Below Blue Hill

BELOW BLUE HILL

Details: 8 x 10 print size includes 6.5 x 8.5 image area + white border
Materials: Archival pigment inks on 330 gsm 100% cotton smooth fine art paper
Edition size: First printing in April 2023 is limited to 25 prints

Signed and numbered by the artist, in pencil below the image.

Originally created as part of a community mural recently installed here in Blue Hill, this scene is of our namesake mountain, which rises 934 feet over the village, overlooking Blue Hill Bay, with outstanding views of Acadia National Park to the left and even all the way out to Isle au Haut past Deer Isle and Stonington. One summer morning, years before we relocated here for good, I stood at the top taking it all in and thought: yep, this is where I want to be. This multimedia piece began with my own hand-printed papers, cut and collaged into the basic forms of the landscape. I then brought the composition into Photoshop for coloring and the addition of the fine details. (The roller marks and other inky effects are an intentional part of the design.)

The directive for mural contributions was that the artwork be community-oriented and a celebration of the many vibrant elements that make up the Blue Hill Peninsula—things like “good food, wellness, cooperation, sustainability, inclusivity, and community.” I chose to depict my favorite local hiking trails and vantage point, which is also home to swooping blue-green tree swallows and a stunning colony of lupines. The “love” here is active, to my mind—an invitation to think about how we can support, preserve, and contribute to the places we call home. This print version has been expanded from the original hexagon shape to include the lupines in the foreground, and recast as a rectangle to simplify framing. (To see the original hexagon, scroll through the photos, or just look to the left of the front doors next time you enter the Co-op.)