Bayard Hollins Studio Tour
I was fortunate to be able to make my first ever trip out to the Midcoast Maine island of Islesboro to visit gallery artist, Bayard Hollins, at his home and studio last fall. Bayard’s family has a deep connection to the island and on our way over from the mainland in Lincolnville by boat, Bayard kept pointing out the homes of different relatives along the coast. He also took me by quiet coves and other vistas that I was able to recognize from his paintings. I couldn’t have asked for a more memorable or deeply personal introduction to the island!
Bayard’s studio on Islesboro is in a delightful outbuilding adjacent to his home and overlooks a peaceful and lush pond. The waterlilies that frequently appear in his paintings are inspired by the views of the pond from his Maine studio space. On the day I visited Bayard, I was pleased to not only see his bold and dreamlike Maine landscapes up close, but also his vivid florals and the West Coast scenes inspired from his hikes and explorations during the winter and spring months he spends in Ojai, California.
Before ferrying me back to the mainland, Bayard took me by the gallery he operates in an old two-room schoolhouse on the island each summer - Double Door Gallery. It was wonderful to see even more of his work up close and to gain even more insight to his day to day on this extraordinary Maine island he and his family love so dearly.
Scroll down to see more views of Bayard’s Islesboro studio from our September visit and the charming gallery he runs with the help of his sister-in-law, Ina.
“There are many influences in my work. However the dominant theme tends to be the interaction between classical realism and abstract expressionism. I work fast and with large strokes to convey the rawness of nature. I want to leave every painting in what could be considered an incomplete state, because I believe an unrefined painting is truer to nature and to my own emotions. When earthly references are suggested rather than spelled out, space is created for the painting to move, breath and grow in the viewerʼs imagination. When painting caves in upon itself, sculpture often lights the way for me. I donʼt like fumbling along in the dark, I just reach for a new light switch.”
- Bayard Hollins
