Artist Biographies
BARBERA
R. Gene Barbera is a visual artist strongly influenced by coastal life, especially scenes from his upbringing in Portland, Maine. His compositions are exquisitely composed to capture the scene with dynamism and affection whether it be fishermen working on their nets, cottages perched above pebbly shores or viewpoints down toward expansive beaches.
His career started as a Branding Creative Director. He has a clear, graphic visual style that creates maximum impact with very refined, edited means. Each shape and alignment is carefully considered to show the character of the subject matter and complete the overall piece. His aesthetic is influenced by the process of reductive printmaking, including lino cuts and wood block prints, where the essence of the image is ascertained through a visual distillation and physical removal process; the areas left then create the blocks of printed ink. Like those prints, in Barbera’s work, all that remains is essential to communicating the image, and proves a joy for the viewer to interpret and live alongside.
BEACH
Parks Beach's hand-colored etchings are widely collected throughout the world! A copper plate is initially used to make the print; Parks then hand-colors each etching, creating a work that is not only a special print, but also an original piece – no two are exactly alike.
Parks grew up in New England. He attended the Academia Belle Arti in Rome, Italy. He then returned to the United States to study at the Boston Museum School. He learned the art of printmaking through an apprenticeship in Western Massachusetts.
Park's nautical prints are a wonderful addition to any collection. Previously, Parks has been commissioned to add his pieces to the Preservation Society of Newport, Rhode Island.
BEEBE
William R. Beebe was born in Bethesda, Maryland, in 1956. He graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in Fine Art. Bill is a member of the American Society of Marine Artists. His paintings are in major private and corporate collections in the United States and abroad. His painting, On Monhegan Island, has been featured in several publications including American Art Review October 2000 issue and a book entitled The Art of Monhegan Island, published in 2004.
Bill has been painting the coast for more than 16 years. A traditional realist who paints exclusively in oil, he is meticulous about detail and accuracy. He adapts his style to capture the particular mood and scene he is painting.
Bill has many wonderful childhood memories of times spent on the Chesapeake Bay sailing, canoeing and crabbing but it was after his first trip to Maine in the mid-1980s that he discovered his love of the New England coastline. It was 1990 when he made the life changing decision to pursue his art full-time and move to Maine, where he and his wife lived on the coast for 12 years. This is where he honed his skills in painting schooners, lobsterboats, lighthouses, islands, and coastal villages. He currently resides in Williamsburg, Virginia, with his wife where he continues his marine painting and to be inspired by his love for the American schooners and life along the coast.
BLAIN
Christine Blain is a New England artist with a particular love of capturing the beauty of the seacoast. Residing in her native NH, Christine enjoys exploring and painting the quiet harbors and rocky shoreline that she finds along the coasts of NH and Maine. She holds a BS in Art Education from Plymouth State University in NH and enjoys teaching visual art to her students.
As an artist, Christine finds that she is drawn to the beauty of bold colors and often chooses to create more intimate compositions that cause the viewer to focus on a subject close-up. She is also intrigued by the brilliance and beauty of light and its effect on the surface of water, feeling constantly motivated and challenged to capture its impression within her paintings.
About her process, Christine says: “For me, the process of making art is like a journey. I become lost in a world of exploration and discovery, finally landing back on my doorstep with a visual account of my travels in hand. My artwork is the result of an inherent drive to convey the simple beauty that so many people miss in the ordinary scenes of life - the glory of sunlight, the wonder of a reflection, and the significance of what touches the heart.”
CLARK
Kimber Lee Clark is a self-taught artist living along the coast of Maine for 25 years. Inspired by Matisse and Chagal, Kimber's artful abundance plays through her work with color, wit, and narrative whimsy. Whether it;s two rotund retrievers juggling beach balls, a Southwest rendition of American Gothic, or a lop-sidedly delightful bouquet of sunflowers, all her work is infused with energy - an energy that comes from optimism, intuition, and joy
The capacity to add freshness and a smile is what has made Kimber's paintings enjoyed and collected by so many. Her work can be found in homes, hospitals and corporate offices throughout New England, the Southwest, the Caribbean and Europe.
