Art of the Isle has over 30 participating artists and makers who share the responsibility of operating the shop at the Community Center.  Meet a few of our artists who sell online, inquire about custom orders, and shop by individual artist. 
Several artists and makers choose to consign only in our physical store at the Community Center on Islesboro .
​Visit the store to learn more about them and view their work. 

 Anne bertulli

COLLAGES AND NOTECARDS
I am originally from Massachusetts and first visited Islesboro on Memorial Day                          weekend 1974. I returned a few weeks later to work as a spring cleaner, and then                      stayed for a year. Then in 1999, I returned, and have worked here as a house painter,              house cleaner, shop girl, and for the past 11 years, graphic designer for the Islesboro               Island News. Besides writing the occasional poem, I also make  Kick-a-Brick                                 Doorstops, Fits-of-Fancy Collages and note cards, and in collaboration with Donna                     Seymour, the proposal for peace note cards and postcards.

Ted Bidwell

Painter

All proceeds benefit ICC (Thanks, Ted!)

Ted Bidwell's journey into the art world began in NYC in the 60s, where he drew on the distinct architecture and stunning sunsets in his drawing. He also found inspiration on the island through the magical effects of light on the otherwise dreary and drying mussel and clam shells on the beach by his summer house.  

​After a long career in the financial industry which left little time for the art interest, retirement opened a new door to what has become a near full time vocation.  His schooling has been in the form of regular lessons at the Rockport Art Association, with teaching artist Ron Straka as well as workshops and other learning opportunities. 

On most days he can  be found stalking the harbor in his home of Gloucester looking for subjects and waiting for interesting light effects to emerge.  Or you might find him in Maine, squinting at the tree studded rocky coast and  admiring the scenery of the islands of Penobscot Bay.

Visit http://tedbidwell.com/ for more information. 

​Vicki Conover

SEAMSTRESS
Vicki loves to sew - a fact that sometimes surprises her when she thinks back to how hard her mother worked at teaching her the skill and how hard Vicki resisted.  She wanted to be a photographer and to that end she studied photography at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, Michigan.  Jobs as a freelance photojournalist followed and she ran her own studio for a few years of wedding and “special occasion” photography.  She finally settled on medical photography and worked at Henry Ford Hospital photographing everything from one of the first knee replacements to before-and-after facelifts photos.  

A career change brought her to Islesboro for a teaching job at Islesboro Central School with a promise to her two sons that they would just try it out for a year. Thirtry-five years later she is still here as are her sons and 5 grandchildren.
​
So, sewing?  Blame the grandchildren whose arrival sparked an interest in making everything from quilts to circus tents.  Her collection is eclectic. It includes tote bags that fold into wallets, placemats, snap boxes and cosmetic bags. She works primarily in colorful fabrics - batiks, tie dye, and interesting prints.

​Catherine demchur-merry

crow cove designs 

Crow Cove Designs, founded by Catherine Demchur-Merry, strives to create quality, affordable products for people and their homes.

Inspired by the sparkling ocean and rocky shores she designs fused dichroic glass pieces. She also gathers sea glass and incorporates pieces into jewelry designs as well.  Nature inspires many of the colors and shapes of the pieces and the fusing process transforms each piece into a one-of-a-kind creation that you will treasure for years.
 
Playing with different media she also makes soap, wreaths, beeswax candles, chart note cards, framed charts of Islesboro, tide clocks, knit hats, and poured resin collages using sea glass and shells.
 
Catherine lives on Islesboro year-round and enjoys kayaking and gardening.

Antelo devereux, jr.

photographer & author

​Antelo Devereux Jr. (Dev) has been making photographs since he was ten years old and has been a regular visitor to Maine for his whole life. He frequently can be found, with a camera in hand, searching for his next photo, whether it be along the shore, in a field, or on a city street. His work has been exhibited in Maine, Vermont, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. (Bio from his book).

​Dev donates proceeds from his postcards and book to the ICC and we are very grateful! 

David Evelyn

Painter, printmaker, collage, found-object art

David Evelyn's work ranged from painting, printmaking, collage and montage to found-object art, which included items made from the likes of ocean driftwood and discarded toys.

David was an educator and passionate artist who received many awards for both throughout his life. 
​
David passed away in 2013. His legacy of giving and art lives on in many ways, including the many donated prints and art contributed to the ICC Art of the Isle. 

HOLLY FIELDS

FIBER ARTIST - WHIMSY BY HOLLY

Holly was inspired by a story her mother read to her when she was six years of age about children as young as five living in colonial times knitting essential items for their families. Being a year older, she decided she wanted to learn to knit and has been knitting since that time.

Holly prefers to work with 100% wool, hand-spun yarns and also uses cotton and blends to create one-of-a-kind products for all ages.

Cheryl gaudiana

islesboro artist

Cheryl Gaudiana is an Islesboro artist. She grew up in Connecticut, studied environmental science, and moved to Maine in 1978. Her work is unique, unexpected, and covers a wide range of media. She makes decoupage with Pemaquid oyster shells that feature a variety of island images. The images are hand-drawn and cut and she incorporates other elements such as Swarovski crystals.

