Casco Bay Artisans

Russ Cox: New Ways of Living with Art Opening Reception
2022-06-17 17:00 - 20:00 UTC | Casco Bay Artisans, 68 Commercial St, Portland, ME, 04101, United States
For Immediate Release
Celebrating 10 Years, Casco Bay Artisans presents
Russ Cox: New Ways of Living with Art.
A Master Abstractionist Muses on the Objects and Scenes of Everyday Life.
June 13th, 2022, Portland, Maine – Casco Bay Artisans is celebrating its 10th Anniversary this summer. Gallery owner Jennifer Swarts wanted to mark the occasion with a passion project that has been in the works for years. Large scale abstract artist Russ Cox was the perfect collaborator.
The centerpieces of this exhibition are a series of unstretched ‘scroll’ works on canvas. Cox’s mastery of gesture, scale and theme collide with contemporary presentation that is both beautiful and practical. The large scale of Cox’s abastrations immerse viewers in a visual field where their world becomes the painting. As ‘scroll’ works, these pieces can be easily moved across the world or just from room to room.
From scrolls, the collaboration moved to textiles. Swarts has always envisioned Cox’s work translating into objects of comfort. For the next project, she paired Cox’s painting with a bench by master woodworker Terry Kelly. Now the works could be an immersive place of solace. Next the direction moved to shoes. Art and footwear have long been companions of each other. It was time for Cox’s pieces to join this subculture. Once again, Swarts tapped into the network of creators in Maine. This time pairing with Rancourt & Co to hand stitch limited editions of three paintings as high and low top sneakers, each to be signed by the artist. Pre-orders will be arranged through the gallery.
The finishing touches on Cox’s show are indelibly works inspired by Maine. From the stunning oceanscapes to the seaweed itself, Vacationland seeps into the very fibers of the canvas with rich blues, the texture of bubbles, and scenes the viewer wants to get lost in.
For More Information
Contact Jen Swarts, Gallery Owner Jen@CascBayArtisans.com 207-400-6159
Or Jess Lauren, Gallery Manager CBArtMarketing@gmail.com 609-306-0793
###
Russ Cox ‘Summer Meadow’ Oil on Canvas Scroll 60”x 74” $4900
Russ Cox ‘Untitled (River)’ Oil on Canvas 48”x60” $6826
Terry Kelly 'Lilliana's Bench' White Ash 42"x 23" x 32" $2800 with Cushion $3200
Russ Cox 'Grafitti' Oil on Canvas 60″x48″ $6825
Shoes Available for Pre Order 6/18/22
Russ Cox ‘Under the Surf’ Oil on Canvas 72”x 48” $7500

Russ Cox: New Ways of Living with Art
2022-06-18 - 2022-07-11

Paul Brahms Paints Live in the Gallery
2022-07-08 16:00 - 20:00, 2022-07-09 11:00 - 15:00

Opening Reception: 'Vacationland' Featuring the Works of Paul Brahms and Rebecca Hayes
2022-07-15 17:00 - 20:00
Vacationland
Featuring the works of Paul Brahms and Rebecca Hayes
Join Casco Bay Artisans as we celebrate the iconography and essence of what makes Maine ‘Vacationland’.
Paul Brahms is a master painter with brush and pallet knife. With simple strokes, he captures details and emotion. His sense of color is that of someone who has spent a lifetime looking and letting the colors reveal themselves with all of their depth and nuance. ⁠In his own words “My artwork is a way of expressing what I notice around me, and what rises up within me. It’s a way to share my experience, and bring joy and reassurance and surprise and other forms of life-sustaining concepts to others. I aspire to be like the bee who tells his co-workers where the flowers are or a filmmaker who illuminates the tension in a scene. I want my work to move, to have atmosphere, and to embody a searching, questioning state of being, but this requires meditation as much as agitation, and I straddle this polarity often ,leaving a visual record of this struggle. Ultimately, my painting is a meditation, a yearning for intimate awareness.”⁠
Rebecca Hayes is an emerging artist who’s work is already highly sought after. Her attention to detail and ability to capture reflections show the prowess of a master painter in the making. In her own words: “Ranging from scenes that reference the coast of Maine to the interiors of my childhood house, the subject matter of my work always seems to come back to my home in the Portland area of Maine. While I strive to create images with an authentically local perspective on this vacation destination, I don’t consider the actual scene depicted to be paramount when explaining the purpose of my work. Each subject I paint serves as a visual medium to explore various aspects of my personal painting style, which combines techniques from traditional realism with expressive, painterly sensibilities. This mixture of styles has been triggered by an overarching fascination with abstract nature of light and the way it inhabits a space. Through the use of photography as a reference, which I originally utilized to give myself the time to meticulously render detail, I have become intrigued by the patterns that emerge from light when it is forced to sit still, like in shadows and reflections. I also closely study the way light can dramatically affect the entire palette of an image, such as morning versus evening light, and natural versus man made. The environment of my life in Maine, both outside and in, provides countless scenes for me to examine the way light influences pattern and color, while maintaining a dedication to representational art.”
Paul Brahms ‘Pounding Surf’ Oil on Canvas 49”x37” $7,500
Rebecca Hayes ‘Bayside’ Oil on Canvas 36″x24″ $8625

Bright Colors & Bold Gestures
2022-09-27
Bright Colors & Bold GesturesImmersive Abstraction and Sumptuous Encaustic
Featuring new oil abstractions and Autumnal encaustics by gallery artists Erika Manning and Anastasia Gatto and welcoming new artists Ivonne Portillo and Patrick Walsh.
Anastasia GattoBorn in Pennsylvania, Anastasia grew up in southern New Jersey and now lives in Waterford, Maine. Her interest in art began in early childhood, and she became a full time artist in 1997. A daily painter, she works in oil, encaustic, and pastel. Anastasia primarily paints the landscape and is best known for her color choices and her impressionistic style. She has also been recognized nationally and internationally for her portraiture and animal pastels. Her goal is to capture the essence of the beauty she sees around her and to share it with others. A member of the Pastel Society of New Hampshire and the Plein Air Painters of Maine, she is also a signature member of the Pastel Society of Maine.
Anastasia Gatto ‘Misty’ Encaustic on Panel 41”x31” $6101
Anastasia Gatto ‘End of Summer’ Encaustic on Panel 49”x25” $6106
Anastasia Gatto ‘Foggy Marsh’ Encaustic on Panel 25”x13” $2700
Anastasia Gatto ‘Shore Break’ Encaustic on Panel 25”x13” $2700
Anastasia Gatto ‘Rocky Walk’ Encaustic on Panel 30”x40” $6106
Anastasia Gatto ‘Coastal Islands’ Encaustic on Panel 37″x37″ $6800
Anastasia Gatto ‘Coastal Breeze’ Encaustic on Panel 49”x25” $6106
Anastasia Gatto ‘On the Edge’ Encaustic on Panel 49”x 37” $8,500
Erika ManningIn her work, multi – media visual artist Erika Manning explores the concepts of balance, of empty space versus overcrowding, of mapping and charting, of light and reflection, as well as individual and collective history. The images loosely relate to the natural world and are inspired by meditation, the dream state, fog, ocean, stars, masts, topographical maps, trees and rock. While Erika strives for a finished image, the beauty for her is in the process of creating which she sees as a spiritual practice. She enjoys using a rich, saturated color pallet to celebrate the unlimited capacity of the spirit. Erika resides in mid-coast Maine. She is represented by galleries in Maine and NH, and has work in many private collections through out the US. Pre-pandemic Erika taught courses on unleashing one’s creativity and healing through the visual arts, as well as on the traditional studio arts. She has participated in several Artist in Residences on the East Coast, and recently took part in the Yellow Chair Salon a three month virtual Artist Residency and Master Class with Michael David and Company in NYC. She received a BFA in printmaking and sculpture from the Art Institute of Boston in 1993.
Erika Manning ‘Stretched into Balance’ Oil on Canvas 30”x30” $3200
Erika Manning ‘Liminal Blue’ Oil on Canvas 30”x30” $3200
Erika Manning ‘Solstice Yellow’ Oil on Canvas 30”x30” $3200
Erika Manning ‘Solstice Blue’ Oil on Canvas 30”x30” $3200
Erika Manning ‘Nonsensical Daydreams’ Oil on Canvas 30”x30” $3200
Erika Manning ‘Echo’ Oil on Canvas 24”x24” $2200
Erika Manning ‘Flamingo’ Oil on Canvas 24”x24” $2200
Erika Manning ‘Bridge Interlude III’ Oil on Canvas 48”x30” $5520
Ivonne PortilloIvonne Portillo is a Colombian visual artist living in Barcelona. Her work celebrates the diversity of the peoples and landscapes of Latin America while emphasizing the vindication of the historical memory of indigenous peoples, many of whom structure their worldview around reciprocal relationships between us and what surrounds us. She transforms the shapes of the earth and its textures into carved and engraved topographies that she then prints on paper or fabric, using oil engraving paint and collage with metallized paper. She is inspired by land art to create abstractions of paths, forests, mountain ranges and bodies of water. The woodcut prints a trace representative of a diverse landscape, much like the Latin American lands which shelter 60% of the planet’s biodiversity. These lands are a natural mosaic that shelter infinite forms of human and non-human life.
Ivonne Portillo ‘Kumanday’ Woodcut and Collage on Paper 20″x20″ $750
Ivonne Portillo ‘Riberas (Basins) ‘ Woodcut and Collage on Paper 20″x20″ $750
Ivonne Portillo ‘Lirio de mayo‘ Digital Print and Woodcut on Paper 18.5″x22.5″ Framed $375
Ivonne Portillo ‘Hanburyi’ Digital Print and Woodcut on Paper 18.5″x22.5″ Framed $375
Patrick WalshCurrently, my work consists primarily of acrylic paint on canvas. I use color and gesture to encompass human emotion and socio-economic themes. My work is sporadic and aggressive, using a vast range techniques and mediums to help me convey these topics. Collecting ideas from history as well as current events, my paintings can be seen as abstract cultural representations that tell a story reflecting the human condition. Aside from these concrete themes and ideas, I rely heavily on the unexpected and subconscious mind as well as personal experiences to lead my hand through these conceptual eruptions of vivid color. The viewer can find dark imagery and subject matter that is illustrated with a vigor and intensity of pigment that an overarching feeling of hope is unavoidable.
Patrick Walsh ‘Heads & Tails II’ Acrylic on Canvas 36″x48″ $5800
Patrick Walsh ‘Heads & Tails’ Acrylic on Canvas 36″x48″ $5800
Patrick Walsh ‘I Love Your Shoes’ Acrylic, Pen, Marker & Oil on Canvas 36″x48″ $5800
Patrick Walsh ‘Nice Purse’ Acrylic, Pen, Marker & Oil on Canvas 36″x48″ $5800

Sea Cow for Dana-Farber Painted Live in Gallery
2022-11-21 - 2023-03-27
Art that Moooves YouJoin us this winter as Russ Cox paints an ocean themed cow to benefit the 75th Anniversary of the Jimmy Fund and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Cox will bring his distinct abstract painting style to this ‘sea cow’ honoring Maine’s deep connection to the ocean and marine industries. Follow along here and online as this bovine beauty comes to life. Casco Bay Artisans is excited to host this project in our gallery window all winter long.
ABOUT COWPARADE NEW ENGLAND 2023
What is CowParade? A public art event for people of all ages and backgrounds, featuring life-size cow sculptures, which are painted and transformed by local artists, displayed in pastures throughout cities for residents and tourists to visit, and sold for the benefit of local nonprofit organizations. CowParade New England presented by Herb Chambers will bring 75 life-size cows, designed by a range of artists, to high trafficked landmarks throughout the region to celebrate 75 years of progress and impact made possible by the Jimmy Fund community. All proceeds directly benefit Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s efforts to defy cancer.
Follow Along with Us

