OQUOSSOC — The work of fly-tier Sharon Wright and local artist the Rev. Paul Plante will be on display next month at the Rangeley Outdoor Sporting Heritage Museum in Oquossoc.
On Friday and Saturday, June 14 and 15, Wright will also demonstrate her fly-tying technique and discuss her interests and connections to the Rangeley region, Kevin Sinnett, a director with the Rangeley Lakes Region Historical Society, said Wednesday in a news release.
Wright will be tying traditional Rangeley streamers and sharing some of the history of her great-great-great-grandfather Joshua Gross Rich, one of Rangeley region’s earliest and most prominent pioneers, Sinnett said.
The Silver Doctor tied Rangeley style is one of her grandfather’s favorite patterns.
Wright’s inherited interest in Maine traditions and history is reflected in her original fly designs. These patterns have become her signature in the fly-tying community. She loves to share her passion for tying classic patterns and their histories that have evolved into presentations, shows and classes, Sinnett said.
Plante will exhibit his unique paintings in the museum’s gallery, beginning with a preview party from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, June 16. The exhibit will run through July 30.
Sinnett said Plante’s work focuses on the eyes of warblers, herons, swallows and other birds in his 4½- by 4½-inch oil pastel paintings.
“The paintings reflect his fascination with birds, their spirit and their elusive character,” he said.
“His emphasis on the eyes expresses the attraction he feels between the subject and himself. The compositions call to mind the cosmos and the mysteries of life, as well as the spirit of his subjects,” he said.
Plante also explores the cosmic nature of the surface of an apple or a plum.
“Being a priest and being an artist are naturals to me. One is into a spiritual and religious realm and the other is on the edge of it,” he said.
Plante is the pastor of Our Lady of the Lakes Parish in Rangeley. In 1987, he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Portland School of Art. He has had solo shows at Colby College in Waterville and the Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland, and has exhibited at numerous galleries throughout the country.
The exhibit in Oquossoc will feature paintings of hundreds of birds of Maine.
-
- The Rev. Paul Plante, pastor of Our Lady of the Lakes Parish in Rangeley, will exhibit paintings such as this great horned owl eye in the Rangeley Outdoor Sporting Heritage Museum in Oquossoc starting next month.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
