Dragonette describes his style as “poetic realism—somewhere between realism and impressionism.” The shape and scale of the lobster boat is realistic, but its stern is free of dirty trap lines and other unsightly detritus of fishing. Farmhouses and city blocks are stripped to their architectural elements. “Artistic license is a pretty big tool in my toolbox,” he says. “I’d like it to look painterly, to give some sense of the place without being just a straight illustration of the place.”
While drawing on historical ways of painting Blair’s work explores the landscape in varying degrees of abstraction. As a gardener and student of garden design she is fascinated with the idea of viewing the landscape from a high sweeping vantage point. The marks on the paintings become a shorthand for the experience of being in the landscape. Along with plants, the sky, mountains and water the artist is recording the time of day and season of the year.
Artist Helen Lewis creates her pieces, in part, by adding layer upon layer of molten beeswax to a panel, and scraping it away. This process creates great depth and luminosity. This practice reflects her life’s work of finding meaning from what remains after loss. Helen’s art is clearly informed by her early heartbreaking experience and dedication to her own emotional healing.
Anne’s current work for her show in September involves a single view and a significant memory. “I’ve taken the opportunity to work on a series I’ve been wanting to do for many, many years,” she says. She and her husband built a house on Damariscotta Lake 30 years ago, mostly by themselves. The view from the property is of a small island with three prominent trees.