Open to Change 

by Margaret Gerding

As an artist, my job is to observe as much as to create. With every second that passes, light changes, colors adjust, and the slightest physical shift occurs in nature. To understand this, I must spend a significant amount of time outdoors, directly experiencing and observing the land. In this way, even subtle colors come alive.

Capturing the essence of a landscape in a moment, before changes have begun, has been one of the challenges that drive me. It is usually a spot of color or a strong tonal contrast that initially attracts me to a particular place. I am also drawn to areas that have not been disturbed by human development. These areas for me have the greatest sense of peace which I then try to convey to the viewer through my paintings, representing a time which is both striking and memorable. There is something unique about being alone with nature—a quiet that connects me like no other. It is only in this solitude, whether outside or in the studio, that the painting reveals itself to me.

Along with paintings inspired by travel, my move to Kennebunkport in 2015 solidified my commitment to the landscape of Southern Maine. Living by the coast has provided me with numerous days studying the earth and sky.  Time is spent both in my Kennebunkport studio, and plein-air painting (year-round). This allows for intense, direct observation of New England ’s ever-changing seasons. During the colder months, studio time is devoted to larger pieces and along with life drawing.

Working mainly with oils on canvas/panel, each piece is based on a real place, a time that I have experienced. It is my hope that this work allows the viewer to reflect on the intimacy and peace this land has to offer.