Fundraising Exhibition for Lincoln County Animal Shelter

A playful Kelly Patton Brook holds up a print showing herself taking a picture of an elephant. (Sherwood Olin photo)

Newcastle artist, writer, and animal activist Kelly Patton Brook will unveil a special exhibition of her artwork in a fundraising effort for the Lincoln County Animal Shelter in Edgecomb.

The exhibit, “Africa: Wild Animal Images on Metal,” quietly opens at Savory Maine Dining and Provisions, 11 Water St., Damariscotta, March 28. The reception for the artist will follow on April 3 and the exhibit continues until May 4.

All of the images are for sale, and all proceeds will go to the Lincoln County Animal Shelter in Edgecomb. The author of The Lincoln County News’ “All Four Feet” column, Brook is a longtime member of the LCAS Board of Trustees.

She describes animals in general and the local shelter in particular as projects near and dear to her heart. “Every single bone in my body is for that shelter,” Brook said.

Brook said she hopes the exhibition, which largely depicts exotic and endangered African wildlife, will help connect the viewers with the plight of threatened species in the wild and the hardship experienced by domestic animals in need of a forever home.

Brook’s chosen medium for the exhibition is photographs, which she processes in Photoshop to highlight colors and heighten the contrast. The pictures are then printed on metallic paper and mounted on aluminum panel.

The result is bright, colorful images with a surprising depth of field and vivid detail that is striking from across the room.

“I am not a painter, but I paint with these tools,” Brook said. “When I get into an image, for better or for worse, I try to get into the soul of it.”

The exhibition at Savory Maine, 11 Water St, Damariscotta, opens March 28. Prices begin at $250. Savory Maine is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Thursday through Monday. For more information, visit http://savorymainedining.com or call 563-2111.