It reached 80 degrees today here on Maine’s coast where I live. My newly planted flowers and veggies are most grateful for the warmth. They seem to dance with the ocean breeze, as if they know summer is, at last, just around the corner. Soon every growing thing will bloom in all its glory. I will fill seven vases with blossoms for every room, every niche, in my home. And summer suppers will be filled with my own organic produce.
All day I’ve watched the sun shatter shadow with its white-hot brilliance. No place I’ve lived–all 35–has ever had sunshine to match Maine’s. Perfect light for the artist or sailor, beach-goer or wandering tourist.
Come this summer and enjoy Maine’s shores, nature preserves, seafood restaurants, unique shops and galleries. Yes, gas prices are high, but the sunsets are worth every penny. Where you live can you see a brilliant orange sunset over the ocean, filtered through soaring pines? You can in Maine.
Maine has a motto that enticed me to move here: ” The way life should be.” Now that’s a bold tagline to uphold! I suppose it refers to simple basics: good land, good sea, good air, good food, and simple pleasures. Uncomplicated. No brass or glitz. Down to earth. That’s what I wanted and that’s what we’ve found.
Maine, however, like most mortal places, is not perfect. Convenience is not a high value. For example, we do not have mail delivery, and electricity goes out frequently when storms come (and they always do) and phone and internet service is anything but ideal. And, unfortunately, our particular location is between two do-it-yourselfers who love loud tools
But we survive.
What’s more important than watching an eagle land in a tall pine beside your house or seeing glowing stars in a perfectly clear night sky, or a moon shine in your bedroom window, or (my personal favorite) sunsets that flood the sky, reflecting in the ocean estuary that meets your backyard? This is the way life should be. This is why you come to Maine.
And if you happen to be an artist, all the better. You’ve not only perfect scenery for plein air painting, but also perfect light.
In taking inventory of my artwork recently I noticed that while light has always been significant in my paintings, most of my work since coming to Maine involves light even more–scenes with an ocean glow, moonlight, sunlight, sunsets, light shining on rocky shores or calm sand beaches, sun streaming through forests, sun sparkling on splashing waves, sun reflecting on the hull of a lobsterman’s boat,
So, bring yourself to Maine. And while you’re here, stop by my gallery and see my many paintings of Maine’s spectacular scenery and special light. I love showing my paintings and sharing the stories behind my work. Gwendolyn Evans Gallery is open Wednesday through Saturday, 10 to 4, 4 miles south of Damariscotta off Route129, at 75 Hunters Landing Rd, Walpole, Maine, 04573.
Light in the Forest, oil, 10″ x 8″, framed, $575 by Gwendolyn Evans
Artwork: Light in the Forest, oil, 10″ x 8″, framed, $575
This forest is near a frequent walk we take near Pemaquid Trail. One evening the light was captivating so I captured it in oil. I like the contrast of dark ground foliage and brilliant light filtering through the trees.