North Light Gallery: Recently Added Galleries and Collections

Philippa Ann Nice

artnorthlight@gmail.com (North Light Gallery) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:28:15 GMT

]]>Philippa Ann Nice is a native of Millinocket and graduated from Farmington State Teachers College where she studied music, specializing in French horn. She is a talented singer and musician, as well as having a native's understanding of the color and shape of the Katahdin landscape.

Madeline Beaudreau

artnorthlight@gmail.com (North Light Gallery) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 16:20:58 GMT

]]>Madeline Beaudreau is a native of Bath, Maine. Her arts and crafts career began in 1978 when, along with her husband, she made live edge pine furniture, then moving on to woven Native American ash baskets in 1994. In 1996, she purchased her first loom and has been studying and perfecting her craft of weaving ever since. Her rugs are 100% natural fibers made of materials purchased in Maine, proudly bearing the Made in Maine label. She also has available through the gallery woven cotton rugs, made of new cotton strips with a warp of cotton/polyester blend. The wool rugs may be placed on the floor or hung from a dowel on the wall. Either way, an elegant and simple touch of design and color.

Elaine Austin Crossman

artnorthlight@gmail.com (North Light Gallery) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 17:11:42 GMT

]]>Having studied with Will Barnet at Art Students League and with Neil Welliver, Rudy Burckhart and Yvonne Jacquette at University of Pennsylvania during her Masters courses, Crossman eventually settled on Vinalhaven Island where she founded the New Era Gallery to showcase island artists. Her passion for Katahdin lures her elegant and luminist eye to the interior of Maine.

Milton Christianson

artnorthlight@gmail.com (North Light Gallery) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 17:06:18 GMT

]]>Originally a native of Minnesota with a degree in Social Antropology from Wesleyan University in Connecticut, Milton Christianson has studied all over the world in search of his unique, colorful, and often whimsical style. A direct and facile watercolorist, Milton reports in paint the scenes and characters of his life from a mountainside in rural Maine.

Marsha Donahue

artnorthlight@gmail.com (North Light Gallery) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 15:50:34 GMT

]]>Both owner and artist of North Light Gallery, Marsha Donahue's education began at Maine College of Art and finished eight years later at the American University, collecting degrees from both. A job in a downtown DC gallery started a career in the gallery business, working for Harry Lunn in Washington, DC and both Bayview Gallery and Greenhut Galleries in Portland, Maine before heading north to found North Light Gallery in 2004. Her work can still be seen at Greenhut Galleries, as well as her own gallery in Millinocket, Maine.

Caren-Marie Michel

artnorthlight@gmail.com (North Light Gallery) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 21:29:11 GMT

]]>A graduate of the Maine College of Art and winner of a recent spot in the prestigious Salmagundi Club Show in New York, Caren-Marie Michel sites the deep woods, majestic mountain and pastoral scenes of her world and paints them with saturated color and skillful composition in a hand that almost pushes them to abstraction, at times, though thoroughly grounded in realism.

Bryan Carter

artnorthlight@gmail.com (North Light Gallery) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 21:23:54 GMT

]]>Native Texas artist Bryan Carter has taken his love of the natural world, particularly its wildlife inhabitants, and given us a timeless representation as old as the stone and petrified wood on which they have been painted, some of it dating back to 40 million years old. As is sometimes the case, his deep faith in overcoming a health crisis caused him to find this exquisite and time consuming form of expression. The result is objects of rare beauty and quality.

North Light Gallery Artist's Prints

artnorthlight@gmail.com (North Light Gallery) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 20:47:16 GMT

]]>Since the gallery opened in 2005, I have tried to present a less expensive alternative to originals. Though I believe in collecting one-of-a-kind artworks, not everyone can afford to do that. I do encourage layaway for the purchase of originals, which I will carry for as long as you need at no charge, but there are still times when a reproduction is better, ie., in rec rooms or camps, as mementos of your stay or when you are not quite sure of what you would collect and would rather spend less until you are. I think reproductions of work from our artists are the next best thing to an original and are all unique to this gallery. In other words, you won't find these prints anywhere else. Most, unless matted, can be shipped for very little in a tube. Perfect gift for the holidays!

The technique of our prints, called giclee (jee-klay) prints, roughly translating into "ink spray", is the state of the art reproduction process used today. If treated like a watercolor, being susceptible to water damage, and kept from moisture, and not displayed in full sunlight, it should keep its vivid color for at least 75 years. Unlike the old offset lithography that was used on posters, it will not turn pink and blue but retain its full range of color when cared for correctly.