Fine Print Exhibition
2023-02-08 - 2023-03-27
Fine PrintCasco Bay Artisans presents Fine Print, an exhibition celebrating the multiple forms of printmaking by gallery artists. Fine Print intermingles the inconspicuous details and ethereal qualities that transform an object into art using etching, woodcut, stonecut, linocut, silkscreen, reduction, embossing, and solar printing. An interactive display invites collectors to get to know the tools of the trade with their own hands. Making marks on surfaces is inherent for communication. These works exemplify this universal experience to reveal the complexity of the human condition. This exhibition welcomes artists Greg Shattenberg and Ivonne Portillo to the CBA gallery.
Exhibition CatalogGreg Shattenberg“Greg Shattenberg employs a variety of media to create artworks that explore the use of language as an element of image making. He is an accomplished printmaker who, over the years, has experimented with a wide variety of printing methods from woodcut, etching and lithography, to photographic processes such as collotype and color copy transfer…
As a young artist studying painting and drawing, Shattenberg experienced frustration when he was unable to successfully achieve the original ideas for his works and he felt constrained or limited by the conventional processes of image making. In response to this dissatisfaction and his perceived failure in resolving imagery, Shattenberg introduced writing into his drawings. He recalls, “It was unsettling to look at the piece and realize the writing was more interesting than the drawing.”
In the process he has subsequently developed, Shattenberg introduces text improvisationally after completing an image, building upon and adding to the context of the artwork. Through the careful selection of language, form, and typeface, he explores the use of printed words and phrases as aesthetic elements as much as for their emotional or narrative contributions to his imagery. The artist readily admits that combining language with imagery presents a different set of constraints. Language is inherently cerebral and its presence in Shattenberg’s images creates a tension with the visual sensuality of his drawings and prints. Shattenberg concedes “images with language are an impossible fit. They do not naturally go together and do not function singularly.” He is also cautious of the risk in printing text on top of artworks since the wrong solution can ruin a carefully worked image. For Shattenberg, however, the practice of layering text on top of imagery is a dynamic and revitalizing process, in which opportunities far outweigh the risks.” – Exhibition Text from Bates Museum
Greg Shattenberg ‘A Notion’ Monoprint Drawing Framed 21”x25” $1900
Greg Shattenberg ‘On the Horizon’ Monoprint Drawing Framed 21”x25” $1900
Greg Shattenberg “The First Unknown’ Monoprint Drawing Framed 26”x21” $2450
Greg Shattenberg ‘Two Fates’ Lithograph Framed 29”x21” $1100
Signs of AttractionGreg Shattenberg ‘After Dark’ Letterpress Print Framed 15”x16” $550
Greg Shattenberg ‘Cake’ Letterpress Print Framed 15”x16” $550
Greg Shattenberg ‘Decide’ Letterpress Print Framed 15”x16” $550
Greg Shattenberg ‘Now’ Letterpress Print Framed 15”x16” $550
Greg Shattenberg ‘Obvious’ Letterpress Print Framed 15”x16” $550
Greg Shattenberg ‘Perfect’ Letterpress Print Framed 15”x16” $550
Greg Shattenberg ‘Simple’ Letterpress Print Framed 15”x16” $550
Greg Shattenberg ‘Whisper’ Letterpress Print Framed 15”x16” $550
Ivonne PortilloIvonne Portillo is a Colombian visual artist living in Barcelona. Her work celebrates the diversity of the peoples and landscapes of Latin America while emphasizing the vindication of the historical memory of indigenous peoples, many of whom structure their worldview around reciprocal relationships between us and what surrounds us. She transforms the shapes of the earth and its textures into carved and engraved topographies that she then prints on paper or fabric, using oil engraving paint and collage with metallized paper. She is inspired by land art to create abstractions of paths, forests, mountain ranges and bodies of water. The woodcut prints a trace representative of a diverse landscape, much like the Latin American lands which shelter 60% of the planet’s biodiversity. These lands are a natural mosaic that shelter infinite forms of human and non-human life.
Available WorkIvonne Portillo ‘Riberas (Basins) ‘ Woodcut and Collage on Paper 20″x20″ $750
Ivonne Portillo ‘Lirio de mayo‘ Digital Print and Woodcut on Paper 18.5″x22.5″ Framed $375
Jane BanquerJANE BANQUER studied at the DeCordova Museum, the Boston Museum School and at Smith College with Leonard Baskin and Amy Namowitz Worthen. She was a state juried member of the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen, where she served to set fine art print and photography standards and to review the work of new artist applicants for exhibition and sales throughout the state. She is represented by Addison Woolley Gallery in Portland, Maine and formerly by Wenniger Graphics, Newbury Street, Boston, among other regional galleries. She has worked as a master printer, illustrator, graphic designer, arts educator and program manager in the visual and performing arts.
Available WorkJane Banquer ‘Solstice Shadows Sunrise’ Multiple Reduction Print 20”x17” $950
Jane Banquer ‘Solstice Shadows Sunset’ Multiple Reduction Print 20”x17” $950
Jane Banquer ‘Rocky Littoral’ Multiple Reduction Linocut 34″x26″ Framed $1600⁠
Jane Banquer ‘Sandy Littoral’ Multiple Reduction Linocut 34″x26″ Framed $1600⁠
Jane Banquer ‘Downeast Cove’ Multiple Reduction Linocut 34″x26″ Framed $1600⁠
Jane Banquer ‘Downeast Spruce’ Multiple Reduction Linocut 34″x26″ Framed $1600
Jane Banquer ‘Headland View North’ Multiple Reduction Linocut 26×34″ Framed $1600⁠
Jane Banquer ‘Headland View South’ Multiple Reduction Linocut 34″x26″ $1600
Jane Banquer ‘Islands Early’ Color Reduction Woodcut 14″x11″ Framed $620
Jane Banquer ‘Islands Late’ Color Reduction Woodcut 14″x11″ Framed $620
Jane Banquer ‘Tulip Riot’ Solar Plate Etching 17″x15″ Framed $275
Jane Banquer ‘Upward Mobility’ Woodcut 25″x21′ $440
Gene BarberaTo make one of his creations, Richard “Gene” Barbera tries to piece shapes together like a puzzle to form the image. Keeping the visual to a minimum, he learned keeping simple gets a better reaction. Let the viewer put the pieces together. He draws most of his inspiration from recognizable images from the coastal images and especially the Portland, ME area, where he grew up, and learned to practice art under visiting artist, such as Jamie Wyeth at the Portland School of Art (before MECA). Before finishing his degree in graphic design at the University of Hartford, he attended the University of Southern Maine where he was able to practice drawing and painting. Barbera moved to the New York City area after college, and designed large scale branding identities for companies such as Topps Card, Toys ‘R’ Us, and The National Hockey League. When he is not painting, or practicing art, Barbera travels to Madrid, Spain with his wife and two young children, where he manages to find more inspiration in his travels.
Available WorkGene Barbera ‘Ft. Williams’ Tri-Color Silkscreen Print
40″x30″ Edition of 12, Unframed $2100ea
Gene Barbera ‘Snowy Harbor’ Archival Silkscreen Edition of 50 30″x22″ Unframed $850 | Framed $1150
Gene Barbera ‘Costal Cruise’ Edition of 5, Archival Screen Print Navy Blue
31.5″x31.5″ Framed $1600
30″x30″ Unframed $1300ea
Gene Barbera ‘Rocky Coast’ Edition of 5, Archival Screen Print Navy Blue
31.5″x31.5″ Framed SOLD
30″x30″ Unframed $1300ea
Gene Barbera ‘Two Lights’ Edition of 5, Archival Screen Print Metallic Gold
23.5″x31.5″ Framed SOLD
22″x30″ Unframed $900ea
Gene Barbera ‘Fishing at the Boatyard’ Edition of 5, Archival Screen Print Brick Red
31.5″x31.5″ Framed $1600
30″x30″ Unframed $1300ea
Gene Barbera ‘Wharf’ Silk Screen Print Edition of 20 40″x20″ $900ea⁠
Gene Barbera ‘Baiter’ Silk Screen Print Edition of 12 22″x30″ $850ea⁠
Gene Barbera ‘The Map’ Silk Screen Print Edition of 25 20″x22″ $400⁠
Gene Barbera ‘Fixing Nets’ Archival Silkscreen Edition of 50 16”x20” $400 Unframed|$700 Framed
Gene Barbera ‘Storm Coming’ Edition of 16, Archival Screen Print $1600 Unframed
David ConnorMy name is David Connor and I have been making block prints for the last year and a half. I’m a woodworker at heart, but I’ve always desired to make art in a way that did not generate the same kind of noise or dust that working with wood often does.
The inspiration for my various prints comes primarily from wanting to capture images of things that are dear to me. I love Portland and many of my prints pay homage to some of my favorite places. Other influences include the ocean, animals and activities that bring joy to my life. Additionally, I love playing with the element of conflict and trying to capture that feeling with my art. To practice the craft, I initially challenged myself to complete the alphabet by carving various fruits and vegetables. After finishing, though, I sought to create work that was a little more engaging, and at times, a bit macabre.
I hand-make all of my picture frames as we’ll. All of the wood was scavenged, salvaged or reclaimed in one way or another. And while they are all roughly 10 x 10 inch frames, they are made from a variety of different species and are finished in as many different ways.
When I’m not creating art, I teach carpentry at a small alternative high school on the West End. I’m also a husband and father to an 11 and 13-year-old. I’m a veteran of the Coast Guard, an avid, year-round surfer of 25 years, a passionate gardener, a keeper of chickens and a general aesthetician who loves to take the old and create something new and different with it.
Available WorkDavid Connor ‘If Not for the Sea’ Linocut Print 18″x22″ $950 (Lighter Frame Than Pictured)
David Connor ‘The Spar’ Linocut Print 15″x12″ $550
David Connor ‘The City I Love’ Linocut Tri Color Print $880
Ellen RobertsEllen Roberts is a mixed media artist who lives and works in Farmington, Maine. Roberts was born and raised in Rhode Island. From a very young age Ellen enjoyed making things with paper, fabric, string, yarn and clay. She was inspired by the landscape and began to make drawings from her life and natural environment.
Background
When Roberts was a teenager she wore a Milwaukee brace, (a steel and plastic corset that was strapped to her body for four years of her life from her neck to her pelvis). Swimming and showering were the only times she could remove the brace. Water brought fluidity to her life without the constraint of the brace and helped take the pressure of gravity off her spine.
During this time Roberts became more serious about her art. She decided to study art in college and began at the Rhode Island School of Design studying in Ceramics. Roberts had a fascination with color and found ceramic glazes were not a direct route for exploring color. She switched her focus to textiles focusing on weaving where she loved the complexity and textures of the materials. She studied at the University of Arts in Philadelphia, PA where she to learned how to weave structures and work with dye techniques such as ikat (a resist dye technique). After she received her MFA at Cranbrook Academy of Art.
As her life progressed she had a family and found working with fibers extremely labor intensive. For a while she made mixed media wall constructions out of fiber, paper, wood, and paint. Then she began making artist books. She thought she would like to learn to make editions through the process of printmaking. This was when her work started to take off.
Current Work
Early in 2022, I was recovering from an arm injury that resulted in my inability to work at the press. In the shortest days of winter, this limitation of movement felt like another lockdown. In retaliation, I started a daily practice of drawing and found myself focusing on the immediate details of my life –– the things that were accessible inside my home and directly outside my windows.
