Maryclare Heffernan

Tangled Together 

We are all tangled together. The blackberry brambles, miles of wildflowers, grasshoppers, crows, field mice, us. Not a single one of us will survive alone. 

This exhibit is my attempt to capture tendrils of grass around a bird’s nest, a baby lamb waiting for mother’s lunch, the lake harboring fish, frogs, snakes, waterlilies, teeming with life. The evergreen and apple trees, the briny ocean full of creatures. Such simple magnificence in our lives.

I paint what I love to look at, working in oils, watercolors, pencil and ink. I see the world around us filled with untold mystery in the sprays of sea salt, on fat ripe pears with their silver leaves attached, miniature bird nests and delicate lavender violets in the grass.

I arrived late to the creation of art. My learning has been inspired by working with master artists, my two brilliant artist sisters, and by myself.

 My art has been juried into numerous exhibits and displayed in galleries in Portsmouth, and Exeter NH, Ogunquit, Maine and Newburyport, Massachusetts and found in private collections throughout the United States and abroad.  

Kevin Talbot

Life in the ‘Shire

Kevin Daniel Talbot is a local nature photographer and avid hiker who uses his photography to share his love of nature. The photos in this show are the creatures that share this beautiful State of New Hampshire with us.  Over the past thirteen years Kevin  has taken photographs every day and posts on Facebook and his website. He has made eight-day long trips to volunteer at the summit of Mt. Washington (in all seasons) as a cook and housekeeper for the weather station crew.

“Many facets of nature are too small to see clearly. Through the camera lens I can zoom in and stop time to reveal the minute details that would otherwise be missed by the casual observer” states Kevin.  Through his photos he hopes one person might say, “I need to care more about the lesser creatures and the preservation of our world.”

Photographs of the New England hikes he took with his wife and dogs and his Mt. Washington photos can be found at: Ghostflowers.com

 Jane Copp

New England Boats 

New England harbors with their ever-changing tides, seagulls, salty air and working boats have always delighted me. Painting the reflections of these vessels upon the ocean and their details has been a source of visual interest. Within these compositions, I endeavor to have some aspect of mystery…whether it is a shape that disappears or a shadow in the distance. I want the viewer to travel through the painting and enjoy the uniqueness of these boats in their locations.

The paintings of the Hudson River School of Art have always been an inspiration …the work of Albert Bierstadt and Martin Johnson Heade in particular. Fitz Henry Lane’s luminous marine paintings are a favorite as well as contemporary painters of boats – William Davis, Todd Bonita, Robert Bolster and Joseph McGurl.

The artworks you see here are done in acrylic paint with either a gloss or matte varnish and have custom made frames. I find acrylic paint to be conducive to the rendering of the fine details seen on boats. Because of the quick drying time of this medium, the many layers of paint can be accurately maintained. I also like the saturated colors and clean edges that can be achieved with acrylics.

Annie Brown                                 

Reigniting The Spark

I was trained as a painter, but six years ago, I picked up a camera and discovered landscape/wildlife photography. While practicing my newfound craft, painting took a back seat, but was always in my heart. Since I found myself spending an abundance of time sitting at beaches, marshes and swamps waiting for wildlife, I began to really study, photograph, and sketch the surrounding landscapes. 

Then after experiencing some health issues last year that left me unable to hit the trails to search for wildlife, a spark of familiarity grew inside me, and I found myself putting paint to canvas once again. But rather than go back to my classical oil painting training, I decided to venture into the medium of acrylics and palette knives!  This body of work is the result of that spark.

It is hard for me to put thoughts about my work into words, but if pressed, I would have to say that painting is closest to my heart, and photography is closest to my soul!  Both are important to me and have played different roles in my life. Capturing my surroundings when all is quiet as the seasons have changed and the visitors have all gone home. These works embrace my love of texture, light and serenity!

 Marlene Zychowski

The Joy of Still Life 

My painting style is ever evolving, leaning from realism to impressionism. I work in oils and pastels, painting subjects that make me happy in hopes they will please others as well. My work tends to be “tight” and I am trying to loosen up my approach. Still life (food, florals, found objects) and landscapes are the subjects that interest me, especially the variety of flowers and peonies I grow from my gardens. I enjoy color and use it freely.

I work from life using my own setups and from photos I have taken. I also paint in plein air with local groups and in competitions but prefer the solace and comfort that my well-lit home studio provides. I utilize warm and cool lighting with which I am still experimenting.

As I learn and grow, my still life paintings will become more complex. I have 5 shelves in my studio with interesting objects I’ve collected including colorful glass, pitchers, plates and mugs. I strive for the greatness of Sargent and Hopper and am influenced by contemporaries such as Daniel Keys, Kathleen Dunphy, Alex Kelly and Kathy Anderson.

Carol Powley                                 

Trees, A Sense of Wonder

I am thrilled that the Seacoast Artist Association Gallery, in Exeter, N.H., has presented me with the opportunity to show my 2023 Body of Work: Trees, A Sense of Wonder.