COLLETTE
Carol Collette was born in Toronto, Canada and graduated with honors from the Ontario College of Art. Her career path took her to Quebec City, where she met her future husband John Collette, and in 1968 she moved to his hometown of Boston.
It was in their travels to the major museums of Europe that they became fascinated by the technique of etching, with its delicacy of detail and richness and variety of tone and were inspired to direct their art toward the medium of etching.
Upon returning from Europe, Carol began a series of pen and ink sketches of Cape Cod which served as the foundation for her early etchings. Living and working in rural New England, surrounded by familiar and favorite subjects, Carol began working on her etching technique, increasing her knowledge and control over one of the most demanding mediums. From the beginning, Carol painted her etchings with watercolor; and as this makes each print different, her editions are classified as unique editions.
Carol Collette has established an international reputation and her art is included in many corporate, private and public collections.
COOK
Marvin Cook finds inspiration for paintings in the places he has visited. Some works are actual locations, while others are imagined form memory and the impression the place leaves with him. He enjoys working with acrylics for the vivid colors and fast drying time of the paint. He prefers painting panoramic landscapes. His goal is to represent the sense of a place in a moment of atmosphere, whether clear skies, inclement weather, or the mood of a sunrise or sunset. Having enjoyed a career in interpretation and planning for public use of natural and cultural history venues has led him to the focus of his paintings. He has an empathetic connection to wildlife, wetlands, and the marine environment that informs his choice of subjects. He paints what he values and hopes his patrons of his work share an appreciation of these places and also want to conserve them.
COONEY
Susan Cooney was raised in Kingston, New York, a town situated on the Hudson River. After graduating from the State University of New York at New Paltz in 1991, she moved to Maine to work on the schooners of Camden’s Windjammer fleet. Susan spent five seasons working on Penobscot Bay, then worked on other tall ships, sailing in Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean, as well as the U.S. eastern seaboard. In 2002, Susan and her husband, boat builder Steve Garrand, moved aboard their 25 foot wooden sailboat, Kainui, which they spent ten years rebuilding.
Since 1999, Susan has concentrated on graphite drawings, and has predominately focused on the coast of Maine. Commenting on her work, she states, “Water is at the center of my life, both professionally and personally. Working and living on it have had a strong influence on the direction of my art. Because I live on a sailboat; the sea and coastline are daily companions, and the primary subject matter for my work. The view, constantly changing, draws me to the medium of pencil and paper. I concentrate on breaking down the features into shade and line, in order to define artistically why it is so captivating. By working in graphite, I can remove the sometimes distracting layer of color, and focus on the more engaging details. The texture in the granite, tree, water and sky, the effect light has on tonal values, and the varying moods of the sea, are elements I explore and interpret to paper.”
DANIELS
Kathy Daniels says: "From the time I was a child, I've had a desire to create art. I know I'm not alone in feeling this way and as one grows they seem to find a direction in which to head. Mine had to do with fabric, color, texture and somehow putting it together with drawing, sketching, and painting.
I started as a traditional quilter, making bed-sized quilts from patterns that had been used for generations. I developed the technical skills to move into what I consider a move expressive art form: the Art Quilt. In creating these pieces I was able to feel satisfaction in making my own "patterns" and choosing my own ideas to create artwork.
So after 20-plus years in the dental field, I have the opportunity to do art all day if I choose. And if I'm not actually sewing, I'm out in my surroundings looking for inspiration from nature or other people's artwork. No complaints here."
Kathy creates exquisite one-of-a-kind work. Please contact us for currently available pieces in addition to what we have on the website.
GOODALE
Born in 1985 on a working sheep farm in Montville, Maine, Abe Goodale grew up with a connection to the land, a curiosity of people and a passion for creativity. He studied ceramics and experiential education at university and spent the past dozen years working internationally as an artist and wilderness guide. He recently returned home to focus on a project closely connected to the local waters he grew up on.
As an artist, Abe seeks to capture his audience on an intimate level of reflection and sincerity. Through representational watercolors he creates paintings that both reflect and respect the individuals he encounters. Abe begins within the eyes of a person and gradually brings them to life while presenting not only a portrait but also an individual who tells a story and engages with the viewer in an authentic way. He demonstrates accurate representation of his subjects, while also allowing the medium to speak. Thus, his work joins methods of precision and control with the freedom of water and abstraction.
