JANE DAHMEN

“I moved to Newcastle in 2004 and have concentrated on painting the local trees and water views near my home. I walk outside my door and see paintings everywhere. We used to sail in Maine, and I painted the landscape from the boat, looking toward the islands and shores. Now that I live in Newcastle, I prefer the larger views from the land overlooking the water beyond, and I find inspiration along the Damariscotta River, as well as when I walk on the various conservation lands in this area. This landscape speaks to me and keeps me expanding my creativity as an artist. Recently I have taken a new interest in painting smaller acrylics on paper. Painting smaller gives me an extra dose of freedom and spontaneity that balances the larger, more planned-out landscapes. With the big landscapes, I play with scale and the feeling of being able to walk right into the painting. Painting both ways, I enjoy being immersed in the constantly changing beauty of this part of the world.”

BJÖRN RUNQUIST

“As I get older, I appreciate more and more that each day is an extraordinary gift, which informs my life and my painting. Life in Maine provides ample inspiration daily, from the light on a house corner to a pier in fog or snow on the road. Since my move to Maine, I’ve become more of a plein air painter. As much as I’ve enjoyed working in my studio over the years, I increasingly find the act of painting outside utterly engaging. The success rate is lower, but it is such an intense experience that happens in a small window of real-time opportunity, based on time and light. The more I do it, the deeper my immersion into that total experience becomes, including its sights, sounds, smells, bugs, wind, heat, and cold. Dusk at the Farm was started outside and finished in the studio, but I kept as much as possible of the feeling I had when painting outdoors. The overriding theme of all my work is the light, how it gives form to all we see. I don’t know what my next inspiration will be. That is part of the pleasure— being attentive to what may come, paying attention. It all adds up to feeling lucky to be alive.”

WILLIAM CROSBY

“Over the years, the Adirondacks in New York, the Maine and Atlantic coasts, and the mountains of New England as well as Alaska have become primary locations for my photography and painting inspiration. The change of seasons is always a special passage and a motivation for my new work. For me, wilderness is both a physical place and a place of mind and spirit. Often my work can be considered as an abstract impression of the landscape.”

JODI EDWARDS

“I am an abstract painter. I live in Maine, and I often paint outside on the deck of my camp overlooking the water— my deck becomes my second art studio during the summer months. The water inspires me, and my outdoor studio is my favorite place to paint. My favorite artists are Miró, Pollock, Kandinsky, and de Kooning. I often paint what I feel, or what is currently happening in my life. I love color. I paint to music, and it is almost as much a part of my paintings as the paint. I am a conduit—the music is my muse—and when it’s working, the paint flows through me easily and effortlessly. I often get lost in the paint, and it takes me somewhere else. When I paint, I feel connected to something greater than myself, and a deep sense of joy. I am happiest, most fulfilled, and most completely myself when I paint. It is my gift, and I am grateful to be able to share it.”

COLIN PAGE

“Through painting, I share unexpected moments of beauty that I find in the space around me. Painting is how I share the poetry of experience. Whether it’s a landscape, still life, or portrait, I’m trying to capture the fleeting moment in time when the subject first grabbed me. The impulse to paint a scene usually starts with a light effect or color idea, but I’m most excited when that visual interest is complemented by a narrative. It may be children discovering how to play together, or a tabletop after a busy morning with my kids, or the mess of a working harbor after a long summer day. Even these everyday scenes can evoke a feeling or have a visual beauty that is worth painting. I love to discover beauty in these simple moments. I learn to look for these simple scenes as I watch my young daughters explore the world and find joy all around them. Being a parent has reawakened a sense of wonder in me for the world I inhabit. I see the kids awed by simple discoveries, and it reminds me to be more open to discovery in my own life. I want my paintings to share my own sense of wonder.”