Radio Maine with Dr. Lisa Belisle

Artist Dan Daly on Sketchbooking, His Various Careers, and Volunteering at Maine State Prison

When Maine artist Dan Daly leaves his house, he checks off the essentials: keys, wallet, sketchbook.  Over the past several decades, he has filled hundreds of sketchbooks with ideas and inspiration from his day-to-day travels. It’s not only images that capture his attention--Dan is equally drawn to people and their stories. He easily relates to people from a broad range of backgrounds, from the janitorial crew he worked with to make money so he could go back to college, to the inmates with whom he volunteered at the Maine State Prison. His sketchbooks, and his stories, reflect deep bonds with people and the world.  Join our conversation with Dan Daly 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.

A Model Boat Builder Paints Breathtaking, Realist Maritime Landscapes: Meet Artist Steve Rogers

Steve Rogers has an appreciation for history, tradition, and service. This, in addition to his lifelong fascination with the ocean, boatbuilders and, (as he refers to them) “watermen,” has resulted in an almost documentary feel to many of his works: his attention to detail related to the working waterfront is unparalleled. On today’s episode of Radio Maine, Steve talks about his rare, but much anticipated, childhood trips to the Jersey Shore where he first fell in love to access to the water, his time teaching model boat building at the legendary Wooden Boat School in Brooklin Maine, and his personal commitment to leadership and giving back to his community.  You’ll look at his work differently after listening to our conversation with Steve Rogers 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.

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

Willa Vennema’s Path to Becoming an Established Encaustic Artist Will Inspire You

Willa Vennema’s life is as wonderfully layered as the encaustic pieces she creates. Raised by art-loving parents in New York City, she became a talented flautist, attending what is now called the LaGuardia High School of Music & Performing Arts—the school that inspired the ‘80 film, television series, and musical, “Fame.” She also began a decades-long relationship with Swan’s Island, a remote enclave in Hancock County, Maine, that claims its musical connection through the 32-year-old Sweet Chariot Music Festival. While studying at Oberlin College and Conservatory in Ohio, Willa realized a newfound passion for the visual arts, spurred on by courses in art history and printmaking. She would go on to become an arts-focused preschool teacher, eventually moving with her family to Southern Maine. Swan’s Island has remained her muse throughout this time, and her art—developed through layers of color and wax–embodies her continued evolution. Join our conversation with Willa Vennema 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.

David Moser of Maine’s Thomas Moser Furniture Family Discusses his Enduring Passion for Sculpture

Sculptor David Moser has creativity woven into his DNA. A member of the Maine family known for the Thos Moser furniture company, David learned much from its entrepreneurial founder–his father, Tom. The wisdom that he gained, alongside his three brothers, would influence an early interest in business and economics. His comfort in working with his hands would eventually lend itself to the craft of sculpting, an artistic endeavor that he now pursues full-time. In this first Radio Maine episode of the New Year, David willingly explores the emotional depths, and vulnerabilities, inherent in this choice. Thank you for joining our conversation.

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.

Doug Caves on the Artist’s Search for Purpose

Artist Doug Caves has an affinity for the natural space afforded by rural New England. “It understands me and I understand it,” he says. Doug translates the energy he feels from the environment onto his paintings. Whether teaching artists, or pursuing his own art, Doug believes in taking a deliberate approach to exploration, discovery, and invention.  His own explorations have led him to consider conflicting family guidance, a search for meaning,  and whether his work “matters.”  He suggests that the journey of discovery, as it relates both to knowing one’s own self and the external space one inhabits, is its own reward. Join our conversation with Doug Caves 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.

From Hawaii to Maine, Artist Julie Houck Travels Coast to Coast for Inspiration

Julie Houck began life as a traveler, moving several times for her father’s career. This pattern repeated itself in her later years. After attending art school, she became a highly sought-after commercial photographer who traversed the globe shooting for corporations, as well as publications such as Business Week, Newsweek, Forbes, The New Yorker,  and U.S. News & World Report. The accumulated miles, and the transition of photography from film to digital, motivated her to change her professional course after 20 years, and seek additional training in San Francisco and Paris. The worldwide landscape continues to inspire Julie’s art, although now she is now more likely to be exploring places by bike than by plane, near her studios located in Hawaii and Maine. Join our conversation with Julie Houck 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.

An Artist Struggling with MS Is Committed to Living in the Present: Be Inspired by Carol Bass

Carol Bass approaches life with an innate empathy, compassion and joy. A love for people and adventure brought her to Maine after college, and she stayed to raise a family, develop her art career and start a successful business. She moved to South Carolina after her children had grown, with the idea of reconnecting with family, but the draw to Maine was too strong.  After a decade, she and her husband moved back. Now, you can find Carol living quietly in Pownal Maine, painting incessantly, and loving life despite challenges caused by multiple sclerosis. Carol talks passionately about living, absolutely, in the present, intentionally forgetting what came before, and about her need to finally come home. Join our conversation 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.

Kim Case of Cape Elizabeth, Maine Reflects on Her Winding Path to a Fruitful Art Career

Kim Case began her creative journey as a photojournalist. After growing up in central New Hampshire, she trained in art history and photojournalism at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University in Boston. Finding the field of photojournalism difficult to break into, she went on to photograph weddings, using images to create narratives of a couple’s special day. She eventually became editor of the first home and design magazine in New England.  Her paintings often reflect a storytelling approach, whether depicting a farmhouse swing framed by the White Mountains, or a fisherman’s shack on Casco Bay. Kim now paints from her studio in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, where she has made a home with her husband and son. Listen to our conversation with Kim Case 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.

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

Sheep Farming, Equine Therapy and Photography in Hollis Maine: Meet Nina Fuller

Inspired by Scott and Helen Nearing’s classic “back-to-the-land” book, Living the Good Life, Nina Fuller first came to Maine in 1972. Being close to nature had taken root in her psyche from early days spent on her parent’s farm in Connecticut, and she sought this same agricultural connection for her own family. When her Maine dreams imploded with a series of life transitions, Nina knew she would someday return to the bucolic tranquility she had previously found.  After raising her children and building a successful career as a commercial photographer, Nina reestablished herself on her very own sheep farm in Hollis, Maine. Nina has entered the latest phase in her photography career from this location, creating fine art prints documenting her life as a sheep farmer. Join us in discussing Nina’s journey back to the land 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.

Maine Arts and Culture: Interview with Landscape Oil Painter Holly Smith

Holly L. Smith’s New England connections run deep: she can trace her family lineage back to the Mayflower. Her great-grandfather, Captain George Lane, used to sail from Rockport, Maine to the West Indies, carrying lime and lumber.  Maine has been home her entire life, and she has taken full advantage of access to its islands, including Eagle, Monhegan, and Vinalhaven. With loving encouragement from both her mother and father, she immersed herself in art from a young age, attended the Portland-Gorham area teacher's college that would eventually become the University of Southern Maine, and spent 31 years teaching art and photography in public schools. After exploring several different avenues for getting her work into the homes of collectors, Holly decided to join the Portland Art Gallery. Learn more about Maine artist Holly Smith 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.

Holly L. Smith is represented by the Portland Art Gallery of Maine. Click here to view her art.