“Paint it! Maine” at the Maine Art Gallery 

The opening of the annual plein air show at the Maine Art Gallery (MAG) on July 31 was a festive event, as it always is, especially when it is part of the lively Wiscasset Art Walk. The artists, this year 25 from 25 Maine towns, came out with their friends to enjoy the exhibit, despite the rain in the first part of the evening.

The variety of locations was equaled by the diversity of subject matter. Everything from fields to mountains, the ocean and historic houses were represented, and in mediums including watercolor, oil and acrylic. 

“It’s so enjoyable to paint outside. You engage so differently than you do in the studio,” commented Carolyn Gabbe of Nobleboro, who painted a mysterious, impressionistic landscape oil of Chimney Farm, near where she lives. Deer can be seen popping their heads up in a meadow, with the Beston graveyard in the background.

Elaine Graf of Fayette, a small town west of Augusta, said, “I love painting plein air. It allows you to capture the light more easily.” This is her second year as part of the annual show. She has numerous paintings, both oils and watercolors, displayed.

Bernadette DeCesare of Waldoboro is exhibiting a number of amusing works, one of which was painted at the Waldoboro Transfer Station. A metal chicken sculpture, that she said the station manager kindly propped up on a fence for her, is one of the colorful objects in the composition. She remarked, “Painting there is so much fun!”

MAG has dedicated this year’s “Paint It! Maine” show to Anthony Watkins, who passed away in March. He was an accomplished plein air painter who regularly participated in the gallery’s events. There were numerous awards chosen by David Dewey. Awardees were Michael Vermette, Nora West, Mark Coates, Jillian Herrigel and John Sawyer.

The show, which is on the second floor, will be up until Aug. 24. On the first floor is “Fiore at 100: Maine Observed,” a retrospective exhibition of works by Joseph Fiore (1925-2008), for whom the natural beauty of the Maine landscape was a primary inspiration. This will also be up until Aug. 24. All work in both exhibitions is for sale. Sales of the Fiore works will benefit the Maine Farmland Trust as well as MAG.

David Dewey, a colleague and former student of Fiore, presented the gallery talk “Fiore: The Plein Air Experience” on Aug. 6.

The Maine Art Gallery is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement and preservation of painting, sculpture and graphic arts through exhibitions, lectures, demonstrations and educational programs for children and adults. The gallery is located at 15 Warren St., Wiscasset. Hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Visit www.maineartgallerywiscasset.org for details.