Open Studio on Monhegan Island, ME

I will be having an open studio on Monhegan Island, ME from July 23 to Aug 6.  The studio is located along the road to Fish Beach and I will be there each day from 12 - 3 or by chance.  Please stop by if you are on Monhegan those days.  The painting below "Monhegan Wharf and Swim Beach" will be part of the recent works on display.


Each summer I go to Monhegan Island, ME. It is a place about halfway along the coast of Maine and 12 miles out to sea.  It has been a magnet for artists for over 100 years and it is quite natural to see artists pretty much all over the place especially in the summer. During college I heard of Monhegan and I was told of it from friends who grew up in Maine and visited. They suggested I go there since I am an artist. So I visited for the first time 5 years ago and each year I try to increase my time on the island.
Although Monhegan is small (only about 1 mile by 1.5 miles in size) there is a vast amount of subject matter for plein air artists around the village and along the trails out to the cliffs. Last year in 2010 I rented a small studio along the road to Fish Beach. The year before was so rainy it was almost impossible to paint outside and it was frustrating.  The light in the apartment where I stay is not the best for painting either.  So when I heard of studio space for rent I thought that would be a fine place to work during inclement weather.  It has a small room to use as a studio and a larger room attached for displaying paintings.


Here are some photos from last year of the small room I set up my watercolors in.  People can see into the studio part and check out what I'm doing.  The small shells lined up on the ledge on the wall are called periwinkles.  I put a couple up on the first day I was there and kids who visited the studio saw them and started bringing me periwinkles to join the "race".  Whoever brought me periwinkles first would be "in the lead" for that day.  We had shells lined up all around the room! Those kids were very dedicated and it is a funny and sweet memory.



Here are a couple of views into the room with my paintings.  It has recessed lighting and a place for me to plug my iPod in while I work.  It was a bit bare so I put a couple of natural "props" I found along my hikes out to the cliffs and cove to make it feel more like home. At the end of my stay I took all the props and threw them back into the woods and the sea.

Periwinkles were not the only things that were brought to the studio.  One day I showed up to find an animal skin draped across the steps.  A friend had found a fine caribou skin at a yard sale and gave it to me for an entry rug. Here is the caribou skin welcome mat that my friend, Betsey, found for me.  Sadly, I had to give it up as it shed so badly that I was sweeping up piles of fur each day.  I replaced it with a more traditional rope mat.

So, if you happen to be on Monhegan during July 23-Aug 6 please look me up and stop by.

Comments

  1. AnonymousApril 27, 2012 at 11:15 AM

    What amazes me is the siding you used for your exterior walls. Its color matches the door's outline... Your visitors weren't probably just stunned by your works of art, but also by your studio's exterior and interior designs. My mother will definitely stop by if she lives near that place. She loves paintings!

    Rolly Corvin

    ReplyDelete
  2. Katharine KriegApril 28, 2012 at 10:22 AM

    Hi Rolly,
    Thank you very much. I do not own this place. I pay rent each summer on this studio when I come to Monhegan Island. I will pass on your comments to the persons who made this space.
    And it would be lovely to welcome your mother to my studio. My dates for my open studio for 2012 are 7/20 - 8/3.
    Best Wishes!

    ReplyDelete

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