19th Century Hudson River School paintings complement American Paintings Collection at the Hood Museum

We just returned from a visit with Abby at Dartmouth. While there, she brought us to the Hood Museum to see a magnificent collection of 19th Century Hudson River School paintings on loan from a parent of a Dartmouth student, including among others, Thomas Cole’s Schroon Lake, 1835–38; John Frederick Kensett’s Landscape (Reminiscence of the White Mountains), 1852; Sanford Robinson Gifford’s Mount Mansfield, 1859; and Albert Bierstadt’s Haying, Conway Mountains (Peace and Plenty, North Conway, New Hampshire), 1864. You can read more about this exhibit by following this link: Private Collection Complements the American Paintings Collection at the Hood Museum

One of my favorite works on view is this little gem from the Hood's Permanent Collection, "Below Mt. Manadnock", oil on panel painted around 1913, by Abbott Handerson Thayer, (American, 1849-1921).

In this painting Thayer reverses earlier landscape tradition, by bringing the distant peak into focus and merely suggesting the middle and foreground by an almost calligraphic use of brush strokes.

Another favorite in the exhibition is “The First Thaw”, 1913, Oil on canvas by Willard Metcalf , (American, 1858-1925)

Hood Museum of Art Collection, Dartmouth College

This Painting has a spontaneity and freshness of brushstroke with a wonderful glow of sparkling color that does not show as well in the photo as in person.

The exhibit will run through November of this year.

There is also an exhibit of Modern and Contemporary Art including a wonderful Rothko and a brilliant Sean Scully, that runs through March 14th.

"Wall of Light Summer", 2005, Oil on Canvas, by Sean Scully

If you’re up that way, be sure to visit. Admission is free at the Hood Museum.

Introducing the Drawings of Susan A. Cooney

In this post I’m going to take the opportunity to introduce you to one of Maine’s hidden gems, Susan A. Cooney and her exquisite graphite drawings. I found her and her drawings in a visit to her small Belfast studio, during the December First Friday Art Walk. As you will see, exquisite aptly describes her delicate and sensitively drawn work.

She lives on a boat and so works in graphite for its portability and out of necessity in such a confined space, but the drawings belie the necessity of space and show a true love and mastery of the medium.

"Grog Island", Stonington, ME, Graphite Drawing, Susan A. Cooney

One wall in her Belfast studio contains a large map, where pushpins indicate all the places along the Maine coast and islands she has visited on her boat and her drawings document these places in all their many moods. I’ve provided a friends link to the right, where you can see more of her wonderful work at the Island Institute.

"The Cranberries", Graphite Drawing, Susan A. Cooney

In other news, I'm the featured artist of the month at the Woodstock Gallery. Maybe it's time to go skiing and buy art.

The Woodstock Gallery Announcement, Woodstock, VT

I'm pleased to announce that the Woodstock Gallery has begun representing my work in Woodstock, VT.

Pat and I delivered 10 paintings to the gallery on Wednesday in the midst of a major snowstorm, but all arrived safely, despite driving through unplowed roads and whiteouts. It was an exciting trip to say the least. Woodstock is a beautiful little town with lots of interesting shops and plenty of skiing nearby. One of the new paintings is shown below. It is of a picturesque farm with a bright red barn snuggled at the base of a mountain in Pomfret, a town bordering Woodstock.

Near Woodstock, 3.5x7" Watercolor, Gregory Dunham

Belfast Framer Holiday Gala and The Tarratine Gallery Announcement

I will be showing two watercolors at the Holiday Gala at The Belfast Framer. Featuring a variety of works by area artists, December 3rd through December 31st.. A reception to meet the artists will be held on Friday, December 4th from 5:00 to 8:00 pm.

"Three Pears", 2.75x4", Watercolor by Gregory Dunham

The Belfast Framer & Gallery is located at 96 Main Street, Belfast.

Hours: Monday through Friday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and Saturdays, December 5th, 12th and 19th from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.

For more information, please call 338-6465 or visit The Belfast Framer.

I will also be exhibiting 4 small watercolors at the Tarratine Gallery Holliday Show, 5 Main St., Castine, ME

The opening day is Saturday the 5th of December as part of the Castine Merchants’ Holiday Season, including special refreshments that day and a wine reception from 5-7 PM. The show will run through December on Saturdays and Sundays: December 5,6,12, 13, 19, 20. Open hours will be from 10 AM until 4 PM. I hope to see you there.

