Kristen Dill is Now Showing at Harvest Gold Gallery!

The vibrant oils of Kristen Dill are now being shown at Harvest Gold Gallery! With wide splashes of color that are certain to bring energy and joy into any room, Dill’s paintings are a pleasant treat for the eyes!

"Deerwood Gardens"

            After receiving a BA from the University of Southern Maine in 1978, Dill lived year-round in Maine for five years. Since then she has travelled around the US: living and working in any place that catches her eye. From Dallas to Memphis to Raleigh, Dill has set up her easel on sandy beaches and woody mountain tops alike to “capture the ephemeral quality of nature and make it a shared visual experience.” In the summer, Dill calls Moose Pond in Bridgton home, and an old screen porch serves as her creative studio.

From left to right: "Blueberry Summer," "Calla Lilies and Gerbera Daisies"

            Kristen’s accolades are many, and she has accomplished much with her colorful work. Her paintings have been used in the Disney feature film Teen Spirit, and a watercolor of hers has been used in an episode of the popular daytime drama, One Tree Hill. Her work has also been featured in the American Abstract Watercolor Magazine, and the lengthy article praised Dill for her ability to paint the fine impressionistic line between realistic and abstract.

            Dill’s style is bright, colorful, and painterly. She begins her work by focusing mainly on organic shapes, and then uses layer upon layer of transparent oil paint to build up the vibrancy and intensity of color that is so characteristic of her work. After struggling for years with chronic illness, Dill says that she finds the creative process of sketching and painting regenerative. “I paint in response either to a visual stimuli, such as a unique color or shape, or to an emotion. The process of painting develops and crystallizes my own insights.” Painting both beautifully – but not stuffily – arranged still lifes and light and airy landscapes, Dill uses her brush to its fullest extent.

From left to right: "Leaning Pine," and "Purple Iris"

            Come stop by Harvest Gold Gallery and see some of Kristen Dill’s work for yourself! We are located at 1082 Main Street, in Center Lovell: just past the Center Lovell Market. For more information on Dill or the gallery in general, give us a call at (207) 925-6502 or check out our website at harvestgoldgallery.com.

Harvest Gold is Now Showing the Artwork of Local Artist, Sandy Bell!

            Harvest Gold Gallery is excited to announce that we, along with our partner Arabica Coffee in Portland, are currently showing the oil work of Lovell resident, Sandra Bell! Colorful and fascinating, Bell’s painting style reflects the exuberance and sense of spontaneity with which she approaches life.

From left to right: "Fire on the Lake," "December Shadow," and "Hidden"

            Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Bell first unfolded her canvas-seated artist’s stool at the age of five while attending classes provided by the Cleveland Museum of Art. Throughout her years of college and formal art school, Bell became interested in 20^th century Americana. She involved herself in architectural and antique preservation, home restoration, and so much more. Travelling all around America provided Bell the opportunity to form a unique world view, and lead to her desire to paint whatever off-the-beaten-track subject matter caught her fancy.

            As a resident of Center Lovell, Bell likes to keep her subject matter local but relatively unknown. Her painting process begins with a trek across New England, scoping out interesting scenes via hiking, kayaking, or driving. Next comes photography, with Bell covering many different angles and views, sometimes returning to the same spot at different times throughout the day to see how the lighting changes. Bell then returns to her studio in Lovell and to start the sketching and painting process!

From left to right: "Heads Will Roll," "The Rout," and "Heads Will Roll"

            Working mainly in oils, Bell is well known for her painterly style and masterful use of color. She captures the purples and blues in snow, the pinks and oranges that can reflect on a pond from the autumn trees, and so much more! Her subject matter covers a mix of interesting still-lifes (cars and toys and animals, oh my!) and local landscapes.

            Sandy Bell’s work can be seen at Harvest Gold in Center Lovell, or at Arabica Coffee at 2 Free Street, Portland, ME. Come stop by Harvest Gold Gallery and check out some of Bell’s work for yourself! 

"Pleasant Mountain in Autumn"