Following in the footsteps of his great-great-grandfather Charles Dana Gibson, Abe focuses on portraiture and the representation of an era. His deep passion for the arts and anthropology inspire him to look at the way humans engage with one another and the surrounding environment. He sees the arts as a platform to instigate change, to preserve culture, and provide visually enticing images that may document a way of living in an ever-changing world.
GORDON
Edward Gordon was born in Ocean City, New Jersey in 1940 and received a BA from Rutgers University. Over the past 30 years he has received numerous honors and awards. In 1997 Mr. Gordon began publishing his own giclée prints. At present he has published 30 giclée editions, 13 of which are sold out! His paintings and prints are included in private and public collections across North America and Europe.
Edward achieves complete and painstaking precision in his rendering of textures, colors and forms. Like photography he deliberately softens the strong contrasts of the picture without blurring the forms. He mellows the outline drawing with such perfection that it becomes impossible to detect his under drawings.
Edward creates a quiet beauty of a simple scene with fresh eyes giving the viewer an idea of what he felt as he watched the light flooding through the windows and the shadows and colors cast by objects in the interiors. Because of the precision and incredible detail contained in each of Edward's paintings, he is able to produce only four or six images per year.
He is a consummate draftsman with a keen eye depicting his subject matters. His solitude evokes all of one's senses: the smell and sounds of the ocean, the touch of objects, with doors and windows opening to never-ending opportunities.
"My goal is to make paintings so realistic, that viewers are drawn into the imaginary space and share in the peaceful feeling that I try and incorporate into each work. I relish the subtleties of light reflection combined with architectural details that falls somewhere between realism and surrealism. There is something mystical yet serene in the quiet light found in interior spaces presented in harmony with the luminescent effect in the sky."
GRIGO
Bren Grigo is a Maine artist with a well-rounded artistic background. She studied Fine Arts and Graphic Design in Pennsylvania. Afterward, she designed greeting cards, logos and even a few murals for businesses and home décor. For eleven years, she owned an art gallery and frame shop in Maryland.
Bren has a keen love of nature and values the sense and spirit of a place. She focuses her attention and emphasis on shapes in landscape, looks for repetition and especially unique patterns. She favors strong lines and uses color to depict emotion within a landscape. In addition to painting, Bren’s passions include writing and poetry, sometimes even incorporating those into her artwork, as well as weaving, sewing, and collage.
Family is also very important to Bren. All three of her grown children are artistic, and two studied the arts in college. Here in Maine, she especially appreciates visiting islands and painting on location, such as on Islesboro and in Acadia on Mount Desert Island.
HANNA
Susan E. Hanna is a self-taught Maine artist with a lifetime of experience.
She uses aluminum and copper templates while working en plein air. She sometimes returns to a location several times to capture the image she is painting. Metal templates allow the oil to dry quickly and retain the artist's expressive brushwork.
Susan chooses to work in oil because it appears to be alive in the way that the colors continue to blend and change as they dry. Susan says, "There is something about making that first large swoop of paint and then becoming lost in the medium until the image may be called complete."
HENDERSON
David Henderson lives and exhibits along the Maine coast, and expresses his love of nature in his watercolor and oil paintings. Working mostly in transparent watercolor, David finds experimenting with coloration adds a new dimension to his landscapes.
He paints on cold-pressed rag paper using wet washes, and finds this the most expressive way to interpret and relate his surroundings. Yet, by drawing for several years prior to painting, David's powers of observation were honed, and are reflected in his ability to interpret subtle subjects with feeling, while conveying a particular mood.
JUDY HOLDER
Judy Holder is a South Carolina-born artist whose journey has brought her to Maine. At one point she was turning wood bowls on a lathe and doing sculpture and painting. Painting won out and now she creates paintings in oil, acrylic and gouache. Her work centers on our relationship to the land, human connection and how small we are in relationship to the towering rocks, trees, water and mountains. She earned a BFA in sculpture and painting at Lyme Academy College of Fine Art in Old Lyme, CT. Since then, she has continued her education through self-study and maintaining a daily art practice as a full-time professional artist. Judy has exhibited at galleries and art fairs throughout the NE including the National Sculpture Society in NY; International Museum of the Horse, Lexington, KY; Beresford Gallery in Saratoga, NY and the Alexey Von Schlippe Gallery of Art, University of CT at Avery Point campus in New london CT. As a DIAA member, (Deer Isle Artists Association) she exhibits in Deer Isle, ME.