Small Works 09 Courthouse Gallery Fine Art Announcement

I will be exhibiting 5 new 3"x6" watercolors in the Small Works Show at:

COURTHOUSE GALLERY FINE ART

Small Works 2009

DECEMBER 3 - DECEMBER 24, 2009

Holiday Open House: Thursday, December 3,

5-7PM

Courthouse Gallery Fine Art is celebrating with a Holiday Open House on Thursday, December 3, 5-7pm. A selection of small paintings and sculptures will be exhibited. Visitors are invited to enjoy the artwork, hot cider and holiday treats. A selection of the works can be viewed at courthousegallery.com

GREGORY DUNHAM, "Late Winter", 2009, watercolor, 3 x 6 inches

2009 Small Works 2009 Participating Artists

David Graeme Baker, Judy Belasco, Louise Bourne. Ellen Church,

Jane Dahmen, Gregory Dunham, Freda Dunn, Kate Emlen, Kerstin Engman, Philip Frey, Francis Hamabe, Liddy Hubbell, William Irvine, MaJo Keleshian, Starr Kopper, John Knight, Beth Lambert, David Little, Eliot Markell, Emily Muir, William Muir, Ed Nadeau, John Neville, Rebekah Raye, Robert Shetterly, Jessica Stammen, Stephen Pace, Colin Page, Gail Page, Stephen Porter, Cynthia Stroud and Michael Vermette

OPEN MON - SAT 10am-5pm

Located at 6 Court Street, Ellsworth, ME

Influence, Inspiration and Six Degrees of Separation: Stow Wengenroth, Andrew Wyeth & Charles Sheeler

Three of the strongest and most enduring influences on my work are the lithographs and dry brush drawings of Stow Wengenroth, the drawings of Charles Sheeler and Andrew Wyeth’s drawings and paintings.

"Down East", 1958 Lithograph ed. of 40, by Stow Wengenroth (Stuckey #249)

I’m currently reading a book entitled Linked by Albert-Laszio Barabási. In it, he demonstrates how everything is linked by networks of one kind or another and that all networks follow a similar pattern of individual nodes with, maybe as few as two connections, in turn, connected to hubs with many connections, in effect connecting all the nodes with each other. One concept discussed is known popularly as, “Six Degrees of Separation”. In a nutshell, this idea suggests, (with some exceptions), that we are only six links or degrees away from anyone else on Earth. In this blog entry, I will use link and degree interchangeably while discussing the concept of the linkage of individuals.

As I pondered this idea over the weekend, I realized that my three strongest artistic influences were, at most, two links away from me. Stow Wengenroth, who I knew as a friend and a mentor, is one link from me. As a friend of Stow’s, Andrew Wyeth was two links from me, until I met him personally one day while in Tennents Harbor. At that moment, Andrew Wyeth became just one link away from me, as did Helga, who I also met at the time.

Artwork images are copyright of the artist or assignee

Charles Sheeler, who I never had the opportunity to meet, was another story. How many links would it take to reach him, (figuratively, of course). Then I realized, he was only two links away, because of his friendship with my uncle, the photographer, Paul Strand, who was just one link from me. The art world was becoming smaller, because of the links we are all connected to. You probably begin to see the pattern here. I have a friend, Donna, who is connected to Desmond Tutu through her work as a facilitator in conflict resolution. She is one link from me. That makes Desmond Tutu two links from me and everyone Desmond knows in South Africa and beyond is, in a sense, just three links from me. You can see how the world is shrinking. We may, indeed, be only six degrees away from anyone, anywhere on Earth.

In a future blog I will discuss the ways in which the work of Wengenroth, Wyeth and Sheeler helped form my artistic direction and sensibility.

"On the Rocks", 1984 Lithograph ed. 35, by Gregory Dunham

Penobscot Marine Museum opening reception

Below are two photos from the opening reception of the "Painters of the Maine Waterfront" show at the Penobscot Marine Museum on September 17th.

Pictured left to right are artists Robert Pollien, Amy Pollien and myself.

Pictured left to right, myself, artist Nancy Morgan Barnes, Abby Dunham (Dartmouth '11)

The photos are a bit blurry due to low light and no tripod. The exhibition ends on the 20th of October. If you haven't seen it yet, it's worth the trip to Searsport.