Ed Parker, Happy Holidays, acrylic, 4” double sided ornament

Wouldn’t it be fun to see what career artists could come up with for tree ornaments? That’s the idea behind the centerpiece of Gleason Fine Art’s “Art for the Holidays” show, which begins Thursday, November 29, 2018, and runs through Wednesday, January 2, 2019. A beautiful Christmas tree will be decorated with ornaments made by the gallery’s artists. A celebratory open house, to which everyone is invited, will be held at Gleason Fine Art, 31 Townsend Avenue, from 3 to 6 pm, on Saturday, December 1, to coincide
with Harbor Lights Festival. Refreshments including wine and craft beer will be
served.

Janice Anthony, Canada Lilies, acrylic, 4” double sided ornament

 

Jeff Barrett, Happy Fish, oil painted wood, 4” long fish ornaments

For his ornaments, Southport summer resident Ed Parker has carved and painted two pieces with his characteristic folky nautical themes. Ed’s delightful “Lighthouse Dog” is decked out in his holiday finest. Lani Havens has made a series of gorgeous blocks collaged with delicate red, orange, and pink poppies. Maine realist Janice Anthony has created a tiny double-sided painting of yellow and orange lilies. Folk artist Jeff Barrett’s whimsical carvings have been purchased by collectors ranging from those with surnames like Rockefeller and Marcus (as in Neiman-Marcus) to tourists just back from visiting the Botanical Gardens. For the gallery’s tree, Jeff has netted us an entire school of his “happy fish.” Besides the tree ornaments that are arriving daily, the gallery’s showrooms have been hung with a bounty of seasonal paintings by gallery favorites Mitch and Kathleen Billis, Kevin Beers, and Tom Curry. East Boothbay artist Andrea Peters’ sumptuous snowscapes are a feast of color. East Boothbay summer resident, and newly minted Gleason artist, Don Demers, has given the gallery several new oils, including a little beauty titled “Winter Tide.” Roger Dale Brown, who joined the Gleason roster just this year, is represented by several glowing, snow-covered paintings of Maine coastal villages and harbors. Not interested in paintings? The gallery has so much more: a new batch of George Pearlman’s porcelain jars, vases, and pots in cobalt and emerald green; rings, necklaces, and bracelets by Christine Peters, our former gallery manager who has become a jewelry rock star; and a luscious selection of Moroccan rugs from that indomitable duo, Diana Kerr and Kathleen Jones.