As the ground started to thaw, I ventured outside with a new capacity to incorporate nature’s chaos and structure. Back in the studio, this emerged as hand-cut stencils, arranged on an inked plexiglass plate, and then wound under pressure. Through layering, planning, and unpredictability the work was always evolving.
I found myself exploring and discovering new expressions. This created freedom
and yet required an uncontrollable tension. An iterative process with parts always in motion until they finally solidify into a complete form.
Today my work is primarily monotype prints forged from the evolution of techniques previously explored –– with hints from sculptural ceramics, dyed fibers, stitching, and woven wall pieces. In the mixing of oil-based inks, I select colors that weave together to create a complexity of structures, spaces, colors, and textures.
For this two-person exhibition, Karen Adrienne invited me to jointly show and we would often work together at Circling the Square Fine Art Press. For me, this experience of sharing a space influenced my work indirectly through observation and directly through dialogue. It is this intersection of two people together that alters the formula, injecting unexpected ideas and grafting new directions into my work.
Available WorkEllen Roberts ‘Wild Blueberry Rhizomes’ Monotype 26.5”x26.25” Framed $880
Ellen Roberts ‘Mind’s Eye’ Monotype 26.25x”21.75” $660
Ellen Roberts ‘Green Yellow’ Monotype Collage 26.25”x26.25 Framed $800
Ellen Roberts ‘Illumination’ Monotype Collage 15.25”x15.25” Framed $600
Ellen Roberts ‘Clearwater Thoughts’ Monotype on Tyvek 30”x40” $1700
Ellen Roberts ‘Clearwater Swim’ Monotype on Tyvek 30”x40” $1700
Ellen Roberts ‘It Began in Iceland’ Woven Laser Cut Monoprint 12″x12″ Set of 9 $4158
“Neotropical Nester Accordion Monotype” Print and Fiber 21×33 $1,100
Gail WaitkunGail Waitkun, a TBI Thriver, lives in Portland, Maine.Gail brings together more than twenty years of teaching experience infused with her former athleticism, and personal recovery experiences with brain injury. She is an Author, Artist, Educator, Life Strategist and TBI Expert. Her articles have been featured in the California Business Journal. She has recently published her third book.
Available WorkGail Waitkun ‘Reflections (Two Figures)’ Woodblock Print on Paper 21”x 29.5” Framed $2200
Gail Waitkun ‘Reflections’ Artist Proof Woodblock Print on Paper 21”x 29.5” Framed $2200
Joyce Ellen WeinsteinThe works of Joyce Ellen Weinstein are concerned with the understanding of human relationships, beginning with ourselves and extending outward to include family, community, ethnicity, and nationality. Although at first glance the works of Joyce Ellen Weinstein appear disparate, after closer examination one can find her inspiration in the personal and emotional, as well as the interaction developed through self, family, and community – all of which are parts making up the whole of her unified body of work. Her works do not sentimentalize, but speak of the human measure and human condition. The works of Joyce Ellen Weinstein ask the universal question: “who am I and where am I going?”
Available WorkAging and Resilience: Women of a Certain Ageby Joyce Ellen Weinstein
A lot has happened since my article “Aging and Mortality” was first published in 2020 in The Journal of the Print World. To quickly recap; the work, 3.5” x 5” dry point on plexiglass etchings, was inspired by an accident I had when I hurt my leg at the age of 79, and had to walk assisted by a cane. Never having had any disability shocked me into an awareness and empathy of others with physical challenges.
I really began to observe other older women who had mobility issues. Because I am a figurative artist and dedicated people watcher whose work is about life around me, I was totally moved and inspired and used this experience to create a new body of work about this life’s challenges. I took many iPhone photos, always keeping a respectful distance as I hobbled around the city and used my photos as reference.
Since the publication of my original article, some prints have been sold. I enjoyed an artist’s residency at Blue Mountain Center NY. I have two exhibitions planned, relocated from NYC to Westbrook, Maine, have been invited to write this recap of my original article, and have won a Maine Arts Commission grant to develop further this project. Receiving this grant was as much of a surprise to me as my leaving New York to run away from Covid. Never did I imagine leaving “the city.” But life has it’s surprises and now I can’t imagine living anywhere else but Maine … an amazingly artist -friendly place.
In ruminating over the experience and project, I have decided to alter the focus of my Ladies of a Certain Age. Originally they were to be printed in a set of four prints per image, each image gradually fading out into oblivion and/or becoming invisible as many old people are viewed, most especially women. But now I see these women in a completely different light; as resilient, enduring women who are tough and strong, who persist regardless of life’s challenges. I have learned to be resilient like my plexiglass dry-point ladies.
Because my women of a certain age are not to be dismissed, are not run of the mill, my presentation should take an unorthodox, a more experimental approach . Using the collection of antique handkerchiefs from my mother, (who died at the age of 99 about 15 years ago) and from my childhood, (when girls in elementary school in Brooklyn, where I grew up, had to bring a cloth handkerchief to school every day), I am dry mounting the images directly on hankies and embroidering a cross stitch around the image, suggesting a decorative frame like design. This refers to a by gone era … an era that these ladies may represent.
My first thought was to show them by individually hanging the hankies on a clothesline using miniature clothespins. But as I pictured this, I realized it was too cutesy and didn’t represent the dignity these women deserved. They need proper framing. Fortunately, I have a wonderful creative framer, and we are working together to create a presentation of the mounted hankies that are worthy of the ladies.
One of my favorite things to do is rummage through the old frames at Goodwill. I have discovered some amazing treasures that are perfect for framing the images that are not dry mounted on the hankies. I have found faux ornate silver, real pewter and metal frames that have decorative elements that also suggest timelessness. These frames can be either wall mounted or used on tabletops. One of these frames actually has a lace inset instead of mat board for mounting the image.
As I work through this project I also begin to see that some of the images tell me they want to be enlarged. I have completed two dry point on plexiglass images, one 10” x 8” and another 14”x 11” for example. I don’t think I am finished enlarging some and am not up to how to frame
them yet. Time will tell.
I am so loving how and where this project is taking me. It feels strong, enduring and forever evolving…just like my ladies.
Joyce Ellen Weinstein ‘The Connoisseur’ Drypoint Etching on Handkerchief 15.5”x15.5” Framed $725
Joyce Ellen Weinstein ‘The Walker’ Drypoint Etching on Handkerchief 15.5”x15.5” Framed $725
Joyce Ellen Weinstein ‘Windblown’ Drypoint Etching on Handkerchief 15.5”x15.5” Framed $725
Joyce Ellen Weinstein ‘People Watching’ Drypoint Etching on Handkerchief 15.5”x15.5” Framed $725
Joyce Ellen Weinstein ‘The Conference’ Drypoint Etching on Handkerchief 15.5”x15.5” Framed $725
Joyce Ellen Weinstein ‘The Alpine Hiker’ Drypoint Etching on Handkerchief 15.5”x15.5” Framed $725
Joyce Ellen Weinstein ‘The Mail Run Ferry’ Etching & Aquatint 27″x17″$2100
Glossary of Terms
Sourced through Wikipedia
Screen printing is a printing technique where a mesh is used to transfer ink (or dye) onto a substrate, except in areas made impermeable to the ink by a blocking stencil. A blade or squeegee is moved across the screen to fill the open mesh apertures with ink, and a reverse stroke then causes the screen to touch the substrate momentarily along a line of contact. This causes the ink to wet the substrate and be pulled out of the mesh apertures as the screen springs back after the blade has passed. One color is printed at a time, so several screens can be used to produce a multi-coloured image or design.
Etching is traditionally the process of using strong acid or mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio (incised) in the metal.[1] In modern manufacturing, other chemicals may be used on other types of material. As a method of printmaking, it is, along with engraving, the most important technique for old master prints, and remains in wide use today. In a number of modern variants such as microfabrication etching and photochemical milling it is a crucial technique in much modern technology, including circuit boards.
Aquatint is an intaglio printmaking technique, a variant of etching that produces areas of tone rather than lines. For this reason it has mostly been used in conjunction with etching, to give both lines and shaded tone.[1] It has also been used historically to print in color, both by printing with multiple plates in different colors, and by making monochrome prints that were then hand-coloured with watercolor.
Linocut, also known as lino print, lino printing or linoleum art, is a printmaking technique, a variant of woodcut in which a sheet of linoleum (sometimes mounted on a wooden block) is used for a relief surface. A design is cut into the linoleum surface with a sharp knife, V-shaped chisel or gouge, with the raised (uncarved) areas representing a reversal (mirror image) of the parts to show printed. The linoleum sheet is inked with a roller (called a brayer), and then impressed onto paper or fabric. The actual printing can be done by hand or with a printing press.
Woodblock printing or block printing is a technique for printing text, images or patterns used widely throughout East Asia and originating in China in antiquity as a method of printing on textiles and later paper. Each page or image is created by carving a wooden block to leave only some areas and lines at the original level; it is these that are inked and show in the print, in a relief printing process. Carving the blocks is skilled and laborious work, but a large number of impressions can then be printed.
Embossing and debossing are the processes of creating either raised or recessed relief images and designs in paper and other materials. An embossed pattern is raised against the background, while a debossed pattern is sunken into the surface of the material but might protrude somewhat on the reverse side.
Often used in combination with foil stamping, embossing alters the surface of paper stock or other substrates by providing a three-dimensional or raised effect on selected areas. The procedure requires the use of two dies: one that is raised and one that is recessed. The dies fit into each other so that when the paper is pressed between them, the raised die forces the stock into the recessed die and creates the embossed impression. A specific level of pressure is applied to the dies in order to squeeze the fibers of the paper, which results in a permanently raised area in the paper. When the dies are produced, a die maker engraves the desired image into several metal plates, which are the embossing dies for use on an embossing press. A thorough understanding of the process will enable a more successful result. Generally, embossing is the process most often employed to attract attention or convey a high quality textural contrast in relation to the surrounding area of the paper stock.

