New Site: JamesFitzgerald.org – Monhegan paintings included!

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MONHEGAN FISHERMAN by James Fitzgerald

I have to say… James Fitzgerald is one of my all time favorite Monhegan artists. There are many great ones, but his style is so unique and his subject matter always so interesting. It just really makes you want to know more… the stories behind the paintings! It hasn’t always been easy to get a lot of information about James Fitzgerald, but now there is a new website that will be updated regularly. By chance do YOU own a James Fitzgerald piece? If so, please contact them so that they can make this James Fitzgerald Catalog the most current it can possibly be…

We have the James Fitzgerald book which is so interesting and full of stories… I remember the first year we stayed at the Island Inn on Monhegan Island his paintings were hanging in the dining room. I. WAS. MESMERIZED. Stunners every single one of them!

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MONHEGAN FUNERAL by James Fitzgerald

Ohhhh, the stories these paintings tell! Here’s a blip about the artist from JamesFitzgerald.org – he led a fascinating life and ran into some pretty cool people along the way!

James E. Fitzgerald (1899-1971) was born in Boston, MA.  By the age of four, his artistic talents were recognized, and a studio space was created for him in his parent’s attic.  As a child, he would visit his grandparent’s farm in Milton, MA, where he began a lifelong love of painting horses.  After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1918-1919, he enrolled in the Massachusetts School of Art (1919-1923), and subsequently at the Boston Museum School (1923-24).  During semester break in 1923, he shipped aboard the Elizabeth Howard out of Gloucester, MA, initially to paint and sketch, but following a violent storm that left one sailor injured, he joined the crew and learned to jump into the dories for halibut fishing off the Grand Banks.  In 1925 he made his first visit to Monhegan, Maine.

In 1928, Fitzgerald sailed as an able bodied seaman on the Dorothy Luckenbach out of New York City, working his way to the West coast.  Although he had intended to reach Alaska, his travels took him to Monterey, CA, where he settled, married and built a home/studio.  While in Monterey, he became a part of the circle of friends who gathered at the Cannery Row marine biology laboratory of Edward ‘Doc’ Ricketts.  The group included John Steinbeck, Krishnamurti, John Cage and Joseph Campbell, among others.  During this time, Fitzgerald’s interest in Eastern Philosophy matured, and he brought to his art its principles, seeking to express the inner vitality or spiritual rhythm of his subjects.

Fitzgerald exhibited extensively in California during the 1930s, winning at one point first prize in the California Watercolor Society exhibition.  He continued to travel east and paint on Monhegan during those years, and eventually decided to settle there in 1943.  Its remoteness led to the dissolution of his marriage, and Fitzgerald, who in the 1940s had exhibited at Vose Gallery in Boston, gradually withdrew from the commercial art world.

On Monhegan, Fitzgerald became part of the year-round community, purchasing first the studio and then the house built by Rockwell Kent in the first decade of the 20th century.  As a studio artist, he was seen standing for hours capturing mentally the cliffs, gulls, or fishermen as they worked, returning to his easel to paint.  His images of gulls wheeling over fishermen cleaning cod on Monhegan’s Fish Beach have become iconic.  In those years, a lasting friendship developed with Anne M. Hubert, who along with her husband Edgar, eventually became his executors and heirs.

For the last 25 years of his life, Fitzgerald visited Katahdin in the off-season to paint, and in the late 1960s he visited Ireland several times, where he died on the Aran Islands suddenly in April 1971.   The James Fitzgerald Legacy, a part of the Monhegan Museum, represents the artist’s estate.

And hey, if you are in the position to make a donation to keep the JamesFitzgerald.org site funded, that would be much appreciated as well!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

(Photos: Monhegan Associates Facebook)

Artist to watch… and a happy birthday to… JOE FIDLER!

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Pretty cool isn’t it? This was done by my dad, Joe Fidler. I love sketches that have some ink and watercolor thrown in to jazz them up! Years ago I gave him a sketchbook for Christmas, he filled it full of wonderful sketches and gave it back to me. PRICELESS! I featured my dad last year with a few more images… he needs a website I think, ha ha… Personally I think he should make cards, they’re just so special! What a neat keepsake from different places you’ve traveled to! Everyone has photos, but how many people have a sketchbook filled with great memories? There’s no limit to what this man can do. He’s so creative and I love that about him! He’s always creating… watercolor, oil, sketch books filled with wonderful creations, beautiful ornaments made out of wood… I remember when we were young he made wine, polished rocks and had a dark room in the basement where he would develop the best photos ever!

