Camden Falls Gallery presents Coastal Color

Exhibition Dates: August 20 – September 9, 2016

Artists’ Reception: August 20, 2016, 4-6pm

Camden Falls Gallery is pleased to present Coastal Color, which features an exciting collection of works by contemporary landscape painters Janis Sanders and Jennifer Van Cor, along with other gallery artists. With unique painting styles and personal visions, these artists present iconic Maine images in rich, bold hues that bring a fresh sense of energy and vibrancy to the gallery. Coastal Color will run from August 20-September 9, with an Opening Reception on Saturday, August 20 from 4-6pm.

Once a landscape architect, Massachusetts artist Janis Sanders is known for his simple compositions and distinctive palette that captures the brilliance of Maine’s coastal light. Like many landscape painters, Sanders enjoys painting out-of-doors and often renders his work en plein air.  He begins each painting by blocking in the sky, noting that the “sky is the key to determining the entire atmosphere of the painting, and visually and practically provides the backdrop for the other objects in view. Some days slightly purple, sometimes hazy cream, clear aqua, rosy peach, celadon…. we are immersed in it.”

Using his sensory impressions as a creative vantage point, Sanders offers viewers a distinctive look at some of Maine’s quaint architectural delights. With an expressive, modernistic style, he incorporates large abstract elements such as sky and water that show off the physicality of steep gabled rooflines, sunstruck walls, illuminated windows, and shady porches. From charming old barns to cozy cottages and rugged lighthouses, Sanders provides a fresh way of seeing the character of each structure within its specific place and time.

Much like Sanders, New Hampshire artist Jennifer Van Cor is constantly captivated by the unique beauty and colors of the coastal Maine landscape. With a distinctive palette and painting technique, she creates active, vibrant compositions in which she strives to “express the energy and spirit of a place.” When painting, she says, “each stroke and dip of the brush pushes my senses onto the surface… and if I am listening closely and truly, the life of a landscape fills the painting. As my landscapes progress, they become more about the flow of energy, the experience of a lifetime of color, shape and feeling.”

Applying layer upon layer of color in small, bold swatches, Van Cor creates mosaic-like works composed of angular, almost geometric brushstrokes that capture the bright island light and distinctive landforms of coastal Maine. According to Van Cor, “small pieces of color unite to create not only a space or shape, but a feeling. Showing the brushstrokes keeps the viewer’s eye on the surface of the painting, while depicting a recognizable image.” With a unique technique and style of her own, she renders land, sea, and sky in multi-faceted bursts of color that seem to dance across her canvases. 

In addition to Sanders and Van Cor, Coastal Color will include the works of gallery artists Hannah Ineson, Aline Ordman, Judith Schuppien, and Ann Trainor Domingue. Please visit Camden Falls Gallery to see how these talented artists use color in bold and captivating ways to express their unique visions of life along the coast of Maine. Located at 5 Public Landing in downtown Camden, the gallery is open daily from 10am-8pm. For more information, please visit www.camdenfallsgallery.com or call the gallery at 207-470-7027.