In the spring of 2012 I spent 5 weeks as the Artist in Residence on Monhegan Island, Maine. For several years prior to this I had been involved with a group of artists, organizing draw-a-thons, draw-ins and print-a-thons and various other political art actions. From this I had learned how to create silk-screen prints using water based acrylic inks squeezed through very simple newsprint stencils. So for my residency I decided to try and teach myself more about this medium and to create some prints in line with my own painting and drawing. I created close to 30 different editions of around 12 or so prints, per edition, washing out/destroying each stencil after printing. I also created stencils using drawing fluid and screen filler, which was a bit more of a process than newsprint stencils, but afforded a nice fluid contrast to cut paper.
Monhegan Island is truly a magically romantic place, with cliffs, crashing waves, fish shacks and walls of stacked lobster traps. There is a long tradition of artists who have sought out the rugged beauty and solitude of this place, including Edward Hopper, Rockwell Kent and George Bellows, just to name a few. My experiences and impressions were intensely mixed. While amazingly enough the light, landscape and community of lobster persons are all still there, the ills of our modern world have not left Monhegan unscathed. Plastic is everywhere, not surprisingly, considering that the island industry requires a material that can stand up to moisture, loading and hauling, to which lesser materials like wood and steel would invariably degrade by rotting and rusting. And as is the same everywhere by the sea, stuff washes up. So I found myself transfixed on the things that the boatloads of plein air painters, who descended upon Monhegan each spring, refused to contemplate or capture, finding instead contrast and contradiction as my subject matter. Each print reflects something of my Monhegan experience during the spring of 2012 and here you will find everything I allowed my encounters and instincts to capture and reveal, from the minke whales and night heron to the guy with the “sword” pierced earring and the “I Love Bacon” bumper sticker. My hope is that I have created a compelling portrayal of a place that is in fact still truly compelling.
One morning I arrived at my studio to find group of plein air painters watching their instructor demonstrate some painting techniques. They were gathered just outside my windows and I found myself checking the scene out from the inside, watching the instructor build his image up and describing his process, while the "students" took copious notes. Everything was fine and dandy...I've enjoyed seeing all of the plein air painters scattered about trying to capture the beauty of Monhegan...until the instructor began to explain how to add some color to their lamp black when making grays. Lamp Black?! You bastard I thought! These are innocent people here that trust you and are hanging on to your every word, couldn't you spend ten frigging minutes to explain to them how to mix their own black?
Later on as I sat back in my apartment eating my lunch I could look down upon an older fellow, one of the students, fumbling with his portable easel rig, arranging his palette, brushes, preliminary sketch...let's see, place the sketch here...shit, too windy...I'll put it back there under my sketch pad, no damn it I can't see it...I'll hold it with my left hand and paint with my right, Christ I need a third arm to hold my view finder! After a while he finally began to paint his picture...holy mother of god! You son of a bitch! He was painting the exact same scene as his instructor!
So there they are hypnotized by the lightning strikes while the drone strikes away, unnoticed, in the distance.
This is a special offering through July 16, 2023. 100% of the proceeds from the discounted sale of this print will go to the Maine Cancer Foundation. My daughter Julie Cole Kenney will be participating in their 2023 Tri for a Cure all-woman's triathalon. Each year, over 1,300 women gather in South Portland to swim, bike & run in Maine Cancer Foundation’s Tri for a Cure - Maine's only all-women's triathlon. Thanks to the efforts of thousands of supporters, the Tri for a Cure has raised more than $20 million for Maine Cancer Foundation, every dollar of which has been reinvested into Maine communities for cancer prevention, early detection, and access to care. Cancer tries, but we TRI harder!
This is a special offering through July 16, 2023. 100% of the proceeds from the discounted sale of this print will go to the Maine Cancer Foundation. My daughter Julie Cole Kenney will be participating in their 2023 Tri for a Cure all-woman's triathalon. Each year, over 1,300 women gather in South Portland to swim, bike & run in Maine Cancer Foundation’s Tri for a Cure - Maine's only all-women's triathlon. Thanks to the efforts of thousands of supporters, the Tri for a Cure has raised more than $20 million for Maine Cancer Foundation, every dollar of which has been reinvested into Maine communities for cancer prevention, early detection, and access to care. Cancer tries, but we TRI harder!
This is a special offering through July 16, 2023. 100% of the proceeds from the discounted sale of this print will go to the Maine Cancer Foundation. My daughter Julie Cole Kenney will be participating in their 2023 Tri for a Cure all-woman's triathalon. Each year, over 1,300 women gather in South Portland to swim, bike & run in Maine Cancer Foundation’s Tri for a Cure - Maine's only all-women's triathlon. Thanks to the efforts of thousands of supporters, the Tri for a Cure has raised more than $20 million for Maine Cancer Foundation, every dollar of which has been reinvested into Maine communities for cancer prevention, early detection, and access to care. Cancer tries, but we TRI harder!