“Myth, Memory & Monhegan” Opening Reception July 1

This exhibition pairs large abstract landscapes by the late Mohegan artist Elena Jahn with mythical figurative paintings by Maine artist Lynne Seitzer to portray a unique and visual narrative of Mohegan Island.

Exhibition Dates: June 28-July 31,2016
Reception Date and Time: Fri. July 1, 5-8pm.
Cost: Free

This exhibition pairs large abstract landscapes by the late Mohegan artist Elena Jahn with mythical figurative paintings by Maine artist Lynne Seitzer to portray a unique and visual narrative of Mohegan Island.

Artist Statement:Lynne Seitzer

Sifting through life drawing sketches inspired me to create imaginary settings for the figures I had previously drawn. Like a story, waiting to be told, each painting found it’s own visual dialogue. Memories of meadows, pathways and cathedral woods; magical places we came to know as Monhegan Island, became the setting for many of these stories. “Myth, Memory and Monhegan” is where the real and the imagined live
comfortably side by side.

Generous layers of oil paint were applied with a knife- forming characters for these visual narratives. Then, using a brush, the figures were defined with a bold indigo outline. The first painting, called “Reaching the jumping off point” called for less outer definition. I worked my way into the wooded scenes and the outlines of the figures became bolder. “Shifting slightly on one shoulder, she surveyed the morning sky” exemplifies the stronger outlined forms which followed. A dozen or so paintings later the stories seem (metaphorically) to be fully fleshed out.

What better companion works for this exhibit than the mythical landscapes of Monhegan artist Elena Jahn. It was on Mohegan, in 1999 that John (my husband) and I met Elena. She was busy creating bright colorful images inspired by views from her island studio. Elena, we learned, had summered on Mohegan since 1949. She had a mentor in Rueben Tam and was exposed to the many other artistic icons such as Rockwell Kent, Hans Moller and Francis Kornbluth. She welcomed us to her studio,sharing paintings as well as sketch books filled with wonderful figure drawings. These she created during the regular life drawing sessions that took place on Monhegan. Here was an artist whose warmth infused every piece of artwork she created. A lovely connection was made on that day. Now, two years after her passing in 2014, I am honored to be sharing the walls of Studio 53 Fine Art with an inspiring selection of Elena’s bold Monhegan oil paintings.

Studio 53 Fine Art is located at 53 Townsend Ave., in Boothbay Harbor. For more information, call (207) 633-2755, or visit Studio53fineart.com