Dowling Walsh Gallery

Colin Page

Artist Talk- On Video

For those of you who missed- (or those who would like to revisit) Colin's discussion about his current exhibition, we have made it available for view. Follow this link to view.

“For this show I focused on a small part of Rockland harbor, around the municipal fish Pier and the adjacent beach. I’ve done a few paintings in this area before, and I’ve always seen a lot of potential for subject matter. The fish pier is busy all day, 7 days a week. This is not the glamorous part of Maine’s waterfront. It doesn’t even have the old world quality of old wooden docks and cedar shingle buildings. The primary purpose of this pier is to get a job done; bring in lobster from the islands, supply bait and fuel, and truck lobster and fish out. The people I met while painting were funny, authentic, crass, interested and enjoyable to share stories with. The subjects I painted felt the same way.

There were definitely moments of beauty that caught me off guard: realizing that there is an apple tree full of flowers in the corner of the lot where lobster traps are piled 8 feet high, watching the weather patterns moving along the horizon as the sky would change, seeing birds quietly glide around the pier, feeling like I was alone on the edge of the ocean as I painted on a rock beach right next to a bustling pier.

I was also interested in finding beauty where I wouldn’t normally look. A pile of lobster traps could catch the afternoon light in an amazing way. A toilet sat outside among a pile of trash looking so out-of-place that I wanted to laugh every time I saw it. Staring at the deep blues of the sky I noticed that the power lines and utility poles divide the sky beautifully. Fuel pumps at the end of the dock stand watch over the pier. Piles of mooring balls litter a field of dead grass, surprising me by the harmony of the shapes they create and colors they reflect.”

L.L. Bean has featured Colin Page's "Camden Harbor" oil painting on their Summer 2010 catalog. Be sure to check it out.

Biography

Colin Page was raised in Baltimore, MD and attended the Rhode Island School of Design. He transferred to Cooper Union with a concentration on painting. Upon graduation he lived in New York City for three years where he was an active member in the art world. In search of a more diverse landscape, Page moved to Maine where he found more time to devote to his art.

Page creates all his work on site and focuses on capturing the atmosphere and light of a scene. He believes through painting he finds moments of beauty in the space around him.