Mollie Kennedy

artnorthlight@gmail.com (North Light Gallery) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 18:44:41 GMT

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Jemma Gascoine

artnorthlight@gmail.com (North Light Gallery) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 18:30:30 GMT

]]>Jemma Gascoine writes about her work: "I've been throwing for eleven years. My first two years were at the workshop of Barry Guppy in Pimlico, London. I have taken workshops in the US, too, but mostly I am self-taught. The general character of my work is that it is colorful, light and unique. I've been slowly creating my own repertoire of motifs that I reuse. Many of them have a basis in architecture. I try to have a sculptural show once a year, a show that stretches me. The pieces sometimes reflect what is preoccupying me emotionally, a new technique I'm toying with and/or a subject that I'm entranced by. There's no doubt, though, that living in the North Woods allows me the breathing space to tackle the issues that I care about and to pursue what intrigues me."

David Little

artnorthlight@gmail.com (North Light Gallery) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 18:24:42 GMT

]]>With a Masters in Fine Art from the University of Iowa, two seasons of study at the Skowhegan School and fellowships at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts and the Carina House, Monhegan Island, no artist is better schooled to take on the intricacies of the Maine landscape. David Little has documented the interior of Maine, and particularly the Katahdin region, for many years now and his views are from a deep love of the discovery of this region.

Michael Vermette

artnorthlight@gmail.com (North Light Gallery) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 17:46:06 GMT

]]>Michael graduated from the Maine College of Art in 1980 with a BFA in Painting and the University of Maine Orono with an Art Education Teaching Certificate in 1986, going on to teach in the Indian Island schools in Old Town.He has been the artist in residence in Acadia National Park and will be this years artist in residence in Baxter State Park in the Maine woods. His work is a vivid, intensely-colored and personal view of the world in the woods but he also paints on Monhegan.

Bill Bentley

artnorthlight@gmail.com (North Light Gallery) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 22:31:51 GMT

]]>William Bentley is probably the most dedicated contemporary photographer of Baxter State Park. To browse through his images is to be on the spot at all times of the year, in all weather and times of day. For the fan of this unique place, there is guaranteed to be a memorable view among his images. All are available in black and white, as well as color, which only enhances the timeless quality of the park. The prices are for unframed photograaphs but may be ordered in a simple framing. Photographs are also available larger and smaller sizes. Call for information.

Joan Freiman

artnorthlight@gmail.com (North Light Gallery) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 22:17:47 GMT

]]>With a BFA from City University of New York and study at Maryland School of Art, the Corcoran School, the Farnsworth and Round Top Center for the Arts, Joan Freiman has attached her skill to her love of the landscape, particularly the landscape of the interior of Maine. Freiman carves out the powerful, rooted elements of the earth and portrays images with solid grounding and clarity.

Painting the Unknown: Artists Paint the Proposed National Park

artnorthlight@gmail.com (North Light Gallery) — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 21:27:05 GMT

]]>Friday morning, September 16th, 2011 dawned to a brisk, bright and somewhat cloudy day after a rainy night, feeling like the first day of fall. We knew we were in for a hike so everyone had layers of clothing to adjust to the variances in the weather and physical activity. There was great camaraderie amongst the artists as many of them got to know each other for the first time, 13 of us in all, coming from points all over Maine, Massachusetts and one from Connecticut. “Painting the Unknown: Artists Paint the Proposed National Park” was hatched a week and a half before and the invitation was put out on the Maine Arts Commission site and in the Bangor Daily News and the Maine Sunday Telegram to come and hike unknown trails and produce a piece of work that could be used to illustrate what is special on Roxanne Quimby’s 70,000 acres that could make it fit to be a national park. The artists who participated were: Jen Holmes, Mary Lou Moulton, Gaile Nicholson, Caren-Marie Michel, John and Pam Redick, Melinda Campbell, Renee Lammers, Evelyn Dunphy, Sandy Dolan, Milton Christianson, Michael Branca and myself, Marsha Donahue.

Most people, except the locals who have walked, hunted, fished and paddled this land with its rivers and streams, don’t know the lay of the land here. Photographs would be one way to show the public but, in the spirit of Frederic Edwin Church and Albert Bierstadt at the turn of the last century, sending in the artists for their interpretation often produces some timeless results. Church and Bierstadt were able to show New York society what was so remarkable about the American West at a time when no one had traveled there. Artists, too, seem to like being on the cutting edge of knowledge and able to herald change in society.

With a 16-person van donated by New England Outdoor Center’s Matt Polstein and driven by Dave Weatherbee, which carried one canoe, we packed the back of a truck from Sewall Company, driven by Sarah Spencer, our guide, and headed off to Stacyville to the turnoff to Lunksoos Camps, 12 miles in on the East Branch of the Penobscot River. Historically, this is known as the site of Donn Fendler’s rescue in “Lost on a Mountain in Maine”. Each artists equipment is a very personal assortment of things, unique to each artist and honed over a lifetime of trial and error. Taking that assortment of things a mile and a half into the woods is quite another thing and some realized upon arrival at Lunksoos that the lawn chairs couldn’t make the trip. Others, however, took everything they might need, and, in the spirit of respect, we helped each other carrying equipment, no matter what it was.

