Islesboro artist puts Pendleton Yacht Yard Building to a new use
As soon as the old Ralph Gray storage building at Islesboro’s Pendleton Yacht Yard was nearly emptied of boats in July, Brita Holmquist moved in several large canvases and set to work. Holmquist made this portrait of Corky Hall’s Mighty Mouse, formerly owned by Mrs. Mills, “because it was next to me in my space.” Mouse had been scraped down so that the shades of blue and red made an appealing purplish shade that grabbed her attention.
Nowhere else does Holmquist have room for painting on large canvases — this one is 60 by 68 inches. She made five paintings in all at the boatyard, and hopes to do more as boats return in the fall. She is, she says, exploring “the contrast between the anticipation of summer as the boats go out in the spring versus the sadness of their coming back into the building at the end of the season.”
Using the storage building was the artist’s idea and being there is a “fabulous opportunity.” Yacht yard owner Stanley Pendleton concurred and Holmquist promised donuts in exchange.
This painting is for a show entitled “Pelagic,” because, she said, “Most of the pieces I did were done on the water in my own boat. Why I worked at the boat yard is because the completely un-concrete ocean and the completely concrete boatyard was a nice juxtaposition. I didn’t think of it until I got there and realized — it is so beautiful here.”
This painting can be seen at the Jameson Gallery, on Commercial St., Portland, through Sept. 30.
— Sandy Oliver