HUEPPCHEN
Dale Hueppchen has been an active picturemaker, working in a variety of media, for more than thirty years. Painting almost exclusively in oils, Dale enjoys exploring a wide range of subject matter.
Relying on varied image sources - sketches from life, an extensive personal library of photographic forms, and a well-stocked visual memory - the artist chooses forms and compositions that resonate in his mind. These nascent images may be first worked up in pencil, or drawn directly onto the painting surface with chalk or paint. Once the essential form is established, color is added in layers, and the feel of the piece may undergo marked and unexpected changes in the days, weeks or months that pass before it is given its final, finishing touch.
About his work, Mr. Hueppchen says: "My goal in painting is to distill personal moments of understanding and revelation into tactile shape. The picture surface is, for me, an arena of open-ended possibility, each painting a drama whose resolution I cannot fully anticipate. My hope is that, with each piece, I can invest the picture with enough of my personal skills of seeing, imagining, and painting to give the viewer a space for thought, for sensual pleasure. To me, the true test of art is just this: the ongoing interaction, through time, between the viewer and the painted surface. Art must be seen again and again to live."
Dale moved to mid-coast Maine in 1987, after a varied career in the Washington, D.C. area where he spent many years as both a fine arts photographer and a photography teacher. In Maine he returned to his first love, painting, and explored watercolor, acrylics and pastels before settling on oil painting as his natural medium. Dale currently lives in Lincolnville, where he works full time making his art.
JACOBS
Marvin Hollis Jacobs has been with Small Wonder Gallery for 20 years! He is well known as an artist and teacher of painting in the Northern Maine area. His paintings are represented in both public and private collections internationally. About art, Marvin says, "we can't avoid debt to others - what counts is what one adds to the the tradition in which he works. What the artist gives of himself must be his final concern." Please stop in to see Marvin's work or contact us to have images sent to you.
KILBURN
Jan Kilburn spends most of her time painting the seacoast of Maine and New Hampshire. When she is not painting outside, which she prefers, you'll find her at home in her studio painting or teaching watercolor classes. Monhegan Island, where she spends early summers, is one of her favorite painting locales. Living in the Mid-Coast area of Maine provides spectacular local subject matter in quaint villages like Pemaquid, New Harbor, Round Pond and her home Damariscotta. She captures the beauty of the New England coast with its capes and flower gardens. Mostly self taught, Jan has studied with Doris Rice, Judy Wagner, Tony VanHasselt and Peter Spataro.
Her passion for color gives her paintings a quality of their own. Her subjects are common and simple, but when translated onto paper using her soft but bright colors, she transforms them into something expressive and alive. "I want you to feel the beauty and warmth in these subjects. Every now and then everyone needs a peaceful place in which to escape. That's what I want to create."
KUBITZ
Frederick Kubitz paints in a bold, vigorous, personal style. He invites the viewer to look into his world and observe his impression of traditional New England subjects. Mr. Kubitz has an imaginative use of natural lighting that produces a luminescent quality. His compositions are dramatic and create an emotional mood. By the use of fresh colors and precise brush strokes, he shows a mastery of his chosen medium. Mr Kubitz feels it is essential to work on location, many times extracting the essence of a scene and later developing it into a major painting in his studio. His training as an architect is evident in his portrayal of old New England buildings. His knowledge of structure and keen eye for detail reinforces the permanence and stability of these buildings.
Mr Kubitz is a member of the Academic Artists Association, Copley Society of Boston, North Shore Art Association, past president of the New England Watercolor Society, current vice president of the Guild of Boston Artists and past president of the Wellesley Society of Artists.
Among the many awards he has won are the Muriel Alvord Award from the Academic Artists Association, Exhibitors Award - Ogunquit Art Center, the Janice G. Reid Memorial Award - Ongunquit Art Center and Honorable Mention - Ellsworth National Exhibition.
