New Works by award winning artist Joanne Houlsen will open August 6th at the Eastport Gallery. Houlsen, a 15 year member of the Gallery, will present works in oil with a concentration on the architectural features of the Eastport landscape. Well acquainted with the city, Joanne spends a good deal of time here each year photographing its structures and landscapes, evaluating their light and shadow, then translating them into beautiful paintings rendered in contemporary realism.
Primarily a studio painter, Houlsen’s work shares a glimpse of a moment in time. She explains, “I want the viewer to be transported to that scene and that time not just visually, but with other sensual experiences.
I use the camera to record details of a scene with which I have a connection, be it the mood, the light, or the shapes and colors, which initially attract me and stimulate my imagination. I let my memory and my feelings for the place interpret the scene in paint.”
Painting professionally since 1989, Houlsen has seen her work change from “adept and polished to adept and expressive.” Comparing her older with her newer work she comments, “I can see the difference in the work as it progresses. I feel I am more expressive now, not always wanting to follow the rules. But sometimes, just wishing to solve technical problems provides the impetus for a painting.”
Houlsen is a very dedicated artist. Leaving her home for the 35 minute drive to her Bangor studio she “lands at the easel” as early as 8:00 AM and works most evenings until 6 or 7 PM. On occasion her time is spent teaching either private lessons or small groups. In addition to a full schedule at the studio/gallery, Joanne brings her work to Maine’s art festivals each week-end of the summer.
She is represented by the Camden Falls Gallery and the Blue Hill Bay Gallery as well as the Eastport Gallery. She also maintains her own gallery and studio at 9 Central Street in Bangor.
