Osprey sitting attentively in their wondrous nests…. robins and cardinals intently looking and calling for mates… herons and egrets negotiating the edges of swollen ponds and rivers…..
The birds are back and provide endless variations of interpretation for many artists at Markings Gallery and an exciting focus for the month of May.
In the words of Abigail Robbins, “Birds are amazing. I watch them endlessly, their shapes, their flight patterns, their living habits. Looking at birds with their gestures and body language, gives me infinite inspiration for sculptural forms.
I find the medium of papier mache versatile. I can shape and reshape until I am satisfied that the sculpture is close to the idea I have in my head.” Abigal’s sculptures capture the essential elements in her birds; the owl, the crow, and the raptor.
Wayne Robbins (no relation to Abigail) is well known for his wood carvings of the birds that inhabit Maine’s woods, fields and marine environment. Working with a diverse variety of woods, such as linden, butternut, and walnut, Wayne carefully selects just the right piece to carve Puffins, Auks, Terns, Screech Owls, Sea Ducks, and Chickadees, to name just a few. Some of his carvings are hand stained to enhance the colorings and markings of each species. Many hours and thoughtful observation go into these sculptures.
Sue Stasiowski brings her unique artistry with needle felting to create marvelous interpretations of a wide range of birds. A little Oriole’s orange coloring has such depth because of the unique way Sue has for combining multiple colors of fiber. That orange is made of a masterful blend of yellows and several shades of orange. The mixing on his wings is a painterly mix of black, white and wisps of orange.
Several other artists at Marking’s Gallery incorporate birds into their repertoire—
Janice Wright with her fierce eyed herons on relief tiles and painted bowls, Kirsty Sandoy’s felted bird ornaments, Carolyn Judson’s expressive clay birds, Nan Kilbourn-Tara’s delightful small tile bird paintings.
Marking’s Gallery, 50 Front St., Bath, Maine
Gallery hours Thursday thru Monday 10am to 5pm (Sunday 10am to 4pm) closed Tuesday and Wednesday.
Harbor Square Gallery in Camden is showing new work by Thomas O’Donovan, the jeweler and artistic director who founded the gallery more than four decades ago. On view is “Revelation,” from his series The Offering, crafted in 18k gold and bronze with antique coconut heishi beads. Harbor Square Gallery is at 37 Bay View St., […]
The Deer Isle Artists Association gallery welcomes North Carolina-based painter Tony Griffin as artist-in-residence for April. Griffin’s work — deeply rooted in the tradition of the Renaissance masters — spans portraiture, figure painting and plein air landscape. He studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia and has exhibited throughout North Carolina […]
Waterfall Arts in Belfast opens “Make Your Mark,” an immersive, community-driven exhibition transforming the Clifford Gallery into an interactive space inspired by street art, April 18 through May 29. An opening reception is April 18 from 1 to 3 p.m. and is free and open to the public. The exhibition features participatory installations including doodle […]
Local Color Gallery in Belfast welcomes fiber artist Sarah Leighton as guest artist April 21 through May 17. Leighton will speak about her work during Fourth Friday Gallery Night on April 25 from 4 to 7 p.m., with her talk beginning at 5 p.m. Leighton grew up in Midcoast Maine, where her French-Canadian grandmother — […]
The Union of Maine Visual Artists presents “Bodies in Motion,” an exhibition of work in various media at Zoot Coffee in Camden, running April 1 through 30. The show features 19 artists: Hillary Steinau, Cynthia Motian McGuirl, Jess Lauren Lipton, Charlie Newton, Maryjean Viano Crowe, Mackenzie Martin, Jorge Pena, Rachel Robbins, Shanna McNair, Kristi Marsh, […]
Three artists are currently featured at Dowling Walsh Gallery in Rockland, spanning painting, assemblage and works on paper. Robert Hamilton (1917-2004) thought of his paintings as “a place for something to occur — little pictorial events, little plays.” In “Come Back Sweet Mama (Boy in Museum)” (1990), the avid recreational tennis player imagined a museum […]
Maine Art Gallery in Wiscasset has shaped its 2026 exhibition season around the ways artists respond to the natural world and Maine’s place in the sustainable agriculture movement. The season opens with “Art to Table: Visual Sustenance,” a juried show examining individual and communal relationships to food through works that elevate ingredients, meals and rituals. […]
Meetinghouse Arts kicked off the season with a creative conversation featuring artist Charlie Hewitt on March 18, partnering with Freeport Community Services for the evening event. Hewitt is known for his Hopeful Project, a glowing installation originally commissioned by Speedwell in 2019 that has since spread to dozens of sites. The gallery also hosted a […]
George Marshall Store Gallery in York opened “Block Party!” on March 15, bringing together artists living, working or with ties to York, Kittery, Eliot, South Berwick, Ogunquit and Wells. The open-call exhibition featured a wide variety of mediums, experimental approaches and interpretations of local landmarks. The show included work by Karen Adrienne, Marena Bach, Todd […]
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