Trees are unique drawings of nature. Each individual branch maintains its own shape, color and design. By machine drawing with silk thread on my painted cotton fabric I am able to express that trees are a harbinger of spring, their buds bursting open with lovely greens and glorious pastels. During the summer you can hear the sound of leaves rustling in the breeze. You are rewarded with blazing color in autumn. In winter the trees lift their limbs up to God to pray. “Trees are poems that the earth writes upon the sky.” Kahil Gibran

My free motion machine embroidery on cotton is a spontaneous response to the color, texture, and design of the trees that thrive in our natural environment here in New Hampshire and Maine. I hand paint the surface of white cotton panels with transparent water color paint made specifically to be used on cotton and silk fabrics. My sewing machine is placed in front of my second floor studio window which overlooks a forest of Pine, Oak and Birch trees. The seacoast shore and Great Bay area serve as a background for my tree drawings. I have discovered an art form that I love and am able to apply my education as an artist in order to create beautiful landscapes.

  Martin Lamont 

Vicarious Dreams 

As a person who has struggled on and off throughout my life with Agoraphobia and Anxiety, the idea of traveling to other countries again is reduced to hopes and wishes. To see again those places and those birds within my paintings that are only seen in the UK and Europe, is just a dream now. My paintings are a vicarious endeavor to “experience” them again, escapism from my disabling reality while “jailed” in my home, and therefore, the theme of my show is “Vicarious Dreams”.

I’m a self-taught artist inspired mainly by the works of the Impressionists.  All my life, I was a follower of the visual arts, admiring the great works in museums and galleries around the world, during personal and business travels.  As a retired Mechanical Engineer from England, the career long pursuit of perfection and accuracy within my Engineering work seems so ingrained that I find myself trying too hard in my painting to achieve a sense of realism. I therefore would describe myself as either a realist impressionist or an impressionist realist. 

Until I retired, I had always wanted to give oil painting a try but was always too busy with life. Now, since attempting my first oil painting in July 2021, I haven’t looked back and find myself addicted to the creative process, spending many hours every week at my easels.

Angela Branon                                 

Coastal Memories

My family immigrated to the US when I was five years old. I became intrigued with
exploring family history through my art while looking at old family photos.
One of my fondest memories was the long drive from my central Massachusetts home
to the coast of New Hampshire to spend a day at the beach.
The draw of the beach continues to be one of life’s pleasures to this day. I have
explored coasts from the US, Canada, the Caribbean, Europe and Africa with family
and close friends. There is just something about the tidal rhythms and the sound of
lapping waves that never fails to calm and relax. It’s no surprise I chose to retire to the
New Hampshire coast.
These paintings represent memories of family, friends and moments of serenity that is
unique to time spent on the beach. But the ocean can also represent a powerful force
of nature as seen after a nor’easter crashes through in all her majesty.

“We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.”

TS Eliot

 Natasha Dikarena    

Wishing You Blue Sky

As I submerge in the stories and struggles currently unfolding from my motherland Ukraine, I feel determined to create sculptures that serve as symbols of hope, resilience, and unity. Each piece embodies a longing for a peaceful scene, where the clouds of war disperse, revealing a serene and boundless blue sky. Hands serve as symbols of healing from the wounds of war, both physical and emotional. Birds remind us that even in the face of disaster, there is always the possibility of renewal and the arrival of good tidings. The all-seeing eyes incorporated into hands and birds watch over us, representing wisdom and protection. These eyes remind us that we are never alone in our pursuit of healing, as they guide us towards a brighter future. This exhibition is an homage to the incredible resilience of my fellow Ukrainians and a tribute to the power of compassion during difficult times. Through my art, I hope to not only shed light on the ongoing war in Ukraine but also to highlight the strength and beauty that persist amidst the turmoil. I hope that one day, our collective dreams for a peaceful future will be realized, and we will bask under the embrace of a radiant blue sky.

Janice Leahy                                  

In Somnis Veritas:  In Dreams There is Truth

I wanted to be different, a bit of a non-conformist.  I like edgy art; I’m not attached to any one
particular theme. Therefore, my work is a mixed bag of this and that. I’m attracted to bold
colors, working with profiles or abandoned buildings; interior and exterior. There is something
that makes one look deeper at those images.  I consider this my darker contemporary phase. 
I’ve been drawing and painting since I was a child.  I studied business in college for economic
purposes (though I was accepted at two art colleges).  I did take the one-off class for art in
addition to business class but never completed any art degree.
​My work has been shown at NE Galleries.  I am a member of the Seacoast Art Association in
Exeter, NH, the Nashua Art Association in Nashua, NH and the Salem Art Association in Salem,
MA.  My work was published in the Apero Fine Art Catalogue (Oct. 2018).
Grief took over when I lost my spouse in 2019 and son in 2020.  I switched my primary medium
from Oil to Acrylic. Both losses have been difficult but also inspirational to me through my faith.
I am thankful for every day I breathe.  I believe my works reflect that.