This photo (below) was when my mom and dad had just boarded the boat and were leaving Monhegan Island after a visit. I’ll never forget that year. We had a great time and they were heading back… I think that’s the time they saw the whale on the way back to Port Clyde, that’s not something you easily forget!

I just wanted to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD! You’re the best! I love you so much and hope you have the best birthday ever!

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I’ll catch you back here tomorrow!

A nice peacefully quiet Monhegan Island wharf…

For those of you who have been to Monhegan Island, I don’t need to remind you of it’s quiet beauty. It is an island that clearly represents nature at its finest. The birds, butterflies, goats (Manana Island), and assorted other wild life keeps things interesting. This wharf is an amazing place where hard working people come together to get what needs to be done… DONE. It’s a place where most of us visit and a few of us are fortunate enough (or brave enough) to live year around. It’s a different kind of life. I would imagine the weather dictates to a large degree what can happen and when. Rough weather = rough seas = no boat to the mainland. These islanders have got to be well organized. They live in a gorgeous location, that they have mostly to themselves this time of year. They put up with us during the summer months but are quite happy when Columbus Day has come and gone and they get their island back.

Can’t say that I blame them…

Hey, reminder… did you set your clock back one hour last night? Daylight Saving Time ended in many parts of the country (only Arizona and Hawaii don’t observe Daylight Saving Time) at 2AM … Catch you back here tomorrow!

A pumpkin patch, Halloween candy and great memories!

Aren’t these the coolest pumpkins? When we were on Monhegan a group of locals were picking pumpkins (and assorted other goods) for a Farmer’s Market the next day… how festive is this!?

Are you ready for Halloween? Have you bought candy yet? If not… you might want to bop out and get some! I came close to getting some that I like (BABY RUTH, oh good grief), but I turned around and put them back. The candy is not safe alone with me, and I truly don’t need to be eating candy no matter how small it is, ha ha… Hopefully I will remember to run out at the last minute to get some! Long ago (17+ years) when we moved into this neighborhood, we were the “young” ones… now we’re the “old” ones… wow, how time flies. We moved in August 1995… we came from a neighborhood with LOTS of kids, so when Halloween rolled around I really needed to stock up. Halloween came in 1995 and I stocked up, and we had four kids trick-or-treat. Yikes. Our neighborhood is back to having quite a few kids, which makes Halloween a lot more fun. Some of these kids/parents can really get inventive with the costumes! Jeez and I used to get excited about a mask, ha ha… oh how things change!

I have fond memories of Halloween. Trick-or-treating up and down our street with my dad while my mom handed out candy to the kiddies… Do you remember collecting for Unicef about that same time? I loved doing that! Ah, good memories! Where’s my Zagnut, Bubbs Daddy and Slo Poke? Hee…

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist… David Kasman!

David Kasman painted the Johnson House (Monhegan Island, Maine) – amazing! Hangs in our “Monhegan room”!

Several years ago Fred and I were on Monhegan Island, Maine… we walked into the Lupine Gallery  (love that gallery!) and saw this painting by David Kasman. We had an immediate response to it… both of us. Music we don’t always agree on, but art… we both love the same thing, and this was it. It had that wonderful looseness that in my mind is so difficult to achieve… and it held a great memory. For those of you familiar with Monhegan, the Johnson house sits at the top of Horn’s Hill past the Novelty on the left hand side. The views from this cottage are breathtaking (what I’ve seen photos of, we haven’t stayed there… )

This year, after hiking we were sitting on the porch at the inn. An artist set up an easel overlooking the wharf/buildings looking toward Manana. I was thrilled to watch someone paint… I did manage to get a few photos of David. From watching him paint I can tell you this man is focused. He has an absolute plan. Nothing appears to happen by chance. Every move… deliberate. I can see the slight Sovek looseness in his paintings that I adore so much. Very unique! All I could think the entire time he painted was WHO ARE YOU?!

