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GETTING WHAT YOU PAID FOR

My painting week that Started last Saturday July 6th on Monhegan Island was an amazingly productive week for me. I painted three 11 x 14 inch and three 16 x 20 inch impasto oils by mid week. On Wednesday morning I met with Billy Boynton who runs the Lupine Gallery on the island with his wife Jackie Boegel. He came to the Eider Duck Cottage where I was staying with a group of artists friends, with the intention of viewing my paintings and possibly selecting five paintings for the gallery. As fortune would have it, he selected all six paintings. The following images are the six paintings that Billy originally selected and are the ones that will be currently on display at the Lupine gallery on Mohegan Island for the rest of the summer and into next year.

To view these six paintings in person, please go to the Lupine Gallery on Mohegan Island or look them up on their website:http://lupinegallerymonhegan.com 

The works should be posted soon if they are not currently on the site.

You would think that after I received such a positive response from the Lupine Gallery that I would be motivated to paint more paintings. But the opposite is actually true. When your work flow is interrupted, be it a negative response or even a positive one like I had, you can become disorientated as an artist. I have always believed that phrase, "You get what you pay For". And I have always further believe that the artist must pay the price before any accolades, awards and sales are ever realized. I'm not only talking about the cost of art supplies, but also the physical schlepping of equipment over the trails to capture quality images en plein air. But knowing that fact does not always motivate me to continue by picking up where I left off, especially after comments let drop by supporters of my work in progress.

For me it took a good friend and fellow painter to invite me to paint with her at Whitehead on the island. Little did she know that she guided me out of my disorientated funk. My seventh painting," The Headlands in July, Monhegan Island, Maine" turned out to be an extraordinary experience of not only making a painting from a precarious cliff's edge, but the the rare opportunity of witnessing two gull chicks being fed by their mother on that very edge of the cliff only a few feet away from where I was standing. I witnessed that same gull with chicks last year and it caused me to research if gulls actually live that long. It turns out that they live several years. Sometimes you get a whole lot more than what you paid for and I was immediately reminded that the Creator must really love me to trust me with such adorable beauty.

By Friday I decided to go home a day early. I was feeling like I failed my wife and that maybe I should have gone home on Thursday. This is the first time I have been away from my wife in over a year. We went through her naturopathic healing protocol to wake up her body to completely heal and recover from Cancer; and it worked. To celebrate I went to paint on Mohegan Island for her and she was invited to walk in at the opening ceremony in full regalia along with other native elders to mark the beginning of a week-long spiritual gathering at Nibezun Farm, the sacred ground for the Penobscot people. "Nibezun" translates to "Medicine" from the Penobscot language, with its root word "Nibi" meaning water - the first medicine.

My feelings were raw because I wouldn't be there to see her walk in with other elders from many other nations as she celebrated her recovery. This important gathering continues to water the seeds of the future with a goal of using culture, connection and community to heal inter-generational trauma in current and future generations of all people.

To make matters worse, that morning my wife received the shocking news that her brother Theodore Wayne Mitchell had died in his sleep. And again, I wasn't there to comfort her when she received the news. I felt completely like I had blown it. I felt like I didn't listen to the Spirit's leading. The "what if's" and "couldda, shouldda, woulddas" all entered my mind. That is until they all melted away upon embracing my wife as we wippeded together and I wiped away her tears later on that day.

None of us are perfect. Even as artists, when we try to do the right thing and miss it all together. Sometimes our own agenda get in the way of where we are really suppose to be. But even in this place we must realize that the Great Creator loves us even in our moment of failure. I have further known that it is not the work from my hands that qualifies me as an effective impasto oil or watercolor painter, but rather the Creator in me that qualifies me and my work. And isn't it comforting to know that even when we screw up, and fail to hear the true direction for our life; at that very moment; we are loved by the one who created us, even if we can't feel it and especially at our lowest point emotionally.

This week for me as an artist has been a tough week of being thankful of the Creator's blessings mixed with, humility, silence and unmeasureable love. I have taken the time to pause this week and consider what is really important. "You Get What You Pay For" and "You Get Back What You Put In" are true to some extent, but Maybe there should be an additional phrase to those famous quote that we should never forget. Maybe it should say instead, " You get what you pay for; but doesn't the Creator Love us so!"