Fine Print Artist Talk 1
2023-02-26 12:00 - 14:00
Fine PrintCasco Bay Artisans presents Fine Print, an exhibition celebrating the multiple forms of printmaking by gallery artists. Fine Print intermingles the inconspicuous details and ethereal qualities that transform an object into art using etching, woodcut, stonecut, linocut, silkscreen, reduction, embossing, and solar printing. An interactive display invites collectors to get to know the tools of the trade with their own hands. Making marks on surfaces is inherent for communication. These works exemplify this universal experience to reveal the complexity of the human condition. This exhibition welcomes artists Greg Shattenberg and Ivonne Portillo to the CBA gallery.
Exhibition CatalogJane BanquerJANE BANQUER studied at the DeCordova Museum, the Boston Museum School and at Smith College with Leonard Baskin and Amy Namowitz Worthen. She was a state juried member of the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen, where she served to set fine art print and photography standards and to review the work of new artist applicants for exhibition and sales throughout the state. She is represented by Addison Woolley Gallery in Portland, Maine and formerly by Wenniger Graphics, Newbury Street, Boston, among other regional galleries. She has worked as a master printer, illustrator, graphic designer, arts educator and program manager in the visual and performing arts.
Available WorkJane Banquer ‘Solstice Shadows Sunrise’ Multiple Reduction Print 20”x17” $950
Jane Banquer ‘Solstice Shadows Sunset’ Multiple Reduction Print 20”x17” $950
Jane Banquer ‘Downeast Cove’ Multiple Reduction Linocut 34″x26″ Framed $1600⁠
Jane Banquer ‘Downeast Spruce’ Multiple Reduction Linocut 34″x26″ Framed $1600
Jane Banquer ‘Headland View North’ Multiple Reduction Linocut 26×34″ Framed $1600⁠
Jane Banquer ‘Headland View South’ Multiple Reduction Linocut 34″x26″ $1600
Jane Banquer ‘Islands Early’ Color Reduction Woodcut 14″x11″ Framed $620
Jane Banquer ‘Islands Late’ Color Reduction Woodcut 14″x11″ Framed $620
Jane Banquer ‘Tulip Riot’ Solar Plate Etching 17″x15″ Framed $275
Jane Banquer ‘Upward Mobility’ Woodcut 25″x21′ $440
Greg Shattenberg“Greg Shattenberg employs a variety of media to create artworks that explore the use of language as an element of image making. He is an accomplished printmaker who, over the years, has experimented with a wide variety of printing methods from woodcut, etching and lithography, to photographic processes such as collotype and color copy transfer…
As a young artist studying painting and drawing, Shattenberg experienced frustration when he was unable to successfully achieve the original ideas for his works and he felt constrained or limited by the conventional processes of image making. In response to this dissatisfaction and his perceived failure in resolving imagery, Shattenberg introduced writing into his drawings. He recalls, “It was unsettling to look at the piece and realize the writing was more interesting than the drawing.”
In the process he has subsequently developed, Shattenberg introduces text improvisationally after completing an image, building upon and adding to the context of the artwork. Through the careful selection of language, form, and typeface, he explores the use of printed words and phrases as aesthetic elements as much as for their emotional or narrative contributions to his imagery. The artist readily admits that combining language with imagery presents a different set of constraints. Language is inherently cerebral and its presence in Shattenberg’s images creates a tension with the visual sensuality of his drawings and prints. Shattenberg concedes “images with language are an impossible fit. They do not naturally go together and do not function singularly.” He is also cautious of the risk in printing text on top of artworks since the wrong solution can ruin a carefully worked image. For Shattenberg, however, the practice of layering text on top of imagery is a dynamic and revitalizing process, in which opportunities far outweigh the risks.” – Exhibition Text from Bates Museum
Greg Shattenberg ‘A Notion’ Monoprint Drawing Framed 21”x25” $1900
Greg Shattenberg ‘On the Horizon’ Monoprint Drawing Framed 21”x25” $1900
Greg Shattenberg “The First Unknown’ Monoprint Drawing Framed 26”x21” $2450
Greg Shattenberg ‘Two Fates’ Lithograph Framed 29”x21” $1100
Signs of AttractionGreg Shattenberg ‘After Dark’ Letterpress Print Framed 15”x16” $550
Greg Shattenberg ‘Cake’ Letterpress Print Framed 15”x16” $550
Greg Shattenberg ‘Decide’ Letterpress Print Framed 15”x16” $550
Greg Shattenberg ‘Now’ Letterpress Print Framed 15”x16” $550
Greg Shattenberg ‘Obvious’ Letterpress Print Framed 15”x16” $550
Greg Shattenberg ‘Perfect’ Letterpress Print Framed 15”x16” $550
Greg Shattenberg ‘Simple’ Letterpress Print Framed 15”x16” $550
Greg Shattenberg ‘Whisper’ Letterpress Print Framed 15”x16” $550
Jane Banquer ‘Rocky Littoral’ Multiple Reduction Linocut 34″x26″ Framed $1600⁠
Jane Banquer ‘Sandy Littoral’ Multiple Reduction Linocut 34″x26″ Framed $1600⁠
Gail WaitkunGail Waitkun, a TBI Thriver, lives in Portland, Maine.Gail brings together more than twenty years of teaching experience infused with her former athleticism, and personal recovery experiences with brain injury. She is an Author, Artist, Educator, Life Strategist and TBI Expert. Her articles have been featured in the California Business Journal. She has recently published her third book.
Available WorkGail Waitkun ‘Reflections (Two Figures)’ Woodblock Print on Paper 21”x 29.5” Framed $2200
Gail Waitkun ‘Reflections’ Artist Proof Woodblock Print on Paper 21”x 29.5” Framed $2200
Joyce Ellen WeinsteinThe works of Joyce Ellen Weinstein are concerned with the understanding of human relationships, beginning with ourselves and extending outward to include family, community, ethnicity, and nationality. Although at first glance the works of Joyce Ellen Weinstein appear disparate, after closer examination one can find her inspiration in the personal and emotional, as well as the interaction developed through self, family, and community – all of which are parts making up the whole of her unified body of work. Her works do not sentimentalize, but speak of the human measure and human condition. The works of Joyce Ellen Weinstein ask the universal question: “who am I and where am I going?”
Available WorkAging and Resilience: Women of a Certain Ageby Joyce Ellen Weinstein
A lot has happened since my article “Aging and Mortality” was first published in 2020 in The Journal of the Print World. To quickly recap; the work, 3.5” x 5” dry point on plexiglass etchings, was inspired by an accident I had when I hurt my leg at the age of 79, and had to walk assisted by a cane. Never having had any disability shocked me into an awareness and empathy of others with physical challenges.
I really began to observe other older women who had mobility issues. Because I am a figurative artist and dedicated people watcher whose work is about life around me, I was totally moved and inspired and used this experience to create a new body of work about this life’s challenges. I took many iPhone photos, always keeping a respectful distance as I hobbled around the city and used my photos as reference.
Since the publication of my original article, some prints have been sold. I enjoyed an artist’s residency at Blue Mountain Center NY. I have two exhibitions planned, relocated from NYC to Westbrook, Maine, have been invited to write this recap of my original article, and have won a Maine Arts Commission grant to develop further this project. Receiving this grant was as much of a surprise to me as my leaving New York to run away from Covid. Never did I imagine leaving “the city.” But life has it’s surprises and now I can’t imagine living anywhere else but Maine … an amazingly artist -friendly place.
In ruminating over the experience and project, I have decided to alter the focus of my Ladies of a Certain Age. Originally they were to be printed in a set of four prints per image, each image gradually fading out into oblivion and/or becoming invisible as many old people are viewed, most especially women. But now I see these women in a completely different light; as resilient, enduring women who are tough and strong, who persist regardless of life’s challenges. I have learned to be resilient like my plexiglass dry-point ladies.
Because my women of a certain age are not to be dismissed, are not run of the mill, my presentation should take an unorthodox, a more experimental approach . Using the collection of antique handkerchiefs from my mother, (who died at the age of 99 about 15 years ago) and from my childhood, (when girls in elementary school in Brooklyn, where I grew up, had to bring a cloth handkerchief to school every day), I am dry mounting the images directly on hankies and embroidering a cross stitch around the image, suggesting a decorative frame like design. This refers to a by gone era … an era that these ladies may represent.
My first thought was to show them by individually hanging the hankies on a clothesline using miniature clothespins. But as I pictured this, I realized it was too cutesy and didn’t represent the dignity these women deserved. They need proper framing. Fortunately, I have a wonderful creative framer, and we are working together to create a presentation of the mounted hankies that are worthy of the ladies.
One of my favorite things to do is rummage through the old frames at Goodwill. I have discovered some amazing treasures that are perfect for framing the images that are not dry mounted on the hankies. I have found faux ornate silver, real pewter and metal frames that have decorative elements that also suggest timelessness. These frames can be either wall mounted or used on tabletops. One of these frames actually has a lace inset instead of mat board for mounting the image.
As I work through this project I also begin to see that some of the images tell me they want to be enlarged. I have completed two dry point on plexiglass images, one 10” x 8” and another 14”x 11” for example. I don’t think I am finished enlarging some and am not up to how to frame
them yet. Time will tell.
I am so loving how and where this project is taking me. It feels strong, enduring and forever evolving…just like my ladies.
Joyce Ellen Weinstein ‘The Connoisseur’ Drypoint Etching on Handkerchief 15.5”x15.5” Framed $725
Joyce Ellen Weinstein ‘The Walker’ Drypoint Etching on Handkerchief 15.5”x15.5” Framed $725
Joyce Ellen Weinstein ‘Windblown’ Drypoint Etching on Handkerchief 15.5”x15.5” Framed $725
Joyce Ellen Weinstein ‘People Watching’ Drypoint Etching on Handkerchief 15.5”x15.5” Framed $725
Joyce Ellen Weinstein ‘The Conference’ Drypoint Etching on Handkerchief 15.5”x15.5” Framed $725
Joyce Ellen Weinstein ‘The Alpine Hiker’ Drypoint Etching on Handkerchief 15.5”x15.5” Framed $725
Joyce Ellen Weinstein ‘The Mail Run Ferry’ Etching & Aquatint 27″x17″$2100
Glossary of Terms
Sourced through Wikipedia
Screen printing is a printing technique where a mesh is used to transfer ink (or dye) onto a substrate, except in areas made impermeable to the ink by a blocking stencil. A blade or squeegee is moved across the screen to fill the open mesh apertures with ink, and a reverse stroke then causes the screen to touch the substrate momentarily along a line of contact. This causes the ink to wet the substrate and be pulled out of the mesh apertures as the screen springs back after the blade has passed. One color is printed at a time, so several screens can be used to produce a multi-coloured image or design.
Etching is traditionally the process of using strong acid or mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio (incised) in the metal.[1] In modern manufacturing, other chemicals may be used on other types of material. As a method of printmaking, it is, along with engraving, the most important technique for old master prints, and remains in wide use today. In a number of modern variants such as microfabrication etching and photochemical milling it is a crucial technique in much modern technology, including circuit boards.
Aquatint is an intaglio printmaking technique, a variant of etching that produces areas of tone rather than lines. For this reason it has mostly been used in conjunction with etching, to give both lines and shaded tone.[1] It has also been used historically to print in color, both by printing with multiple plates in different colors, and by making monochrome prints that were then hand-coloured with watercolor.
Linocut, also known as lino print, lino printing or linoleum art, is a printmaking technique, a variant of woodcut in which a sheet of linoleum (sometimes mounted on a wooden block) is used for a relief surface. A design is cut into the linoleum surface with a sharp knife, V-shaped chisel or gouge, with the raised (uncarved) areas representing a reversal (mirror image) of the parts to show printed. The linoleum sheet is inked with a roller (called a brayer), and then impressed onto paper or fabric. The actual printing can be done by hand or with a printing press.
Woodblock printing or block printing is a technique for printing text, images or patterns used widely throughout East Asia and originating in China in antiquity as a method of printing on textiles and later paper. Each page or image is created by carving a wooden block to leave only some areas and lines at the original level; it is these that are inked and show in the print, in a relief printing process. Carving the blocks is skilled and laborious work, but a large number of impressions can then be printed.
Embossing and debossing are the processes of creating either raised or recessed relief images and designs in paper and other materials. An embossed pattern is raised against the background, while a debossed pattern is sunken into the surface of the material but might protrude somewhat on the reverse side.
Often used in combination with foil stamping, embossing alters the surface of paper stock or other substrates by providing a three-dimensional or raised effect on selected areas. The procedure requires the use of two dies: one that is raised and one that is recessed. The dies fit into each other so that when the paper is pressed between them, the raised die forces the stock into the recessed die and creates the embossed impression. A specific level of pressure is applied to the dies in order to squeeze the fibers of the paper, which results in a permanently raised area in the paper. When the dies are produced, a die maker engraves the desired image into several metal plates, which are the embossing dies for use on an embossing press. A thorough understanding of the process will enable a more successful result. Generally, embossing is the process most often employed to attract attention or convey a high quality textural contrast in relation to the surrounding area of the paper stock.