MAGEE
Alan Magee was born in 1947 in Newtown, Pennsylvania. He attended art school in Philadelphia and, in 1969, began working as an editorial and book illustrator in New York.
His illustrations received numerous awards from the Society of Illustrators, Communication Arts Magazine and the Art Director's Clubs of Los Angeles, Chicago and New York. In the late 1970s Magee began to concentrate exclusively on his personal paintings and in 1980 had his first solo exhibition at Staempfli Gallery in NYC. Since that time, he has had annual one-man shows throughout the United States and Europe. A ten-year retrospective, Alan Magee 1981-1991, traveled to four US museums.
A book of Magee's paintings, Stones and Other Works, was published by Harry N. Abrams in 1986 and the book, Alan Magee 1981-1991, was published in 1991 by the Farnsworth Art Museum. He received The American Book Award in 1982 and has received awards from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters and the National Academy of Design. Several half-hour television documentaries have been made about his work including the WCBB production, Alan Magee, Visions of Darkness and Light. Magee has been interviewed on radio for Voice of America, Monito (Christian Science Monitor) Radio in NYC, WHYY in Philadelphia, and Pacifica Radio in San Francisco.
NELSON
Pat Nelson began painting in 1994 while living in Boston. After working in different mediums her choice now is oil. She very much likes how she can create depth and texture.
While the subject matter she paints varies, Maine scenes, people and nautical close ups all have a common realism of telling a story or allowing the viewer to imagine themselves in the scene. Painting a variety of subjects promotes learning for her. She is driven to produce art that is enjoyed by others, not just for her.
PENDERGAST
Patty Pendergast is an award-winning artist who began her art career
later in life when she gave reign to her artistic gift. She has honored her craft into her own style of realism. Patty's specialty is built on her life-long love affair with animals. Her rich use of realistic detail focusing on the eyes and spirit of the animals, brings her subjects to life. Her goal is to let you see into their soul through her brush.
Her work has sold internationally as well as throughout the United States.
RICHARDS
Sarah Lyn Richard's paintings arise from the unique and spiritual path she has taken. Originally from California, Sarah grew up racing horses bareback on the beaches of the redwood coast. Her love of horses dates back her early childhood when she remembers climbing from a rock up onto the back of a neighbor's loose horse and spending the better part of the day there. Her family had a small farm in a rural valley and Sarah spent much time exploring the local forests and their wildlife. Sarah's father is an orthopedic surgeon and she credits him with instilling in her an investigative curiosity of all living things. She recalls the discussions which often involved comparative anatomy of the creatures she frequently brought home. "We used to talk about skeletal structure of frogs, snakes, horses, anything. Dad would point out the various relationships of bone, muscle and feather. It was an education steeped in wonder". Her paintings still begin with a consideration of the underlying structure of a subject.
Though grounded in an appreciation of nature's function, Sarah's work takes flight in the spirit of the creatures she paints. Horses especially seem to be a vehicle for her. Her work as a licensed psychotherapist has encouraged her to see her subjects as powerful symbols.
"I see in nature the balance, grace, power and humor that human beings can also embody. My work often draws the viewer into it, creating an interaction between them and the image. In my paintings I am trying to touch the essence of a creature, that certain something which we recognize in ourselves. My horses are about horses, but they are also about doing more with less, finding lightness, balance and power at the same time. My toads are about toads, but they are also about recognizing our own potential to be toad like."
Sarah credits her ongoing apprenticeship with her late mother, watercolorist Lyn Snow, as being a tremendous influence in her work. The foundations of structure, an education in psychotherapy and continuous experimentation have allowed Sarah to develop a style which is completely unique in the art world today. Her award winning work is sought after in galleries around the country and has graced the pages of numerous magazines and books. Her work has hung in the Kentucky Derby Museum and the Portland Museum of Art. It has been featured in US Art Magazine several times, in The Equine Image Magazine, and is currently the artistic theme for the new book release "Of Women and Horses" by best selling author GaWaNi Ponyboy.
Sarah currently works out of her home studio on the rugged coast of Maine.
RYDER
Tyler Ryder grew up in Massachusetts but has some deep connections with the state of Maine. He spent time in Camden and Rockport in his earlier years. His inspiration to become an artist came from Andrew Wyeth, as you can see in the style of some of his paintings.
