Thank you!

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What a fantastic turn out at the opening of my two-person show with Thomas McDonald during Bend's First Friday Art Walk! Hands-down it was the most enthusiastic and energetic art event I've had the pleasure of attending! Many thanks to Ken Roth of Peterson Roth Gallery and to all the art lovers in Bend!

While out west, Jonathan and I also made time to fish and explore in both new locations (Upper Owens River in the Eastern Sierras, below right) and old favorites (Steelhead Falls on the Deschutes River, below left).

 
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Rizzio, Bok, Brady

Besides the Carl Little curated "Wish You Were Here", there are two more shows in Midcoast Maine that, had I more time during my end-of-May visit, I would have loved to see. 

Margaret Rizzio's first solo show at Dowling Walsh has been extended through this month. Go see her colorful assemblages of "perfect woman" ephemera pop against the dark walls the gallery created to highlight her work. Margaret is a great friend and pop-up conspirator whose work I truly enjoy. Her mail art subscriptions make the best gifts!

Painting power-couple Gideon Bok and Meghan Brady have works on show at Perimeter Gallery (located in Chase's Daily in Belfast) through July 3rd. Please, go and see this "Two Part Invention" for me. I am a huge fan of Brady's subtle and precise color work! From the press release:

In one sense, the two artists--who are married and raising a family together in midcoast Maine—work at opposite ends of the painting spectrum.  Bok obsessively observes the migration of light and objects in his cluttered studio building, carving out simultaneous but often-conflicting records of time and space.  Brady’s abstract work fuses raw painterly gesture with geometric elements, making use of the friction between order and chaos, symmetry and asymmetry, transparency and opacity. 

However, both artists share an appreciation for the physicality of paint itself, and both navigate a path between balancing and unbalancing.  Whether it’s Brady’s abstract forms repeating and shifting in unexpected ways, or Bok’s description of interior space and its occupants from multiple angles all at once, the result for the viewer is the pleasurable experience of becoming oriented within something that might not immediately make sense.

Margaret Rizzio, Blended Mint and Molasses, mixed media, 2016

Margaret Rizzio, Blended Mint and Molasses, mixed media, 2016

Gideon Bok, Another Green World, oil on linen, 2015

Gideon Bok, Another Green World, oil on linen, 2015

Meghan Brady, Tussle, oil on canvas 2016

Meghan Brady, Tussle, oil on canvas 2016

Artist Talk @ Courthouse Gallery Fine Art

Many thanks to all those who attended my artist talk at Courthouse two weeks ago! Were there 30 of us there? Maybe more? I was thrilled with the one-on-one conversations that followed about swimming, landscape painting, the body's fascial system, the science of aesthetics, and somatic-psychology. Wow! You were willing to engage with a less-than-conventional artist talk and some really exciting ideas and experiences -- well, I guess calling them exciting might be my bias! But I am excited. I'm excited about the intersection of visual culture and kinesthetic intelligence and imagination that I'm exploring. Thanks for diving in with me!

If you couldn't make the talk please enjoy the Youtube video of it to the right! Unfortunately the gallery had a short in their mic and so the audio is static-y at times. The transcript of my talk is available here -- I've highlighted the static-y areas in red so that you can still read what you might not hear.

Also, the great thing about the transcript is that I've embedded links to all the artists, books, ideas, and science that I reference. Enjoy!

Opening Of Fire & Water This Friday!


 

Courthouse Gallery Fine Art invites you to our spring reception

Friday, May 27, 5-7pm

FIRE AND WATER

Janice Anthony and Jessica Ives

Courthouse Gallery brings together two artists who approach human interaction with nature in much the same manner despite their dramatically different imagery. Anthony juxtaposes formal English gardens with raging wildfires, threatening our perceived ability to control nature, while Ives explores an active human experience of being immersed in water—wading, splashing, floating, making ripples—relishing the coolness and becoming one with nature.

Spring reception Friday, May 27 from 5–7pm
Courthouse Gallery Fine Art
6 Court Street, Ellsworth, Maine
207 667 6611


Artists talk with Jessica Ives
Friday, May 27 at 4pm 

Jessica Ives will speak about kinesthetic intelligence and imagination, mirror neurons firing in the brain, and the healing properties of water. She'll also speak about why she doesn't work en plein air and why, as a landscape painter, she believes it's important to picture herself and others in the landscape more. The event is free and open to the public. 