David was a joy to watch paint. After he was finished we spoke to him. What a nice guy! I cannot say enough good things! I highly encourage you to check out his work, it’s on display at the Lupine Gallery on Monhegan, as well as other galleries, check his website for details! It’s fabulous! David started out in sculpture, which is a feat in itself. A sculptor, an artist… jeez, some people have the talent, but let me tell you, he wasn’t sitting on the porch relaxing… he was PAINTING!!

Here is another painting… of fishing boats in Provincetown…  (Image: DavidKasman.com)

Here is one of the public sculpture’s he created (Image also DavidKasman.com):

The description from David’s website: “Resurgence”, viewed from Harvard Street, Harvard Square, unveiled on June 11, 2011. This piece marks the 25th Anniversary of Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre and honors its founder, Jose Mateo. While not overtly religious, it is intended to exude a positive, spiritual effect on those who see it. Kasman hopes it will inspire viewers to learn more about dance, sculpture and the arts, in general.

YEP! I know, amazing, right?

Here’s a shot I took of David in the beginning stages of the painting…

And THIS is the final painting… a masterpiece indeed!

Here’s a blip about David from his website:

David Kasman (born 1962, Boston, Massachusetts, USA)
David Kasman is best known for his bronze sculptures as well as his direct observation oil paintings of beaches, Boston and Maine.
He earned a Bachelor’s degree from Cornell University in Mechanical Engineering. While at Cornell, he also studied sculpture with Jonathan Squire and Jim Cole. At that time, he primarily worked on wood, abstract sculptures, though he was also reintroduced to representational modeling in clay, something he had enjoyed as a young boy.
From 1985-1999 he ran the family business, designing and manufacturing laboratory instruments, including the well known MEL-TEMP®, melting point apparatus, which was invented by his father, Sidney. During those years, he invented and patented several additional instruments for use by scientists. At night and on weekends, he used the large, open space of the companies’ warehouse to create sculptures with live models. In 1994 he spent a month in the Loire Valley of France to study sculpture with Martine Vaugel. In 1995, he studied artistic anatomy and sculpture at the Lyme Academy of Fine Art with Dean Keller, Don Gale, Laci de Gerenday and Elizabeth Chandler.
In 1998 he won the 1st place award, the Roger T. Williams prize, at the National Sculpture Competition, sponsored by the National Sculpture Society. In that year, he married Katy Coughlin and the two moved to Newton, Massachusetts. In 1999 the family business was sold and David decided to devote his full efforts to his art. He converted his garage into an art studio.
In 2002 he began to study oil painting. He attended a workshop taught by David Leffel and another by Charles Sovek. He also learned from his favorite art instruction books by William Morris Hunt, Charles Webster Hawthorne and Robert Henri. In 2003, he returned to the Lyme Academy of Fine Art to study painting with Jerry Weiss and life drawing with Don Gale.
He was accepted to the Copley Society of Art in Boston 2002 and his work has been included in many juried shows there as well as by several other New England galleries.
He was awarded a residency at the Provincetown Fine Arts Work Center in September of 2008. In that year, he also began to make large-scale versions of his most successful sculptures.
In 2011 his sculpture, Resurgence, a permanent outdoor sculpture that was commissioned by Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre, was unveiled in Harvard Square.
His paintings and sculptures are in numerous prominent collections which include:
The Bush Family, Kennebunkport, ME
Jamie Wyeth
Ernie Boch Jr.
Jack Connors Jr.
Remak Ramsay
Joseph and Kathy O’Donnell

 

Catch you back here tomorrow!

The Laura B – Monhegan bound…

The Laura B is a magnificent boat that takes you and your belongings to Monhegan Island, Maine. It departs from Port Clyde, Maine. It’s about a one hour ride, the shortest ride of the three boats that are Monhegan bound. This year while we were on Monhegan there was a storm. It rained that night and the winds howled. It was exciting. I love weather, can you tell? The next morning all boats canceled their first trip to the island. Word had it that the other boats might cancel the rest of the day, but Monhegan Boat Line would go at some point. Their route is through more protected water (or they have that option anyway…). So good to know that we’re on the boat line that will trudge through most weather to get you where you’re going! Ha ha…

Here’s an image from Monhegan Boat Line… can you imagine the winter?! Oh, I would love to be on that boat at least once in the winter!

