Monday, August 10, 2015

Dropped off four prints to River Tree Arts in Kennebunk, Maine earlier today. Hope you get a chance to stop by and take a look at these and the originals I currently have on display. As always, thanks for your support.





Monday, July 20, 2015

After work today, I headed north to Kennebunk, Maine to meet with Julia Einstein, gallery directory at River Tree Arts, 35 Western Ave, Kennebunk, Maine. Approximately two weeks prior to today I had had a phone conversation with Ms Einstein regarding my artwork and perhaps my showing in her gallery. After that phone conversation, we had left it that we would meet in person on one of the upcoming Monday afternoons she would be in the gallery. Today was the day. I brought with me six originals and some samples of my prints. We discussed my work, the pieces I had brought and after a little over an hour, I left with four pieces, as she decided she would like to keep the two below to include in her current exhibition Summer Fresh Air, which will be on display until September 26, 2015. These pieces both just recently returned from national exhibits and the piece "Buoys Night Out (Little Lake St. George, Liberty, ME)" received the Dick Neuville Memorial Award the recent Pastel Painters of Maine national Juried Exhibition at the Lewis Gallery at the Portland Public Library, Portland, Maine. River Tree Arts is open M-Fri 10 AM - 6:00 PM and Saturday 10 AM - 4 PM. There are also extended hours each month when they open additional exhibitions, including an upcoming opening July 31, 2015, with hours from 4-7 PM. I hope you will get up to Kennebunk, Maine and check out the exhibit and of course my artwork. In closing, thanks to longtime friend John Spinney for putting me in touch River Tree Arts and specifically Julia Einstein. Also to Caren-Marie Michel a fine artist, friend and instructor at River Tree Arts. Additional information about River Tree Arts can be found on their web site www.rivertreearts.org and on their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/River-Tree-Arts/158980844434



Saturday, July 4, 2015

This is a recently completed oil on canvas entitled "Quiet Autumn" and measures 12 x 16. Oils offer a different challenge, especially since I've really only been working in them with any consistency in the past year. Still there are elements of oils that I cannot get with pastels, which os my main medium or other mediums I will attempt.

Monday, June 29, 2015

On Saturday evening at the Pastel Painter's of Maine 16th Annual International Juried Exhibition closing ceremonies, I was fortunate to receive the following. It was somewhat poetic. Dick passed away the day before what would have been my wife's 55th birthday. Like my wife, he loved Maine, but especially the sunsets of Maine. It was fitting then that my piece "Buoys Night Out (Little Lake St George / Liberty, ME)" would be the initial recipient of the award dedicated in his honor. I was deeply moved to have his widow make the presentation, and equally moved by meeting his entire family. Nice people. Thank you Barbara Janiecke for selecting my work for this award. Thank you Kate Bergquist for the excellent pronunciation of my last name when making the presentation. :-)



Wednesday, June 3, 2015

The 2015 Pastel Painters of Maine National Exhibition will open June 5, 2015 and run through June 27, 2015 at the Lewis Gallery in the Portland Public Library, Portland, Maine. I have two pieces in this exhibit.  The first is "Buoys Night Out (Little Lake St. George, Liberty, ME)" while the second is "I'm a Roadrunner Baby"

Saturday, January 31, 2015

In September. 1862, along a sleepy little creek in Northern Maryland, two great armies clashed. The Battle of Antietam also known as the Battle of Sharpsburg, was a one day affair that saw the greatest loss of American life in any one day battle in the history of our country. The war, which when it started, had many believe would last only 90 days, was already deep into its second year when the troops under Robert E. Lee encountered the Union forces commanded by General George McClellan. From sun rise the battle raged back and forth. Northern soldiers seemed at times ready to rout their southern brothers only to have the soldiers in gray pick themselves up off the canvas to counter punch each Union threat. By the end of the day, September 17, 1862, all that was settled was that more young men were forever lost and would never return home. On September 18, 1862, the two armies stood and stared at each other. One despite being in a vulnerable position with its back to the Antietam creek, daring the other to come forward, the other just hoping he would go away. By the end of the day on September 18th, the Coonfederate troops exited their position and headed back to Virginia, a situation McClellan was all to happy to allow. With their departure, the Union could claim a victory considering it was now the sole owner of the lands upon which so much American blood had just been spilled. More importantly, from a political standpoint, the weak claim of victory was enough to allow President Abraham Lincoln to release, on September 22, 1862, the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. This deed would forever alter the course of the war. Still, at this time, the country was reeling, teetering on forever being split. It was, as the title of this painting conveys, in "Turmoil" Here is a recent oil painting, entitled "Turmoil, Antietam Creek (Antietam National Battlefield)".


My pastel painting "August Surf, Acadia Maine, Acadia National Park" was the recipient of the Joyce Kelly Memorial Purchase Award at the Degas Pastel Society 15th Biennial Exhibition, November 1-30, 2014 at the Garden Center Gallery, 1332 Washington Ave, New Orleans, LA. I was deeply honored to receive this award at such a prestigious International Juried Exhibition. Thank you Margaret Dyer for selecting my work for this great honor.