Eliza Wing offers a series of oil paintings and 3-D box constructions based on her lifelong love of Maine and her summer sojourns on Monhegan Island; a longtime haven and inspiration for artists since the early 1900’s.

Artist Statement:

These paintings are a record of my connection to the coast of Maine. For each, I can remember the resonance of the moment. A narrative develops through the tension between memory and the immediacy of the marks, brushstrokes and colors.

Monhegan, the subject of many of these paintings has been a destination for painters since the early 1900’s when Robert Henri, an influential teacher and painter who helped found the Ashcan movement and taught at the Art Students League in New York, began to make painting retreats to the island. Henri and his contemporaries discovered the bold landscape and the clear light of this offshore Maine island. In the past few summers I have been lucky enough to spend time painting on the island as well as gathering images for later work.

Set apart and still full of artists, Monhegan is a magical place.

As a child, I remember sailing and gazing at the faraway island, wondering at the bright tiny houses lit by sun.

A day when you could “see clear to Monhegan” was a brilliant summer day.

Eliza Wing Artwork Narratives:

The Key

I cheated on my merit badges. so easy to check the little boxes
and say, “yes I did that — on my honor.”
Now I regret the cheats and shortcuts.
The key is to be present. Do the thing, whatever it is, right.

Luca’s Pockets

My Nephew Luca helped with this.
I said “fill your pockets with what is interesting
and I will put it in my art piece. I will call it Luca’s Pockets.”
You can put anything in your pocket he said.
And so you can. Especially if you are 6.

Presence

Our breath is our gate to the present moment.
It is boundless, held only by our expectations and our impressions.
The best breath is the one in,
suffused by light.

Cathedral Woods

The woods have always been magical for me.
On Monhegan there is a path through Cathedral
Woods It is lined with old pines and tiny fairy houses
made from natural materials found in the forest.
In the silence of the pines with the distant roar
of the ocean on the coast
you can imagine whatever you wish.