Plein Air in Columbia Falls, Maine

I helped the town of Columbia Falls celebrate their 150th birthday today; painted in the misty rain from 7am to 2pm.  The painting was sold at a silent "wet auction" after the event.  It was fun, but I prefer sunshine!

This is Union Hall, which is where the event was coordinated and the auction took place.  Delightful old building!

Gull Rock - Monhegan

This week I had the pleasure of participating in a plein air workshop on Monhegan with the excellent artists and instructors Michael Vermette and Eric Glass.  We hiked across the island and down to the Eastern shore, where we painted a view of Gull Rock from the North (a scene painted many times by a number of famous artists).  It was an amazing experience and learning opportunity.  Here is my 11x14 painting.

Here is a photograph of Michael Vermette and a couple of the students in the group.

Thank you, Michael!

Painting with "Authority"

One of my instructors once said that you need to get to know your subject; go over there and look at it closely, touch it, stand on it, if you can.  When you do that, you can paint with more "authority".  Following his advice, I have tried to immerse myself into everything I paint.  I hiked the trails, hunted the moose and deer in the Maine Northwoods, canoed on the rivers, fished the trout, cooked, and ate it.  I bought a lobsterboat and caught lobsters, photopraphed lobsterboats, islands along the coast, the brakers on the rocks.  Following that same philosophy, the other day I went out with two local fishermen fishing for halibut.  Here are some of the photos I took, "on location."

Nice catch, boys!

Friends of Baxter State Park

The Friends of Baxter State Park are organizing a Plein Air Paint Out on July 24th, and I have been juried in to participate.  Also, the selected artists have been asked to submit one painting to be sold at an online auction prior to the paint out.  This little 9x12 bear picture is my entry.

Information regarding the auction may be obtained from Suzanne Brewer at suzbrew@roadrunner.com.

Now in Four Downeast Galleries!

After a month of focused marketing efforts, my work is now represented by four downeast art galleries, the Schooner Gallery in Milbridge, Tunk Mountain Arts and Crafts on Blacks Woods Road (Rt. 182) in Cherryfield, the Woodwind Gallery in Machias, and the ARTWORKSOFMAINE Gallery in Lubec.  Here is one of my paintings hanging in my latest gallery, Tunk Mountain Arts and Crafts:

Go see them, and tell them Karsten sent you!

Special thanks to the gallery proprietor, Cynthia Huntington, and the members of the art jury, who graciously accepted my work!

Dull to Colorful!

Something about this painting seemed dull - it was lacking in color.



So I dry-brushed some yellow-green, orange, purple in appropriate areas around the canvas - it seemed to bring the scene to life again - more like it was when I was there.

This is a 9x12 oil on canvasboard and will soon be in a local gallery priced at $400, framed.

Bad Little Falls

This week, Machias is celebrating their 250th anniversary, and as part of the weeklong program, yesterday they offered a plein air paint-out and wet auction.  I painted the view of the falls from the Machias riverbank in the parking lot just behind the Woodwind Gallery and the hardware store.  The painting sold at the auction that evening.  Michael Vermette and Kay Carter from the Plein Air Connection also participated.  Michael's painting earned a "best in show" ribbon!

This was an oil painting on an 11x14 canvasboard.

ARTWORKSOFMAINE

The newly opened Artworks of Maine Gallery in Lubec is now showing six of my paintings - this is one of them:

F/V Holly Lynn at the Ladle, Eastern Harbor, Maine.  This is a 30x40 oil painting on stretched canvas, priced at $900, unframed (has painted "creative edge").

Snow Scene - Commission Delivered

This recent commissioned painting is now framed and delivered!

Dyce Head Lighthouse

Monday I participated in a Plein Air paint-out in Castine, Maine with a group of plein air painters from Bangor, led by Michael Vermette.  We scouted the areas for painting opportunities and settled on the lighthouse at Dyce Head.  Here is the result of my efforts, touched up after an after-dinner critiquing session with the group.  I was intrigued, not only by the beautiful lighthouse, but by the adjoining keeper's house, plus, of course, the lilacs in full bloom in the bright morning sunlight.

This is an oil painting on an 8x10 canvasboard.  If interested, contact me at 207-266-6027 for price and availability.