The First Friday Art Tours of the 2022 season ended Oct. 7. Traditionally the most low-key First Friday of any year, it nonetheless was an opportunity to take in some great art, conversation, and delightful refreshment!

Karen Swatsberg said this was Gold/Smith Gallery’s 48th year! How is that even possible, Karen wanted to know! 

The jewelry and art gallery, where the art of John Vander can always be found, is at 8 McKown St. here in Boothbay Harbor. Gold/Smith is distinctive – from the artwork to the jewelry to the painted shirts, as are Karen and John. Karen is a fine jeweler and her painted shirts (and jeans, sometimes) are hugely popular. 

Vander’s new mixed media show, “Tourist Season,” features 20 mixed media paintings of people Vander sees passing by the gallery. He’s always drawn sketches on and off season, but this year he chose to make a show of some of them. 

“Just the challenge of getting someone’s body language down,  particularly with couples and their interaction,” John said. “It’s people-watching ... lots of dog walking ... particularly this time of year I will sit here with my sketchbook and see what’s going by.”

That’s got to be some quick sketching! “You want to get something down that gives you an aid to memory – and do the best you can. I find you can almost feel the movement of a person going by, kinetically, the way they swing their arm when they walk.”

There are a few dog walking pieces that are richly colorful and, well, joyful. “The Yellow Sun Hat” is so full of movement ... a woman walking confidently down the street in an oversized yellow hat, hand on one hip, she is taking a step forward. A man is about to pass by her. His posture is relaxed, laid back and he appears to be smoking a cigarette (of some kind). I love the intimacy of this painting.

The person in “The Pink Umbrella” appears, almost, to have three faces ... or what John is capturing is the movement of her (or his) head. I get the impression this person, I think it’s a woman, was talking loudly (the mouth is quite large – and open). An interesting piece, for sure. After talking about art and a bit about foreign affairs, I said my goodbyes and headed for ...

Boothbay Region Art Foundation ... Art fans and the mildly curious dropping by were getting a sneak peek of the newly hung Art in ME juried show. This annual show officially opened the following day and ended with an awards presentation at 6 p.m. When I walked in, I looked from left to right around the gallery, checking out the work ... and then- there “it” was: a fairly large abstract on the back wall and it was calling my name. After speaking with Sarah Wilde a few minutes, I went directly to it. As was revealed at the awards presentation Saturday night, the painting, “Potential Gravity” ... When worlds collide, more like! Well, that’s one little daydream I had inside this one.

The application of the paint and choice of colors are bold, layered in some places – and dark. I almost felt torn in several directions all at once. The rings in the lower right corner emanating from the gold orb reverberate and move you to the eye of a storm, the scene beyond it appearing calm, then I’m led to the black structure leaning from the wind, or falling over maybe? And into a place where ice buildings are leaning, falling ... the heavy paint reflects the intense action going on while the shadows of two people who once existed will soon evaporate and join the dark mass at the top half of the painting. Phew! That’s intense! 

After that adventure, it was time to mosey on over to Gleason Fine Art, but like Joy to the Wind, they had closed at 6. 

Over at Studio 53, artist and co-owner Terry Seaman said about 25 people came by for art, conversation and refreshments. Artists at the First Friday also included Don Josephson and  artists Lynne and John Seitzer (of Joy to the Wind), who came by. Lynne said they closed early to come out and see what everyone else has been working on. Terry said the holiday art sale would be back in November-early December and he was planning to begin the journey back to Seattle til May.

Some of the galleries do stay open all year – Gleason, BRAF – both downtown. Joy to the Wind is open by appointment through the late fall and winter months. Thank the heavens for websites, right? When I discovered the following quote by Jean-Jacques Rousseau back in high school it rang true, immediately: "The world of reality has its limits; the world of imagination is boundless.” 

First Friday Art Tours in Boothbay Harbor begin June 2, 2023.