Fine Print Artist Talk 2
2023-03-05 12:00 - 14:00
Fine PrintCasco Bay Artisans presents Fine Print, an exhibition celebrating the multiple forms of printmaking by gallery artists. Fine Print intermingles the inconspicuous details and ethereal qualities that transform an object into art using etching, woodcut, stonecut, linocut, silkscreen, reduction, embossing, and solar printing. An interactive display invites collectors to get to know the tools of the trade with their own hands. Making marks on surfaces is inherent for communication. These works exemplify this universal experience to reveal the complexity of the human condition. This exhibition welcomes artists Greg Shattenberg and Ivonne Portillo to the CBA gallery.
Exhibition CatalogGene BarberaTo make one of his creations, Richard “Gene” Barbera tries to piece shapes together like a puzzle to form the image. Keeping the visual to a minimum, he learned keeping simple gets a better reaction. Let the viewer put the pieces together. He draws most of his inspiration from recognizable images from the coastal images and especially the Portland, ME area, where he grew up, and learned to practice art under visiting artist, such as Jamie Wyeth at the Portland School of Art (before MECA). Before finishing his degree in graphic design at the University of Hartford, he attended the University of Southern Maine where he was able to practice drawing and painting. Barbera moved to the New York City area after college, and designed large scale branding identities for companies such as Topps Card, Toys ‘R’ Us, and The National Hockey League. When he is not painting, or practicing art, Barbera travels to Madrid, Spain with his wife and two young children, where he manages to find more inspiration in his travels.
Available WorkGene Barbera ‘Ft. Williams’ Tri-Color Silkscreen Print
40″x30″ Edition of 12, Unframed $2100ea
Gene Barbera ‘Snowy Harbor’ Archival Silkscreen Edition of 50 30″x22″ Unframed $850 | Framed $1150
Gene Barbera ‘Costal Cruise’ Edition of 5, Archival Screen Print Navy Blue
31.5″x31.5″ Framed $1600
30″x30″ Unframed $1300ea
Gene Barbera ‘Rocky Coast’ Edition of 5, Archival Screen Print Navy Blue
31.5″x31.5″ Framed SOLD
30″x30″ Unframed $1300ea
Gene Barbera ‘Two Lights’ Edition of 5, Archival Screen Print Metallic Gold
23.5″x31.5″ Framed SOLD
22″x30″ Unframed $900ea
Gene Barbera ‘Fishing at the Boatyard’ Edition of 5, Archival Screen Print Brick Red
31.5″x31.5″ Framed $1600
30″x30″ Unframed $1300ea
Gene Barbera ‘Wharf’ Silk Screen Print Edition of 20 40″x20″ $900ea⁠
Gene Barbera ‘Baiter’ Silk Screen Print Edition of 12 22″x30″ $850ea⁠
Gene Barbera ‘Storm Coming’ Edition of 16, Archival Screen Print $1600 Unframed
Gene Barbera ‘The Map’ Silk Screen Print Edition of 25 20″x22″ $400⁠
Gene Barbera ‘Fixing Nets’ Archival Silkscreen Edition of 50 16”x20” $400 Unframed|$700 Framed
David ConnorMy name is David Connor and I have been making block prints for the last decade. I’m a woodworker at heart, but I’ve always desired to make art in a way that did not generate the same kind of noise or dust that working with wood often does.
The inspiration for my various prints comes primarily from wanting to capture images of things that are dear to me. I love Portland and many of my prints pay homage to some of my favorite places. Other influences include the ocean, animals and activities that bring joy to my life. Additionally, I love playing with the element of conflict and trying to capture that feeling with my art. To practice the craft, I initially challenged myself to complete the alphabet by carving various fruits and vegetables. After finishing, though, I sought to create work that was a little more engaging, and at times, a bit macabre.
I hand-make all of my picture frames as we’ll. All of the wood was scavenged, salvaged or reclaimed in one way or another. And while they are all roughly 10 x 10 inch frames, they are made from a variety of different species and are finished in as many different ways.
When I’m not creating art, I teach carpentry at a small alternative high school on the West End. I’m also a husband and father to an 11 and 13-year-old. I’m a veteran of the Coast Guard, an avid, year-round surfer of 25 years, a passionate gardener, a keeper of chickens and a general aesthetician who loves to take the old and create something new and different with it.
Available WorkDavid Connor ‘If Not for the Sea’ Linocut Print 18″x22″ $950 (Lighter Frame Than Pictured)
David Connor ‘The Spar’ Linocut Print 15″x12″ $550
David Connor ‘The City I Love’ Linocut Tri Color Print $880
Ivonne PortilloIvonne Portillo is a Colombian visual artist living in Barcelona. Her work celebrates the diversity of the peoples and landscapes of Latin America while emphasizing the vindication of the historical memory of indigenous peoples, many of whom structure their worldview around reciprocal relationships between us and what surrounds us. She transforms the shapes of the earth and its textures into carved and engraved topographies that she then prints on paper or fabric, using oil engraving paint and collage with metallized paper. She is inspired by land art to create abstractions of paths, forests, mountain ranges and bodies of water. The woodcut prints a trace representative of a diverse landscape, much like the Latin American lands which shelter 60% of the planet’s biodiversity. These lands are a natural mosaic that shelter infinite forms of human and non-human life.
Available WorkIvonne Portillo ‘Riberas (Basins) ‘ Woodcut and Collage on Paper 20″x20″ $750
Ivonne Portillo ‘Lirio de mayo‘ Digital Print and Woodcut on Paper 18.5″x22.5″ Framed $375
Ellen RobertsEllen Roberts is a mixed media artist who lives and works in Farmington, Maine. Roberts was born and raised in Rhode Island. From a very young age Ellen enjoyed making things with paper, fabric, string, yarn and clay. She was inspired by the landscape and began to make drawings from her life and natural environment.
Background
When Roberts was a teenager she wore a Milwaukee brace, (a steel and plastic corset that was strapped to her body for four years of her life from her neck to her pelvis). Swimming and showering were the only times she could remove the brace. Water brought fluidity to her life without the constraint of the brace and helped take the pressure of gravity off her spine.
During this time Roberts became more serious about her art. She decided to study art in college and began at the Rhode Island School of Design studying in Ceramics. Roberts had a fascination with color and found ceramic glazes were not a direct route for exploring color. She switched her focus to textiles focusing on weaving where she loved the complexity and textures of the materials. She studied at the University of Arts in Philadelphia, PA where she to learned how to weave structures and work with dye techniques such as ikat (a resist dye technique). After she received her MFA at Cranbrook Academy of Art.
As her life progressed she had a family and found working with fibers extremely labor intensive. For a while she made mixed media wall constructions out of fiber, paper, wood, and paint. Then she began making artist books. She thought she would like to learn to make editions through the process of printmaking. This was when her work started to take off.
Current Work
Early in 2022, I was recovering from an arm injury that resulted in my inability to work at the press. In the shortest days of winter, this limitation of movement felt like another lockdown. In retaliation, I started a daily practice of drawing and found myself focusing on the immediate details of my life –– the things that were accessible inside my home and directly outside my windows.
As the ground started to thaw, I ventured outside with a new capacity to incorporate nature’s chaos and structure. Back in the studio, this emerged as hand-cut stencils, arranged on an inked plexiglass plate, and then wound under pressure. Through layering, planning, and unpredictability the work was always evolving.
I found myself exploring and discovering new expressions. This created freedom
and yet required an uncontrollable tension. An iterative process with parts always in motion until they finally solidify into a complete form.
Today my work is primarily monotype prints forged from the evolution of techniques previously explored –– with hints from sculptural ceramics, dyed fibers, stitching, and woven wall pieces. In the mixing of oil-based inks, I select colors that weave together to create a complexity of structures, spaces, colors, and textures.
Available WorkEllen Roberts ‘Wild Blueberry Rhizomes’ Monotype 26.5”x26.25” Framed $880
Ellen Roberts ‘Mind’s Eye’ Monotype 26.25x”21.75” $660
Ellen Roberts ‘Green Yellow’ Monotype Collage 26.25”x26.25 Framed $800
Ellen Roberts ‘Illumination’ Monotype Collage 15.25”x15.25” Framed $600
Ellen Roberts ‘Clearwater Thoughts’ Monotype on Tyvek 30”x40” $1700
Ellen Roberts ‘Clearwater Swim’ Monotype on Tyvek 30”x40” $1700
Ellen Roberts ‘It Began in Iceland’ Woven Laser Cut Monoprint 12″x12″ Set of 9 $4158
“Neotropical Nester Accordion Monotype” Print and Fiber 21×33 $1,100
Gail WaitkunGail Waitkun, a TBI Thriver, lives in Portland, Maine.Gail brings together more than twenty years of teaching experience infused with her former athleticism, and personal recovery experiences with brain injury. She is an Author, Artist, Educator, Life Strategist and TBI Expert. Her articles have been featured in the California Business Journal. She has recently published her third book.
Available WorkGail Waitkun ‘Reflections (Two Figures)’ Woodblock Print on Paper 21”x 29.5” Framed $2200
Gail Waitkun ‘Reflections’ Artist Proof Woodblock Print on Paper 21”x 29.5” Framed $2200
Joyce Ellen WeinsteinThe works of Joyce Ellen Weinstein are concerned with the understanding of human relationships, beginning with ourselves and extending outward to include family, community, ethnicity, and nationality. Although at first glance the works of Joyce Ellen Weinstein appear disparate, after closer examination one can find her inspiration in the personal and emotional, as well as the interaction developed through self, family, and community – all of which are parts making up the whole of her unified body of work. Her works do not sentimentalize, but speak of the human measure and human condition. The works of Joyce Ellen Weinstein ask the universal question: “who am I and where am I going?”
Available WorkAging and Resilience: Women of a Certain Ageby Joyce Ellen Weinstein
A lot has happened since my article “Aging and Mortality” was first published in 2020 in The Journal of the Print World. To quickly recap; the work, 3.5” x 5” dry point on plexiglass etchings, was inspired by an accident I had when I hurt my leg at the age of 79, and had to walk assisted by a cane. Never having had any disability shocked me into an awareness and empathy of others with physical challenges.
I really began to observe other older women who had mobility issues. Because I am a figurative artist and dedicated people watcher whose work is about life around me, I was totally moved and inspired and used this experience to create a new body of work about this life’s challenges. I took many iPhone photos, always keeping a respectful distance as I hobbled around the city and used my photos as reference.
Since the publication of my original article, some prints have been sold. I enjoyed an artist’s residency at Blue Mountain Center NY. I have two exhibitions planned, relocated from NYC to Westbrook, Maine, have been invited to write this recap of my original article, and have won a Maine Arts Commission grant to develop further this project. Receiving this grant was as much of a surprise to me as my leaving New York to run away from Covid. Never did I imagine leaving “the city.” But life has it’s surprises and now I can’t imagine living anywhere else but Maine … an amazingly artist -friendly place.
In ruminating over the experience and project, I have decided to alter the focus of my Ladies of a Certain Age. Originally they were to be printed in a set of four prints per image, each image gradually fading out into oblivion and/or becoming invisible as many old people are viewed, most especially women. But now I see these women in a completely different light; as resilient, enduring women who are tough and strong, who persist regardless of life’s challenges. I have learned to be resilient like my plexiglass dry-point ladies.
Because my women of a certain age are not to be dismissed, are not run of the mill, my presentation should take an unorthodox, a more experimental approach . Using the collection of antique handkerchiefs from my mother, (who died at the age of 99 about 15 years ago) and from my childhood, (when girls in elementary school in Brooklyn, where I grew up, had to bring a cloth handkerchief to school every day), I am dry mounting the images directly on hankies and embroidering a cross stitch around the image, suggesting a decorative frame like design. This refers to a by gone era … an era that these ladies may represent.
My first thought was to show them by individually hanging the hankies on a clothesline using miniature clothespins. But as I pictured this, I realized it was too cutesy and didn’t represent the dignity these women deserved. They need proper framing. Fortunately, I have a wonderful creative framer, and we are working together to create a presentation of the mounted hankies that are worthy of the ladies.
One of my favorite things to do is rummage through the old frames at Goodwill. I have discovered some amazing treasures that are perfect for framing the images that are not dry mounted on the hankies. I have found faux ornate silver, real pewter and metal frames that have decorative elements that also suggest timelessness. These frames can be either wall mounted or used on tabletops. One of these frames actually has a lace inset instead of mat board for mounting the image.
As I work through this project I also begin to see that some of the images tell me they want to be enlarged. I have completed two dry point on plexiglass images, one 10” x 8” and another 14”x 11” for example. I don’t think I am finished enlarging some and am not up to how to frame
them yet. Time will tell.
I am so loving how and where this project is taking me. It feels strong, enduring and forever evolving…just like my ladies.
Joyce Ellen Weinstein ‘The Connoisseur’ Drypoint Etching on Handkerchief 15.5”x15.5” Framed $725
Joyce Ellen Weinstein ‘The Walker’ Drypoint Etching on Handkerchief 15.5”x15.5” Framed $725
Joyce Ellen Weinstein ‘Windblown’ Drypoint Etching on Handkerchief 15.5”x15.5” Framed $725
Joyce Ellen Weinstein ‘People Watching’ Drypoint Etching on Handkerchief 15.5”x15.5” Framed $725
Joyce Ellen Weinstein ‘The Conference’ Drypoint Etching on Handkerchief 15.5”x15.5” Framed $725
Joyce Ellen Weinstein ‘The Alpine Hiker’ Drypoint Etching on Handkerchief 15.5”x15.5” Framed $725
Joyce Ellen Weinstein ‘The Mail Run Ferry’ Etching & Aquatint 27″x17″$2100
Glossary of Terms
Sourced through Wikipedia
Screen printing is a printing technique where a mesh is used to transfer ink (or dye) onto a substrate, except in areas made impermeable to the ink by a blocking stencil. A blade or squeegee is moved across the screen to fill the open mesh apertures with ink, and a reverse stroke then causes the screen to touch the substrate momentarily along a line of contact. This causes the ink to wet the substrate and be pulled out of the mesh apertures as the screen springs back after the blade has passed. One color is printed at a time, so several screens can be used to produce a multi-coloured image or design.
Etching is traditionally the process of using strong acid or mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio (incised) in the metal.[1] In modern manufacturing, other chemicals may be used on other types of material. As a method of printmaking, it is, along with engraving, the most important technique for old master prints, and remains in wide use today. In a number of modern variants such as microfabrication etching and photochemical milling it is a crucial technique in much modern technology, including circuit boards.
Aquatint is an intaglio printmaking technique, a variant of etching that produces areas of tone rather than lines. For this reason it has mostly been used in conjunction with etching, to give both lines and shaded tone.[1] It has also been used historically to print in color, both by printing with multiple plates in different colors, and by making monochrome prints that were then hand-coloured with watercolor.
Linocut, also known as lino print, lino printing or linoleum art, is a printmaking technique, a variant of woodcut in which a sheet of linoleum (sometimes mounted on a wooden block) is used for a relief surface. A design is cut into the linoleum surface with a sharp knife, V-shaped chisel or gouge, with the raised (uncarved) areas representing a reversal (mirror image) of the parts to show printed. The linoleum sheet is inked with a roller (called a brayer), and then impressed onto paper or fabric. The actual printing can be done by hand or with a printing press.
Woodblock printing or block printing is a technique for printing text, images or patterns used widely throughout East Asia and originating in China in antiquity as a method of printing on textiles and later paper. Each page or image is created by carving a wooden block to leave only some areas and lines at the original level; it is these that are inked and show in the print, in a relief printing process. Carving the blocks is skilled and laborious work, but a large number of impressions can then be printed.
Embossing and debossing are the processes of creating either raised or recessed relief images and designs in paper and other materials. An embossed pattern is raised against the background, while a debossed pattern is sunken into the surface of the material but might protrude somewhat on the reverse side.
Often used in combination with foil stamping, embossing alters the surface of paper stock or other substrates by providing a three-dimensional or raised effect on selected areas. The procedure requires the use of two dies: one that is raised and one that is recessed. The dies fit into each other so that when the paper is pressed between them, the raised die forces the stock into the recessed die and creates the embossed impression. A specific level of pressure is applied to the dies in order to squeeze the fibers of the paper, which results in a permanently raised area in the paper. When the dies are produced, a die maker engraves the desired image into several metal plates, which are the embossing dies for use on an embossing press. A thorough understanding of the process will enable a more successful result. Generally, embossing is the process most often employed to attract attention or convey a high quality textural contrast in relation to the surrounding area of the paper stock.

