Damariscotta River Grill

New show: Three Maine artists and Lincoln Academy art students

Mon, 05/15/2023 - 6:15pm

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

A colorful new show opens at Damariscotta River Grill showcasing three talented Maine women artists, Pamela Browne, Sandra Crabtree and Elaine Hranich. Celebrate the artists while enjoying a delicious dinner at the “Art at the Grill” opening evening, Thursday, May 25.
 
At 4 p.m., three scholarships will be presented to Lincoln Academy art students Ella Appell, Clare Colburn and Maddy Scott. A portion of the dinner proceeds from our Prix Fixe Artist Dinners have been used to fund these scholarships for students pursuing an art education or career. After the presentation, the prix fixe three course menu that will be offered with or without wine pairings. The regular menu will be available. Reservations are recommended. The show runs May 22 through July 10.
 
Pamela Browne came to Maine from her hometown of Baltimore, Maryland in 1993. Working in several different mediums including encaustic, cold wax, oil and acrylic, she paints mostly abstractly with touch of impressionism. “My art is inspired from a spiritual place that centers in nature,” Pamela said. “When I paint, I am swept away from the here and now and go to a world that has no boundaries. I paint mostly in an abstract/impressionistic style that allows me to change mediums and styles as I see fit. I can go from throwing hot molten wax on wood (encaustic) to painting whimsical characters in acrylic. I love it all.” 
 
For 30 years Sandra Crabtree taught high school art and private art instruction. This accomplished painter is exploring larger formats to bring the fluidity and energetic brushwork of watercolor to canvas with acrylics and oils. Sandy lives and works in Bath, close to the sea and quiet places. She said, “Observations and memories developed as a young person have influenced my lifelong love of nature and art. In my work, I strive to capture a sense of place and share those moments using layers of colors combined with expressive brushwork. The play of light across a body of water, the transitory effects of sunlight across an object, light shining through atmospheric conditions are all a part of my subject matter.”
 
Elaine Hranich grew up living on the water in the small coastal community of Green Island in Toms River, New Jersey.  She settled in Maine 20 years ago. Reconnecting with a deep desire to create, she restarted her art journey in 2012 through private instruction and workshops. Plein air painting provides her with the opportunity to paint the essence of nature.  Elaine likes to experiment with multiple mediums of pastel, oil, acrylic, watercolor and very much enjoys working with a palette knife. 
 
Congratulations to the Lincoln Academy art students receiving scholarships from the Art at the Grill Program. Ella Appell will be studying art at Southern Maine Community College this fall and transferring to Maine College of Art & Design after two years. “I am eager for the new opportunities and experiences college and the future has to offer, as I discover new things about myself and my work,” Ella said. “Art is a means for self-fulfillment, inspiring the same joy I felt as a kid. I hope to pursue a career in the art field, specifically graphic design. I am determined to learn more about who I am as an artist, develop my own style, and continue to express myself through my art in a new chapter of my life.”
 
Clare Colburn has chosen an art and entrepreneurial studies concentration program, focusing on ceramics and sculpture. She makes beautiful well-crafted pottery and sculpture, which began as an escape during the pandemic. “Now, as a ceramicist, my art is a celebration of my unwavering love for experimentation and the joy of the creative process. Through my work, I strive to push the boundaries of traditional ceramics, constantly challenging myself to explore new techniques, forms, and glazes. The labor-intensive nature of working with clay, from wedging and shaping to firing and glazing, requires patience, dedication, and a deep connection with the material. I find peace and joy in the meditative state that ceramics can evoke, as well as the satisfaction of seeing my visions come to life in tangible form.”
 
Maddy Scott plans to rent a local studio to keep her passion for creating big, expressive pots flowing. “Every piece I make is open to interpretation. I'm a firm believer that art can never be stuck with only one definition. The only planned part of my creation process is choosing the relative size I want, but once the clay hits the wheel it's all up in the air from there. I hope you can look at my pieces and see a story inside all from your own imagination.”
 
The Grill is at 155 Main St., Damariscotta. For more information, visit us on Facebook or website, www.damariscottarivergrill.com.