Artists Ryan Kohler and David Witbeck Come Together for a Bit of Fun

 

In the words of Alexander Calder, “Above all, art should be fun.”

 

Maine Art Hill is excited to feature artists Ryan Kohler and David Witbeck for side-by-side shows at Maine Art Hill at 5 Chase Hill Road in Kennebunk, Maine. This talented duo and their new colorful works promise to bring the fun. This show opens on July 20 and runs through August 14. There will be an Artist Reception from  5-7 pm on Saturday, July 20. All are welcome. 

 

“Witbeck and Kohler are each extraordinary talents with individual and playful takes on the world around us,” says Natalie Lane, Gallery Director and General Manager of Maine Art Hill. “Both bring a joyful perspective to the everyday life of coastal living.”

 

Two Mixed Media on Canvas 30x48 $3100.00

Each of these artists has an exceptional talent for creating canvases that showcase their use of vibrant color, contrast, and interesting perspectives to capture the eye and the smile. However, Ryan Kohler, a Maine native, adds an extra physical presence that enriches the viewing experience using mixed media and collage. Collaging forces him to think abstractly and slows him down more than the painting process, yielding more interesting and thoughtful decisions.

 

"I am still a painter at heart. I use paint for the initial colors, ensuring my value structure and color design are as good as possible," shares Kohler. "I respond to a piece of work a great deal while putting paint to canvas. Some paintings want to be more painterly and loose, and others more graphic." 

 

Kohler's subject matter can vary greatly, but he usually finds a scene appealing because of its color and shape. 

 

"Representational painting is still the root of what I'm trying to achieve," says Kohler, "but the fun lies in finding ways to describe my subjects through expressive gestures and varied mark-making."

 

 

Stellar, Mixed Media on Canvas, 10x20 Inches, $1,150.00

Artist David Witbeck is showing next door to Kohler on Chase Hill. He was a photographer for almost thirty years, but now he finds joy in being free of the bonds of objective reality. 

 

“While photographs may occasionally trigger an idea, I never paint from them. I prefer to bend, stretch, and twist things any way they’ll make an interesting composition,” Witbeck says. “My paintings are meant to be iconic rather than descriptive, creating a feeling, an emotional response, with somewhat generic symbols rather than accurately cataloging the particulars of an identifiable person, place, or thing.”

 

A blank canvas is where Witbeck makes the world as it “should” be. His places and things have analogs in reality, but specifically, they exist only in his mind and on the canvas. They come from years of observation, a good amount of imagination, just a smidgeon of actual experience, and great perspective.

 

“Regardless of what the nominal subject matter of my work may appear to be, my paintings are about making interesting shapes and composing the surface of the canvas pleasing,” explains Witbeck. “Many people comment on my perspective, which is a low point of view. We all know eye level can get a little boring. I can make even a boring situation look dramatic by going low or high or using a wide angle up close.”
 

Lobster Dock Oil 48 x 36 $11,800

Anticipation 33 x 53 $11,800

Kohler and Witbeck shows both open at 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 20, at 5 Chase Hill Road on Maine Art Hill. The public is welcome to the Artists’ Reception from 5 - 7 p.m. The show itself runs until August 14. All galleries on Maine Art Hill are open every day at 10 a.m. FMI call 207-967-2803 or visit www.maine-art.com


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Maine Art Hill I 14 Western Avenue Kennebunk, ME 04043 I 207.967.2803

 

Open Thursday-Monday 10am-5pm

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Open Daily 10am-5pm

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