Gleason Fine Art opened two new shows on July 27: Henry Isaacs: New Work and Peter Sculthorpe: An Eye for Monhegan. The opening reception for the artists will be held during  First Friday, August 4, from 5 to 7 p.m. Everyone is invited to come and share a glass of Monhegan Brewing beer or fine wine. The two shows run through Aug. 28. 

“Henry Isaacs: New Work” - Isaacs  paints with energy, passion, and self-assurance. His style - broken brushwork, a liberal use of paint, and a sunny palette of blues, greens, pinks, and yellows - marks him as one of the most recognizable artists painting in Maine today. In person, Isaacs is as engaging an individual as you will ever meet.

Henry Isaacs and his wife, Donna, divide their time between Portland, Maine, Vermont, and the tiny village of Islesford on Little Cranberry Island, located just next door to the much larger island of Mount Desert. Little Cranberry has seen dozens of artists over the years, including most recently Isaacs and his close friend, renowned children's book author Ashley Bryan. Earlier artists included Dorothy Eisner (whose estate is handled by Gleason Fine Art), William Kienbusch, and John Heliker.

Freelance writer, and Portland Newspapers arts reviewer, Dan Kany uses high praise to describe Isaacs' technique: "Isaacs' approach to color is based on balancing warm and cool tones. He does this brilliantly. His handling of paint owes an unapologetic debt to the chunky boldness of the early 20th century Modernists and Fauves such as Matisse. The brushwork is strong, dedicated to the job of pushing paint around the canvas--an activity Isaacs clearly enjoys."

“Peter Sculthorpe: An Eye For Monhegan” -   Classically trained at the prestigious Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art, Sculthorpe's painting style is meticulous and hard-edged. Through his masterful use of light and unsurpassed observational skills, Sculthorpe creates the feeling in the viewer of being on the cusp of a significant event, either one that has occurred or is about to occur. He captures the tension and beauty as the sun sets, the moon rises, or the wind blows, suspending the viewer in the moment to ponder the infinite.

The artist  has traveled extensively in the northeast and the maritime provinces to gather inspiration and subject matter for his paintings. However, it has been Monhegan Island that has really brought his imagination to the fore. Look at Sculthorpe's magnificent “Morning Fog (Monhegan).” This little white cape house on Swim Beach has been in dozens, if not hundreds, of paintings, but you've never seen it like this before. As is his genius, Peter Sculthorpe sees something different and then paints it as he sees it. It's skill, but it's also a little bit of magic.

Sculthorpe creates works of great beauty, finding the transcendent in what to the casual observer may at first seem commonplace. The Brandywine Museum, the Berman Museum, the Butler Institute, and the Delaware Art Museum all have sssSculthorpe paintings in their collections. Corporate collectors include Bank of America, Forbes, DuPont, and Nabisco. Peter Sculthorpe's collectors are international. Locally, one of Peter Sculthorpe’s masterworks may be seen in Paul’s Steak House at the Boothbay Harbor Country Club.

Gleason Fine Art has represented Sculthorpe for over a decade. We are his only gallery in Maine. Gallery Director Dennis Gleason wrote the foreword for the artist's new book: The Art of Peter Sculthorpe (Schiffer).

Summer gallery hours are Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. For further information, call Gleason Fine Art at 633-6849 or email the gallery at info@gleasonfineart.com. View both shows, and the gallery's entire inventory of contemporary and estate art, at www.gleasonfineart.com.