Maine-Sea

Ghosts of Highlanders of Culloden Moor and the expulsions and the serpentine mermaid Morag sing to the wind and sea that I am of the Highland Clan Morrison. The breath of a snow-bond easel and the Chi of ground ink say that I am an artist. Art has a unique connection to the sea and the sea has a unique synergy with the state of Maine. It is also one of the most northerly of the lower forty-eight and half of it was owned by England as part of Canada until the mid-1800’s. It is so northern that it has a colony of Puffin Bird, an aquatic subarctic bird. I used to have a friend from there who had a very dominate personality kind of like a New Yorker. He pronounced “ar’s” as soft “o.” The first year in Houston his son who can down with him got married, and got a raise. Ironically while New England tourism has its mark on it, Maine’s main industry is making paper from its vast forest. I am actually from near the port city of Houston and grew up near a swamp.

Maine has a very interesting mythology. The first thing that one notices is the camel which is a metal statue from the desert of Maine. As it is said, it was originally a farm. The “desert” appeared because of bad farming causing the top soil to blow off showing the sand underneath. It became a tourist site in 1917 with a sand museum.  Everything is in front of the Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse which was built in 1895 with the brake water coming in 1951. The first keeper was known for his duck decoys. The flag on the light house is the Acadian flag which represent the Cajuns (Acadians) which were force to leave by the English in the 1760’s. The US named the national park on Mount Desert Island after them. The boat is for Penobscot Marine Museum which is a perfectly preserved New England town from the early 1800’s.The Eye on the very bottom of the picture is the lake monster Poco from Pocomoonshine Lake which are 30 foot snakes. In front of the camel is a lobster which is what most know Maine for. It is 8” x 10,” drawn with pencil and white charcoal and completed recently.

The Name of this piece is Snowy Log over Creak which was draws with ink and Sumi-e recently.It was relatively warm by snowing when I started drawing but dropped to the teen by completion. The Sumie I added gives how cold it was.  If you are interested in buying this or any other of my work email me at MatthewMorrison76@yahoo.com to order.