustic paint is created by combining beeswax, resin, and pigment with heat. This ancient medium has existed since the fifth century, with a renaissance of followers in the last decade. It is unlike any art ever experienced. It can be carved, polished, raised, or smooth. It is delightfully dimensional.
“There is something magical in the movement of wax and resin. It replicates the movement of Maine waters to which I am inexplicably drawn,” says Ostrander Roberts. “There are sometimes as many as twenty layers of wax in each painting. I use pottery tools to carve into the surface to lend a 3-D effect. I also try to embed a vintage piece of ephemera, ship captain’s letters, photos, mica, bark, or whatever inspires me into most paintings.”
Completing this trio of Maine women is artist Liz Hoag. While she has a studio in Westbrook, her work begins behind her camera. After taking photographs on walks around her Portland-area neighborhood or the many trails around the state, Hoag goes to work in her studio. This is where the magic happens. Usually starting with a dark canvas or negative space, she builds up by adding light. The result is both abstract and representational.
“Each of my paintings has a starting point for an abstract idea. 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, balanced, and comfortable.”
Again, this show begins on Saturday, July 2 at 10 AM with an opening reception with the artists from 5 to 7 PM at 10 Chase Hill Rd in Kennebunk. All are welcome. Shows are open daily, 10 AM to 5 PM. FMI maine-art.com or 967-0049.
Click here to see the show virtually.
To read more about these talented women, click the links below.
To see our present collection from each artist, click the links below.
We hope to see you at some point during what is slated to be truly fabulous.