By The Beacon Staff

“If by watching … I may detect some trace of the ineffable, then will it not be worth the while to watch?” Henry David Thoreau.

Last week the work of Midcoast Art Faculty: Michael Branca, John Stetson and Emily Trenholm officially opened the exhibition season for the academic year in the LL Bean Learning Commons.

The Beacon reached out to all the artist asking them, “what it is about the creative process that they would like students to walk away with from the show?”

Photography Instructor John Stetson sent us the above quote for his response. The Henry David Thoreau quote works wonderfully for all of the work exhibited, as painters and photographers must all watch and look in order to find that thing that is ineffable: too great or extreme to be expressed or described in words.

Drawing and Painting Instructor, Michael Branca answered, “I hope that these works portray my sense of wonder and appreciation for the beauty of the natural world and that they suggest something about the power of sustained direct observation. “Balancing Act,” on the other hand, is a complete invention in which I have created an impossible teetering tower of objects which may or may not topple at the touch of the incoming butterfly. This work may be interpreted in a variety of ways ranging from personal to global. I hope viewers will find their own story here, as they attempt to find meaning in the scene.”

Emily Trenholm responded by commenting that, “Individuality in the creative process. Each of us in the show is responding to nature in a very different way.”

We also asked the artists, “Why are you working with this particular subject matter?”

Mike Branca stated, “In the age of climate change I think it is essential that we focus on what is most important about the world around us and the role(s) that we play in the process. Maintaining balance is important in our own lives and it is essential for responsible stewardship of the natural world. I find “Hope” in a fir sapling growing out of the stump of a tree cut down by human hands years before. I would rather focus on this sort of possibility than dwell on the clear-cut that preceded it.”

“Color fuels my creative process” reflected drawing instructor Emily Trenholm, She continued that, “I feel most comfortable working outside, therefore my paintings translate color relationships I experience in nature.”

John Stetson spoke of working with his students as “many of the photos… are shared observations… what we watched; many were the product of collaborations with students.”

John went on to explain that his student, “Sherry Bateman brought a tripod on a field trip to Two Lights State Park. She took pictures of the moonrise at regular intervals, and we combined those photos into a composite of the moonrise that was featured at the Earth Science Picture of the Day website. That was her first time using a tripod that she acquired at Goodwill for one dollar.” He also went on to explain that, “The photo of the Portland and Brunswick SMCC campuses from an altitude of 118,000 feet was taken by a camera suspended from a weather balloon. The photographer? Three former students, Cynthia Tibbetts, Michelle Brann, Ken Kellogg, who also comprised the entire launch and recovery crew.”

The show will run through mid-October.

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