Three Paintings in the "Portland Show" at Greenhut Galleries

I'm thrilled to participate in the 8th Biennial “Portland Show”, an invitational show of artists interpretation of the city of Portland at Greenhut Galleries. A reception will be held tomorrow, Saturday April 9th from 1-3pm. Visit www.greenhutgalleries.me or call 207 772 2693 for more information.

In addition to artwork, each artist was asked to write a statement about the subject matter they chose. With an exhibition opening so close to opening day, how could I not choose baseball? For me, any local stadium will always offer a unique glimpse into the heart of a city and its seasonal rhythms. Thanks for the inspiration, Sea Dogs!

I learned how to collect baseball cards in the first grade. My dad taught me. His dad, my Grandpa Pete, played for the Brooklyn Dodgers organization. I remember stories about the different cities he traveled to and played in — places with memorable restaurants, places where he and Grandma Lou went out dancing, places where team brawls happened — cities and places each with their own character. I have a newspaper clipping with a photo of Grandpa Pete, Jackie Robinson, and Pee Wee Reese at spring training.

Baseball is amazing in its capacity to connect people over time and distance. Generations pass down their love for the game and team rivalries keep tension in a connective web of place. The dimensions of a diamond may point to infinity, and sports writers may wax poetic about echoes of eternity, but on opening day we are all right here and right now. Pride of place causes the tree in right field to bloom at Hadlock Field just as much as the season. Heaven is at hand.
Double Play, 5" x 7"

Double Play, 5" x 7"

Full Stands, Full Count, 5" x 7"

Full Stands, Full Count, 5" x 7"

His Spring Training, 10" x 22"

His Spring Training, 10" x 22"

"Monhegan…the Muse" Exhibit Opens at Common Street Arts

Reception Thursday January 28th, 5 - 7pm

WATERVILLE- Visitors to Common Street Arts starting this week will be treated to fifty works of art from the Lupine Gallery collection on Monhegan Island.  "Monhegan ..the Muse" suggests the profound influence Monhegan has had for generations on a community of artists from all over the world. The exhibit will be open from now through February 27 from Wednesday – Friday, Noon – 5 PM and Saturday’s from 10 AM – 1 PM. The gallery is located at 16 Common Street in Waterville and can be reached by calling (207) 872-ARTS.

According to Waterville Creates! Programs Manager, KiKA Nigals, “The collection includes oils, watercolors, etchings, acrylics and other media from artists ranging from established artists like Lynne Drexler to artists who are known for other talents like Zero Mostel.  All artists have been profoundly influenced by this Maine island, which is apparent in their work.  It is an eclectic collection that is sure to please varied interests and anyone who has an interest in this legendary artist community.”

A reception is scheduled for January 28 from 5 – 7 PM at the gallery and will feature Tiger Saw with new songs from their recent album recorded on Monhegan.

Artists represented in this show include: Sylvia Alberts, Carol Aronson-Shore, Kevin Beers, Alice Boynton, Frank Bruckmann, Ralph Bush, Kate Cheney Chappell, Rick Daskam, Lynne Drexler, Ralf Feyl, Sears Gallagher, Susan Gilbert, Alison Hill, Emil Holzhauer, Jessica Lee Ives, Elena Jahn, David Kasman, Bruce Kornbluth, Frances Kornbluth, Glen Krause, Nicholas Luisi, William Manning, William McCartin, Kate McGloughlin, Leo Meissner, Dylan Metrano, Stan Moeller, Zero Mostel, Paul Niemiec, Daphne Pulsifer, Carol Raybin, Elmer Rising, Arline Simon, Mike Stiler, Don Stone, Caleb Stone and Michael E. Vermette.

Almost There, 10" x 22" oil on panel, 2015

Almost There, 10" x 22" oil on panel, 2015

August 12th Opening At Courthouse Gallery Fine Art!

