Spring Magnolias 48”x36” Oil on Canvas $4,200
For artist Ingunn Milla Joergensen, painting is as much about tending to the spirit as it is about tending to a garden. Her new show, Local Color, at Maine Art Hill is a meditation on the passage of time, the quiet strength of nature, and the beauty found in stillness.
“This show is very much a personal walk through my garden and greenhouse from the earliest spring into fall,” shares Joergensen. “To me, my garden and greenhouse are a meditation where every different flower represents the evolution of these seasons.”
Her work captures not only the visual transformation of the garden but also the shifting rhythms of life itself. “My flowers are a gradual and continuous process of change that occurs as one month transitions into the next. It encompasses the physical, biological, and psychological shifts that mark the passage of time throughout this part of the year.”
Pink Geranium 36x36 Oil on Canvas $3,700
The Queen 1 30”x30” Oil on Canvas $3,000
Nasturtiums 3 12”x12” Oil on Canvas $1,000
Each canvas reflects these cycles, infused with the poetry of light and the music of stillness. In On Towards Stillness, she paints “the quiet hush of fading light as the meadow exhales its last breath of summer. What was once vibrant and full now bends towards stillness. Its colors softened into muted golds and silvery shadows.”
Magnolias also hold a special place in her heart. “Magnolias have always spoken to me with their quiet strength and fleeting beauty. In this series, I wanted to capture that moment when the blossoms seem to float in the air, fragile yet full of life. It is a reminder to pause, create, and find grace in the delicate details of nature.”
White Geraniums #2 12”x12” Oil on Canvas $1,000
Towards Stillness 16x12 Oil on Canvas $1100
Magnolias 1 30”x30” Oil on Canvas $3,000
Other works carry the same sense of reverence. The Calliope Large White inspired The Queen, a painting of serene strength. “I wanted to let her presence emerge gently from the canvas, not demanding attention, but commanding it with grace. She is a reminder that true beauty often lies in stillness and simplicity.”
In The Sound of Tulips, Joergensen explores subtlety and sensation. “I wanted it to linger in the space between sight and sensation, suggesting that the beauty often lives in subtleties, the faint colors, the tender forms, the way stillness itself can become music.”
Her Nasturtiums series embodies warmth and resilience. “These flowers are known for their warmth, resilience, and playful spirit. Against a depth of green leaves, their blooms emerge in glowing tones of orange, yellow, and red, as if lit from within. They invite the viewer to pause and sense the balance between vibrancy and stillness. Beauty revealed in gentle, unassuming ways.”
The personal nature of her work extends beyond her own garden. A simple gift from a stranger became part of her greenhouse and her art. “A gentleman handed in a handful of plants to a local nursery. His garden-loving wife had sadly passed. A little cutting of the Pink Geranium was given to me, and she thrived in my greenhouse, steadily growing into this beauty. I enjoy the thought of connecting with a kindred spirit through plants.”
Little Reverie #4 12”x12” Oil on Canvas $1,000
The Reverie 36x36 Oil on Canvas $3700
Little Reverie #3 12”x12” Oil on Canvas $1,000
Not all the works are bound to flowers. The Reverie portrays “a timeless barn surrounded by meadows. It invites you into a space where time seems to dissolve and thoughts drift freely. It is a quiet pause that captures the subtle boundary between waking life and dream.”
Ultimately, Local Color is more than a celebration of flowers or landscapes. It is a meditation on the quiet spaces where memory and imagination meet. As Joergensen reflects, “We are being reminded that art can slow us down, guiding us inward, into memory, imagination, and reflection.”
The show Local Color is on view from September 20 through October 15 at Maine Art Hill, located at 5 Chase Hill Rd in Kennebunk, Maine. The gallery is open daily at 10 AM. For more information, visit maine-art.com, email info@maine-art.com, or call 207-967-2803.