The Universal Unitarian Church Gallery in Brunswick presents “Eastern Reaches,” Asian brush paintings by Waldoboro artist, Jean Kigel at One Middle Street, Brunswick, Maine, from May 29 to June 26.  A reception to meet the artist will be Wednesday, May 29 from 2-4 PM.  

Large and small paintings of orchids and peonies, shore birds and songbirds, and waterfalls and mountains will line the walls.  Kigel’s work exemplifies both xiexi (spontaneous) and gombi (meticulous) styles of brush painting, both in color and in sumi-e.  She paints using traditional bamboo brushes, hand-ground inks, mineral and organic pigments, and various absorbent “rice papers”.  These papers are not rice-based at all, but derived from inner barks of a variety of Asian trees. Kigel states, “Although water-based, Asian brush painting is nothing like watercolor painting.  With Asian brush, can load multiple colors of paint consecutively into one brush, and lay it down so as to blend the colors magically into paper that drinks it up. Using other techniques, a dry brush can dance and cavort over the.”

“Spontaneous, Loose, Bold” these are the words of late Portland Press Herald art critic, Phillip Isaacson, describing Kigel’s Asian brush paintings.  Also stating that, “Kigel is a master of the oriental brush. Her work with ink or ink with color strikes the viewer as spontaneous, loose, bold, and somehow inevitable…By the latter I mean the product of a difficult skill an attitude acquired through commitment and study…”

The gallery is located on the corner of Pleasant and Middle Streets across from the Curtis Memorial Public Library with hours Tuesday through Friday 10am – 4pm,  On-street parking should be available. FMI contact 207.729.8515 or jean@jeankigel.com