Five of the artists stayed at Lunksoos and painted on the grounds of the camps from the big, sweeping front lawn stretching to the banks of the East Branch. The other eight artists, plus our two guides, began the shuttle across the East Branch, two at a time, plus the guide, up stream about an eighth of a mile to the trailhead. Eventually we were all assembled at the trailhead and, carrying our equipment, started off across virtually uncharted trail, marked only by scraped blazed in the tree bark. Everyone was chortling away until very soon we ran into a stream we could not cross. What to do? Sarah, our guide, was apologetic and trying to think of an alternate route but we all just dropped our packs, went into the woods and, at her suggestion, dragged fallen trees to build a bridge. Never a discouraged word was expressed, we just worked until we got everyone and the equipment across the stream. Michael Branca said, “We’re artists. We solve problems everyday. That’s what we do.” Having taken part in many a team building exercise at Hyde School in the late 70’s I can tell you that it was remarkable that, hardly knowing each other, we immediately pulled together and, in 15 minutes, were on our way. The only one who charged ahead and actually walked through the water was Caren-Marie Michel, not atypical for her. Nothing stops her. This led to talk about how a reality show about artists would work; building bridges in the woods or going to outdoor shows where it pours for 4 days straight, etc.

Along the forest floor that wound through fern glades and up ridges and down, along streams, with occasional holes in the canopy shedding big golden sun spots, were a multitude of beautifully colored mushrooms and an occasional tree turned to fall color. Except for the low chatter of the hiking artists, the forest was quiet and cool and lovely. At one point I posited to the artists to imagine this as national park. Did they think this landscape was of that caliber?

After a half mile we came to a tote road which was much easier hiking and fairly quickly walked the other eight tenths of a mile to the Wassataquoik Stream. We first came to a beach with a bridge visible in the distance up the stream. Caren-Marie stayed there and painted while Evelyn, Milton, Michael, Melinda, Sandy, Pam and I went to the bridge. It was quarter of twelve. Some ate a snack but most of us got right to work, some going down the precipitous bank to the shore and some of us staying up in the wind on the bridge. The stream is wild, tumbling water with large diagonal juts of shale stretching almost to the center of the stream on which you could walk. Above and below the bridge were large sections of quick water, making me wish I had my fishing pole, though it’s out of season anyway. I heard later that a ways above the bridge is a place where another stream joins the Wassataquiok, known to be where the Native Americans traditionally took out large amounts of salmon every year. I could believe it, seeing the quick water where we were. The dark-bottomed clouds were accents in a sharply lit landscape, whipped by the wind, all-in-all a beautiful fall day, the kind artists love.

Everyone worked intensely for 3 hours until we packed our equipment and headed back, reversing our crossing of the bridge, which had been made much better by Sarah while we painted. We shuttled back across the East Branch and communed on the shores at Lunksoos to have a preliminary look at what each of us had done, including John, Renee, Jen, Gaile and Mary Lou, who had stayed at the camps. It never ceases to amaze me that you can put a group of artists in front of the same scene and get such different results. This was a very accomplished group of career artists, making the results very polished, as well.

We loaded up and headed back to North Light Gallery, stopping for one sweeping view of Katahdin from Sherman. We were all too beat to do any more sight seeing so headed straight back. We were greeted at the parking lot across from the gallery by press and friends and, once in the gallery, proceeded to frame and prepare the work for exhibition, including a photograph of each piece for use by the campaign for the feasibility study for a national park.

Saturday continued the clear, beautiful weather. The show was hung for all to see and, though there were a wide variety of styles and views, there was a common visual thread to the collected work. No one seeing it could believe all the artwork was created in one day. Some of the artists stayed all day and painted on the street around the gallery and were joined by Mark Miller, who set up and played into the intersection. Being as it was the Trails End Festival that weekend, it seemed entirely appropriate to take it to the street, thus a cultural happening took place on our corner. Some artists stayed around Sunday as well and painted along the Golden Road.

I am very grateful to Matt Polstein, Dave Weatherbee, Sarah Spencer, the Sewall Company and Eliotsville Plantation, Inc. for the time, equipment and man hours to help this event happen. I have been on expeditions enough to know that unless there is good planning and careful guidance, any number of things can go wrong. Thankfully, this day went smoothly and the artists were allowed a carefree day to explore this land and produce their work. My thanks to those who made it possible, especially to Roxanne Quimby who responded so enthusiastically to the initial idea.

We are hoping something like this will become an annual event, or possibly twice a year, and welcome any artists who would like to participate in a North Light Gallery Paint Out to email us your information at artnorthlight@gmail.com. This work is for sale and will be on display until the 30th of September. Prices are listed with the individual pieces.

