Colors of Maine

Here is a selection of the gallery's most colorful artists.

Just scroll down to see each painting.

Selected Watercolors

Fairfield Porter 1907-1975

 Atop Great Spruce Head c. 1970

11 1/4" by 13 1/2" watercolor
mat size: 17” by 19 ½”

 Price Available Upon Request

 

Fairfield Porter was born in Winnetka, Illinois , the son of a wealthy architect. A realistic artist, he is best known for his landscapes and sunlit views of interiors, although he also did portraits and still lifes. His work is often described as modernized American impressionist.

After receiving a degree from Harvard University, he took formal art training from 1928 to 1930, and studied with Boardman Robinson and Thomas Hart Benton at the Art Students League in New York City.  In later life, Porter divided his time between his home in South Hampton on Long Island and cottage on Great Spruce Head Island in Maine, where he painted images that reflected his comfortable life as a country dweller, and his appreciation of the effects of nature.

Porter did his best work during the last fifteen years of his life. His style loosened somewhat, and he incorporated more abstract forms and colors and recorded a freer and more immediate impression of his subjects. Porter combined a soft, pastel palette with a broad brushstroke. He strove for a freshness and vitality similar to the abstract painters of his generation, but they are grounded in a less theoretical, more realistic approach. Porter’s oil paintings are immediate, sensual impressions of the world directly before him, unconstrained by any adherence to a particular theory.

Carl Gordon Cutler (1873-1945)

“Near the Artist’s Cottage”

Watercolor on paper, 19.5x 24.5” 

$1800

Carl Gordon Cutler (1873-1945)

“Pink Rocks”

Watercolor on paper, 19.5x 24.5” 

$1800

Carl Gordon Cutler (1873-1945)

“Looking South” Brooklin, Maine

Watercolor on paper, 16.5x 24.5”

Framed 30 x 37 in$2800

 

Carl Gordon Cutler was born in 1873 in Massachusetts. Though educated in the painting of portraits in oil, his two major artistic passions would become the landscape of Maine and the use of watercolor. His watercolors, influenced by Fauve color and John Marin's forms, were exhibited in Europe and the eastern United States, in Boston; Philadelphia; the Museum of Modern Art, and Whitney Museum of American Art, both in New York City; and, farther west, at the Art Institute of Chicago, Illinois; as well as Paris, France. Cutler had more than a dozen one-man shows in New York City and Boston.

Cutler studied in the late 1890s at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, where influence of the old masters on the painting of oil portraits was strong. He also worked at the Academie Julian in Paris. Cutler had some exhibition success there, but it would take several years after his return to America before his mature style would appear. Cutler first painted the Maine coast soon after the Armory Show. By the mid-1920s, he was painting watercolors of the state's landscape exclusivelyviews of Deer Isle, Mount Desert, the Camden Hills and--for thirty summers, Eggemoggin Reach, where Cutler had a cottage. The artist received the plaudits of the critics and acclaim from the public. He spent the last 30 years of his career focusing entirely on painting Maine's Penobscot Bay region.

Carl Cutler was a respected color theorist. In his 1923 book Modern Color, with Stephen C. Pepper, he explained a detailed system involving a scale of 168 colors, telling how to imitate the appearance of natural light through their use. He also discussed emotion as a significant element in artistic creation. In 1994, the Vose Gallery, in Boston, put out a color brochure, Carl Gordon Cutler Along the Maine Coast 1873-1945. Also in the 1990s, the Babcock Gallery, in New York City, published Carl Gordon Cutler, American Modernist Rediscovered, a paperback with forty-four color reproductions and an essay. In 1998, the Portland Museum of Art, in Maine, held an exhibition, "Modern Color": Maine Watercolors by Carl Gordon Cutler, comprised of sixteen out of a total of fifty-nine Cutler watercolors bequeathed a year earlier to the Museum by Mr. and Mrs. James E. Haas. Also in 1998, the College of the Atlantic, Bar Harbor, Maine, exhibited fourteen of Cutler's Maine coastal landscapes painted in the South Brooksville area on the Blue Hill Peninsula.

Nathaniel Dirk (1895-1961)

 Summer Sails, c.1937. Watercolor.

 Image size 8 x 10, mat size 11 x 14

$900

Nathaniel Dirk (1895-1961)

Boat on the Ways, c.1937. Watercolor.

 Image size 8 x 10, mat size 13 x 15

Condition: excellent with vibrant colors on heavy watercolor paper. 