Join me at the opening reception for the August shows at Courthouse Gallery Fine Art in Ellsworth this Wednesday the 12th, from 5pm - 7pm. I'll have a collection of recent work on exhibit, including many of the new Acadia paintings you've seen glimpses of and studies for here on the blog and on The Maine.

Pictured to the right is the 5" x 7" Echo Lake Race, and below is Echo Lake Evening Swim, 4" x 4". 

 

Arts & Recreation: Pop Up Art Show At The Good Supply

I hope to see you at the opening of Arts & Recreation, this Saturday from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. at The Good Supply in Pemaquid. It's my second annual pop-up show in this beautiful venue! I'll be joined again by Margaret Rizzio; and this year Grant Haynes will be with us as well. If you were at the opening of last year's show, you know this is a party not to be missed! Official press release below, and to the right a sneak peak at some new paintings I'll have on display.


Arts & Recreation: Jessica Ives, Margaret Rizzio, and Grant Haynes

Pemaquid, ME—An exhibition of new art work by Jessica Ives, Margaret Rizzio, and Grant Haynes will be on display for a two-week exhibit at The Good Supply in Pemaquid. The public is invited to join the artists at a reception from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 25, at The Good Supply’s post and beam storefront.

The title of the show: Arts and Recreation is a play on words meant to reflect the subject matter of Ives’s colorful oil paintings and the recycling process shared by Rizzio and Haynes to create their respective mixed media collages and acrylic on reclaimed material paintings.

Ives, a Damariscotta resident creates oil paintings inspired by outdoor adventures local and statewide. Arts & Recreation features a selection of her 4 x 4 inch “207 Paintings" appropriately named for the state's area code. Swimmers, paddlers, hikers, and other outdoor adventurers are captured in jewel-like moments. A selection of larger paintings will also be on view. Ives exhibits regularly with Gleason Fine Art in Boothbay Harbor and offers color theory classes through the Farsnworth Art Museum. In conjunction with this exhibit, Ives will host two color theory classes at The Good Supply on August 6 and August 9.

Born and raised in Blue Hill and now living in Camden, Rizzio received her MFA from SUNY Purchase and returned home to pursue a life of art. Her current work uses a wide range of mediums—vintage ephemera, found objects, repurposed frames—that embrace the passage of time and the beauty of physical objects in a screen obsessed era. Arts & Recreation will include various size assemblage pieces and a series of unique postcard collages. Rizzio exhibits at Turtle Gallery in Blue Hill and at The Maine Farmland Trust Gallery in Belfast.

Haynes studied fine art at St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York in part because of the university’s access to the Adirondacks. Currently based in Belfast, his love of nature continues to fuel his endeavors both personal and professional. Painting in acrylic on reclaimed wood and metal, his style is dynamic and modernist. His work is concerned with re-creating structure on material that is fractured and cobbled together. He gives care to honor signs of reclaimed materials’ origins—identifying wear not as blemishes but as stories worth expressing.

Ives and Rizzio have collaborated on pop-up events and exhibitions before, and this will be their first time inviting Haynes into the fold. The Good Supply, an up-and-coming rustic boutique, housed in a recently restored 150-year old barn in Pemaquid, is known for its utilitarian work from Maine artisans. This pop-up event marks the store's second 2D art celebration.  

Arts & Recreation: Jessica Ives, Margaret Rizzio, and Grant Haynes will be on exhibit at The Good Supply from Thursday, July 23 - Sunday, August 9, with an opening reception on Saturday, July 25 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The exhibition and reception are free and open to the public. Art is available for purchase. 

 
Big Fresh, 30" x 40"

Big Fresh, 30" x 40"

Two By Land, One By Sea, 4" x 12"

Two By Land, One By Sea, 4" x 12"

Low Tide Cast Off, 6" x 6"

Low Tide Cast Off, 6" x 6"

Arrival, 5" x 7"

Arrival, 5" x 7"

Island Summer, 6" x 6"

Island Summer, 6" x 6"

Lookers, 10" x 10"

Lookers, 10" x 10"

Into The Cool, 5" x 7"

Into The Cool, 5" x 7"

Foresight, 4" x 4"

Foresight, 4" x 4"