Marsha Donahue
September 22, 2011

George Young

artnorthlight@gmail.com (North Light Gallery) — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 17:15:01 GMT

]]>George "Skip" Young is a self-taught carver and painter of birds who has been pursuing his craft since 1982. Carving in life size, Skip cuts his own basswood and pine, draws his own original patterns and then brings them to life by carving and painting. His works have been collected all over the United States and abroad.

Bert Lincoln Call

artnorthlight@gmail.com (North Light Gallery) — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 20:48:25 GMT

]]>Bert Lincoln Call photographed Henry David Thoreau's path through the North Maine Woods and over Katahdin from the 1880's until the mid 1930's. Master printer and internationally known photographer Todd Watts, who was Berenice Abbott's printer until her death, has taken Bert Lincoln Call's negatives and, with a grant from the Quimby Family Foundation, produced a world class traveling exhibit that will appear throughout Maine and New England over the next year. The photographs are available for sale through this gallery and the exhibition schedule may be emailed if you contact us. Smaller photographs are $700 unframed, $825 framed; larger photographs are $950 unframed, $1,100 framed.

Pamela Redick

artnorthlight@gmail.com (North Light Gallery) — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 19:13:52 GMT

]]>Pamela Redick studied at the Worcester Art Museum and Valparaiso University and has shown extensively and been included in many collections since the mid 1970's. Pam has been featured in Baxter State Parks newsletter Wild Notes for a couple of seasons now and has firmly established herself as one of the premier painters of Baxter State Park's vistas, ponds and woods. Her depictions of the natural beauty of the North Woods and the resulting acrylics available at North Light Gallery are clean, intimate and beautifully designed. A selection of her new work is featured during this month of July.

Deborah Grabber

artnorthlight@gmail.com (North Light Gallery) — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 18:23:06 GMT

]]>With a BA from University of New York in Plattsburgh and subsequent study with Michael Vermette and Michael Lewis, Deb Grabber brings to the Katahdin landscape, where she also lives, a delicacy and sensitivity to the light that is uniquely hers. Reminiscent of English watercolor painting, her patient washes of color are able to capture those fleeting moments of light brushing the landscape when caught at a glance. A selection of new works of Deb's is available and on view at North Light Gallery during the month of July.

Laura Waller

artnorthlight@gmail.com (North Light Gallery) — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 20:49:53 GMT

]]>A Phi Beta Graduate of Tulane University, this Brooklyn, NY native has lived, studied and exhibited in the south, except for a passion for Maine in the summers. After a life building a financial planning firm, she is finally turning to her first love, painting, and, since her first solo exhibit in 2005, has had several exhibitions with fellow artist, Taylor Ikin. Having studied with several noted teachers, including Charles Reid, her work is part of the permanent collections of Raymond James Financial in St. Petersburg, Florida and the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnisota.

Abbott Meader

artnorthlight@gmail.com (North Light Gallery) — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 20:37:44 GMT

]]>A consumate academician, Meader was graduated Magna Cum Laude from Dartmouth and then with an MFA from University of Colorado and is now Professor of Art, Emeritus of Colby College. He is also a filmmaker and has traveled, lectured and studied widely in his lifetime. As an avid flyfisherman, he comes to the Katahdin region to fish and paint regularly throughout the year. He brings to his work the understanding of someone who is not merely an observer but often lives within his subject for periods of time, working with an urgency to report that familiarity.

Laurie Stearns

artnorthlight@gmail.com (North Light Gallery) — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 20:21:08 GMT

]]>Ten years after taking a wood sculpture course from Fumio Yoshimura at Dartmouth College, his teaching began to resinate with Laurie. A native of Old Town, Maine, her love of the nature of Maine and wood blend, informed by the delicacy she learned in college, to produce work that is almost alive.

Fred Michel

artnorthlight@gmail.com (North Light Gallery) — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 20:14:32 GMT

]]>Fred Michel, with his understanding of botany, tears it all apart and searches the parts for designs and new ideas, sometimes finding another whole vivid world in their reassembly. Though they sometimes end up with the botanical name, the idea may be more recognizable than the original flower.

Glenn Hines

artnorthlight@gmail.com (North Light Gallery) — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 19:56:22 GMT

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Connie Hayes

artnorthlight@gmail.com (North Light Gallery) — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 19:37:39 GMT

]]>If one's only impression of Maine were a Connie Hayes painting, it would represent the lush, intimate and unique place that only Maine is. She is a native with deep color instincts and a life long vocabulary of visions to draw from. If you would like to see more of her work go to www.conniehayes.com. We offer five of her beautiful giclee prints, elegantly framed and ready to ship.

Artist Assortment

artnorthlight@gmail.com (North Light Gallery) — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 17:51:07 GMT

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