By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer
HOULTON — The paintings of a Houlton native, which showcase many scenes from Aroostook County and Baxter State Park, are being shown at the Blue Moon Gallery, 66 Main St. from now until July 12.
“Maine — A Favorite Place” is the title of Scott Rhoades art show. Rhoades was born in Houlton in 1951, but his family moved to Coventry, Conn. when he was just a small child.
Pioneer Times Photo/Joseph Cyr
TALKING ART — Scott Rhoades, left, talks with Carmel Bowers at the Blue Moon Gallery on Main Street Friday evening at the opening of Rhoades’ art show. A former Houlton resident as a small child, Rhoades currently resides in Storrs, Conn. His paintings showcase several Aroostook County scenes as he often returns to visit.
“We still have relatives in Aroostook County and I have enjoyed coming up here to visit and going to Baxter State Park most every year since 1982,” he said. “Not only do I enjoy the hiking, but I am always looking for subject matter to paint.”
He paints his subject material from a photograph, using acrylic paint. Rhodes said his favorite things to paint are old barns, which are plentiful in The County.
“My grandfather (Vernon Ellis) had a potato farm in Hodgdon, and going into that barn had a certain smell and feeling that I am drawn to,” he said.
Rhodes graduated from Eastern Connecticut State University in 1973 and earned his master’s degree in art education from Central Connecticut State University. He recently retired from a 35-year career in public education, where he was a high school art teacher.
“My works are predominantly representational in style,” he said. “I photograph images of interest to me, based on my experiences and travel. The wilderness, weathered buildings, historic homes, and recently faces, interest me as I enjoy the process of painting and anticipating the results. When I paint I feel connected to the subject matter as if I am revisiting and that inspires me to look closely at places and faces in the present.”
The Houlton showing came about by happenstance. Last summer, Rhoades was in Maine to visit the place where he spent the first year of his life.
“I was looking around town, and walked past this gallery, and decided to stop in,” he said. “I was looking for Fair Street, which is where I lived. Carmel Bowers was in the studio and we got to talking, and she asked me if I would like to do a show.”
An avid runner, Rhoades has two daughters, Andrea and Summer, and four grandchildren. He lives in Storrs, Conn. with his wife Ellie.
The Blue Moon Gallery is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, visit www.sacap.us.