Read a blip about the Laura B from the Monhegan Boat Line website:

The world-famous Laura B makes the early-morning trip to Monhegan every day during the summer season, and delivers all the freight to the island year ’round. She has both indoor and outdoor seating. She is also available for private charters and for hauling freight to any of the islands.

Built in 1943, the 65-foot Laura B is rigged as a heavy-duty work boat. Originally designated a U.S. Army T-57, she spent World War II in the Pacific, where she served as a patrol boat and carried troops and supplies. She came under fire during those days, and carried two 50-caliber machine guns on deck. This rugged vessel was brought to Maine in 1946, and spent the next few years transporting lobsters from Vinalhaven to Boston and New York City.

For the past half century, the beloved Laura B has been ferrying passengers, freight, and mail between Port Clyde and Monhegan Island. A prominent marine surveyor has described her as the best-maintained wooden vessel on the Eastern Seaboard.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Jamie Wyeth, Rockwell Kent and Monhegan – at the Farnsworth Museum through December 30, 2012!

“Jenny Whibley Sings” by Jamie Wyeth

Let me start by saying. Ahhhhmaaazzzzzing! I love how dramatic this piece is! The glow of the house against the deep dark surroundings, and of course, Jenny Whibley singing… The tumultuous sky with the few brightly lit stars. Love it!

I sure didn’t want anyone to miss hearing about this exhibit! I am looking so forward to seeing this collection of fine paintings! If you’re in the Rockland, ME area, don’t miss it! Afterwards pop across the street to the bakery for a chocolate croissant or to Rustica for some heavenly pasta!

“Late Afternoon” by Rockwell Kent – Image: Farnsworth Museum

On to the details… from the Farnsworth Museum:

JAMIE WYETH, ROCKWELL KENT AND MONHEGAN

May 12, 2012 – December 30, 2012
Wyeth Center

Jamie Wyeth’s connection to Monhegan dates to the late 1950s, when he first went there with his father, and he has continued to paint there ever since. His connection to fellow artist Rockwell Kent goes back nearly as far. Early in his career Wyeth bought several pen and ink drawings by Kent used as the sources for his illustrations to Moby Dick, one of Kent’s most renowned book illustration projects. Subsequently, Wyeth acquired what was Kent’s last home and studio on Monehgan, and then bought several of Kent’s paintings from his first period on the island around 1907. This exhibition will focus on works by the two artists done on Monhegan, and how the scenic island has inspired their work.

This exhibition is made possible in part thanks to the generous support of: Anonymous, The Crosby Kemper Foundations, Mr. Richard Gilder and Ms. Lois Chiles, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Pyne, John and Anne Surovek, and Mr. and Mrs. George Twigg III.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist… Peter Poskas!

“Evening, Rockwell Kent House” by Peter Poskas – Image: Haynes Gallery

This certainly is a nice little painting of the Rockwell Kent House, at Lobster Cove on Monhegan Island, Maine…. Lovely rendition for sure. The warm light, the water and sky how they so closely come together… Peter has some wonderful paintings, many of Monhegan for those of you for an affinity for the island… hard to choose just one! Take a peek!

Stay tuned for a future post about Jamie Wyeth, Rockwell Kent and Monhegan… Jamie Wyeth was an admirer of Rockwell Kent’s paintings, he purchased his house at Lobster Cove as well as a few paintings. Can you imagine? The house is a beauty!

Here’s a blip about the artist from the Haynes Gallery website:

Peter Poskas

American, Born 1939

Prominent 21th Century American landscape artist Peter Poskas has been painting New England farms for more than three decades. While his earliest pieces were reminiscent of Edward Hopper’s style, inspiration for his current work evolved when he move to Washington, Connecticut, where he began painting the farm of his elderly neighbor, Emily Uranus. While the farms depicted in his paintings have changed over the years, his thoughtful studies of light and perspective that reflect the subtle nuances of seasonal change remain a constant subject of his work.

