A history lesson comes with this profile of artist Ellen Babcock. Ellen lives in New Mexico, where she is an assistant professor of sculpture at the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque. She also founded the organization Friends of the Orphan Signs. Ellen got her BFA from the Portland School of Art (MECA) in 1984 and makes regular visits to Maine to visit her family.
No commentary with this post. Pictures only. Exquisite little pen and ink drawings that we did in our Drawing: Media and Strategies class with Michael Shaughnessy. (more…)
When she’s not at her easel, Diane Dahlke is encouraging and mentoring aspiring and developing artists. She teaches painting in MECA’s Continuing Studies Program. That’s where I first met Diane. I took her Practice of Painting class several times. Couldn’t get enough!
Because her lessons still roll around in my head and in the hand that holds my paintbrush, it is only fitting that I include her in my series of Profiles of Maine Artists. (more…)
En plein air. A French expression that means “in the open air.” A plein air painting is done outdoors. (more…)
Lucy Ellen Smith is not only an exceptional artist, she is an exceptional teacher.
I met her several years ago when she and her husband Carroll moved to Maine from Chicago to take care of her mother Fran. Thinking about that, I need to add that Lucy is simply an exceptional human being. She and Carroll left their home, jobs, family and friends to move in with Fran and care for her until her death seven years later.
They are now back in Chicago, where Lucy continues to create beautiful art and nurture other artists in her drawing and painting classes at the Center for Life and Learning. (more…)
This picture was taken a year ago at my daughter’s wedding. It was supposed to be outside, only it rained. She was a beautiful bride. Don’t you love the boots!
I want you to squint your eyes when you look at the picture, What do you see? A blur of shapes? Keep squinting and you should notice that some of the shapes are dark and some are light. (more…)
If you’ve strolled by the Castle in Deering Oaks recently, you might have noticed a woman with power tools carving a fairly good-sized piece of oak. That would be Anne Alexander, a sculptor from South Windham, and she’s carving a giant acorn. (more…)
One night after class last week, I went for a leisurely stroll along the Presumpscot River in Gorham.
My drawing professor, Michael Shaughnessy, had told us to be prepared to spend our next class making as many marks as possible using graphite on a large piece of paper. At the beginning of my walk, I was contemplating the array of marks and textures and designs I might create. Suddenly, as I came around a bend in the trail I realized that I was surrounded by marks and texture and designs. (more…)
New classroom, pencils, notebook, lunch box, outfit, shoes, things to learn. How I always loved the first day of school and here it is again, only I’m not a kid anymore. (more…)
Whenever I paint, I often get mired in the details. After reading a book called Daily Painting by Carole Marine (love her work), I decided to try some daily paintings. (more…)