color of peaks

The Trefethen Evergreen Improvement Association, otherwise known as “the club”, was the venue last Friday night for the sixth annual Color of Peaks art show. The TEIA is better known as the sailing and tennis spot, but once a year invites island artists to exhibit, while taking a portion of sales towards scholarships for island children to participate in club camps. The sight of the little sailboats bobbing about is a seasonal cue; summer has begun.

I worked on five new pastels for the show. This one, titled “Late Boat” went to a couple with fond memories of a child’s exuberant leaps from the ferry dock.

And the one above went to another family of sailors…
This is a regular sight on my dog walks at low tide.

Not so common is seeing a heron wading in the fog, but I have seen this guy enough to
document him, lingering near what we’ve nicknamed Troll Rock.

As the event progressed, the fog settled over the dock much to the delight of those on the porch.

You can’t beat a sunset view from this location, even with fog……and take note of the heron perched
on the piling.

Can you get how this might be inspiring? There’s really not enough time in the day to capture it all.
The crowd here is an affectionate audience to start with, of the island, of the club, of the community we share.

Here I am with Fran Houston, a comrade in the frontier of self-publishing. She’s just launched a website she created for her book, For the Love of Peaks. Filled with love and respect for the oral stories of Peaks Island elders. A keeper.

The club was built in the early 1900’s as a casino hall. Wall space is at a minimum for hanging work, but the resourceful Friends of the TEIA find ways to showcase a wide range of work, even over the window shades. It’s classic architecture; it just feels good to be inside. Everything glows, and the breezes blow through.

We ran into friends who had come out for the evening. My ole RISD classmate, Bruce Hutchison, on the right,
is an amazing illustrator.

Also in the show was my pastel of a marsh backshore, titled “Sudden Shower.”

I like to draw different moments of the day, the changing light and environment.

“Moondusk” may seem unreal, but it is as true to the serene magic I witness on a daily basis.

Alright, so I haven’t actually seen a mermaid. But only because I haven’t been at Table Rock at her favorite moment, when the tide pools are singing with periwinkles.

Some of these originals may show up at the Gem Gallery. For now, I am putting aside the pastels to work on another poster for Portland Stage Company.

Oh, and prepping for next week’s History Comix Camp, which I’ll be co-teaching with Patricia Erikson. We’ll be learning rope-tying, singing shantys, and sketching at Fort Gorges, and creating a comic book about actual piracy in Casco Bay.

Avast, mateys!