Poskas has enjoyed a successful career as an artist and continues to exhibit his work throughout the United States. His much sought-after paintings have been collected both privately and publicly, including such important institutions as the Frye Art Museum in Seattle, the Mattatuck Museum in Connecticut, the Mint Museum in North Carolina, and the Rahr West Museum in Wisconsin.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist… Charles Movalli!

Looking Toward Fish Beach, Monhegan” by Charles Movalli

Image: BayviewGallery.com

I admire artist Charles Movalli. I would truly like to meet him one day. He seems to be a nice guy with a sense of humor. I love that. His paintings are spectacular. My husband and I first spotted his paintings at Bayview Gallery in Camden, ME back in 2006. I can still see that painting hanging up high, it was the hull of a boat with the American flag. I was captivated. It was a large painting and it was spectacular! Since that time I’ve seen plenty of his paintings that I just fall in love with! “Looking Toward Fish Beach, Monhegan” is one… another that was on the Walls Gallery website (so I’m not sure where the painting is now or if it has sold), it was called “Just Another Workday”. Did you read the other day where I mentioned that little pop of an orange or red in a painting can make all the difference… so can a larger pop… love this one!

“Just Another Workday” by Charles Movalli , Image from Walls Gallery 

Here’s a blip about Charles from the Walls Gallery website (the Walls Gallery closed the Wilmington, NC locationDecember 2011, which I was sad to hear… Walls was a nice gallery with some fabulous artists, to mention a few: Ken DeWaard, Tim Bell, Larry Moore, Cindy Baron) click HERE for more info… I see they mention that the Walls Gallery may be opening at the Greenbrier resort some time this year)…

Charles Movalli

Charles is a great ambassador for the Cape Ann School.   Cape Ann is the longest active artist colony in the United States.  No surprise. The place is one painting after another, just waiting to be painted. After all this time, you’d think the nay-sayers of art, the It’s-all-been-done crowd, might have a point, but Motif #1 still draws painters, who are still doing something that’s never been done before. Charles’ lecture on the Cape Ann School is not to be missed. Winslow Homer, Childe Hassam, Edward Hopper, John Sloan,Emile Gruppe are a few of the regulars going back nearly 200 years. Gloucester and Rockport are plagued by picturesqueness.  It’s catching.  Trash bins may even be lovely.

The focus of the artists Charles admired and learned from as a young painter (Emile GruppeCarl PetersAldro Hibbard) was composition, and his paintings have a solid structure even amid dinghies bobbing at the dock and buildings listing under their years.

Charles has a PhD in English and has written books and articles galore.  The books, though pricey if you can find one, are fantastic reads for any student of painting covering not only many laudable artists, but also composition, color, and the wielding of the brush.  We are still waiting for the book on Charles himself, but he has let us know that some things will melt and others freeze over before we’ll see that book.  We’ll enjoy his paintings while we wait.

I told you… he’s got a sense of humor… love that! Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist… Ken Dewaard!

Morning on Monhegan by Ken Dewaard

Ken Dewaard is one of our favorite artists. Super nice guy as well as talented beyond words. The man can paint ANYTHING! You must check out his website, look at the paintings he did of China… whoa! I spent a great deal of time agonizing over WHICH painting… usually there is a painting or two that stands out to me… with Ken there were many… decisions, decisions… Check out his work, I promise you will not be disapointed!

If you’re fortunate enough to be in the Pine Mountain area of Georgia, Ken will be participating in the Third Annual Plein Air Paint Out, Art Show and Sale at Calloway Gardens. Sunday, April 15- Sunday, April 22!

