Feed body and soul with Studio 53 at the Damariscotta River Grill

Hue, tint, oil, watercolor. Texture. Depth, mixed media, assemblage. Wool and silk. Graphite strikes a note.
Wed, 03/19/2014 - 6:00pm

Story Location:
155 Main Street
Damariscotta, ME 04543
United States

The diversity of mediums represented by the two-dimensional artists of Boothbay Harbor's Studio 53 collective at the Damariscotta River Grill will knock you out. The show, which opened March 12, is a sensory delight rich in color, texture and emotion. It runs through April 29.

The artists in the exhibit, Terry Seaman, Heidi Seidelhuber, Paula Ragsdale, Lynne Seitzer, Priscilla May Alden, John M.T. Seitzer and Bob McKay each selected 12 pieces (two large) for the exhibit with the exception of McKay who was part of the show just prior to this one, Seaman with eight and Seidelhuber with seven.

Alden selected sea themed monoprints and Jelloprints and a few of her Navajo-inspired tapestries. A frequent long-time visitor to Taos, N.M. (with her sculptor husband Dick), Priscilla definitely adopts a "when in Rome" state of mind staying in an adobe inn at Santa Fe. And then it’s on to Taos. The couple have attended Navajo ceremonies and immersed themselves in the Pueblo ruins. The loom she uses to create her bold, colorful, spiritual tapestries was made in Taos, as is the wool she transforms into fabric art that honors both her choice of medium and subject.

Alden has three silk tapestries, downstairs, about networking done with nets and several wool tapestries. Upstairs there is the powerful “Spirit Woman,” energy emanates from her hands skyward. A series of three wool tapestries is called "Stone Totems," which "personify the energy and the spirit in the ledges," Alden said.

Lynne Seitzer chose a variety of pieces for the show: landscapes, abstracts, figuratives. From "Parallel Universe,” a small red square in a sea of what could be a sea of people in sped-up motion while, above, is a peaceful, golden haven where the spirit/soul is renewed, both occurring simultaneously. The inner dialogue possible with this piece could be endless, or until the tea ran out.

John Seitzer has one new painting, “River Delight,” depicting the Sheepscot River from Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, and one that hasn't been shown in this area, called “Island Headlands.”

Seitzer said he has been pursuing clouds and rocks of late. In “Outflow on a Cloudy Day,” the clouds are whimsical, almost playful. The sun is absent from the piece, yet there is light on the water. Could the strokes be the imprints of spirits having one last dance before they acsend?

Seaman produced all new works for this show. Unfortunately, he and Seidelhuber (his wife) were on vacation, but their work spoke volumes for them. Seaman's fascinating graphite works are his interepretation of the musical notes heard in Bach's toccatas and fugues. Some are done in watercolor as well. Yes, they are abstract. Captivatingly so.

Seidelhuber's pieces are all views from the water. She often depicts a veiw within a view, or, a view and its reflection, and does so with crystal clarity. Her reflected images appear so real and hold such depth, but as if through a looking glass. Works in this show are watercolors from the series, “From the Waterline.”

Ragsdale's art brings the texture of assemblage and collage as well as oils to various landscapes.

One such landscape of the Botanical Gardens is hung upstairs, to the right of the fireplace, surrounded by small collages that were her Christmas cards.

Wonderful movement emanates from this colorful and textured piece.

“This piece is a happy marriage between the underdrawing and the original sketch,” Ragsdale said. “The underdrawing stayed true. Sometimes you can lose your connection to it in the studio, but with this one, I didn't. You can feel the wind, the energy. It was a good hybrid of the drawing, collaging and the painting.”

Lynne Seitzer said the piece has a “Rousseau feel to it.”

You can spend a long time looking at this piece. The textures of the tree trunks and rocks com alive. Let's face it: Spirit and energy cannot be denied.

McKay chose just two pieces for the show. He was part of a two-person show that just ended at The Grill two days before. They are distinctly McKay marine-working waterfront. This artist depicts the character of each subject, whether animal, vegetable or mineral, with clarity and detail. In “Pursuing the School,” two fishermen are dragging in a net while the sea swirls and gulls swoop. The movement McKay creates draws you into the painting — the third fisherman.

This show, which fills both floors of the restaurant, runs through April 29.

Feed your soul and your body. The Damariscotta River Grill is located at 155 Main Street in Damariscotta. Call the restaurant for hours, 207-563-2992.