Radio Maine with Dr. Lisa Belisle

Christina Thwaites: an English Artist in Portland, Maine

Originally from England, artist Christina Thwaites has lived around the world, enjoying time in such far flung locales as Scotland, France, Spain, Italy, Indonesia, Netherlands and Australia. Painting has long provided a means of finding home wherever she lands. Now living in one of Maine’s university towns, Christina has recently been inspired by the rugged coastline of the Pine Tree State. She notes an interesting narrative intersection between geography and the old photos that often provide a starting place for her work. Join our conversation with one of the Portland Art Gallery’s newest artists, Christina Thwaites, 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.

Interested in Maine artists? Check out the Portland Art Gallery of Maine.

Overcoming a Rock Climbing Accident to Get Back to Art: The Inspiring Story of James Bonner

Growing up in the land of the Razorbacks, it is perhaps not surprising that James Bonner is a former football player and sports enthusiast. More intriguing is the longstanding attraction that this Little Rock, Arkansas native has felt toward Maine art and artists. This first manifested as an attraction to the work of the Wyeth family. Drawn to Andrew Wyeth in particular, James began a decades-long love affair with Maine, traveling frequently to the state’s Mid-coast region to immerse himself in the environment that has inspired countless creative spirits. James has become known for his attention to detail, using a painstaking multi-layered process to create simplified yet evocative Maine scenes. We explore the inexplicable allure of our beloved Pine Tree State with James Bonner 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.

Small Business Spotlight: Emma Wilson on Pivoting an Art Gallery During a Global Pandemic

Emma Wilson has become intimately familiar with the challenges of managing an art gallery during a pandemic, including the potential impact on the livelihoods of artists. With a roster of over 55 Maine-centric artists, the importance of continuing to meet high standards at the Portland Art Gallery cannot be overstated.  As the director, Emma worked with her team to meet and exceed these standards, in part by finding new ways to connect with art lovers around the world. Please join our conversation with Emma Wilson on the first episode of season two 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.

Emma Wilson is the director of the Portland Art Gallery of Maine.

Acrylic Flow Painting with Maine Artist Scott Bowe

Artist Scott Bowe has long been inspired by the ocean. He spent his formative years enjoying summers at the coastal Maine property his great grandfather acquired. As a college student, he participated in the Semester at Sea program, where he expanded his senses as he traveled around the world.  It wasn’t until he was pursuing an acting career in Los Angeles that Scott began to experiment with art. He adopted a method of painting first created by Mexican artist David Alfaro Siqueiros, who developed a process called acrylic flow painting, or acrylic pour painting, in the 1930’s. This technique allowed him to explore themes of aquatically-inspired movement and constant change. Join our conversation with Scott Bowe on this episode of Radio Maine with Dr. Lisa Belisle.

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.

Be Inspired by Laurie Fisher as She Describes How She Found Confidence in Her Art

With her graduate degree in clinical psychology, artist Laurie Fisher has been trained to look for, and understand, the factors that fundamentally make us who we are, and who we might be. She has used these in her own creative development, as both a writer and an artist. Laurie speaks eloquently about her creative path, the uncertainties that plague most artists, and the joy of meeting advocates and supporters who have furthered her career and contributed to her artistic confidence. A relatively new addition to the artist roster at Portland Art Gallery, Laurie has had notable national art representation for many years. Please join Dr. Lisa Belisle on Radio Maine for our conversation with artist Laurie Fisher.

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.

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

Home Is Where The Heart Is: An Interview with Acclaimed Vermont Artist, Sage Tucker-Ketcham

By the time Sage Tucker Ketcham entered high school in Burlington, Vermont, she and her mother had moved over 20 times. Their travels took them throughout the U.S. and Europe, with memorable stays in England and Italy.  Sage’s mother, herself an artist and musician, made sure that art played an important part in their experience. Sage went on to obtain a more formal art education from the Maine College of Art in Portland, before eventually returning to Vermont, where she now lives with her husband and son. Her paintings suggest an interesting blend of stasis and movement, likely informed by her own peripatetic past, weaving the transitional nuances of seasons and time of day with comforting depictions of home. Learn more about Portland Art Gallery artist Sage Tucker Ketcham 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 her art.

Matthew Barter Is Leading the Way for the Next Generation of Maine Folk Artists

Matthew Barter has always approached his artistic training, and his life, in a unique manner. Homeschooled in rural Downeast Maine, his parents exposed him to art, art galleries and the working waterfront from a young age. His father, himself an artist and fisherman, served as one of his early role models. Over time, Matt moved from working construction jobs to becoming a full-time artist and sculptor. His dedication to both persistence and play has put him on track to be one of Maine’s iconic artists.  Join our conversation with Matt Barter 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.

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

Ed Wintner, a Former Biochemist, Applies a Scientific and Methodical Approach to Art

Ed Wintner had more than a fleeting passion for art while in high school, and took his studies seriously at the Philadelphia College of Art (now part of the University of the Arts) during those years. His career would, however, take a very different path.  After earning a PhD in organic chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, he joined the fast-paced biotechnology world, on the front line of drug discovery. After successfully launching two biotech start-ups, Ed made the decision not to remain in that field, instead returning to his early love and devoting himself full-time to being an artist. Ed draws parallels between the seemingly unrelated professions as he describes the neurologic processes involved, and the uncertainty of discovery inherent to each. Learn more about Portland Art Gallery artist Ed Wintner, and his unique artistic style, 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.

This Maine Artist Creates Dramatic, Abstract Seascapes That Will Blow You Away: Meet MJ Benson

Artist MJ Benson loves swimming in the ocean, and the accompanying profound, visceral sense of the balance between breathing and not.  What she experiences so deeply in that realm is reflected in the play between light and dark in her abstract landscapes. MJ is highly attuned to emotional contrasts:  her sorrow over her  brother’s death from cancer in the midst of COVID generated  a renewed appreciation for her family, her friends and her life in Maine. Over the past two years, MJ poured this appreciation into her art, and her paintings soared as a result. Today’s conversation with MJ Benson provides a glimpse into an artist’s emotional experience and the impact it has on her art. 

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.

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

A Reluctant CEO Navigates Her Grief and Continues to Create Her Art: Meet Anne Heywood

​​Anne Heywood was an accomplished full-time artist and gallery owner when, in February 2020, her husband of thirty years passed away suddenly. Still navigating her grief, she assumed the role of CEO of her late husband’s engineering firm as a global pandemic unfolded. Her resilience and fortitude kept the business moving forward, enabling The Thompson & Lichtner Co., Inc. to celebrate its 125th year that October. Two years later, Anne is still running the Canton, Massachusetts-based company, while once again finding time to visit her beloved home in Waldoboro, Maine and resume painting the Maine scenes that bring her peace.

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.