Here’s a blip about Ken from his website

For Ken there is nothing more rewarding and challenging than painting under an open sky, surrounded by the scents and sounds of nature, along with it’s ever changing color and harmonies to excite one’s creativity.
After receiving his Bachelor of Arts with honors, Ken began working in a commercial art studio in Chicago. He continued his studies at the American Academy of Art, where he studied with nationally recognized watercolorist, Irving Shapiro. Upon Irving’s recommendation Ken joined the acclaimed Palette and Chisel Academy of Fine Art in Chicago, where he soon began studying with Scott Burdick
as well as Dan Gerhartz.
It is here that Ken adapted his direct and pure approach as well as his bravura brush style, which he achieves by painting from life.
Strongly inspired by John Singer Sargent, Nicolai Fechin, Joaquin Sorolla and the Russian Impressionists, Ken finds himself painting an array of subject matter from everyday life. The feelings Ken evokes in his paintings are due in part to the excitement and passion he feels while capturing the fleeting effects of light, or the wonderful color nuances and harmonies presented by nature and all of her beauty.
Ken continues to travel throughout the United States as well as Italy. He has spent many a summer day painting the Italian hillsides, American vistas, and beauty wherever it finds him. This has always been a contributing factor in his work, insight, and inspiration and growth as an artist.
Ken is an instructor at the Kewaunee Academy of Fine Art, 
in Kewaunee, Wisconsin. He currently resides with his wife and four young children in the beautiful driftless area of southwest Wisconsin.

And… one that isn’t for sale (it’s ours!)… Love this one, View Of Booth Bay…

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist… Kevin Beers!

“Blackhead Gull” by Kevin Beers

Image: Gleason Fine Art

I think there is a voice in Kevin’s head that says… PAINT BIG OR GO HOME… ha ha… I’ve never seen Kevin paint small, but that’s what’s so intriguing about this artist. Fred and I met him years ago, our first trip to Monhegan. There he was with a gigantic canvas walking down the road in Monhegan with all his equipment. Kevin draws a crowd when he walks through town with those large canvases. You can’t help but to be drawn in… and it’s a blast to talk and watch him paint. There are few artists that can do both, and I do try to respect the fact that they need to concentrate, so I don’t usually strike up a conversation, but Kevin can talk and paint and paint well. I think this painting “Blackhead Gull” is mysterious. I love the bird… love the shadows and crevices in the rocks, another great painting! Most of you will remember his famous paintings of the Monhegan Lighthouse. The lighthouse is a striking image especially around sunset when it’s basking in that gorgeous warm light! If you are on Monhegan this summer, look for Kevin, he won’t be hard to find! There may be a lot of artists painting, but he’ll be the one with the very large canvas!

For those of you in the Portland, ME area… Kevin has a show coming soon… Gleason Fine Art (Portland for this show), click HERE for details…

FEBRUARY 3 – MARCH 31, 2012 in Portland
Trucks and Landscapes

Oil paintings of trucks and Monhegan Island by noted painter Kevin Beers.

Here’s a blip about Kevin from Gleason Fine Art website:

Each summer Brooklyn resident Kevin Beers returns to his beloved Monhegan Island to paint for 4 months, mining a fresh treasure trove of subject matter from this tiny island off the coast of Maine. Beginning in 2009, Beers has also been making annual trips to Monhegan in winter in order to capture the islands special light in snow.

“Monhegan is a dazzling place with incredible, beautiful light. It is such a remote and untouched island. I love to paint the buildings on the island–the color and structure of weathered buildings, the patterns of sunlight and shadow, and the sharp contrast between a red roof, white clapboards, and bright blue sky,” says Beers.

Kevin Beers has received increasing attention for his work, including features in Maine Home + Design, DownEast, American Art Collector, and American Artist. Avid collector, actor Remak Ramsay, says of Beers: “Unlike so many contemporary artists, Kevin Beers is well trained in the basics. Combine that with a genuine affection for the people and places he paints and his love of slanting light, and you get a rare magic that, eschewing trendy gimmicks, is as honest and sincere as it is beautiful.”

Daniel Kany, arts reviewer for the Portland Newspapers, writes of Beers: “Kevin Beers respect for Hopper is apparent, but he quickly takes his quiet volumes and glowing tonality away from Hoppers slow, cooled lines. Beers brushwork flows at a strong pace that never hurries or abandons thoughtfulness. The masterful bow to Hopper is worth applauding–especially when a closer inspection reveals Beers flowing brushwork is nothing like Hoppers.”

