Water – Four Artists, One Place, Endless Possibilities at Shows on Maine Art Hill in Kennebunk, Maine

Maine Art Hill welcomes all to visit and view their last summer show of the season. Saturday, September 4, is the opening of Water, a four-artist show featuring new works from William B. Hoyt, Ellen Welch Granter, Jill Matthews, and Kathy Ostrander Roberts.

“If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water.” — Loren Eiseley.

New England is home to many talented artists. We are incredibly fortunate to represent some of the best, including these four diverse artists.

Jill Matthews is not only represented in Kennebunk. She is one of the lucky ones who get to call it home. Matthews’ palette is soft and welcoming, and her depiction of water brings the same feelings.

“My oil paintings have always been a representation of how I interpret the world. They hint at an exaggeration of simplicity. The process is often removal of unnecessary elements, leaving strength to what remains,” says Matthews. “When the extra fades into the distance, it allows something stronger to move forward into clarity. So often, we have to quiet the noise to truly see.”

Like Matthews, Kathy Ostrander Roberts calls the Kennebunks home. However, when working with Water, Roberts chooses wax as her medium instead of oil. The result is still simple, simple, and stunning.

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

Memories and longing are also perfect descriptors for artist William B. Hoyt. They put to words his incredibly realistic renditions of the Water. To most, these are landscapes, but to Hoyt, they are stories. He has more stories to tell than most and remembers them in details as vibrant as his canvases.

“There is a challenge and a joy in seeing something ineffably beautiful or moving and resolving to make a painting of it. The threads of the canvas, the sea, family, friends, and Maine have woven themselves inextricably into my psyche and my work,” explains Hoyt. “I am a wanderer and an adventurer and have been fortunate in this life to be able to find and create and reproduce the beauty around me.”

Ellen Welch Granter is finishing off this foursome, which typically focuses on all that surrounds and relies on the Water, but not the Water itself. However, this time, it takes center stage, and boy, does it shine.

“Painting about Water is a bit like painting about paint. It is secretly about the effect of light on the Water. Sparkling or leaden, transparent or opaque, glossy or flat, the surface of the Water is always mesmerizingly beautiful,” says Granter. “With deeply saturated color fields, I tried to convey the sense of peace that the water surface inspires, and of course, the birds are always nearby.”

Again all are welcome to visit and view Water, a four artist show featuring new works from William B. Hoyt, Ellen Welch Granter, Jill Matthews, and Kathy Ostrander Roberts on Maine Art Hill at 14 Western Ave in Kennebunk. The show opens Saturday, September 4, and runs through September 22. The gallery is open every day from 10 AM to 5 PM. FMI call 207-967-0049 or visit www.maine-art.com/shows.