Sandra Crabtree, a prolific and accomplished painter from Bath, shares, “ Observations and memories developed as a young person have influenced my lifelong love of nature and art. In my work, I strive to capture a sense of place and share those moments using layers of colors combined with expressive brushwork. The play of light across a body of water, the transitory effects of sunlight across an object, light shining through atmospheric conditions are all a part of my subject matter. My work follows changes from season to season in color and patterns and the simple procession of life in every day things. I hope to bring these outdoor landscapes and seascapes indoors to bring attention to the responsibility we all share to preserve this natural beauty and encourage everyone to enjoy the visual world.” For thirty years Sandra taught high school art as well as private classes. Throughout her years in teaching she exhibited in Maine galleries. Currently, she is exploring larger formats and is working to bring the fluidity and energetic brushwork of watercolor to canvas with acrylics and oils. Sandy lives and works in Bath, Maine, close to the sea and quiet places.

 

Born and raised in Maine, Sandra Leinonen Dunn is a prominent Maine artist. Her works are part of collections throughout the U.S, and abroad and she is represented by several galleries in Maine and Massachusetts. Using her intuitive sense of color, and her lyrical brushwork, Ms. Dunn creates paintings which express both her passion for beauty as well as her interest and respect for classical painting techniques. She shares, “ I am a traditional painter working mainly in oils.  Painting for me is like mediation.  When I am working on a  subject, I am in my right brain where logic and words do not exist, and where the world becomes only nameless shapes and infinite shades of color. The more I look at my subject, the more I see!  This is what fascinates me.  I find inspiration for paintings all around me, and often it is the shape, or color of a subject, which interests me as much (if not more) than the object itself.  I want my paintings to contain a little bit of something beautiful  frozen in time.  The only thing certain in this life is change.  Through  painting, I can capture, (and hold onto) a moment, a bit of  light, a splash of vibrant color, which I can then share with others.” She has a studio at her home in Chelsea, Maine.

 

For over 30 years the beauty of Maine has inspired Sandra Harper to paint seascapes, coastal villages, lighthouses, as well as, inland landscapes.  Through her focused use of light and color she captures the pure energy, serene or dynamic, of the place. Sandra shares, “Why do I paint? Because it’s challenging and fun. Each day I go to my studio thrilled by the thought of capturing a scene on canvas.  How can I use my oils to create that magical evening light, that feeling of the ocean wave crashing against the rocks, the delicacy of a flower? I paint in a realistic style using the light, shapes and colors found in nature. My goal is to capture the magical moments in time, to reflect the mood and movement of the sea and the radiance of the light striking the land. I paint not only to memorialize these scenes but to share them.” Sandra’s award winning work can be found in private collections throughout the country and has appeared in solo and group shows in New York, Massachusetts and Maine. Since 1988 Sandy has lived and worked in the rural central Maine town of Litchfield.

 

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