Sea Cow Bon Voyage Party
2023-03-18 12:00 - 15:00
Bon Voyage Muriel the Sea CowIt’s been a wonderful winter with Muriel, but we must now wish her ‘Bon Voyage!’ as she heads back to Dana-Faber and her position in Cow Parade New England. Join us at Casco Bay Artisans and artist Russ Cox as we send her off in style with a Yacht Rock themed party on Saturday March 18th from Noon – 3pm. We’ll boogie down and take a few selfies as we wish Muriel fair winds and flowing seas.
See you on the wharf!
ABOUT COWPARADE NEW ENGLAND 2023
What is CowParade? A public art event for people of all ages and backgrounds, featuring life-size cow sculptures, which are painted and transformed by local artists, displayed in pastures throughout cities for residents and tourists to visit, and sold for the benefit of local nonprofit organizations. CowParade New England presented by Herb Chambers will bring 75 life-size cows, designed by a range of artists, to high trafficked landmarks throughout the region to celebrate 75 years of progress and impact made possible by the Jimmy Fund community. All proceeds directly benefit Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s efforts to defy cancer.
Our Time with Muriel

Mariah Reading: Waste Water
2023-03-30 - 2023-04-16
Mariah Reading: Waste Water

Waste Water
A collection of painted litter and marine debris scattered and retrieved throughout our Maine coastline.
By Mariah Reading, Maine Island Trails Association, and Casco Bay Artisans
Through the extensive efforts of coastal cleanups, the Maine Island Trails Association has provided Mariah Reading with canvases ranging from a bike seat to a car door. All items were found within and around the Atlantic Ocean and repurposed into landscape paintings.

Artist Statement:

I have been contemplating my relationship with art and the vast amount of waste creating can produce. Classically trained as a landscape painter, I pivoted to eco-art when the parallel between painting landscapes and feeding landfills became overwhelmingly apparent. The landscapes that so richly inspired me were being hurt by the waste I created in order to depict them. To rectify this unwanted connection, I have developed a limited-waste practice that involves creating canvases from debris found during my travels through National Parks and protected landscape environments. The physical pieces of trash are painted only on one side and intentionally left untouched on the reverse so the original piece of debris remains evident. Once completed, I photograph the painted object aligned with the physical landscape to both obscure and highlight the discarded object. My practice revolves around ways I can lessen my footprint upon Earth and leave it better than I found it.

Artist Bio:

Mariah Reading is an eco-artist and strong advocate for the existence, preservation, and accessibility of the National Parks. She was born and raised in Bangor, Maine where the surrounding landscape gave her a deep appreciation of nature’s beauty that was reinforced by her degree in Visual Arts at Bowdoin College. The 2016 National Park Centennial propelled her Recycled Landscapes, designed to bring attention to the need of preserving and protecting the environment. Mariah has dedicated herself to the field of eco-art through her Artist in Residence at Acadia, Denali, Zion and Guadalupe Mountains National Parks, working as an Arts In the Parks Volunteer at the Guadalupe Mountains National Park, assisting in Yosemite Facelift efforts, developing a K-12 STREAM curriculum with University of California Santa Barbara Oceanography students, and creating conservation workshops with the Channel Islands National Park. She has exhibited work in San Antonio, TX; Seattle, WA; and Fort Collins, CO; Kamuela, HI; Poughkeepsie, NY; Davis, CA; Bar Harbor, ME; and Rockland, ME. From April through September Reading is an environmental interpreter for the Park Service.

Opening Night RSVPMaine Island Trail Association (MITA) is proud to collaborate with renowned eco-artist Mariah Reading to present WASTE WATER, an exhibition featuring marine debris that has been collected by MITA volunteers and transformed by the artist into exquisite and impactful works of art. A portion of the proceeds from all art sales will go towards supporting MITA’s programming.
The gallery show will run from Thursday, March 30 to Sunday, April 16 at Casco Bay Artisans (on The Maine Wharf, 68 Commercial St, Portland).
The Opening Reception will be held March 30 from 5-8pm at Casco Bay Artisans and New England Ocean Cluster, which is just upstairs from the gallery at The Maine Wharf. This free-to-attend event will begin at the gallery at 5pm with light fare and beverages, and then expand upstairs to New England Ocean Cluster for more fun and offerings from our partners following remarks from the artist.
Thanks to our partners at Bangs Island Mussels, Casco Bay Artisans, Love Point Oysters, Maine Oyster Company, New England Ocean Cluster, and Rising Tide Brewing for their support in hosting the WASTE WATER Opening Reception!

Waste Water Opening Reception
2023-03-30 17:00 - 20:00

Russ Cox: Origins Opening Reception
2023-05-19 17:00 - 20:00
Explorations of gesture, form, and color from a bold abstractionist.
Cox’s oil paintings evoke the sensory feeling associated with place, nature and experience. Works evolve from a process of applying layer upon layer with multiple glazes to create movement, translucency and depth. These works are deeply meditative, becoming more complex as they unfold. ⁠ ⁠ Artist’s Statement:⁠ ⁠ I endeavor to create paintings that evoke a sensory feeling associated with place, nature and experience. Paintings evolve from a process of applying layer upon layer with multiple glazes to create movement, translucency and depth. A painting becomes completed for me if it reaches a point of evoking an experiential feeling, with multiple viewers connecting with their own individualized interpretation.⁠
Full Exhibition CatalogueRuss Cox ‘Day Off’ Oil on Canvas 40”x60” $6,800
Russ Cox ‘Marseille’ Oil on Canvas 48”x72” $9,500
Russ Cox ‘Party On The Wharf’ Oil on Canvas Scroll 48”x80” $6,200
Russ Cox ‘Genèse’ Oil on Canvas 48”x72” $8,500
Russ Cox ‘Sunspot’ Oil on Canvas 48”x60” $5,400
Russ Cox ‘Dance’ Oil on Canvas 48”x60” $5,200
Russ Cox ‘Uncovered Oil on Canvas 48”x36” $4,200
Russ Cox ‘Clouds’ Oil on Canvas 40”x60” $5,200
Russ Cox ‘Moment’ Oil on Canvas 48”x72” $6,800
Russ Cox ‘Finale’ Oil on Canvas 48”x60” $5,200

Russ Cox: Origins
2023-05-20 - 2023-06-12

Paul Brahms: New Paintings
2023-06-16 - 2023-07-16
It wouldn’t be summer in Maine without stunning new paintings of the iconic Maine coast by master artist Paul Brahms. Brahms is a master painter with brush and pallet knife. With simple strokes, he captures details and emotion. His sense of color is that of someone who has spent a lifetime looking and letting the colors reveal themselves with all of their depth and nuance. ⁠
⁠
In his own words “My artwork is a way of expressing what I notice around me, and what rises up within me. It’s a way to share my experience, and bring joy and reassurance and surprise and other forms of life-sustaining concepts to others. I aspire to be like the bee who tells his co-workers where the flowers are or a filmmaker who illuminates the tension in a scene. I want my work to move, to have atmosphere, and to embody a searching, questioning state of being, but this requires meditation as much as agitation, and I straddle this polarity often ,leaving a visual record of this struggle. Ultimately, my painting is a meditation, a yearning for intimate awareness.”⁠
Opening Reception Friday June 16th, 5-8pm
Paul Brahms ‘Spray’ Oil on Canvas 48″x36″ $8700
Paul Brahms ‘Before the Storm’ Oil on Canvas 27.5″x37.5″ $5200

CBA Summer Soiree
2023-07-21 17:00 - 20:00
It’s a Celebration!
Join us for a joyous evening at the CBA Summer Soiree! Get ready to celebrate art and the summer season in style. This in-person event will take place on Fri Jul 21 2023 at 68 Commercial Street #building a, Portland, ME 04101.
Our Summer Soiree promises a night filled with great art, wine, and people. Whether you’re looking to meet our artists, find that perfect piece of art, or simply have a fantastic time, this event is perfect for you.
Mark your calendars for the CBA Summer Soiree and get ready to toast to the art and artists who make CBA ‘the most beautiful gallery in Maine’.
We can’t wait to see you there!
RSVP

Mulcahy/Walsh Double Feature Opening
2023-10-13 17:00 - 20:00
Mulcahy | Walsh: Double FeatureJoin us on Friday October 13th from 5-8pm as we dive into new works from sculptor Andrea Mulcahy and painter Patrick Walsh.
Andrea Mulcahy: Artist Statement
Energy is a part of all that exists. I seek to capture the essence of an energetic state–the visible as well as the subtle, invisible energy that surrounds us. A swirl of wind power can be observed if matter, such as sand, is pulled into the force. Even if the sand isn’t present, the power of nature still moves energy in all directions. I’m drawn to the power and the form. I’m fascinated by the way the energy centers draw in information from our surroundings as well as radiate an energy of vibration. My sculptures capture a moment of an energetic state. They hold the dynamism of the moment while the lines extend outward, continuing the movement out into space. I discovered that steel rods, while durable, could be bent and welded to reveal a graceful fluidity, ultimately yielding the energetic forms I envision. As a result, I create the forms that become an integral part of the energetic flow of the space.

Patrick Walsh: Artist Statement
Currently, my work consists primarily of acrylic paint on canvas. I use color and gesture to encompass human emotion and socio-economic themes. My work is sporadic and aggressive, using a vast range of techniques and mediums to help me convey these topics. Collecting ideas from history as well as current events, my paintings can be seen as abstract cultural representations that tell a story reflecting the human condition. Aside from these concrete themes and ideas, I rely heavily on the unexpected and subconscious mind as well as personal experiences to lead my hand through these conceptual eruptions of vivid color. The viewer can find dark imagery and subject matter that is illustrated with a vigor and intensity of pigment that an overarching feeling of hope is unavoidable.
Figures:
I create these figures as a representation of the feelings and emotions we hide from the world and people around us. Jealousy, Sadness, Hatred, Love, Lust etc. What people tend to stray from showing for fear of judgment. I use aggressive mark making and line work to convey these feelings and emotions in order to bring them to the surface of the canvas to confront the viewer. Thus, creating a connection between the viewer and subject. We can empathize with the figures.
RSVP

Mulcahy | Walsh: Double Feature
2023-10-17 - 2023-11-12
Mulcahy | Walsh: Double FeatureCasco Bay Artisans is kicking off our Autumn season with a Double Feature sure to inspire your inner explorer and dreamer. Sculptor Andrea Mulcahy will fill the gallery with steel works invoking the movements of atoms, the explosions of stars, and the opening of portals. Painter Patrick Walsh will adorn the walls with his new figures both suspended in time and traversing dimensions between the familiar and the otherworldly.
Andrea Mulcahy: Artist Statement
Energy is a part of all that exists. I seek to capture the essence of an energetic state–the visible as well as the subtle, invisible energy that surrounds us. A swirl of wind power can be observed if matter, such as sand, is pulled into the force. Even if the sand isn’t present, the power of nature still moves energy in all directions. I’m drawn to the power and the form. I’m fascinated by the way the energy centers draw in information from our surroundings as well as radiate an energy of vibration. My sculptures capture a moment of an energetic state. They hold the dynamism of the moment while the lines extend outward, continuing the movement out into space. I discovered that steel rods, while durable, could be bent and welded to reveal a graceful fluidity, ultimately yielding the energetic forms I envision. As a result, I create the forms that become an integral part of the energetic flow of the space.