Theodore Wayne Mitchell

Ted or "Wayne", as we knew him, was not only Elaine's wise and supportive brother, but he was a defender in every way a person can be for his people's needs even over his own. Yes, 'he represented the Penobscot Nation in the Maine Legislature for four terms before helping the tribe assert its independence by leaving the State House. But Ted was so much more.'

"Ted received his M.A. in Public Administration with distinction in 1994 from the University of Maine. He represented the university as Bananas at UMaine hockey games and belonged to the Fraternity Alpha Phi Omega. Ted dedicated his life to serving the Penobscot Nation in State Legislation as Tribal Representative. The future of tribal people were foremost during his community service. As Tribal Representative to the Maine Legislature from October 2008 through September 2016, he worked 
tirelessly to bring Wabanaki diplomacy to the State House and served on the Judiciary and Marine Resources Committee. He introduced numerous legislation aimed to address tribal sovereignty and self-determination for the betterment of the lives of Penobscot tribal citizens and to the improvement of tribal - state relationships. These aspects in Ted's life's work were very important to him in his career as representative."

He will be greatly missed by us all and we take comfort in knowing that the great "Defender" in heaven is defending him now before the great cloud of witnesses. Know that you will be greatly missed in conversation as, our brother, defender and friend; we will miss your wit and will always love you.

In the end Ted's journey brought him to a place where all he could do is be thankful, love, humbly bow down and stay still in his chair before his Creator. We all can not begin to fathom the depth of God's love for us. This new song from Rita Springer's new "Battle" album reminds Elaine and I of what it must have been like for Ted to meet God face to face as Ted's greatest defender. You see, Ted actually had a near death experience that lasted about a minute, years ago. But he vividly described the experience as actually being in heaven for about a week. He would describe it in detail and how beautiful it was. He even saw colors and flowers there that he had never seen before. He never wanted to come back. Even in the end of his journey on this earth he never feared death because he knew where he was going. I'm sure he was looking forward to being completely restored, as he slipped away from us peacefully in his sleep. Elaine and I imagine him as before in his youthful days, dancing and singing in his most excellent way and meeting up with his dogs that he loved so much. So on earth when he thought he had lost himself and could no longer do the things he use to do; in heaven, God showed him where to find his former self. As a loving father, He picked up all his broken pieces, put him back together and reintroduced him to love. After all the Creator is the one who placed the character of "true defender" in Ted's heart from the beginning.

To listen to the multitracks.com sessions version of "defender" on utube, click DEFENDER.

UPDATE: PAINT FOR PRESERVATION

The Cape Elizabeth Land Trust's 12th Annual Paint for Preservation Wet Paint Auction back on June 30th, 2019 was a great success this year! There were over 400 guests in attendance despite the ever-changing weather. The event raised more than $80,000.00 in net income including the revenue from the Mystery Boxes and they are calling the event a "stunning success!" Thank you for all who participated and helped to make this a reality to all the artists, staff and the important mission of preservation in Cape Elizabeth. I hope to be able to do it again next year.

PAINT THE PENINSULA

This weekend at the Blue Hill Library on Saturday July 20th, my friend Eric Glass and I will joining 8o artists for the "Paint The Peninsula" wet paint silent auction. We will be staying at the Blue Hill Inn and going to two locations from which the committee can choose from to auction off. This is one of the Blue Hill Libray's biggest fundraisers. For more details about this lively event that generates a major support for it's programs Click Here.

UPCOMING FESTIVALS AND PLEIN AIR AUCTIONS

July 20th, 2019 Paint The Peninsula Silent Auction- Blue Hill Library.

July 27th, 2019 The Castine Plein Air Festival in Castine, Maine.

August 3rd, 2019 Paint The Town in Waldoboro, Maine.

August 10th, 2019 Art From The Heart of Bath, Plein Air Auction, Bath, Maine.

Sometimes all we need to do as a painter is be thankful, paint, be humble and be silent.

Elaine and I hope to see you at one of these exciting events this summer,

Michael E. Vermette