Radio Maine with Dr. Lisa Belisle

A California Art Instructor Shows Abstract Installations in Portland, Maine: Meet Bibby Gignilliat

Bibby Gignilliat had a varied career path, including more than two decades running her own business, before she decided to do something that would feed her soul. Heeding the advice of author Julia Cameron, well known for her book, The Artist’s Way, Bibby returned to doing something she loved as a child: creating art. She sought out the teachers and colleagues who supported this new journey, and slowly gained the confidence she needed to emerge as a mixed media collage artist. Using skills she gained through teaching corporate cooking classes and facilitating events, Bibby launched an online art course. To date this California resident has reached more than 700 students worldwide. Join our conversation with Portland Art Gallery artist, Bibby Gignilliat, today on Radio Maine.

Every week, Dr. Lisa Belisle brings you an interview with a member of Maine’s community, including artists, designers, and more. Subscribe to Radio Maine on YouTube, so you never miss an episode:

Bibby Gignilliat is represented by the Portland Art Gallery of Maine. Click here to view her art.

Maine Artist Bella Weidner on Art, Homesteading, and Van Life

Artist Bella Weidner has never been afraid of doing what she wants to do–including selling her Cumberland, Maine homestead, so that she and her young  family could travel the country in their camper.  She comes by her adventurous inclinations honestly, with parents who first came to the U.S. from Argentina, and then uprooted themselves once again as they moved with their children from California to New England. Along the way, Bella developed an eye for beauty and color, which led her to pursue an art education. Bella now lives and creates art in Stockton Springs (near Belfast), where she and her husband rent cottages to Maine’s coastal visitors, all while raising their son, Che. Join our conversation with the intrepid and innovative Bella Weidner today on Radio Maine.

Every week, Dr. Lisa Belisle brings you an interview with a member of Maine’s community, including artists, designers, and more. Subscribe to Radio Maine on YouTube, so you never miss an episode:

Bella Weidner is represented by the Portland Art Gallery of Maine. Click here to view her art.

 

Teaching Expands Perspective and Inspires this Established Maine Artist: Dietlind Vander Schaaf

Teaching is an important source of perspective and inspiration for artist Dietlind Vander Schaaf. Through her interactions with students, she has the opportunity to reflect on her own very prolific art practice, both with regard to process and outcome. Dietland continues to experiment with colors and her signature mark-making, while at the same time acknowledging that vision often comes before the ability to execute a given idea–and that this tension is not always easy. She remains committed to her creative evolution, and carries this into the business of art-making as well. Join our conversation with Dietlind Vander Schaaf on today’s episode of Radio Maine.

Every week, Dr. Lisa Belisle brings you an interview with a member of Maine’s community, including artists, designers, and more. Subscribe to Radio Maine on YouTube, so you never miss an episode:

Dietlind Vander Schaaf is represented by the Portland Art Gallery of Maine. Click here to view her art.

Participating in the Thoughtful Building of Portland Maine’s Future: Meet Emily McConnell

Growing up in the Belgrade Lakes region of Maine, Emily McConnell considered Portland to be “the big city.” Though she felt a certain attraction to its urban energy, Emily did not yet have a sense that she would one day be contributing to its evolution. Maine’s largest municipality has experienced increased attention nationally in recent years, both for its liveability and for its economic opportunities. Anticipating the increased demand for housing options, the NewHeight Group has been at the center of several exciting projects, including the conversion of the former Northern Light Mercy Hospital building on State Street. NewHeight partner Emily McConnell has been actively engaged in this transformation, while simultaneously working toward her own, very significant professional transformation. Hear Emily’s reflections on change on today’s episode of Radio Maine.

Every week, Dr. Lisa Belisle brings you an interview with a member of Maine’s community, including artists, designers, and more. Subscribe to Radio Maine on YouTube, so you never miss an episode.

Portland, Maine Artist Spreads Happiness With His Art and Hands-On Engagement: Meet Rick Hamilton

Rick Hamilton’s art brings joy to those who experience it. This is true when it is invited into the homes of those who have chosen it for their own, and also for those who are present during its creation. Such was the case recently, when Rick brought his easel, paints and a 6 x 10 foot canvas to the Portland Art Gallery, and created the piece “We’ll Always Stick Together,” with the participation of gallery visitors of all ages. This experience continued a dialogue of happiness that Rick seems always in the midst of, and produced a sizable work that now hangs on the wall of a local business. 

Every week, Dr. Lisa Belisle brings you an interview with a member of Maine’s community, including artists, designers, and more. Subscribe to Radio Maine on YouTube, so you never miss an episode.

Rick Hamilton is represented by the Portland Art Gallery of Maine. Click here to view his art.

