New book of art stunningly captures the beauty of Penobscot Bay

Maine-based book publisher Islandport Press released “Art of Penobscot Bay,” a stunning book of fine art assembled by brothers Carl and David Little, on Feb. 20.

Glorious Penobscot Bay, with its quaint mainland towns, bustling tourist centers and island fishing villages, has attracted and inspired generation after generation of artists. 

For “Art of Penobscot Bay,” David and Carl Little, well-known stewards of Maine art, have selected art and artists, from history and today, that celebrate the myriad of inlets, islands, coves and peninsulas — the “nooks and corners” of the region.

Above all, they sought out art infused with a remarkable representation of place by more than 120 artists who have embraced the area and its people. Art of Penobscot Bay includes artists from the 19th century through the 21st century, including Fitz Henry Lane, Waldo Peirce, Edward Hopper, William Zorach, John Marin, Emily Muir, Greta Van Campen, Alex Katz, Eric Hopkins and Amy Peters Wood. Combined with text by the Little brothers, the art takes readers on a wondrous visual journey around, across, and through a breathtaking bay.

Carl Little lives on Mount Desert Island and holds degrees from Dartmouth, Middlebury and Columbia. He is the author of more than 30 art books. In 2021, the Dorothea and Leo Rabkin Foundation honored Little with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his art writing.

David Little lives in Portland and is the author of “Art of Katahdin,” named a “Best of New England” book by the Boston Globe in 2013. He is co-author with his brother Carl of “Art of Acadia” (2016) and “Paintings of Portland” (2018). David Little holds an MA and MFA in painting from the University of Iowa, attended Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture (1981 and 1982), and has had residencies on Monhegan Island and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. He lives with his wife Mikki in Portland.

Islandport Press is an award-winning publisher dedicated to stories rooted in the essence and sensibilities of New England. For more information, visit www.islandportpress.com.