Bruce Babb and Viola Glendinning are two area artists returning this year to the Pemaquid Gallery in Lighthouse Park, Bristol. Both artists have explored old art forms that come originally from Europe, putting their own unique stamp on their work.
Bruce Babb has been fascinated by marquetry, the demanding art of veneering patterns in wood, since he bought his first sample pack of veneers over forty years ago. With an X-Acto knife, Babb cuts small thin pieces of woods that come from all over the world, placing them on another piece of wood to form patterns. These may become wall plaques, tabletops, games and jewelry boxes. He has been inspired by Italian marquetry during visits there; this is a very old art form, particularly in Europe.
Each piece is unique, based on patterns he designs, or inspiration from antique quilt patterns. Marquetry requires great skill and patience, both in the design and finishing stages. Each piece is entirely hand-cut. The color comes from the unstained wood that is finished with at least six coats of hand-rubbed varnish. His work can also be seen at the Damariscotta gift shop, Gifts at 136, at The Good Supply, New Harbor, and online at www.covehousestudios.com
Viola Glendinning works primarily in oil. Marinescapes are often the subject of Glendinning’s painting as she spent her childhood on the seacoast in Norway. She is fascinated by the ocean, whether the seas are calm or windblown. Glendinning delights in the wind filling sails, and tossing trawlers in a tempest and she finds great satisfaction in bringing these scenes to life on her canvas.
She received an art degree from Brookdale College in New Jersey and owned the Redmen Gallery in South Bristol for a number of years. This summer, she plans to reopen a gallery for her own work in her Cottage Cupboard Shop in South Bristol. View some of her work online at http://cottagecupboard.wix.com/gallery.
Visit the Pemaquid Gallery of Art this season to see the work of the following member artists: Barbara Applegate, Debra Arter, Bruce Babb, Julie Babb, Stephen Busch, William Curtis, Dianne Dolan, Peggy Farrell, Viola Glendinning, Claire Hancock, Kay Hannah, Jean Harris, Hannah Ineson, Will Kefauver, Jan Kilburn, Barbara Klein, Patti Leavitt, Sally Loughridge, Marlene Loznicka, Nancy MacKinnon, Judy Nixon, Paul Sherman, Liliana Thelander, Ernest Thompson, Bob Vaughan, Bev Walker, and guest artists Mark Chesebro, Sarah Fisher and Kathleen Horst.
Artists all reside within the Pemaquid peninsula area. The Gallery is situated within Lighthouse Park at Pemaquid Point, Bristol and online at www.pemaquidartgallery.com. The gallery is open daily through Columbus Day, from 10 AM until 5 PM.
Dominique Ostuni’s solo exhibition, “Would an Angel Apologize for Spilling Champagne,” is on view through Oct. 3 at Dowling Walsh Gallery in Rockland. A centerpiece of the exhibition is “Excess Comes Naturally,” an elaborate mirror standing more than 8 feet tall. The work begins with an ordinary functional object, then overwhelms that function with porcelain, […]
Waterfall Arts will invite the public inside more than 40 artist studios during the Lincoln Street Center Fall Open Studios from 1 to 5 p.m. Oct. 17 at 24 Lincoln St. in Rockland. During the free event, artists will open their studios and welcome visitors into their creative spaces. Guests can explore Rockland’s historic former […]
“Made in Maine,” the Maine Art Gallery’s annual member show, features more than 100 works of art across two floors of the historic Old Academy building in Wiscasset. The exhibition is on view through Oct. 18. Sara Stites of Thomaston, a new member, is showing at the gallery for the first time. Her oil painting […]
High Peaks Artisan Guild in Kingfield features Western Maine watercolor artist Karen Jordan Paul throughout September. Paul draws inspiration from wildlife found throughout Maine, particularly wild birds and fish. The guild celebrated Paul as its featured artist of the month during the Sept. 4 Kingfield Art Walk. High Peaks Artisan Guild is at 245 Main […]
Turtle Gallery in Deer Isle presents “Material Storytelling,” a three-artist exhibition featuring new work by Sheep Jones, Michele Ratté Delphin and Barbara Sullivan, through Oct. 11. The three artists use distinct materials and techniques to explore narrative, light and the quiet poetry of everyday objects. Jones brings her signature combination of oil and cold wax […]
Photographer Melonie Bennett will discuss her exhibition and debut monograph, “Holy Cow!,” from 5 to 8 p.m. Sept. 18 at the Maine Museum of Photographic Arts in Portland. The event will include an interview, reading and book signing. Photographer and writer Robert Diamante, a friend and fellow photographer, will interview Bennett. “Holy Cow!” presents an […]
Centre Street Arts Gallery in downtown Bath will open its fall show during the Bath Art Walk from 4 to 7 p.m. Sept. 18. The gallery represents 20 local artists and will feature new work in its fall exhibition. Visitors can meet the artists, explore the show and enjoy refreshments during the reception. Centre Street […]
Maine artist Daryne Rockett will present “Restoring Liberty,” an exhibition of monotypes and mixed-media work, from Oct. 2 to Nov. 24 at the McDade Gallery at Bangor Public Library. The exhibition brings together two interconnected bodies of work examining freedom, democracy, justice and hope. In a series of layered monotypes, the Statue of Liberty appears […]
Maine Craft Weekend, an annual statewide celebration of craft, community and creativity, will return Oct. 3 and 4. The free, self-guided tour invites visitors to discover the people, places and stories behind Maine’s craft communities. Hundreds of participating artists and locations will host open studios, workshops, pop-up markets, exhibitions, fairs, artist talks, special events and […]