He has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from University of Denver. He spent most of his professional life as an advertising, marketing, and retail executive.
He now lives and maintains a studio in Denver, where he does commissions, illustrations, and private teaching. Soon he will be retiring and focusing solely on painting.
Former Gallery representations include:
The former Massachusetts House Gallery, Lincolnville, ME, Eastbourne Gallery, Newport, RI, Marion Arts Center, Marion, MA, Roger's Gallery, Mattapoisett, MA, Gallery Blue, Palm Desert, CA.
SEBOLD
Carol Sebold lived on the coast of Maine, surrounded and inspired by some of the world´s most breathtaking scenery. Her watercolors and oils of coastal fishing villages and their boats, as well as her evocative landscapes of the New England countryside, speak of the singular beauty of this corner of the world.
On her far-reaching travels, Carol painted other special places where nature´s palette and perspective are as stunning, in their own way, as they are in Maine.
More atmospheric than realistic, Carol´s watercolors began with sketches and photographs done on location. Later, employing a wet technique on rag paper, she developed them into full-blown paintings. Her fragile brush-work, created through a delicate building of thin layers of watercolor, suggests the impressionistic while subtly retaining a quality of nature. Carol´s style also lends itself to bolder treatment in oils. In addition, she enjoyed exploring the possibilities of the abstract through the use of mixed media, primarily acrylic or watercolor combined with a variety of fibers.
Carol taught throughout her career, sharing her artistic vision and helping her students harness their own talents. She conducted summertime workshops along the Maine coast and taught art on Crystal Cruise Ships in various parts of the world.
Carol´s work has been selected for many juried shows and is exhibited in galleries throughout the eastern United States. Numerous private and corporate collections both in America and abroad also include her work. To make her art as accessible as possible, she re-created select original paintings as limited-edition giclee prints and they are available as numbered prints. Carol was a member of the American Society of Marine Artists.
SMITH
Harry Smith is an artist, author, jeweler, sculptor and designer. His works are in museums and private collections worldwide. His one man show in New York city was attended by the greats of the art world. He has written and illustrated several books including three for children. Harry's unbelieveable detailed pieces of furniture in miniature are in several museums and have been the subject of many books. He has been rated one of America's top traditional craftsmen by Early American Life.
Harry lives his art. His studio sits on the side of Mount Battie overlooking Camden harbor and the coast of Maine. Set on the edge of a state park, he steps out of his studio to sketch and paint moose, deer and birds. Wildflowers from trilllium to lady-slippers are only a few seps away. Moxie, his 20 pound Maine coon cat, resides in the studio and has occasionally been a model.
SNOW
Lyn Snow lived and worked in a 175-year-old farmhouse that looked out on Nabby's Cove in South Thomaston, Maine. She was known for the clean lyrical approach she brings to her watercolors. Her paintings reflect the living flowers she always used as models, and have been described as luminous, emotional and sensitive.
What started as a small art studio grew into a family business. The old farm house doubled in size to incorporate a large and busy studio and frame shop.
Lyn was primarily self-taught, although she studied briefly at the Corcoran Gallery in Washington, D.C. and at Humboldt State University in California. Her daughter Sarah Richards is also a watercolorist.
SPENCER
Heather Spencer's love of art began in elementary school and continued through college. She went on to design kitchens and bathrooms for several years but was able to reconnect with her love of drawing when she started staying home after her son was born. Years of creating portraits of children and pets in graphite pencil soon followed.
After a battle with breast cancer in 2020, Heather decided she needed more color in her life. She longed to draw subjects that are best captured in vivid colors. She transitioned into working with color through the use of pastels and is inspired by nature and beauty of the Maine coast. She tries to capture the effects of light, reflections, and shadows through strong observation skills, creating realistic drawings of subjects such as boats, flowers, insects, buoys, and lighthouses.
A life-long New Englander, Heather draws in her studio in Camden, Maine which her family has called home since 2017. She can usually be found working in her flower gardens, remodeling their 1914 home, or reading way too many books.