Patrick Walsh: Artist Statement
Currently, my work consists primarily of acrylic paint on canvas. I use color and gesture to encompass human emotion and socio-economic themes. My work is sporadic and aggressive, using a vast range of techniques and mediums to help me convey these topics. Collecting ideas from history as well as current events, my paintings can be seen as abstract cultural representations that tell a story reflecting the human condition. Aside from these concrete themes and ideas, I rely heavily on the unexpected and subconscious mind as well as personal experiences to lead my hand through these conceptual eruptions of vivid color. The viewer can find dark imagery and subject matter that is illustrated with a vigor and intensity of pigment that an overarching feeling of hope is unavoidable.
Figures:
I create these figures as a representation of the feelings and emotions we hide from the world and people around us. Jealousy, Sadness, Hatred, Love, Lust etc. What people tend to stray from showing for fear of judgment. I use aggressive mark making and line work to convey these feelings and emotions in order to bring them to the surface of the canvas to confront the viewer. Thus, creating a connection between the viewer and subject. We can empathize with the figures.
Works:Andrea Mulcahy ‘Emanation’ Powder Coated Steel 14” x 18” x 21” $3680
Patrick Walsh ‘Dining Room’ Acrylic on Canvas 42” x 42” $5900
Patrick Walsh ‘New Nails’ Acrylic on Canvas 48” x 36” $5700
Andrea Mulcahy ‘Orbital Path’ Powder Coated Steel 26” x 28” x 22” $4600
Andrea Mulcahy ‘Maritime Vessel’ Powder Coated Steel 15” x 25” x 16” $2415
Patrick Walsh ‘Pointy Angel Lady’ Acrylic on Canvas 84” x 48” $9500
Patrick Walsh ‘Picnic’ Acrylic, Pen and Oil on Canvas 72”x60” $8500
Andrea Mulcahy ‘Expedition’ Powder Coated Steel 18” x 20” x 17” $3680
Andrea Mulcahy ‘Flourish’ Powder Coated Steel 24” x 20” x 18” $3220
Patrick Walsh ‘Slippery When Wet’ Acrylic and Oil on Canvas 30” x 42” $5700
Patrick Walsh ‘Lamp Light’ Acrylic and Marker on Canvas 36″x48″ $5700
Andrea Mulcahy ‘Harmonizing Vessel’ Powder Coated Steel 12” x 10” x 10” $2875
Andrea Mulcahy ‘Midnight Star’ Powder Coated Steel 19” x 17” x 20” $4600
Patrick Walsh ‘Thanks For Coming’ Acrylic and Oil Stick on Canvas 36” x 48” $5700
Andrea Mulcahy ‘Inner Power’ Powder Coated Steel 23″ x 19″ x 14″ $2990
Patrick Walsh ‘Unplugged’ Acrylic on Canvas 48” x 36” $5700
Andrea Mulcahy ‘Nebula Vessel’ Powder Coated Steel 19″x17″x9.5″ $2750⁠

Patrick Walsh ‘Sweater’ Oil and Acrylic on Canvas 36” x 48” $6090

Patrick Walsh ‘Untitled (YSL Jacket)’ Acrylic on Canvas 30”x24” $3045⁠
Andrea Mulcahy ‘Her Humor’ Powder Coated Steel 13″x13″x38″ $4700⁠
Andrea Mulcahy ‘Sync Vessel’ Powder Coated Steel 12″x13″x11.5″ $1998⁠
Patrick Walsh ‘Untitled (Yellow Portrait)’ Acrylic, Oil and Pen on Canvas 30”x24” $3045

Celebrating the Women of CBA Vol. 2
2024-03-01 - 2024-03-31
Celebrating the Women of Casco Bay Artisans Vol. 2A little H(er)story….
Casco Bay Artisans was founded in 2012 on the idea of bringing the best contemporary fine art to the market here in Portland, Maine. Over the last twelve years, owner Jen Swarts has brought together artists in the community and around the world that fit that criteria. This has evolved into the current group of artists that we are delighted to work with. Through a passion for beautiful objects, high technique, and diverse aesthetics, Swarts has created one of Portland’s foremost commercial art galleries representing 50 artists from the local, national, and international markets.
This March for Women’s History Month we celebrate 25 of these artists working in oil, acrylic, encaustic, found object, paper, glass, and steel.

Russ Cox: Immersion Opening Reception
2024-05-10 17:00 - 20:00
Maine artist Russ Cox presents new works that pull you in close, and then pull you even deeper.
Cox’s oil paintings evoke the sensory feeling associated with place, nature and experience. Works evolve from a process of applying layer upon layer with multiple glazes to create movement, translucency and depth. These works are deeply meditative, becoming more complex as they unfold.
Join us as we celebrate Russ Cox’s new works and step deeper into his visionary world.
A full catalog of works available. We are happy to arrange private showings and studio tours. All are welcome.
RSVP

Russ Cox: Immersion
2024-05-11 - 2024-06-10
Casco Bay Artisans is thrilled to exhibit the latest work from abstractionist Russ Cox. Through rigorous exploration and experimentation in his studio, Cox brings CBA three distinct bodies of work: Atlantic Paintings, Colorfield, and Asian Pen. Cox, known for large scale nature of his work, has pushed further into the immersive experience of art through layering, movement and color. The Atlantic Paintings feature his love of the ocean and underwater flora while incorporating his use of scrolls to enhance the experience of being weightless in water. The Color Field Paintings, probably Cox’s best known technique, show a master of layering colors and textures that leave the viewer fully immersed in the painting. The Asian Pen Paintings show Cox pushing his own sense of line blending in and standing out among a landscape of color. These paintings move to the edge of representation. Cox creates feelings from the recognizable as well as from that which is fully interpretive.
For these latest bodies of work, Cox was inspired by V. S. Gaitonde (1924-2021), an Indian mid-century non-objective artist, to experiment with the layering practice of old masters and combine them with the ideas of the 20th Century abstractionists including Helen Frankenthaler, Mark Rothko, Joan Miro, Wassily Kandinsky, Joan Mitchell, and William de Kooning.
Three of the works in this show have been framed with spalted wood. These frames get their distinct look from a process where fungi change the pigments inside the wood over time, sporadically creating variegated dark lines within the grain. The resulting undulating line was then matched up with each painting to create a sense of integration and continuation of art into nature and nature into art.
Join us as we celebrate Russ Cox’s new works and step deeper into his visionary world.
A full catalog of works available. We are happy to arrange private showings and studio tours. All are welcome.
Exhibition CatalogAtlantic SeriesRuss Cox ‘Casco Bay Rockweed’ Oil on Canvas with Handcrafted Spalted Wood 59” x 98” $9500
Russ Cox ‘Tendril’ Oil on Canvas with Handcrafted Thomas Moser Cherry Wood 94” x 98” $18,500
Russ Cox ‘Atlantic Garden’ Oil on Canvas with Handcrafted Spalted Wood 69” x 100” $9500
Colorfield SeriesRuss Cox ‘Upper Field’ Oil on Canvas 96” x 36” $9500
Russ Cox ‘Lower Field’ Oil on Canvas 60” x 36” $6500
Russ Cox ‘Spring Light’ Oil on Canvas 40” x 40” $4900
Russ Cox ‘Lupin’ Oil on Canvas 36” x 48” $5800
Russ Cox ‘The Bluff’ Oil on Canvas 24” x 36” $3200
Russ Cox ‘Alatus’ Oil on Canvas 60” x 36” $6500
Russ Cox ‘Reid State Park’ Oil on Canvas 48” x 30” $4200
Asian Pen SeriesRuss Cox ‘All The Places You’ll Go’ Oil on Canvas with Handcrafted Spalted Wood 39” x 51” $7200
Russ Cox ‘Asian Pen Untitled’ Oil on Canvas 30”x40” $3200
Russ Cox ‘Pollen Tracks’ Oil on Canvas 36” x 48” $5200

Salt Water & Sunshine
2024-06-18 - 2024-07-16
It’s Summer in Maine!
Join us as we revel in the dynamic colors of the seas and skies. Artists Paul Brahms, Christina Davis, Anastasia Gatto, and Ryan Kohler each bring their own vision to showcasing the coast of Maine. Brahms is known for his masterful understanding of light and water. His new works push deeper into movement and gesture, capturing the visceral experience of the tides. Davis shows off dramatic skies that seem to glow on their own. Gatto continues to push the possibilities of encaustic painting. Her seascapes contain layers of blues and greens that undulate with the light, echoing the ocean itself. And gallery newcomer Ryan Kohler brings a sophistication to playful mixed media pieces. Using cutouts from maps, magazines, posters, and more, Kohler paints and constructs images that exist somewhere between reality, imagination, and memory.
Opening Reception Friday June 28th, 5-7:30pm.
Highlighted WorksPaul Brahms
Paul Brahms ‘Afternoon Tidal Pools’ Acrylic on Canvas 50”x50” $9700
Paul Brahms ‘BackShore’ Acrylic on Canvas 25.5”x31.5” $4600
Christina Davis
Christina Davis ‘Scarlet’ Oil on Canvas 60”x48” $7900
Christina Davis ‘Changes’ Oil on Canvas 30”x24” $3120
Anastasia Gatto
Anastasia Gatto ‘Breakthrough’ Encaustic on Panel 37″x37″ $6415
Anastasia Gatto ‘Surf’s Up’ Encaustic on Panel 49” x 25” $6415
Ryan Kohler
Ryan Kohler ‘Strum’ Mixed Media on Canvas 36” x 24” $2375
Ryan Kohler ‘Buddied’ Mixed Media on Canvas 20” x 20” $1745

Opening Reception: Salt Water & Sunshine
2024-06-28 17:00 - 19:30

Salt Water & Sunshine Vol. 2
2024-08-02 - 2024-09-03
Summer in Maine Continues!
The days are getting ever so slightly shorter and the golden sun has started adding more oranges and pinks to the sky. Hot sunny air lingers until night falls and the breeze cools, carrying the faint smell of campfires and the songs of loons. The works of Ben Boothby, Lee Gordon, Rebecca Hayes, and Robin Swennes exemplify this incredible season in Maine. Boothby brings together shape, form, color, and line in the masterful detail of his wood sculptures. Gordon fuses the elements of Maine’s marshes and oceans in his glass vases. Hayes turns her hyperrealistic style toward the Forest City, painting iconic locations from the greater Portland area. And Swennes honors one of Maine’s most important agricultural crops and symbols in her immersive paintings of blueberries.
Summer isn’t over. Come see us on the wharf.
Opening Reception Friday August 2nd, 5-7:30pm.
Highlighted WorksBen BoothbyBen Boothby ‘Duality Sequence’ Oil on Inlaid Veneer Panel 16” x 15” x 4” $4945
Ben Boothby ‘Parallax Motif II’ Oil on Inlaid Veneer Panel 27” x 12” x 4” $5980
Ben Boothby ‘Fascia Catalyst’ Oil on Inlaid Veneer Panel 14″x26″x3″ $6,900
Ben Boothby ‘Cantilever Iteration’ Oil on Inlaid Veneer Panel 12” x 16” x 4” $4140
Lee GordonLee Gordon ‘Marsh View Series (Teal)’ Hand Blown Glass 8”x13”x4” $550
Lee Gordon ‘Small Touchstones (Teal)’ Hand Blown Glass 3”x6”x3” $240
Lee Gordon ‘Small Touchstones (Dark Blue’ Hand Blown Glass 4”x6”x2” $240
Lee Gordon ‘Small Vase’ Hand Blown Glass 5” Round x 8” $290
Rebecca HayesRebecca Hayes ‘Harbor Fish Market’ Oil on Canvas 32”x22” $8700⁠
Rebecca Hayes ‘Custom House Wharf’ Oil on Canvas 21.5″x17.5″ $4200
Rebecca Hayes ‘Top of the East, 2024’ Oil on Canvas 48” x 30” $8500
Hayes ‘The Honey Paw’ Oil on Canvas 31.75” x 25.5” $8800⁠
Robin SwennesRobin Swennes ‘Get Your Maine On’ Acrylic on Wood 30″x30″ $4100
Robin Swennes DNA Blue’ Acrylic on Wood 30″x30″ $4100
Robin Swennes ‘Red, in the Crantextual Sense’ Acrylic on Wood 16″x16″ $825
Robin Swennes ‘Blue Impressions’ Acrylic on Panel 12” x 12” $475

