YORK HARBOR - Get your oils and brushes out and join York artist Brett Gamache for a free lecture/demonstration on Oct. 24 at 7 p.m. at the York Art Association.
The following week, on Oct. 27 and 28, Brett will be offering a two-day oil painting workshop from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on both days. The day will begin with a short talk and demo followed by individual painting time, ending the day with a critique. You may bring a lunch or a snack. While the lecture/demo is open to the public and free, the workshop is $40 and pre-registration is necessary. To sign up, call Helen Hennessy at 363-4014 or email HelenHennessy@hotmail.com.
To register, send your $40 check to Helen Hennessey, PO Box 774, York ME 03909. Once your check is received you will be given a materials list and other necessary information.
For those of you fortunate enough to attend both the lecture/demo and the workshop, you will get to study with a very accomplished young artist. Brett received his BFA in Painting and Art Education from the Massachusetts College of Art in 2001, and then received his MFA at the University of New Hampshire in 2005, spending time in Ascoli Piceno, Italy during UNH's summer painting program. His teaching experiences include adjunct faculty positions at both UNH in painting and at New Hampshire Art Institute in drawing. He has exhibited widely, receiving several student awards and scholarships. He currently has a studio here in York and describes himself as a painter "influenced by the early Italian renaissance artists mainly Piero della Francesca) to Georges De LaTour, Corot, Paul Cezanne, Giorgio Morandi, Balthus, and Philip Guston."
Brett says that his painting process has always been rooted in direct observation with a desire to transform paint into the illusion of material(s). In the artist's statement on his website, BrettGamache.com, Brett says that he's " intrigued by the invisible forces of gravity and enjoys trying to portray an object's sense of weight... its heaviness". He goes on to say that he wants his works to have "life" in them - that the air feels real - that the viewer might be able to breathe and live in his work. Lately, he has been making more thought provoking images to inspire people, forcing the viewer to contemplate - filling them with a sense of wonderment - much like his feelings about nature.
The York Art Association is proud to sponsor this event - continuing to offer a variety of programming - from poetry readings to musical events and craft shows-- in addition to its traditional member shows. Through Nov. 9, YAA member Barry Tarr's photography group will be exhibiting a fine collection of photographs. Since March 2008, Barry has been holding a photography workshop the second Tuesday of each month, and this is a show not to be missed.
The Small Painting Show follows from Nov. 14 to Dec. 7, and the Holiday Fine Craft Show is a two-day show on Dec. 12 and 13 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Our newly opened gift shop, under the leadership of Louise Gerstenblatt, features jewelry, glass, pottery, paintings, photos, and sculpture and is always open during gallery hours from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. Please do come in and browse, visit with the staff, and admire the beautiful one-of-a-kind items in the gift shop.
