Camden Falls Gallery will re-open for the 2022 season on May 19 during Camden’s Third Thursday art walk from 5 to 7 p.m. The exhibit “Homecoming” will feature work by Ryan Kohler and Tom Glover, and introducing Sean Ware.
Fueled by the creative endeavors of artists, this show offers a first glimpse into many winter projects. Winters in Maine can be an extremely productive time, allowing one to get to those special projects — planned and or unplanned — or open the door to the muse and let the artwork take control.
Tom Glover’s paintings are strong examples of walking the fine line between abstraction and realism. Creating paintings between these two realms is where he finds the key to his artwork. “Conjuring up a piece with these two methods of painting and making them synchronize is the key. That’s where the magic is found,” he says.
While spending his time around the Isle of Shoals, Maine marshes and beaches, and the abundance of docks, piers and fishing gear. Glover creates paintings that are a compilation of many images spliced and woven together from collected from these places he loves.
Ryan Kohler’s work is based in the formal aspects of representational painting, i.e., composition, color, value, texture and so on, but he focuses on finding the abstract yet implicit shapes and tries to find a way to simplify these subjects. Over the past few years Kohler has introduced more cut paper and collage into his paintings, which are bright, lively and fun. They engage the viewer with the possibilities of what it is that they’re actually looking at.
“I’ve always liked puzzles, and now my paintings are a bit like puzzles to me — except I get to make my own pieces, and they don’t have to fit exactly,” Kohler says. “In fact, things are much more interesting when I am imprecise. … When I am being too literal and too careful with my cutting and gluing, the paintings don’t breathe as well and feel uptight and labored.”
Camden Falls Gallery is pleased to be introducing Sean Ware, an award-winning painter, illustrator and educator now living in Yarmouth. He is constantly exploring and creating in the forests and along the coast. His work looks for the steady change of everyday surroundings and environments where there is something new within the familiar. The surprise variation from the routine is what has drawn Ware to the landscape. Setting aside the straightforward observation and then using the landscape as a point of departure, Ware’s work heads in a direction all its own.
Putting Art Within the Reach of Everyone. Camden Falls Gallery is located alongside beautiful Camden Harbor, on the public landing. We offer a rich diversity of original artwork in contemporary styles, focusing on the natural beauty of midcoast Maine and its nautical heritage. The gallery is open daily from 10am to 6pm. For more information, please call 207-470-7027 or visit www.camdenfallsgallery.com.
Featured image by Ryan Kohler, I Am Wide Awake, mixed media 20×20