SOLD

Nathaniel Dirk studied at the Art Students League with Max Weber and Kenneth Hayes Miller and in Paris with Fernand Leger. Beginning in 1939 he taught at the League and lectured there on "Color for the Artist" from 1957 through 1960. He was president of the Cape Ann Society of Modern Art and a member of the Rockport Art Association. He exhibited widely, with thirteen one-man shows in New York City alone. Primarily known as a watercolorist, painting in a style similar to, but not as abstract, as that of John Marin. His work is represented in the collections of the Smithsonian, the Brooklyn Museum, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the National Academy of Design and the Art Institute of Chicago.

(From: Pam Koob, Curator, The Art Students League of New York)

Elwyn George Gowen 1895-1954

Cabin in the Mountains

watercolor 5 1/2 x 9 in

estate stamped signature

$300

Elwyn George Gowen 1895-1954

Roadside Farm

watercolor 5 1/2 x 9 in

estate stamped signature

$300

Elwyn Gowen graduated from the School of The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston in 1918 with highest honors.  He was awarded the Ripley Scholarship, the Thayer Prize and two consecutive years of the Cummings Traveling Scholarship in Europe.  Further studies were completed at the New York School of Interior Decoration.  He served as personal assistant to analytical color and research designer Dr. Denman W. Ross of Harvard University and collaborated with Jay Hanbridge in developing the principals of  Dynamic Symmetry.

In 1932 Mr. Gowen participated in outside painting classes with Charles H. Woodbury in Ogunquit, Maine and following the course was invited to serve as an instructor and associate to Mr. Woodbury at the Ogunquit and Boston studios.  He also held teaching positions at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, the Scott Carbee School of Art, The Attleboro Museum of Art, and conducted private classes in Milton and Wellesley, Massachusetts, and also in Portland, Sanford, Ogunquit, Kennebunk, and Kennebunkport, Maine.  He concluded his career as Artist in Residence at Nasson College in Springvale, Maine.  Elwyn belonged to the Boston Society of Independent Artists and was a "First Member" of The Barn Gallery in Ogunquit, Maine and also exhibited his paintings in Boston, Philadelphia, and New York City.

Elwyn Gowen's training in the late teens and early twenties provided him with a firm foundation in the science of color, and deeply rooted him in design and composition.  Under Mr. Woodbury's tutelage his woks came alive with spontaneity.  His color palette is so unique that it inspires retina retention and his oil paintings and watercolors become instantly recognizable when viewed.  Careful study of his masterful brush strokes reveal a unity of form and color with sweeping rhythmic symmetry.  Gowen was most prolific during the 1930's with the majority of his works found in the family attic bearing those dates.

Autumn's Splendor

Bonnie Alpander

Colors of New England

Selected Oils

William Lester Stevens (American, 1888-1969)

 Barn in the Valley

Signed "W. LESTER STEVENS N.A." l.r.
Oil on canvas, 18 x 22 in.

Framed, price available upon request

Born in Rockport, Massachusetts, Stevens spent four years at Boston's Museum of Fine Arts School, where he studied under Edmund Tarbell, among others. Primarily an oil painter, he also used watercolor and acrylics.  He is best known for his post-impressionistic landscapes. Throughout the course of his long career, Stevens taught, first in Rockport, then at Boston University (1925-1926) and Princeton (1927-1929), and during the Depression at Grand Manan.

 He was a National Academician and a member of the American Watercolor Society; a founding member of the Rockport Art Association; Springfield, MA Art League; Guild of Boston Artists; Gallery on Moors; New Haven Paint and Clay Club, CT; Gloucester Society of Art; North Shore Art Association; Boston Watercolor Club and the New York Watercolor Club. He won art awards at the Corcoran Gallery, Washington, DC; American Watercolor Society; New Haven Paint and Clay Club; Springfield Art League; Salons of America; Washington Watercolor Club; North Shore AA; Rockport AA and more. He painted USPO murals in Dedham and Rockport, MA, the Boston City Hall, the Louisville, KY Art Museum and several schools in Boston. References: Movalli, Charles, American Artist (April 1986); Who’s Who in American Art (1947); Who Was Who in American Art (vol. 3, p. 3171-72).

F. John Hilliard (American, b. 1880)

Autumn Landscape oil on canvasboard 14" X 16"

$1200

F. John Hilliard was born in Burlington, Vermont in 1880 and studied in Boston with Eric Pape, George L. Noyes, Charles Emerson, H. Brett, S. Carbee and R. Andrew. He was a member of the Boston Art Club and their president from 1942-1945, the Copley Society, and the Rockport Art Association. His works are in the permanent collections of Boston University, Boston College, and the University of Maine.

 

Donald Allen Mosher

Pleasant St., Blue Hill

Oil on Canvas 12 x 12

SOLD

Donald Mosher grew up on the North Shore and has lived in Rockport since 1980. A descendant of ship builders from Nova Scotia and farmers from Maine, Don is naturally drawn to the power of the sea and the tranquility of the New England countryside.

