Three Maine artists, Terrilynn Dubreuil, Rabee Kiwan, and Marc Poirier, each with very different backgrounds and styles, complement each other at the new Art at the Grill show at Damariscotta River Grill.
Pastel and oil paintings will be on exhibit Sept. 9 to Oct. 21. Damariscotta River Grill will host the artist reception Wednesday, Sept. 11, from 4-5:30 p.m. to welcome the artists. One can enjoy beautiful art while sampling creative hors d’oeuvres by new owner and chef Tim Beal.
Dubreuil, from Maine originally, now travels extensively and paints, and lives mostly in the mountains in North Carolina. Known as “the traveling artista,” she said, “Travel and art share an enriching and creative partnership in my life. I have a passion for exploring new places throughout the world and creating original art. I focus on pastel paintings, but also use watercolor, photography, and other media. Joy of life, creative expression, and spiritual sensitivity are the characteristics of my artwork. Color, light, and texture convey a balance between impressionism and realism.
“A subject, or experience, speaks to me and I allow a spiritual interpretation to flow, not from me, but through me, communicating the impression of that moment.”
Dubreuil’s work is found in private collections from Maine to California, Spain, France, Ecuador, and Chile. She gives classes and demonstrations from Maine to North Carolina.
Kiwan is originally from just outside Beirut, Lebanon. He immigrated to the U.S. in 2002 to complete his medical training and has been living in Portland since 2009. Kiwan said, “Practicing medicine can be rewarding, yet very stressful. Creating art allows me to escape into a beautiful world of colors and shapes. My art is known for its unpredictability. I like to explore feelings that can arise from any subject, such as a landscape, a still life, or a portrait. I try to find inspiration in everyday life. At times, I try to make social or political statements in my painting. Other times, I just let the process take over and follow where it goes.”
Poirier said, “I enjoy painting scenes that are often the ones people drive by in a hurry and not notice. I’m attracted to subjects like old homes worn rough with time and neglect with a gnarly old oak tree in the yard, or crooked, archaic telephone poles strung with a tangle of power lines that carve up the sky. My painting style is sometimes as rough as my subject matter, where paint is quickly applied to canvas and then scraped around with a palette knife.
“When I work plein air, my paint is applied impasto style, which resonates with my focus on the feeling and energy of a place, instead of getting lost in its details. My recent return to work on boats, and passion for maritime history, has brought the sea, old schooners, historic yachts, and shipyards as subject matter in my newer paintings.”
Damariscotta River Grill is located at 155 Main St., Damariscotta. Call 562-2992 or visit the Damariscotta River Grill Facebook page. For more information about the artists or the show, contact Kim Traina at jumpstartcreative@gmail.com.