Salt Water & Sunshine Vol.2 Artist Reception
2024-08-02 17:00 - 19:30

Gesture. Color. Form.
2024-09-20 08:00 - 2024-10-28 17:00
Opening Friday, September 20th, 5-7pm
Gesture. Color. Form.
Five Maine Artists and the Influence of Abstract Expressionism on Their Work.
Abstract Expressionism is considered the first distinctly American art movement. Emerging after the post WWII era and emboldened by more experimental ways of painting from Europe, the Abstract Expressionist (AbEx) painters continued to push the ideas of movement, color theory, and non-objective shapes into practices that challenged how to ‘paint’ a painting, full immersion in fields color, and the emotional impact of the artist’s gesture on the canvas.
Works of this era prioritized expression and spontaneity rather than formal subject matter. These paintings explored the unconscious mind and the inner self. There were two primary offshoots of the movement: the action painters and the color field painters. The pioneers of Abstract Expressionism include Jackson Pollack, William deKooning, Mark Rothko, Barnet Newman, Lee Krasner, Helen Frakenthaler, and Robert Motherwell.
We have invited gallery artists Russ Cox, Cade Jarvis, Erika Manning, Rachel Somerville, and Patrick Walsh to examine how this movement and its precepts influence their own practice as abstractionists today. Here’s what they have to say:
Russ CoxAs an artist, the mental imprinting of cultural exposure, places, landscapes, and their associated experience are integral to my approach as I move in and out of a canvas. The freedom to draw upon this within my process of painting – although not always achieved – is movement without constraint while creating abstract relationships within the work. This is when the act of painting is truly satisfying, and achieving a balance between what’s considered pure expressionism and abstraction is what I find particularly compelling. More simply, I move with tools in hand and the work emerges.
Painting for me is a physical act, and the freedom to express within that movement has been guided by the previous generation of expressionists and color field artists. My champions of “modern” expressionism and color field styles start with Joan Mitchell and Willem de Kooning’s exceptionally strong colors and brushstroke, Jackson Pollock’s gestural movement, Helen Frankenthaler’s staining and magnificent shapes that utilize negative space so brilliantly, and the masterful Indian artist V.S. Gaitonde’s soft moods achieved within his non-objective work. Not only have these artists influenced my process and discernment while painting, their risk-taking demonstrated a pathway for my ongoing experimentation in developing my own techniques and approaches in completing my paintings.
Joan Mitchell said, “I carry my landscapes around with me”. I love this idea as I too bring out cherished landscapes I carry. While Mitchell didn’t exactly say this at the time, my guess is that she might agree that our experiences and feelings not just of place, but of actions, nature, and our shared human condition have no place to go but eek onto the canvas, sometimes boldly, sometimes subtly, for us to create our own meaning.
Featured WorksRuss Cox ‘Daybreak’ Oil on Canvas 48″x60″ $7200
Russ Cox ‘Midsummer Night’s Dream’ Oil on Canvas 48″x60″ $7200
Russ Cox ‘All The Places You’ll Go’ Oil on Canvas with Handcrafted Spalted Wood 39” x 51” $7200
Russ Cox ‘Party On The Wharf’ Oil on Canvas Scroll 48”x80” $6550
Cade JarvisIn these paintings, painter Cade Jarvis wanted to continue to push his fascination with the colors of the sky and the beauty it displays for all to witness. These paintings act as captured moments in time while also pushing the viewer to create their own emotional attachment to each painting. This approach is reflected in the works of many artists in the Abstract Expressionist movement who focused heavily on color theory and the relationships their artworks had on viewers. Artists like Mark Rothko, Joseph Albers and Al Reinhardt are some of Jarvis’s favorite artists who he constantly looks to for inspiration in his own paintings. Their Color Field paintings and interaction between color, time and play between viewer and painting are ideas that Jarvis continues to push in his own work and continue to nurture in his expansive repertoire of techniques as an artist.
Featured WorksCade Jarvis ‘Evening Crescendo’ Acrylic on Panel 12”x24” $1850
Cade Jarvis ‘19:52 – 18:05 (Perspectives of Time)’ Acrylic on Panel 7”x31” $950
Cade Jarvis ‘22:18 – 17:57 (Perspectives of Time)’ Acrylic on Panel 7”x31” $950
Cade Jarvis ‘18:56 – 12:03 (Perspectives of Time)’ Acrylic on Panel 7”x31” $950
Erika ManningI consider myself an abstract painter whose work is loosely based on the routes traveled in both the inner and outer landscape of life.
While steeped in classical ways of drawing and painting, one of the overarching influences in my work has always been Abstract Expressionism. From a very early age I was enamored with AB EX artists such as Mark Rothko, Richard Pousette-Dart, Joan Mitchell, Helen Frankenthaler, Lee Krasner, Richard Diebenkorn, Willem Dekoonig and more recently Lynn Drexler and Alma Thomas. Other influences have been Stone Age Cave painting, stained glass church windows, religious icons, Surrealism, my life long practice of Yoga as well as intuitive Spiritualist artists such as Hilma Af Klint.
Making the work is about letting go, improvising, getting out of the way, and letting the painting be what it wants to be…which generally is not what I as the artist thought it might be. I always start with big expansive line gestures of Prussian Blue paint, and the Surrealist technique of “liquid down a vertical plane”. This helps to give me some loose structure to start with. The viewer can sometimes see these initial gestures peeking through the layers of paint in the
finished work. I feel this adds to the collective history of the painting, and have always been drawn to the idea that artwork is comparable to human experience in that the story and what is underneath isn’t always visible on the surface.
While I am not a color field painter, I’ve always enjoyed that idea as well as the use of deep saturated layers of color in my work. I like incorporating hues that vibrate on either end of the color wheel to activate the surface of the painting. Recently I’ve been drawn to explore a more neutral and quieter pallet to see how that changes both my experience in creating the work, as well as the viewers experience.
My painting practice has always been an intuitive form of personal expression. The process of making the work is linked to a form of spiritual growth, and is in essence the way I navigate my world. It is my hope that the viewer completes the work by sensing a spirit of place that is known on some level, but perhaps one that is more of an instinctive recognition.
Featured WorksErika Manning ‘Blue Harbor I’ Oil on Canvas 30” x 24” $4140
Erika Manning ‘Blue Harbor II’ Oil on Canvas 24” x 24” $3450
Erika Manning ‘Blue Harbor III’ Oil on Canvas 30” x 24” $4140
Erika Manning ‘Blue Harbor IV’ Oil on Canvas 24” x 24” $3450
Rachel SomervilleMy practice is about liberation, rebellion, and freedom. When I paint, I’m processing my thoughts, feelings, and experiences—the good, the bad- the drama. I’m swimming through the wins, the failures- sadness and the joy.
My practice is deeply connected to music; sound drives the dance of my brush. With music comes texture and color, which also guide the flow. Painting is like dancing—an unrehearsed dance that bubbles up from the soul. As Ernst Ludwig Kirchner wrote, “The painter needs to feel the power of life flowing through him like a river; otherwise he cannot paint.” For me, painting is a release, an escape, a celebration, and a confession. It embodies emotion and lived experience. It is the calm and the storm all at once—a mourning and a celebration.
Featured WorksRachel Somerville ‘Your Wish is My Command l’ Mixed Media on Canvas 16″x20″ $2200
Rachel Somerville ‘Your Wish is My Command II’ Mixed Media on Canvas 16″x20″ $1800
Rachel Somerville ‘Eighties Galaxy’ Mixed Media on Canvas 22″x28″ $2400
Rachel Somerville ‘En Route l’ Mixed Media on Canvas 11″x14″ $1800
Patrick WalshArtist Statement:
My recent work is deeply inspired by the natural world. Particularly, the unique flora and fauna
of Maine. These paintings seek to explore the subtle, yet profound differences within natural
environments, reflecting how these variations mirror the individuality of human beings. I use a
mostly monochromatic palette to encourage the viewer to look more closely and discover the
minute details that often go overlooked in our fast-paced, modern world. The work aims to
challenge viewers to appreciate the nuances of the natural world and, by extension, the diversity
within humanity itself.
Abstract Expressionism Reflection:
From the time I saw my first Rothko, I was overtaken by the abstract expressionist movement.
Artists like Clyfford Still, Willem De Kooning and Barnett Newman carried my love for this art
world movement and have heavily influenced my own work over the years. My use of
expressive, vivid color palettes along with a sense of gesture and expression, resemble similar
characteristics of the Abstract Expressionist era. Much like many Abstract Expressionists’ work
aimed to evoke emotion through color alone, my recent work makes use of contrasting colors,
creating a dynamic visual tension that draws the viewer in. The brush strokes and mark making
that form the flora of my work convey a certain sense of movement and energy, creating a
connection to nature that’s as much about feeling as it is about representation. The stylized and
abstracted forms paired with intense pigment, bring forth an emotional or even spiritual
connection to nature. Similar to artists from the Abstract Expressionist realm sought to explore
the sublime or question the human condition. I carry such a deep appreciation of all the Abstract
Expressionist artists and work within me, that it’s carried through into my own work, and, taking
a step back to observe that connection, I’m so grateful that it has.
Featured WorksPatrick Walsh “Willard” Acrylic on Canvas 20”x24” $3200
Patrick Walsh ‘Coneflower’ Acrylic on Canvas 52″x64″ $5800
Patrick Walsh ‘Sweater’ Oil and Acrylic on Canvas 36” x 48” $6090
Patrick Walsh ‘My Flowers’ Acrylic on Canvas 20″x24″ $3200

Gesture. Color. Form. Opening Reception
2024-09-20 17:00 - 19:00

A Few of My Favorite Things
2024-11-01 10:00 - 2024-11-19 18:00
Diane Dahlke helps us usher in the season of giving with a show dedicated to the little joys in life and the moments that lift our spirits. Join us.
Diane Dahlke ‘Supermarket Sunflowers’ Oil on Panel 24” x 20” $4000
Diane Dahlke ‘Mixed Olives’ Oil on Panel 16” x 16” $3000
Diane Dahlke ‘Macarons, Cumberland’ Oil on Panel 22″x28″ $3200
Diane Dahlke ‘Rosemont Tulips’ Oil on Panel 18″x24″ $3500
Diane Dahlke ‘Strawberries, Cumberland’ Oil on Panel 18″ x 18″ $2520
Diane Dahlke ‘Celebration’ Oil on Panel 22″ x 28″ $3200
Diane Dahlke ‘Small Purple Tulips’ Oil on Panel 10″ x 10″ $500
Diane Dahlke ‘Supermarket Tulips’ Oil on Panel 13″ x 25″ $3800
Diane Dahlke ‘Broken Candy’ Oil on Panel 38″ x 34″ $4200
Diane Dahlke ‘Peony with a Pearl Earring’ Oil on Panel 18″ x 24″ $3200
Diane Dahlke ‘Turban Shell in a Dish’ Oil on Panel 20″ x 24″ $3200
Diane Dahlke ‘Empty Honey Bear in Winter’ Oil on Panel 19″ x 25″ $2800
Diane Dahlke ‘Vintage Coats’ Oil on Panel 30″ x 30″ $4800
Diane Dahlke‘Pearls’ Oil on Panel 18” x 24” $3360
Diane Dahlke ‘Asparagus’ Oil on Panel 24” x 24” $3625
Diane Dahlke ‘Scallop Shells’ Oil on Panel 13″ x 25″ $2310
Diane Dahlke ‘Rosemont Tulips’ Oil on Panel 18″ x 24″ $3500
Diane Dahlke ‘Almonds and Sea Salt in Dark Chocolate’ Oil on Panel 18″ x 24″ $3200
Diane Dahlke ‘Lettuce, Cumberland’ Oil on Panel 19″ x 25″ $2800
Diane Dahlke ‘Ferns in the Garden’ Oil on Panel 12″ x 12″ $1365
Diane Dahlke ‘Honey Bears Talking’ Oil on Panel 12″ x 12″ $500
Diane Dahlke ‘Martini London’ Oil on Panel 16″ x 19″ $2800
Diane Dahlke ‘Face to Face’ Oil on Panel 10″ x 10″ $450
Diane Dahlke ‘Flower Pops’ Oil on Panel 16″ x 16″ $2800
Diane Dahlke ‘Gummy Worms at Play’ Oil on Panel 30″ x 30″ $4800
Diane Dahlke ‘Maple Men’ Oil on Panel 24”x24” $2500⁠
Diane Dahlke ‘Peppers in a Plastic Bag’ Oil on Panel 22″ x 28″ $3200

Diane Dahlke: A Few of My Favorite Things Opening Reception
2024-11-01 17:00 - 19:00
Diane Dahlke helps us usher in the season of giving with a show dedicated to the little joys in life and the moments that lift our spirits. Join us.
Opening Reception Friday Nov 1st
5-7pm
