Costal Maine in Words and Art’ reading in Camden
From the Penobscot Bay Pilot
CAMDEN — Last spring the Solon Center for Research and Publishing held a contest to give unknown writers in Maine an opportunity to be published in a book with photographic art that depicts Rockland and the coast in its myriad situations, moods and emotions.
At least five of the writers, who herald from across Maine, will read their stories aloud to the public, Sunday, October 13, at 2 p.m., in the Picker Room at Camden Public Library.
The original art work that inspired their stories will also be at the library on October 13, and then back on exhibit at Gallery Fukurou.
The writers confirmed to read are: Eola Ball, Lee Heffner, Donna Hinkley, Khristina Marie Landers, and Sandra Sylvester. Lee Van Dyke might read as well.
Eighty-eight stories were submitted to Fukurou Gallery, of Rockland, which is a part of the Solon Center. In the end, 27 stories were published to accompany 23 images in Coastal Maine in Words and Art. Seventeen writers told stories with depth, insight, candor, irony, wit and humor.
“Anyone who has ever visited Maine’s coast will be able to relate to them,” said Solon Center, in a news release. “They’ve put humankind’s instinctive emotional connection to the sea into words.”
This event is free and open to everyone. Books will be available to buy and be signed.
The gallery edition of the book will be sold for $20 at the reading (normally $28). The book is available on amazon at local Maine bookstores, in the gallery, and worldwide through Ingram. All proceeds from the sales of books and art will be placed into a fund for next year’s exhibit of the same kind.
The Maine Humanities Council has provided a grant for the project that enables the Solon Center to donate books to libraries across Maine. MHC is a statewide nonprofit organization that uses the humanities, “as a tool for positive change in Maine communities.” https://mainehumanities.org/
The Solon Center for Research and Publishing is a 501(c)3 nonprofit Maine Public Benefit Corporation that helps build community in Maine and beyond through educational, literary, scientific and artistic means, with publications, research, exhibits, events and other initiatives. SCRP is also a platform where people from diverse disciplines can examine issues of cultural and environmental importance, while developing connections. http://soloncenter.com/
Fukurou is SCRP’s gallery and represents Maine artists, and fosters cross-cultural connections with Japanese artists and others.
“We work to help the humanities flourish in communities across Maine,” said Fukurou .”Our books have themes of long-term intrinsic value and are published through our imprint, Polar Bear & Company.”
The Solon Center’s Gallery Fukurou — https://galleryfukurou.com/
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Fukurou’s book writing/art contest exhibit with Ramona du Houx and Yohaku Yorozuya
The front cover of Coastal Maine in Words and Art – Photo titled Vanishing Point by Yohaku Yorozuya. And the back cover – Moonstruck by Ramona du Houx – the other the artist in the book/exhibit.
From Maine Insights News: Winners of Maine’s Solon Center for Research and Publishing’s first book writing/art contest announced — Exhibit opening September 14th at Fukurou Gallery in Rockland
See the article HERE.
The Solon Center for Research and Publishing announced its first writing/art project in conjunction with an exhibit at the center’s gallery, