Artist with local roots wants to inspire
Smith Maher will exhibit watercolor paintings through Aug. 5
Artist Rachel Smith Maher will debut her most recent body of work in her hometown of Presque Isle this summer. The exhibit “Using Your Wings” consists of watercolor paintings related to the theme of flight, winged creatures, and the element of uplift.
“My mission,” describes Maher, “is to ask the viewer to look beyond the image presented, consider a different perspective, and inspire a conversation.” One example of her artwork involves a close-up painting of a purple pansy. When looked at from another angle, the viewer sees a bird flying into a purple expanse.
“I believe I have found my voice as an artist,” she states. “I feel it is possible for art to be both approachable and intriguing, not exclusively one or the other. The value of art is often times very personal. It is my hope that this work reaches out to people, to invite them to pause, breathe, and rejoice in the moment as the image touches their soul.”
The work was first inspired when Maher, who lives in the Portland area, noticed the repetition of shapes and patterns in nature. While walking the beach one February afternoon, she noticed rivulets of water creating indentations in the sand. That same shape was observed in the open wings of chickadees flying outside her window. The more she looked, the more she saw, and began to capture this on canvas.
Near the beginning of the project, Maher faced significant health challenges. As she was able, she continued to pour her creative spirit into her artwork. It helped her to remain positive and grounded. Her personal life mirrored the project, as it was necessary for her to view her circumstances from the proper perspective. She found “using her wings” helped her to rise above, and push through the crisis intact, emerging on the other side with strength and resilience.
Creating this group of paintings over the past two years has continued the healing process. Spending time in the outdoors of the beautiful state of Maine, watching and recording her flora, seasons, and beings, helped Maher to foster fortitude in her heart and soul. From new patterns emerged new truths and choices. She wondered, “If this pattern of human nature repeats, what does it accomplish? Is it not our duty to help others who are traveling just a few steps behind us on the same path?”
Sharing it publicly culminates the mission of the project. “My plan,” says Maher, “is to show these pieces throughout the state of Maine. At the end of each exhibit, I will donate a painting to an area agency whose operation involves helping those in crisis, i.e. hospitals, hospice houses, community centers, etc.
“I believe art is owned by the mind of the beholder. What one sees when engaged with a two-dimensional canvas is influenced by every event that has led up to that one moment. What one sees, another may not. And so it is in life — everyone unique, everyone with something to contribute, everyone free to choose to ‘Use Your Wings’ to rise above the here and now. I believe the practice of adjusting one’s perspective to journey through a calamity develops resilience. If engaging with my artwork allows someone to consider this concept, then my mission is complete,” she said.
This first exhibition of Using Your Wings will be on display at the Mark & Emily Turner Memorial Library and Cultural Centre at 39 Second St. from June 27 through Aug. 5. Gallery hours are Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
An artist’s reception is planned for Saturday, July 16 from 11:30 a.m. until 2 p.m.
For more information, contact the library at 764-2571 or visit www.usingyourwings.com.
