“Breakers,” by Dianne Dolan. (Photo courtesy Pemaquid Art Gallery)
Barbara Applegate and Dianne Dolan are two members of the Pemaquid Art Gallery in Lighthouse Park, Bristol, who interpret landscapes in a grand, almost visionary style. Each depicts subjects in closely observed, richly colored, precisely arranged compositions, but in styles markedly different from each other.
Applegate is a prolific painter of great facility who has been known for her charming, romantic, almost Victorian landscapes and still lifes with deep shadows and old-master richness.
The play of light has been critical in her work, with flickering shadows and richly illuminated atmosphere. Recently, however, she has radically altered her style, presenting acrylic landscapes of dramatic, more abstract, birds-eye ocean views, using extenuated, angular, hard-edged shapes in striking simple color combinations of strong yellows, oranges, blues and purples. Her viewers may well wonder where this style will lead her next. Her website is: barbaraapplegate.com.
“Evening Tide,” by Barbara Applegate. (Photo courtesy Pemaquid Art Gallery)
Dolan’s oil paintings are both grand and intimate, deeply thoughtful and serious, based on her desire to “inspire the viewers to reconsider the world around them, so they may find the beauty that exists in ordinary surroundings and everyday objects.” She paints both plein air and in the studio, with the small plein air impressions inspiring her visionary studio creations, grand and uplifting landscapes and richly colored, often stark buildings, and arranged objects. She is also a book artist, working her painting skills into a 3-dimensional form. Her website is: diannedolan.com.
Both artists are art school graduates and have painted and taught art for much of their careers. Applegate was finally able to focus full time on painting in 1998 and, shortly after opening her own studio, began taking in students, whereas Dolan was a professional art educator and pursuing her own art at the same time.
Applegate’s earliest art training and painting experience were in Pennsylvania, first in the Bucks County area and eventually in the Brandywine Valley, influenced by the great painters of those art centers. She relocated to Maine in 1996 and now maintains her studio/gallery in Bristol.
“Floating By,” by Dianne Dolan. (Photo courtesy Pemaquid Art Gallery)
Dolan was trained at the Maryland Art Institute and Hartford Art School and received her master’s in art education from Central Connecticut State University. She divides her time between Massachusetts and Round Pond. Both artists have exhibited widely locally and nationally and have received many awards.
The other 2022 exhibiting Pemaquid Group of Artists members include: Debra Arter, Bruce Babb, Julie Babb, Stephen Busch, John Butke, Gwendolyn Evans, Peggy Farrell, Sarah Fisher, Claire Hancock, Kay Sawyer Hannah, Kathleen Horst, Hannah Ineson, Will Kefauver, Jan Kilburn, Barbara Klein, Patti Leavitt, Sally Loughridge, Judy Nixon, Alexandra Perry-Weiss, Belva Ann Prycel, Paul Sherman, Marnie Sinclair, Gary Smith, Cindy Spencer, Liliana Thelander, Kim Skillin Traina, Barbara Vanderbilt, Bob Vaughan, Candace Vlcek, and Sherrie York.
The gallery is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. until Monday, Oct. 10. Visit the gallery online at pemaquidartgallery.com.
