“I began preparing for this exhibition over two years ago, and yet whatever ideas I might have started with seem to have slipped away into a forgotten blur. In their place, new feelings have been born... fear and anxiety for the future, alongside a deeply felt gratitude for what I have and where I live.
The world in some ways seems to be a different place. Yet, when I look out my window or go through my routines, things look the same. The birds seem just as comfortable, if not more so in my backyard. The Buffleheads have returned to my pond. The sounds of peepers, coyotes and owls still haunt the night. Erratic snowstorms and raging streams continue to visit my neighborhood.
My subject matter remains relevant to me and I still struggle to find the balance of how we fit into the natural world. I am in awe of the wildness around me, and forever grateful for it.” - Mary Bourke
Drawing inspiration from Milton Avery, Arthur Dove and Marsden Hartley, Bourke recreates her world using her imagination and a vivid color palette. Her paintings celebrate the simple everyday places of summer memories, family outings and the nature found in her backyard. Her dreamlike paintings are designed to be anyone’s memories.
Born and raised on the north shore of Long Island, New York, a 1976 graduate of Boston College, Bourke gradually made her way north to midcoast Maine. Her work has been featured on the cover of numerous publications including A Place Called Maine and Classics of Young Adult Literature, Down East Magazine and LL Bean’s catalog.
The artist is donating a portion of the proceeds from this exhibition to Maine Audubon, the state’s oldest and largest wildlife conservation organization.
