‘Creation from Inspiration’ at Salt Pond Studio features Jeremy Barnard and Graham Walton

Salt Pond Studio in Friendship presents “Creation from Inspiration,” featuring painter Graham Walton and photographer Jeremy Barnard.

In this unique coupling of local talent, Barnard draws his inspiration from the ever-changing Muscongus Bay. Barnard’s large format works dramatically depict the Maine coast in all of its light-filled glory. Walton has teamed with this extraordinary photographer to create major works on canvas inspired by these photographs. This exchange has created a dynamic exhibition by two artists whose style and medium could not be more divergent. Shown side by side, the works are creations from each other’s inspiration.

Barnard has spent summers in Friendship since early childhood . His captivation with the coast of Maine has been the subject of his black-and-white photography for many years. From film to the digital age, to the magical qualities derived from infra-red photography, Barnard’s superior eye and craftsmanship has enabled him to capture a near abstraction of form, shape and light in his portrayal of Maine’s stunning beauty. Maybe artist/writer David Raymond put it best when he wrote in Art New England, “Barnard’s photographs not only convey a sense of place but a sense of time transcending place. … His work is poetic in unexpected ways.” Learn more about the artist at www.jeremybarnard.com.

Walton was born and raised in Newcastle. He creates bold, colorful and innovative interpretations of the Maine coast

“I am surrounded by powerful landscapes that are too rich and alive for me to capture with traditional realism,” Walton says.

By simplifying compositions and reducing his subjects to evenly spaced patterns, he strives to convey the interwoven nature of man and his environment and to celebrate the energy emanating throughout the Mid-Coast as we yearn for unity and reverence for these ancestral lands of the Abenaki peoples. Learn more about the artist at www.grahamwalton.art.

The exhibit runs June 29 to July 11, with an opening reception from 3 to 7 p.m. July 3 with live music and refreshments by the fire pit.

Salt Pond Studio is at 522 Cushing Road, Friendship. Gallery hours are noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Call 207-691-5787 or go to www.saltpondstudio.com for more information.