Damariscotta River Grill hosts three new artists, exploring a number of themes in three distinctly different styles and viewpoints from Oct. 24 through Dec. 6. Meet artists Gay Freeborn, Douglas Houle, and Diane Noble at the “Art at the Grill” opening reception, Wednesday, Oct. 26, from 4-5:30 p.m., enjoy beautiful art and delicious hors d’oeuvres. 

Gay Freeborn has an intimate understanding of animals and of the bond between humans and animals.

Her oil paintings capture the likeness and emotions of animals, especially the relationship between man and his canine best friend. She paints other animals as well, inspired by her deep feelings for the Maine countryside; the horses on her farm and her seven devoted Labrador retrievers.

Freeborn’s paintings depict incredible expression, body language, nuance, unconditional love and intimate relationship: “I convey the motion, shape and love for the animal with loosely applied sweeping brushstrokes or pallet knife. Using glazing mediums, wax, chalk dust and thick over painting to sculpt subjects on the canvas, I bring them to life in an unconventional form.”

Douglas Houle paints dramatic images, in oils, of ordinary New England buildings, using light and color.

“Painting is my time to recreate the past and preserve its authenticity. I take intimate parts of towns and portray a surreal life. These portrayals instill a quiet and often serene mood. I paint to create intimate relationships with historical structures, maintaining a certain measure of realism and at the same time exploring abstraction of planes and simplification of form,” said Houle.

The artist focuses on homes, buildings - storefronts, lighthouses ... Familiar places frequently visited - or that are passed by; places where interaction happens.

“In creating these paintings, I give recognition to the architecture that fills our towns and the historical relevance it has in our community. The light that each color creates is there to invite you,” described Houle. “I want you to live in every one of these rooms, within each window, and behind every possible door.”

Diane Noble is an artist and recently retired art educator. Since 2005, she has focused on acrylic landscape painting after working in many art mediums. Noble has always loved the outdoors - the wide open spaces that lead you to views into the distance. She loves water, rowboats, lobster boats and meandering around the islands.

 “I am drawn to fields with rivers beyond, coves, marshes, tidal pools and long beaches, roads that go on forever,” Noble began painting by laying out the composition with a purple drawing. I develop an under painting with blue and red violet and yellow ochres, matching the values shape by shape. I proceed to build up the painting layering the colors by value, working on all areas of the composition, adjusting as I go. I add the highlights last and then hang the painting up to view for days or weeks, going back to it as needed.

The Damariscotta River Grill is located at 155 Main Street in Damariscotta. Call 207-563-2992 or visit www.damariscottarivergrill.com. Open daily.