This Maine Artist Is Painting Every Bird Mentioned by Shakespeare: Meet Missy Dunaway

Artist Missy Dunaway has the unique ability to be both far-ranging and deep in her approach to her work. While attempting to convince a fellow college student of the ongoing relevance of William Shakespeare several years ago, she gave his contribution to language as one example. A known ‘word chemist,’ The Bard not only engaged in the creation of new vocabulary, he also extensively used the known vocabulary of the time: his collected works include more than 30,000 different words. Among these are descriptions of 64 separate species of birds that eventually became the inspiration for Missy’s current series of paintings–which also include applicable and historically accurate plants. With the help of an ornithologist, a botanist, and a Shakespeare scholar, Missy is remaining true to her intention of “using a visual form to communicate information to make Shakespeare accessible to everybody.” Join our latest conversation with Missy Dunaway on today’s episode of Radio Maine.

Every week, Dr. Lisa Belisle brings you an interview with a member of Maine’s community, including artists, designers, and more. Subscribe to Radio Maine on YouTube, so you never miss an episode.

Missy Dunaway is represented by the Portland Art Gallery of Maine. Click here to view her art.

 

Editor-in-chief of Culture Magazine on Writing and Journalism: Meet Susan Sherrill Axelrod

Susan Sherrill Axelrod is a writer and editor whose work has appeared in numerous magazines and newspapers. A former restaurant owner, she is now the Editor-in-chief for Culture (“the ultimate publication for those who love cheese”). Her love of culture goes beyond the culinary: she has an undergraduate degree in French and Italian literature, and has traveled all over the world. Now a Maine resident with a strong connection to the Boothbay region, she shares her talents with the Portland Art Gallery community via “Art Matters,” a weekly web and email column featuring interviews with our artists. Learn more about Susan Sherrill Axelrod on this week’s episode of Radio Maine.

Every week, Dr. Lisa Belisle brings you an interview with a member of Maine’s community, including artists, designers, and more. Subscribe to Radio Maine on YouTube, so you never miss an episode.

Check out Susan Sherrill Axelrod's blog, Art Matters, here: https://portlandartgallery.com/art-blog

Hope Moves Her Forward: Artist Joyce Grasso on her Journey, Inspirations, and Career.

Joyce Grasso’s life experiences, and adversities, have been quietly informing her art for many years. A native of Portland, Maine, her family had a shoe store on Congress Street–across from what is now the Maine Historical Society’s Wadsworth-Longfellow House–for more than half a century. She had a front row seat to the cultural diversity of Munjoy Hill, and enjoyed weekend forays to Cape Elizabeth and Old Orchard Beach. She also felt the limitations of career choice, as did many women of her generation. Despite these limitations, and significant health challenges, her art reflects the abundance and hope that she has steadfastly drawn from her life. Join our conversation with Joyce Grasso on today’s episode of Radio Maine.

Every week, Dr. Lisa Belisle brings you an interview with a member of Maine’s community, including artists, designers, and more. Subscribe to Radio Maine on YouTube, so you never miss an episode.

This artist is represented by the Portland Art Gallery of Maine. Click here to view their art.

Greg Day’s Art Draws on his Background in Architecture and Passion for Cartography

Greg Day has always had an interest in lines and intersections. Early in life, Greg would lay out and draw intricate city maps at his kitchen table. After graduating from a small high school in rural Maine, Greg went on to study architecture. While his work in this profession was brief, both this and his fascination with cartography would eventually influence his art. Learn more about artist Greg Day on today’s episode of Radio Maine.

Every week, Dr. Lisa Belisle brings you an interview with a member of Maine’s community, including artists, designers, and more. Subscribe to Radio Maine on YouTube, so you never miss an episode.

Greg Day is represented by the Portland Art Gallery of Maine. Click here to view his art.

Maine Artist Julia Einstein Finds Inspiration in the Most Delightful Subject: Flowers

Julia Einstein’s art is all about the details. She  seeks “gestures” in her subjects - most often flowers from her garden, or the farm where she is currently an artist in residence - and takes great care to arrange and paint them at precisely the right time of day. Previously a resident of Kennebunk, Maine, Julia made use of her extensive art history background when she worked as an educator at the Portland Museum of Art. Now a resident of Raleigh, North Carolina, where she moved to be near her family, Julia maintains her connection to the Pine Tree State through her affiliation with the Portland Art Gallery. Join our conversation with Julia Einstein on this episode of Radio Maine.

Every week, Dr. Lisa Belisle brings you an interview with a member of Maine’s community, including artists, designers, and more. Subscribe to Radio Maine on YouTube, so you never miss an episode.

This artist is represented by the Portland Art Gallery of Maine. Click here to view their art.