THOMAS
Valerie Thomas was born, raised, and educated in Boston. It was her dream as a child to grow up and become an artist. Nurtured by her father and his lifelong love of art and photography, and her maternal grandfather who was a professional commercial artist, Valerie attended and graduated from the
Massachusetts College of Art & Design with a BFA degree in Graphic Design. Her career took her to Hill, Holliday, Connors, Cosmopulos Advertising in Boston as art director. Later, as she raised her children, she worked from home in landscape architecture.
In 1999, Valerie decided to seriously pursue her love of painting. Encouraged by Judy Ryan, of the Fenway Studios and the MFA, she began studies in the Boston School under Robert Cormier (of the IvesGammell Studio) in classical realism and portraiture and with David Curtis of Gloucester, painting landscapes and still life in oil and pastel.
Valerie's love of the ocean and the simple architecture found on Cape Cod (where she spent all her summers growing up), Nantucket, and Cape Ann offered her an endless supply of subject matter: "My goal is to try and catch the feeling of that particular day (through composition and color)."In 2001 Valerie's first children's book, "My Nantucket ABC Book" was published by Whales Tales
Children's Books of Nantucket. She is currently working on "My Boston ABC Book" and "Meow Cow."
She has been a guest at the Nantucket Athenaeum many times, attending the 2006 Nantucket Author's
Day Celebration. The Athenaeum has three of her original illustrations in their permanent art collection.
In 2002, she had her first solo show at Nantucket's Brad Brooks Gallery. And later at the Artist's
Association of Nantucket. She was juried into the Guild of Boston's Open Show exhibited at the Harvard Club in 2006 and won third place for pastel in the Duxbury Winter Juried Show of 2005; and admitted to this show every time she applied. She has been a member of the Nantucket Artists Association for twenty years and her work has been shown there, at Nantucket Looms, and other Nantucket shops. She was also a member of the Cape Cod Art Association and showed in Chatham for many years. Valerie also lived in Winthrop, and was a board member of the Winthrop Art Association, for five years. Also winning several awards.
A move to Midcoast Maine in August 2018, is proving to be full of inspiration, awe, and challenge - a perfect combination for this artist.
TINDALL
Scott Tindall and art met a little later in life than usual, and as far as he's concerned, that's fine. He says it helps him keep a healthy attitude about art. And that's art with a small "a."
Scott lives in in Maine in a small house on six acres. From his shop behind the house, he designs and makes metal lamps, chandeliers, tables and nearly-animated sculptural pieces that tend to be on the humerous side. Tindall drifted awhile before coming to Maine. He was born in Ohio, and has lived in New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Maryland and Massachusetts. He came to Maine in 1975 and has been here since.
Nothing needs to be done to Scott's sculptures for maintenance. The copper will darken over time, giving it the look of old patina. The instrument players have solid steel legs that are painted then wrapped with copper. A steel rod connects the hips to the shoulders. If the sculptures are placed outside, you might need to retouch the painted base.
WHITNEY
Beth Whitney is a Maine Watercolor artist specializing in coastal Maine landscapes. She grew up in Ellesworth and has been painting professionally for more than 24 years. Her purpose in painting is to celebrate Maine's natural beauty and inspire a deep appreciation for God's beautiful creation. Her inspiration comes from her love of nature and exploring Miane's many beautiful lighthouses, scenic byways, and coastal trails.
Maine has a very particular quality of light, a freshness in it's pristine landscape, and Beth uses her watercolors to translate this onto paper.
YORK
A self-taught printmaker and compulsive wanderer of landscapes, Sherrie York has recently relocated to Maine from her native Colorado. A long-ago college field trip to draw backyard chickens was the unexpected genesis of a career that encompasses environmental education, natural history illustration, birding, and printmaking. Through the medium of linocut Sherrie finds her way to place, inspired by personal experiences and discoveries as she explores the natural world from mountains to the sea.
Observation is the core of Sherrie’s work, whether she is making a watercolor sketch of tidbits collected on a neighborhood hike or carving a complex linocut block of pinecones and leaf litter.
In addition to her fine art pursuits, Sherrie works as a designer and illustrator for a wide variety of projects and clients, including Audubon, Trout Unlimited, Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna, and several state and federal natural resource agencies. Most of these projects reflect her interest in natural and cultural history education.