Pause by Abe Goodale

Current "Turning Away from the Sun"

This summer and early fall show opens with an artists' reception on Friday August 3 from 5 to 8 p.m., features watercolors by Camden artist Abe Goodale and highlights the work of Amy Peters Wood, Rebekah Raye, Wayne Robbins, and more. New pieces will include paintings, bronze sculptures, carved wall pieces, and wood folk carvings.

Following the recent release of the Island Institute’s 2018 Island Journal, “Turning Away from the Sun” will feature watercolor portraiture by Camden artist Abe Goodale who is profiled in this year’s publication. Born on a working sheep farm in Montville, Maine, Goodale grew up with a connection to the land, a curiosity of people, and a passion for creativity. After spending the past dozen years working internationally as an artist and wilderness guide, Abe recently returned home to focus on a project closely connected to the local waters he grew up on. This current work is a tribute to the hardworking men and women who make their living along the coast and an industry that is thriving, yet fragile.

Other highlighted artists in the gallery show will include Amy Peters Wood from Georgetown (egg tempera paintings - Amy Peters Wood Artist), Rebekah Raye from East Blue Hill (paintings, bronze sculpture, and carved wall pieces), and Wayne Robbins from Bath (carved wood sculptures - Wayne Robbins Woodcarvings). In addition, Sanford glassmaker Karen Gola and Appleton wood turner Richard Dunham will continue to show in the gallery through the fall.

About the artists:

Amy Peters Wood – Painter, Georgetown

Originally from Sherborn, Massachusetts, Amy Peters Wood began her art studies at the DeCordova Museum School in Lincoln, MA. She has studied painting at The Rhode Island school of Design and the Maine College of Art, and also studied zoology, physics, and art at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and Mills College in Oakland, California. Additionally, she holds a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from Tufts University.

As a resident of the state of Maine for over 25 years, Wood has exhibited at some of the finest art galleries and museums around the world. Her works have been included in exhibits at the Center for Maine Contemporary Art, the Penobscot Marine Museum, and many other museums around the country. Articles about her work have also appeared in Maine Boats, Homes and Harbors magazine, The Journal of the AVMA, Art Buzz, The Portland Press Herald, the Times Record and online at Maine Art Scene.

In 2003, Wood completed a global circumnavigation with her husband Philip onboard “Iwalani," a gaff-rigged cutter they built at their farm in Georgetown, Maine. Currently, she is trying to learn to fly “Iwalani II,” an amphibious float plane built by her husband and stepson Nathaniel.

Rebekah Raye – Painter and Sculptor, East Blue Hill

As an artist, Rebekah Raye’s work is inspired by a love of animals and their relationship to us and to each other. The images she paints and sculpts come from experiences she’s had in her own backyard in East Blue Hill. With a B.A. in Art Education from the University of Maine at Orono, Raye uses this inspiration to fuel her work as a full-time artist, illustrator, and private art instructor to adults and children.

Raye is also the author and illustrator of three children’s books, Bear-ly There (2009), The Very Best Bed (2006), and Thanks to the Animals (2005), and has received awards and recognition for both her writing and illustrations. In 2005, the illustrations in Thanks to the Animals were recognized in the Society of Illustrators 25th anniversary show of original art in New York City, and in 2007, the book was named as one of the top 10 children's picks for the Chickadee Award. Also in 2007, The Very Best Bed won the Maine Literary Award from the Maine Publishers Alliance. In 2013, The Secret Pool, by Kimberly Ridley (with illustrations by Raye) was recognized by the Natural History Museum in New York City as an “Outstanding Nature Books for Youth” and received the Lupine Award from the Maine State Library Association.

Rebekah Raye has been sharing her gift of art with students of all ages for years. Through sharing and demonstrating the things she loves, she emphasizes that ideas can become a reality, and students of any ability can express themselves through art.

Wayne Robbins – Wayne Robbins Woodcarving, Bath
Raised on the coast of Maine, Wayne Robbins was inspired as a youth to capture the essence of nature in wood. A biology teacher as well as a woodcarving teacher, his understanding of the flora, fauna, and creatures of the sea and his appreciation of the innate beauty of wood helps him design pieces that
maximize the beauty and grace of both the medium and the subject. His mission, through his teaching and art, is to share his passion for the sea and to inspire responsible stewardship of the Earth’s fragile ecosystem. Robbins’s sculpture sizes range from two inches to four feet, in both wall mounts and
freestanding compositions. Each sculpture is unique and identified for its species, numbered, dated and signed by the artist. His work currently graces homes, boats, galleries and collections around the world.

Show is on exhibit until October 28th.