His interest in art began after winning his first award at the age of eight, and he has since won over 200 awards for his work. A 1968 graduate of Vesper George School of Art, where he met his wife Christine, Don has been a painting instructor and demonstrator and has been featured in several national publications including Yankee and American Artist Magazine. His paintings hang in the permanent collections of large corporations, institutions, banks, and private homes throughout the United States and abroad including the Peabody Museum, Portland Art museum, and the State House in Boston.

Ken Knowles

The Old Sloop

16 x 20 Oil on Linen

$3250 Framed

Roger Deering

Goat Island Light From Cape Porpoise, Maine

14" x 18"  Oil/Canvas

$2000.

Elwyn George Gowen 1895-1954

Mountain Shadows, 1944

Oil on Canvas 22 x 28

price available upon request

Elwyn Gowen graduated from the School of The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston in 1918 with highest honors.  He was awarded the Ripley Scholarship, the Thayer Prize and two consecutive years of the Cummings Traveling Scholarship in Europe.  Further studies were completed at the New York School of Interior Decoration.  He served as personal assistant to analytical color and research designer Dr. Denman W. Ross of Harvard University and collaborated with Jay Hanbridge in developing the principals of  Dynamic Symmetry.

In 1932 Mr. Gowen participated in outside painting classes with Charles H. Woodbury in Ogunquit, Maine and following the course was invited to serve as an instructor and associate to Mr. Woodbury at the Ogunquit and Boston studios.  He also held teaching positions at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, the Scott Carbee School of Art, The Attleboro Museum of Art, and conducted private classes in Milton and Wellesley, Massachusetts, and also in Portland, Sanford, Ogunquit, Kennebunk, and Kennebunkport, Maine.  He concluded his career as Artist in Residence at Nasson College in Springvale, Maine.  Elwyn belonged to the Boston Society of Independent Artists and was a "First Member" of The Barn Gallery in Ogunquit, Maine and also exhibited his paintings in Boston, Philadelphia, and New York City.

Elwyn Gowen's training in the late teens and early twenties provided him with a firm foundation in the science of color, and deeply rooted him in design and composition.  Under Mr. Woodbury's tutelage his woks came alive with spontaneity.  His color palette is so unique that it inspires retina retention and his oil paintings and watercolors become instantly recognizable when viewed.  Careful study of his masterful brush strokes reveal a unity of form and color with sweeping rhythmic symmetry.  Gowen was most prolific during the 1930's with the majority of his works found in the family attic bearing those dates.

Wandering

by William Marvin

16 x 12

$950

Saltwater Farm

Brad Betts

9x12 Oil on Canvasboard

$800

Brad Betts paints a variety of landscape scenes from Maine’s dramatic shoreline. His paintings reflect his deep appreciation for the works of many fine artists, including Edward Hopper and the nautical scenes of John Stobart. Brad has been an artist for over 15 years and received his education from the University of Maine in Orono. He comes from a long line of artists that includes his father and grandparents. He has studied with Carolyn Blish and Don Demers and is a member of the American Society of Marine Artists.

Leveque's Boathouse

Oil on Linen 16 x 12

Andre Lucero


Andre paints the Maine landscape by heading out at dawn off the beaten track and discovering the charm the coast has used to seduce painters from Cole to Kent. He is an associate member of the Oil Painters of America and a member of Mid Atlantic Plein Air Painters Association, and The Jack Woodson Sketch Club (plein air painting group, Richmond, Virginia).

After earning a BFA, cum laude, in 1989, Andre worked for more than a decade as a free-lance illustrator. During that time, his illustrations appeared in numerous publications including The New York Times, The Washington Times and many other publications. Despite widespread acclaim (1995 Virginia Press Association Best of Show Award and the 1994 Award of Excellence from the Art Directors' Club of Metropolitan Washington, D.C.), Andre decided to leave the field of illustration and devote his full attention to his first love, painting. Andre Lucero lives and maintains a studio near Richmond, Virginia.

Moonrise over Blue Hills

William McLane, Jr.

oil on canvas, 16" x 20"

$700

The works of William McLane, Jr. are highly collectible and hang in galleries and homes throughout the United States and abroad. His artwork is particularly well known on the East Coast – especially on the islands of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard and the coast of Maine. He is a member of the Artist's Association of Nantucket. He is a versatile painter whose work varies from abstract to impressionism always with an effective vibrant use of color and excellent composition.

 

Wayne Beam Morrell (American, b. 1923)

Ipswich River Golden Sunset

Signed "Wayne Morrell" l.l., titled and inscribed "Collection of LISA A. MORRELL fromWayne Morrell, SEPT. 10, 2000, IPSWICH RIVER GOLDEN SUNSET, 1975, MY FINEST OF THAT YEAR." 

