STEPHANIE BERRY
featured with Sarah Lightfoot Brundage and Stephanie Berry
May 24 - June 22, 2024
As a life-long Maine artist, I find inspiration in the changing landscape of
of our state. Every painting is personal in some way, and I hope viewers of my
work will experience some sort of good remembrance, kind thought or warm connection that’s uniquely theirs.
I love the fluid process of creating with oils, always seeking a harmony of color,
texture and space. Although art can communicate in many different ways, I like to think my works bring joy and peace to a room.
~Stephanie Berry
"Cats on Guard" oil on linen 40" x 30" $2,000 sold
It seems any farm would be missing something without a few barn cats. This was fun to do as I wasn't trying for anything to be exact.
"Second Shift" oil on linen 20" x 30" $1,200
If you've ever crossed the bridge in Bath you've seen the shipyard known as BIW (Bath Iron Works). This painting was on display as part of the Working Maine exhibit at Maine Art Gallery in Wiscasset.
"McCurdy's Smokehouse, Lubec" oil on linen 30" x 40" $2,000 sold
Lubec is the most easterly town in Maine. The town is surrounded by salt water on three sides. The tidal current is scary and the tides range as much as 25 feet. It's wild and wonderful. McCurdy's Smokehouse still stands and at one time processed herring from the 1890s until 1991. It is now preserved as a museum to remember what was once a huge industry in Maine.
"Quoddy Head Lighthouse" oil on linen 40" x 30" $2,000
Lubec is the most easterly town in Maine. The town is surrounded by salt water on three sides. The tidal current is scary and the tides range as much as 25 feet. It's wild and wonderful. McCurdy's Smokehouse still stands and at one time processed herring from the 1890s until 1991. It is now preserved as a museum to remember what was once a huge industry in Maine.
"The Old Hen House" oil on linen 24" x 30" $1,000
A dear friend of mine tended chickens here when she was young. After years of living elsewhere across the globe she is back to living on the old family homestead. There are no longer chickens and even this hen house was recently torn down. Everything changes.
"Grand Trunk Station, Lewiston" oil on linen 30" x 30" $1,600
Happily this old train station still stands today. It's now a restaurant called The Station. But years ago many people from Canada arrived here to work in the Bates Mill. Lewiston still has a multitude of brick buildings that were once mills but now hold different businesses or serve as storage space. One has housing and a museum. These old building have a charm that seems lacking in new architecture.
"Above the Rest" oil on panel 24" x 18" $800 sold
"Country Road" oil on linen 30" x 40" $2,000 sold
A couple of generations ago slides were as popular as photos. I was given bagfuls of old family slides and have worked on and off to sort the keepers from the duds. Sometimes I find one that says "Bingo, paint me!" This painting was done from one of those. I don't know where it is but suspect it's near the Smokies. I love the openness and loneliness of this scene. It's quiet.
"River Town" oil on linen 30" x 40" $2,000
This Lewiston skyline is so familiar to me. It used to be a gritty mill town producing a lot of textiles. It sits next to the Androscoggin River and the Great Falls.
"Empty Barn" oil and cold wax on linen 40" x 30" $2,000
This barn interior reminds me of the barns that my brothers and I played in as kids. That top hay loft was off limits though due to its height and unstable nature. Dark, dusty and mysterious these barns used to dot the countryside. For us they were a playground.
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Blanchard Town Hall" oil on canvas 30" x 30" $1,600
This tiny building still stands in Blanchard which is a tiny town in the Maine woods. It is not used anymore as their town hall but it still stands with its slate roof in all its charm.
"The Tool Shed" oil on linen 30" x 40" $2,000 sold
Maintaining these big old barns must take a lot of work. Seldom do you see one freshly painted. Usually some windows are missing panes or have broken panes. This summer in our travels around Maine I realized how few old barns are still standing.
"Five Islands Lobster Pound" (Georgetown, ME) oil on linen 30" x 30" $1,600
I started this over a year ago with high hopes and as things progressed I felt I lost my way. So it sat in isolation for some time before I worked on it again. At this stage, is it finished? Should I mess with it some more? Should I paint over it? Do insecurities run rampant with all artists? Aside from those issues, Five Islands is a lovely spot worth visiting and a great place to get fresh lobsters. I 💗 Maine.
"Room of Memories" oil on linen 20" x 16" $625 sold
Do you ever wonder about the memories a room holds long after the inhabitants are gone? It as you can almost hear whispered conversations and feel the air blowing through an open window.
"South Portland Fish Shacks" oil on linen 30" x 30" $1,600 sold
The beginning of December I started this painting not knowing they would be gone in such a short time. This is the third time I've painted these but probably not the last. We used to live near Willard Beach and were familiar with these old shacks. It's the simple, humble buildings that so often inspire and speak of Maine's down-to-earth, hard working people.
"Old Blanchard House" oil on linen 30" x 40" $2,000
Years ago I painted this old house but included a scarecrow and wringer washer that sat outside on the porch. This time I just focused on the tilt of the barn . We drove to Blanchard in June and were saddened to just see an empty space where this lovely old place once stood. Having been on many back roads this summer where farmsteads once dotted the countryside, most of the barns are gone and even many farmhouses have been replaced with new houses or trailers.
"White Barn Door" oil on linen 30" x 40" $2,000 sold
Maintaining these big old barns must take a lot of work. Seldom do you see one freshly painted. Usually some windows are missing panes or have broken panes. This summer in our travels around Maine I realized how few old barns are still standing.