Blog

"View of Black Head from Pulpit Rock Meadow,

Monhegan Island, Maine"

Michael E. Vermette captured this fresh plein air watercolor painted study in the summer from the Pulpit Rock upper meadow of the backside of Black Head on Monhegan Island, Maine. Monhegan Island is located 10 miles off the coast of Port Clyde, Maine and is one of Maine most beautiful out-to-sea islands on the east coast. This view is one that is revised by many visitors to the island each year. Looking south west and including not only the famous shape of the craggy greenish granite coast, it also repeates the lines in the ocean that mimic the shape of the coast. This is a richer watercolor that holds that gothic feel of this towering headland and largest on the island, perhaps even the whole east coast.

Michael says, "I painted this study years ago and took it out and love it. I often put my work away for years and pull it to take another look. In that way I can appreciate the painting absent of the battle it took to create it. That memory has long passed and the painting can now be seen in its purest state. And this painting is one of those hidden gems. " 

This is an watercolor painted study made on location in Michael's pure and bold style of transparent washes. Michael uses a descriptive stroke that describes luminosity, lines of power, motion, and shape in describing the character of Black Head, yet he paints with a subtlety that captures even the lightest veils of light. He painted this study on an Arches watercolor block of cold press 140 lb 100% cotton paper, specially sized for watercolor, and was able to achieve the textural grain that is most prized by painters who have come to love this high quality paper.

Michael also says, "I am intrigued with the timelessness in change in my paintings. They show a love of color and light with emphasis on the expressive painterly mark and form, which evoke a recognizable feeling, a nostalgic memory, or even emotional qualities such as the smell of salt and balsam in the morning ocean air." 

Carl Little writes in Volume 30 of The Island Journal, " Michael Vermette, who emulates the vision of one of Monhegan island's great painters of the past, James Fitzgerald (1899-1971), adds impasto oomph to iconic views"

Michael E. Vermette double majored in Painting and Printmaking at the Maine College of Art, receiving his B.F.A Painting degree in 1980. He received his Certification in K-12 Art Education in 1986 through the University of Maine at Orono. A full-time artist and part-time art educator, Michael has been painting in oil, watercolor, and pastel for over fifty years and has won numerous awards for his work, including the Marilyn Sabin, Lauran Coleman and the Beverly Awards at the 12th,13th and 14th Biennial North American Open Shows of the New England Watercolor Society where he has been awarded signature membership. Most recently, Has been been awarded the honor of being the 1st Allagash Wilderness waterway artist-in-residency for the summer of 2020 where he expects to paint another 50 small studies. Michael is also the 2018 first place winner of the Castine Plein Air Festival, and a 2015-2017 winner as well. He won Best of Show in the Kennebunk River Club Art Exhibit and Sale for his watercolor, "Sea Dog". Michael leads several oil and watercolor plein air painting workshops in Maine and New Hampshire throughout the year. He is a Monhegan Artists' Residency Fellow and the 2011 Baxter State Park Artist-in-Residence in Maine. He was also an Artist-in-Residence at Acadia National Park twice in 1999 and 2006. His watercolors, oils, and pastels are in private collections throughout the country and internationally. In Maine, his works have been shown at various galleries and is currently represented by the Frame and Art Gallery in Yarmouth, The Lupine Gallery on Monhegan Island, and the Gleason Fine Art Gallery in Boothbay Harbor, all located in Maine. Because of the very high quality of the painting the starting price is set at 1/4 of the painting's worth. Because of this high quality and the confidence with quality custom shipping, I do not allow money back returns at this time.