'It's Not So Black and White-2016' on Exhibit March 4-27 at Richard Boyd Art Gallery

PORTLAND, Maine - Jan. 26, 2016 - PRLog -- Richard Boyd Art Gallery opens the month of March with an annual exhibition of art works in black and white. Although color is evident in some of the paintings this year, the focus remains on the creation of art using minimal color to create shading and variations in tone, lighting, and contrast. The exhibit features works by artists' Wilson Stewart, Rob Anderson, Amy Bickford, Randy Eckard and Kimberly Skillin Traina. The gallery is open free of charge to the public between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. every Friday, Saturday and Sunday through March 27, 2016.

Wilson Stewart is a visual artist and Licensed Land Surveyor living in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire. Influenced by his grandmother, a gifted sketch artist, Wilson has drawn on and off again since childhood. Mainly self-taught, Wilson began painting later in life. His primary artistic interests include landscapes and figurative works. Wilson's current series of paintings are inspired by his exploration of neighborhoods in Maine and New Hampshire. Weather permitting, he enjoys the challenges of plein air painting, capturing the ever-changing light and mood of his surroundings. More recently, Wislon has been drawn to painting with acrylics and to monotype printmaking. In his words, "I have fallen in love with mixing my colors directly on the canvas or plate, as well as the textures of the finished product. It is very much a mirror to the emotion of my life."


Rob Anderson is a multi-talented artist and performer who has created art in various forms for more than four decades. Rob fell in love with nature and began drawing at an early age. As a child he spent hours watching his scout master noted Wildlife artist Clark Bronson paint and sculpt in his studio. Rob continued his studies at Brigham Young University, where he studied art under the tutelage of Frank Magleby, and James Christensen. In 1998, Rob moved to Maine. His paintings in oil are inspired by the working harbors, sailing vessels, and ever changing interior and coast of Maine.

Amy Bickford's paintings in acrylic based gouache and watercolor depict a broad range of subjects including seascapes, landscapes and animal portraits. A 1983 graduate of the Maine College of Art (MECA), Amy says, "Since graduating I've held a variety of jobs while continuing to create art works for individual clients, corporations, and small businesses, including painting murals for the Children's Museum of Art in Portland, ME and recreating the artworks on the ceiling of the St. John's Cathedral in Bangor, ME. My current portfolio of paintings includes portraits and scenes of the ever changing interior and coast of Maine. Through the years, I've been fortunate to use my talent and love of painting to bring happiness to others."

Randy Eckard is a trained commercial artist living in Blue Hill, Maine. His career as a fine artist working exclusively with watercolors spans more than three decades. Eckard studied at the Ringling School of Art in Sarasota, Florida and the Haywood School of Craft in Clyde, North Carolina. Randy says, "My approach to watercolor painting is nontraditional, in that I try to avoid the limitations and trappings of traditional watercolor techniques. Although traditional washes are an integral part of the painting process, I rely more on the layering of color with glazing and dry brush work. Light plays an essential role in my paintings. It is as if the subtle or dramatic interplay of light and shadow become the subject more than the objects themselves." Eckard's paintings have won over 190 awards in watercolor throughout New England and the Southeast. Randy's paintings are widely collected and included in numerous private and corporate collections.

Kimberly Skillin Traina is a multi-talented commercial and fine artist with a BA in design and photography living in Edgecomb, Maine. Her career as a graphic designer and photographer spans more than three decades. Kim says, "My creative process evolved from doing things by hand and developing images in the darkroom, to creating on the computer. As much as technology has opened a whole new world of creative tools for exploration, I still love working with my hands. Three years ago, my love of the Maine coast and drawing inspired me to create works en plein air. I selected soft pastels as my medium, I love the intensity of color I can achieve with pure pigment, the ability to layer colors, and the feel of the medium as I work. With both photography and pastels, for me, it is capturing the quality of light, feeling, and essence of nature. My creativity is my expression of my passion for life, for nature and of deep gratitude for this incredible place I live in."

Richard Boyd Art Gallery is located on Peaks Island in Portland, ME at the corner of Island Avenue and Epps Street, in the first building on the right on the first floor. The gallery represents established and emerging artists with a connection to the state of Maine, creating original works of art in a broad range of styles from contemporary to traditional realism. Exhibitions change monthly and include solo, group, and theme exhibits. From April through October the gallery is open between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. daily. November through the end of March the gallery is open between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Additional days and times can be made by appointment. For more information about the exhibit please contact the gallery by phone at 207-712-1097, via email at info@richardboydartgallery.com or visit www.richardboydartgallery.com . For weekly updates please like the gallery on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RichardBoydArtGallery .

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