Oil on board, 24 x 36 in. (61.0 x 91.4 cm), framed.

price available upon request

Wayne Beam Morrell was born in New Jersey in 1923 and as a young child took an immediate liking towards drawing. As a result, he attended the Philadelphia School of Industrial Arts studied draftsmanship and commercial art. Morrell worked as a commercial artist and served in the United States army during the Korean War. After the war, he began painting in 1953 with great success and subsequently left his career as a commercial designer to devote his energy full time to the fine arts. Since then he has exhibited his impressionistic works internationally to great acclaim.

Drawing from his personal life and everyday surroundings gave Morrell greater depth and understanding of his home in New England and these works are what he is best known for. Morrell was a member of the celebrated Rockport artist colony and he is one of a premier group of American artists who continue the this regional tradition of great landscapes.

Morrell is a member of many artists associations including the American Artists, and the Rockport Art Association. His art can be found in the Butler Institute of American Art, the Columbus Museum of Fine Art, the American Watercolor Society, the Vermont Art Association, the Rockport Art Association, and in private collections throughout the United States.

Walter C Hartson (American, 1866-1946)

Landscape with Houses (oil on canvas, 16x20)
In a goldleaf frame measuring 22 x 26 

$2400

Walter C Hartson, 1866-1946, was born in Iowa, studied at the Art Institute of Chicago, then in New York City, Holland and England. On his return from Europe he painted mainly in New York and New England including the Old Lyme and Litchfield Connecticut areas, exhibiting widely from the 1895 Atlanta Expo to Pennsylvania Academy, Chicago, National Academy of Design, Boston Art Club, Corcoran Gallery and more, and he won several prizes.

He lived in New York City early in the 20th century, settling upstate in Wassaic New York around 1917.In the 1930s he was honored in his mature years to be included in the New York State WPA Art Project, with its emphasis on artistic renderings of historic buildings to record them in their settings for posterity -- thus his late impressionist oils of old stone houses along rivers in New York's Columbia and Dutchess Counties. His work is in the permanent collection of the George Walter Vincent Smith Museum in Springfield MA. He is listed in Falk and other reference books such as Ness & Orwig "Iowa Artists of the First 100 Years".

Source: Peter Falk

Stanley Wingate Woodward was a Rockport school painter of marine subjects. He was the author of "Adventures in Marine Painting" and "Marine Painting in Oil and Watercolor" He exhibited widely ( the Pennsylvania Academy, Corcoran Gallery, National Academy, Boston Museum of Fine Arts, etc.) He was awarded many prizes, National Academy, American Watercolor Society, Baltimore Watercolor Society, Rockport Art Association, North Shore AA, etc. His work is in The Boston Museum, Fort Worth, Univ. of Michigan ,Bowdoin College, Amherst College, etc.

Peter Bela Mayer (1887-1993)
Vermont Winter
10" x 14" oil on board Condition: Excellent

$2200 framed

Peter Bela Mayer is primarily known for his impressionist works of the New England landscape and locations near his home on Long Island at Port Washington. He was born in Hungary and added the name Peter in the 1940s to avoid confusion with female painters. From 1908 to 1915, he studied at the National Academy of Design. He first earned public attention in 1914 when one of his pieces was shown at the Corcoran Gallery in Washington DC. During the 1920s, he exhibited at the Pennsylvania Academy of the fine Arts, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Brooklyn Museum.

Source: 300 Years of American Art, by Michael David Zellman

Spring, Harvard
Agnes Ann Abbot (1897-1992)
Unsigned, artist's estate stamp on the reverse
Oil on board, 14 1/2 x 17 Condition: Excellent

$1200 framed

Agnes Abbot (1897-1992) was a prominent woman painter whose work in reflected the "New Realism" in the early twentieth century. Born in Germany, Abbot settled with her family in the Boston area in 1917 and graduated from the School of Fine Arts and Crafts in Boston in 1921.  She had a long association with Wellesley College from 1920 to 1963.  Studied and painted with Charles Woodbury, the founder of the Ogunqit School.

Barn in Autumn

Signed "Bernard Corey" l.r.,
Oil on Masonite, 8 x 12 in. Condition: Excellent.

$4200 Framed in Goldleaf

Bernard Corey is one of New England's premiere landscape painters. He executes paintings surely en pleinaire with accuracy and competence. Memberships included the Rockport Art Association, Salmagundi Club, the Guild of Boston Artists, North Shore Art Association and more. Having won over 100 awards and honors, some include awards at the North Shore Art Association, Rockport Art Association, Salmagundi Club, NYC, Hudson Valley Art Association, Providence Water Color Club, Allied Artists of America and many more.