Kevin did a MONHEGAN PANORAMA, sixteen 16×20 canvases… you’ve got to see it to believe it… There is a short video on Lupine Gallery’s Facebook… click HERE to see the video!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Edward Hopper’s Maine…

Image: ArtFixDaily.com

Ooooh how I love Edward Hopper’s work! His Maine paintings especially… love his version of Blackhead on Monhegan Island, ME… This painting is entitled “The Dories, Ogunquit” painted in 1914.

 
Oh how I would love to be going to this…

Brunswick, Maine- The Bowdoin College Museum of Art has organized the first comprehensive exhibition of Edward Hopper’s artistic production in Mainefrom 1914 to 1929. On view from July 15 through October 16, 2011, Edward Hopper’s Maine will showcase nearly 90 rarely exhibited paintings, watercolors, drawings, and prints that provide an exhaustive look at Hopper’s work during this period. Hopper’sMaine paintings span two critical decades of the artist’s career, yet have never been studied as a unified body of work and are often overlooked in favor of his better-known paintings from the 1930s forward. This long-overdue exhibition will present Hopper’sMaine oeuvre together for the first time, reexamining and demonstrating its significance to his later production. The Bowdoin College Museum of Art will be the exhibition’s sole venue. Click here to get the rest of the story: http://www.artfixdaily.com/artwire/release/8089-bowdoin-college-museum-of-art-presents-edward-hoppers-maine

Enjoy your weekend! Catch you back here tomorrow!

Artist to watch… Bradley Hendershot!

Image: BradleyHendershot.com

Bradley Hendershot. Nice guy… met him a few years ago on Monhegan Island. He does fabulous watercolors mainly of Pennsylvania, Maine and Maryland’s eastern shore. If you aren’t familiar with his work, check him out! He has a website with paintings, gallery information and upcoming exhibitions. Brad’s work reminds me of some of Andrew Wyeth’s work.

 
Funny thing, when I think of Brad I think of blueberry Pop-Tarts. Ha… He had a studio set up on Monhegan across from the Island Inn (the John Sterling House for those of you who are familiar), Fred and I popped (yuck, yuck) in to introduce ourselves and check out his work and there were boxes of blueberry Pop-Tarts on the counters. Not just a few boxes… MANY boxes. Too funny… what’s any better than an unfrosted blueberry Pop-Tart? Too bad it’s not health food…! So if you haven’t seen Brad’s work before, click on the website link above!
 
Catch you back here tomorrow… if you get a chance, check out my photo blog at http://almostdailypic.wordpress.com !

Artist to watch… Daniel Corey!

Image: CamdenFallsGallery.com

Daniel Corey… another artist to keep an eye on, his work is outstanding. If you get a chance check out his blog, full of information AND very entertaining! Click HERE to get to his blog… Dan is represented by Camden Falls Gallery in Camden, Maine, the Lupine Gallery on Monhegan Island, Maine and Coco Vivo Gallery in Charleston, SC. Links are provided on his blog. Go ahead, check him out!

 This painting entitled LEGACY is awesome. Anyone who’s been to Monhegan likely will remember this beautiful lobster boat!
 
Catch you back here tomorrow! If you get a chance, check out my photo blog at http://almostdailypic.wordpress.com !

Artist to watch… BRIDGET JENNINGS!

A wonderful artist to keep an eye on is Bridget Jennings. You can look at Bridget’s paintings for a while and always see something fresh and new. Her Mackinac Island paintings are so happy (AND such a great souvenier, better than some old bauble that’s going to get tossed into the first garage sale pile!) and bright. Her light and almost whimsical airiness gives the store front paintings such character. Bridget lives and paints in Algonac, MI where she grew up on the river and her local paintings reflect her love of the water. There are boats everywhere in Algonac, and Bridget can paint them! Check out her website!

Below are three of her paintings, the first one is DOCKED UNDER THE WILLOWS  (Algonac, MI) the second is KILWIN’S FUDGE SHOP  (Mackinac Island, MI) and the last one is MONHEGAN MOORING  (Monhegan Island, ME), it’s a small taste of the collection that she has painted! Enjoy!

Docked Under the Willows
Kilwin’s Fudge Shop
Monhegan Mooring

  Bridget is more than a great artist… she’s my sister, and she’s the best!

Bridget painting on Mackinac Island, MI