Three Raymond residents recently had their works chosen for a selective exhibition hosted by Maine Audubon. The “Taking Flight” exhibition features abstract and realistic bird art, which is displayed at the Gisland Farm Falmouth Audubon location through the new year.
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| A photo collage shows images by Raymond residents chosen for a selective exhibition at the Gisland Farm Falmouth Audubon location. The juried art show and sale supports various Maine Audubon programs. Clockwise from left are 'Yellow warbler' by Trish Kohler, 'Snowy Owl' by Brien Richards and 'Piping Plover with Chicks' by Bruce Small. COURTESY PHOTOS |
Bruce Small is a Raymond photographer who specializes in capturing images from nature.
“Maine Audubon sent out a request for submissions in one of their newsletters, via email. Three pieces could be submitted in early November,” he said. “I was notified that one of my metal photographic prints was selected to be part of the exhibit. I have had images selected to be in several calendars over the years, but not for a juried exhibit. Last summer, I participated in an art show and sale at the Hawthorne House after being asked to take part by members of the Hawthorne House Association. That was my first time exhibiting in a show.”
As a photographer fairly new to the scene, Small says he is deeply honored to have his work chosen for the exhibition. He said that this selection is special to him.
“I was told there were 90 people that submitted works. I was very honored to be one of just over 40 pieces selected for the show,” he said.
Small is proud of his heart-warming winning piece and finds his time in nature fulfilling on many levels.
“My metal print is entitled ‘Piping Plover with Chicks.’ It is an image I took while volunteering as a beach monitor, helping to educate and protect the endangered, nesting, piping plover population at Higgins Beach in Scarborough. My wife and I monitor in the spring and early summer, once a week. I always bring my camera with me as a bonus to volunteering,” he said.
Small and his wife Gail have lived in Raymond for 28 years, previously residing in Windham.
“I grew up in Falmouth and have been interested in photography since my grandparents gave me an old Brownie camera when I was about 8,” Small said. “I reluctantly switched to digital photography at first, but now I am hooked. I carry a camera almost everywhere I go. I am into wildlife and bird photography but take photos of anything that interests me.”
He sells his pieces at various venues and online.
“I am happy to sell prints of various kinds as well as photo frame cards. I do not make a living at this but have sold some photos,” he said. “The Hawthorne House show was pretty successful with 12 pieces sold. I post a lot on my personal Facebook page as well as on ‘Bruce Small Photography’ Facebook page.”
Handpicked
Trish Kohler is a Raymond artist whose watercolor was handpicked for the show. She is grateful for the opportunity to share her work and is humbled by the outpouring of support.
“It is a significant honor to have artwork selected for display by the Audubon organization which was spawned by the great artist John James Audubon,” she said. “I am inspired by the bird paintings of J.J. Audubon, Roger Tory Peterson and JF Lansdowne.”
Kohler’s winning yellow warbler watercolor is a perky eye-catching, maybe even “vocal” piece. She typically works in watercolors but occasionally uses colored pencils. This was her first time responding to Audubon’s call for artwork.
As a youngster, Kohler fondly recalls spending a lot of time in nature.
“I grew up in Bridgton but have many happy memories of staying at my grandparent’s camp on Wild Acres on the tip of the Cape,” she said.
Transcendent photos
Amazingly, a third Raymond resident had their work win a spot in the exhibit. Brien Richards is a local photographer who focuses on night sky and wildlife photography. Richards’ ethereal photograph of a snowy owl transcends traditional photography to a point where the observer is interacting with the photo.
“The snowy owl was photographed in a snow-covered field south of Ottawa, Canada. The owl was looking right at me, and he will be looking at anyone who sees the image. With all my images, the photo is a vivid reminder of the exact moment that I took the picture. I'm right back there in that very cold snowy field,” he said.
Richards is a veteran, both in photography and in the United States Armed Forces.
“I've always been fascinated by photography and started many years ago with a film camera. Part of my Army career I was stationed in Kuwait, before the rest of the world could find it on a map. There were no facilities there and we were told to bring our own entertainment,” he said. “So, I bought a basic darkroom and learned to develop my own photos. The time was way before the internet, so I learned by trial and error, strong on the error part. One of my Army colleagues was going to Hong Kong and offered to buy me a Nikon camera for a great price. So, that's how I got started.”
Richards spends a good deal of time travelling to hone his craft and in search of that perfect shot.
“I attend a lot of photo workshops in lots of interesting places including Costa Rica, Antarctica, Iceland, Norway, Greenland, and a lot of national parks out west,” he said. “Last month I went to Churchill, Manitoba, Canada and photographed the polar bears waiting for the ice to form on the Hudson Bay so they could get out to the seals. To help cover the costs of these expensive workshops, I do sell my images usually on 20 X 30-inch metal prints at various shows, fairs, and festivals nearby to recoup at least a little of the cost.”
While he’s not a “native Mainer”, Richards and his wife have made their home in Raymond for the past 11 years, since retiring here after living and working in Belgium for 30 years.
While Richards appreciates the recent recognition, he remains humble.
“Yes, it is an honor, but I never place too much emphasis on being selected. There are many very good photographers out there and I realize that someone just happened to like my image. My selection is a welcome addition to getting known in the community as a local photographer,” he said. “For me, my photography represents the opportunity to capture a moment in time that I can visit and relive at will. If someone likes the image, that's great. If not, it certainly doesn't bother me. The great thing about your photography: If you like the photo, nothing else matters.”
Gisland Farm Gallery
Jenn Schmitt is part of the Communication and Marketing team and the Gallery Curator at Gisland Farm.
“We have an informal multi-use space here (at Gisland) that doubles as a gallery. People can purchase the pieces at our nature store. If possible, we’d like to have the art left until the end of the exhibit, but customers are more than welcome to take them for the holidays, if needed,” she said.
Schmitt said that this is the first time they have featured bird art. She said that shows are held once or twice a year. “We are holding this around the holidays to help support local artists,” she said. “We have 43 artists featured, mostly from Maine, including all types of media and price ranges.”
Looking forward, Schmitt said that an upcoming educational outreach project planned will integrate art and education through the Birdsafe Maine effort.
According to Maine Audubon, on June 17, 2024, the Portland City Council voted unanimously to approve a city-wide bird safe buildings ordinance. In 2023, Maine became just the fourth state to take statewide action on bird-safe architecture with the passage of LD 670, An Act to Protect Birds in the Construction, Renovation and Maintenance of Public Buildings.
The new law will bring together stakeholders across Maine to develop guidelines for bird safety in public buildings and Maine Audubon is looking forward to working with the city and the state to create sensible and effective guidelines.
The “Taking Flight” exhibit will run through Jan. 6, 2025 at Maine Audubon Gilsland Farm Visitor Center Gallery located at 20 Gilsland Farm Road in Falmouth. The exhibit is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For more information about the show, call 207-781-2330 or send an email to info@maineaudubon.org
To see more photography from Bruce Small: FineArtAmercia.com, search Bruce Small and view a gallery. Or visit ‘Bruce Small Photography’ on Facebook.
Trish Kohler does not sell her works at the present time, though she does have a gallery full of impressive, complete pieces.
Check out Brien Richard’s polar bear photos here: https://brienrichards.smugmug.com/Churchill-Polar-Bears/n-DGG3Nf
