"Art is a bridge between nature and the viewer, distilled by the artist's vision. The human eye evolved immersed in nature, deciphering its profuse tangle - interpreting, exploring, mapping and learning its every detail. We have gotten so far removed from this that it is my sincere intent to be a link between my audience and that ancient lost world. I am extremely fortunate to live in the great state of Maine, where nature and inspiration dwell in practically ever corner and turn." -Grace Keown

Grace Keown is an artist inspired by nature and driven to satisfy an innate creativity to capture her Maine surroundings.

As a professional artist, she works to capture feelings of place, time and light in her artwork, but also to create an experience that touches the artist in everyone.

“When I am in a place everything comes together, the light, the color, shape of forms and objects; it's my own nonverbal, creative urge to express what I see and in a sense make it more real by rendering the scene,” she says of her efforts.

“I typically create landscapes that are evocative of the feel of a place, including the time of day, seasonal light and colors native to that area.”

She has created art in some form or media for most of her life. Her personal journey and exploration of various techniques include experience with watercolor, pastel, pen & ink, scratchboard, acrylic, oil, printmaking, photography, jewelry-making, stenciling and primitive rug-hooking.

Currently working in watercolor, pastel and Claybord, a professional type of scratchboard, she is experienced in many different mediums. She also makes sterling silver jewelry, but is always striving to tap into and develop a personal unique style, a vision of the world that is truly her own to be filtered into a similarly unique work of art.

As an example, Grace’s entry was chosen as the winner of the MOFGA (Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association) 2008 Common Ground Country Fair Poster contest, and will grace all the advertising for this also unique and popular event.

Her study of art has included formal and informal training including a Bachelor of Arts degree in Studio Art and Art History from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. During her years there, she concentrated in painting, drawing and printmaking in various fine arts media. More recently, she has studied with watercolorist Connie Henderson of Dixmont. She also teaches workshops in wire-jewelry making and drawing.

In addition to her collaboration with the Valley Arts Alliance, she is the founder-creator of the Dirigo Road Gallery, an online cooperative of Maine artists and fine artisans at www.dirigoroadgallery.com. She has also shown at Belfast Arts in the Park  -  A Juried Arts & Crafts Show - July 7 & 8, 2007; Newport Farmers & Artisans  Market – 2007; and MOJAS/Waterville  Art Society Annual  Show - March - April, 2007. Her work has recently been selected for group shows at the Maine Art Gallery in Wiscasset entitled “Something Fishy,” on exhibit for the month of May; the 9th International Juried Exhibition for “Pastels Only” at the Chocolate Church in Bath, and MPBN’s annual Juried Art Show at L/A Gallery5 in Lewiston.

Grace and her family live on a farmstead in the Dixmont hills, “far from the madding crowd,” and close to the heart of Maine. Surrounded by 90-year-old apple trees, they raise dairy goats, make cheese, grow some of their food, and support locally grown agriculture and sustainability.

View Grace's work at : www.dirigoroadgallery.com.