Readers of the Boothbay Register/Wiscasset Newspaper casting votes in The Artist's Eye contest chose Thomas Block as Midcoast Artist of the Year. A total of 500 votes were cast on 40 entries by local artists.

Block was contacted on July 1 about his win and accepted a certificate commemorating the event the next afternoon at the Boothbay Register office.

Thomas Block has spent his life interpreting the world around him through art and introducing children from kindergarten through grade 12 to the various mediums as an art educator.

"As an art educator you have to be proficient in all mediums," Block said. "My thinking is that kids need to be exposed to as many materials as possible. As a kid I really wanted to get into it, get hands-on and explore.”

Drawn to express himself through art, Block had his first one-man show in 1968 at a gallery in Canton, Conn., while still in high school. In 1970, the year he graduated from high school, he won a blue ribbon in the Hartford Courant's (newspaper) Youth Art Competition. His work was displayed at Trinity College.

In 1974, fresh out of college, he began his first teaching gig in the MSAD 50, Thomaston, Cushing and St. George, (now RSU 13) school district and stayed for 18 years. In 1992 he decided to change things up and accepted an art teaching position at Wiscasset High School. In 2001, Block was named Maine Art Educator of the Year by the Maine Art Education Association. He joined 49 other art educators in Miami's South Beach for an awards event.

“My curriculum was based on art exploration at multiple levels for all kids. Each child would eventually go on their own bent. The first priority was getting them into the classroom. Once they saw someone throwing pots, others drawing with pastels, silk screening ... one or more of the mediums would fire them up.”

Block retired from teaching in 2011, but continues to work in a variety of mediums — oils, watercolors, pastels, pen and ink, charcoal, egg tempura, sculpture and mixed media. He said he would get bored working in the same medium all of the time. His “vision” won't permit it.

“For me, choosing a medium is about what the subject dictates; what works for the vision I have for a piece.”

More often than not, that piece will reflect nature in all its wonder and the creatures — including humans — that dwell within in it.

Occasionally Block will do an interior project depicting old machinery or, like most recently, trains. The artist has designed and created the poster for the Annual Maine Summer Book Fair at Boothbay Railway Village on July 12.

Block is also an illustrator of children's books. While teaching in Knox County, he teamed up with Robert Smith to co-write "The Mermaid's Tear" in 1984, as illustrator. He went on to collaborate visually with "Little Buzzy and the Giant Pumpkin," written by Art Mayers, specifically for the annual Pumpkinfest in Damariscotta each October. And just three years ago, he illustrated television news journalist Don Carrigan's book, "Togus, A Coon Cat Finds A Home."

Illustrating holds great appeal for Block: Each book, and each character alive within it, conjures a specific vision that is fleshed out on canvas. He said his love of books and illustrating started when he was a kid.

"I'd write these stories that were typed up by my kid brother and I did the illustrations, make a cover, bind it ... I've always had a love for the physical sense of a book. How it feels in your hands ... the binding, the cover; the typeface and how it complements the illustrations and compositions.”

Block continues to collaborate with other children's authors, including Paige Pendleton and her “Star of Wonder,” a Christmas book, and the “White Belt Society,” not yet published.

Block has worked on several book projects and is a freelance illustrator on the staff of Maine Authors Publishing out of Rockland.

In Boothbay Harbor, Block has been a member of the Boothbay Region Art Foundation for several years and very recently accepted an invitation to join the foundation's board of directors. Some of his work can be viewed there as part of the second member show now on display there.

His current project is illustrating a new children's book, "Granny Peaches," by Paige Pendleton. Block has worked with the author previously, illustrating her book, "Star of Wonder." Block and Pendleton will be at the annual Maine Summer Book Fair at Boothbay Railway Village on July 12.

"Paige will be (signing) her new, yet unpublished book, 'White Belt Society'," Block said. "For the morning workshop we'll ask the kids to come up with an idea for a book cover, and then draw it. Younger kids will have a line drawing of a cow to reproduce and color."

And, given his passion for artistic exploration, they will have a grand assortment of mediums to choose from.

For more information, and to view Block's work, visit www.theblankcanvasstudio.com.

To see all the contest entries, click here.