KM Heckel

Author & Painter

KM Heckel has a BS from the New York State University at Buffalo where she majored in Art Education with a concentration in color and painting. Katie taught Art and Humanities in secondary school for sixteen years and worked in museum management for ten years. After a long time away from the arts, she returned to painting In 2008.
​

Ginny King

Weaving

 I first began weaving in 1981, after moving from Boston to Yarmouth, Maine. I took a  weaving class at a local yarn shop and was instantly hooked. I have mostly concentrated on  making soft goods for the home, such as rugs, pillows, and table linens.   In 2010, I began spending winters in Taos, New Mexico. There I signed up for a tapestry  weaving class to learn how to create the beautiful woven rugs and wall hangings that are so  common in Southwestern culture. I began working with hand dyed local wools and was  intrigued by the richness and intensity of the colors. One of the things I love most about  weaving is watching the interaction of colors and playing with different combinations. I am  often surprised by how a color seems to change dramatically depending on the colors it is  paired with.  
​
 I have also noticed how my color palette changes depending on my location.
​In Taos, I  am influenced by the traditional reds, rusts, and yellows used by the early indigenous weavers  of the region. When I return to Islesboro I notice that my color choices drift toward the blues  and greens of the ocean and fir trees that surround us. I’m often inspired by colors I see in  nature like moss on rock or a late summer riot of color in a flower garden. I’m always in search  of a new project, a new idea, a new inspiration.

​

Jack McCOnnell

photographer


For more than 25 years, beginning in 1982, Photographer Jack McConnell spent summers on Islesboro and had many one-man gallery shows at the Islesboro Inn, Blue Heron, Historical Society, and Seven Knots Gallery owned by his wife Paula McNamara. His Heritage Collection of Island portraits, B&W and color scenics, and his At Water’s Edge Special Techniques of B&W island scenes hand-painted with Marshall’s transparent oils can be seen on his virtual galleries SevenKnotsGallery.com and JackMcConnellPhotography.com. For 20 years he visited harbors around the Penobscot Bay in his 28’ Crosby Tug the Paula B. His photos can be ordered on-line, and will be available in a trunk show at Art of the Isle on July 17-18-19.
 
Jack is an annual report/advertising photographer who traveled the US and Europe for Fortune 500 clients for the past 50 years. He sells his fine art photography from his studio in Wethersfield, CT and on his website JackMcConnellPhotography.com.

Sally mitchell

tide line
​Sew Happy

Sally Mitchell resides in Portland and Islesboro, Maine. She is a retired elementary art teacher for Portland Public Schools.

Collecting beach treasures has always been a past time of hers. Several years ago she began creating various types of art from these collected pieces. Since then she has been showing and displaying her creations at local craft fairs and private showings.

Driftwood, metal, sea glass, and pottery are some of the found objects that are used in creating her recycled, repurposed Tide Line art. All pieces are unique.

A new medium that she recently started is Sew Happy. These are hand sewn, hand embroidered felt items. Items range from snap closure wallets and cell phone/ eye glass cases, ticket holders, banners and pillows to name a few! The latest “Island Series” highlights landscapes painted with a colorful palette of pieces of felt and embroidery thread.

Custom orders are accepted. 

Penobscot marine museum

museum

Art of the Isle carries several prints of historic photos that have been preserved and archived by the Penobscot Marine Museum. 

The mission of the Penobscot Marine Museum is to preserve, interpret, and celebrate the maritime culture of the Penobscot Bay region and beyond through collections, education, and community engagement. They are based in Searsport, Maine. 

Dave Petzel

birch bark & beach glass artisan

The birch trees and the glass from beaches of Islesboro are sources of inspiration and creativity to me. 

Birch bark is a media which has endless beauty and uses.  I carve, weave, shape and stitch birch bark into greeting cards, ornaments and baskets.  All of the birch bark and logs are harvested from fallen trees to preserve the growth of this dwindling species. 

The shards of glass which are washed up on our beaches from the waters of Penobscot Bay are unique in color and shape. I make them into windows and mobiles. 

shar piper

shar piper jewelry

I have long been a “Jack of all trades” and love to explore new techniques and art
forms. As the art teacher at Islesboro Central School for many years it was a
necessary survival strategy. Now retired, I am intrigued with the process of making
beautiful glass beads and metal components for my jewelry.

Some pieces are made from Precious Metal Clay, some from copper that has been fold-formed and others from wire that has been knit or wrapped. I enjoy playing with color and design and am often inspired by Mother Nature, especially when traveling afar with my husband on our converted shrimp boat. The sturdy heart pods I found on the beaches in the Bahamas make beautiful pendants, combined with other collected treasures.

derreth roberts

fiber artist

My work is inspired by the many beautiful hummingbirds that buzz around the feeders at my house.

​These whimsical birds build diminutive but sturdy nests with plant fragments and dried moss. They are then lined with soft down and tufts of fur, and bound smoothly and tightly with the silk of spider webs.

​Like the hummingbirds, I prefer to work with natural materials such as wool, alpaca, driftwood and seashells.  Variations in the color and texture of these enable me to create one-of-a-kind works of art, many of which are also warm and softly wearable.

LAUREN RUNNION-BAREFORD

ARTIST

Lauren is a resident of Islesboro who creates unique art in a variety of mediums, from sewing to painting and everything in between. Her art is constantly changing, so check back for her new ideas often! 

Donna seymour

mainely for you! 

​Mainely for You! was founded in 2003 when I began my first enterprise, Sea Glass Jewelry, created from sea glass found on the beaches of Maine. Each necklace, pendant and pair of earrings presents the beauty of glass naturally tossed by the sea and then transformed with delicately braided sterling silver and 10K gold wire into unique jewelry, Mainely for You! (MFY)
 
The True Story of Rocky the Seal joined MFY in 2006 when I wrote the endearing children’s book after a stranded seal was rescued on the island by the Marine Animal Lifeline. A portion of sale proceeds is donated to Marine Rescue.
 
Islesboro Images in Photography and Fiber Art complete the MFY Giftline, and can be found along with Rocky and my Jewelry in various art shows on island or by contacting me using the custom order inquiries button.
 

Kay Wood

K-Notes

Kay is a Vermonter who spends her summers in Maine.  She creates her line of note cards and dinner place cards from water color paintings that she does at home and on the island.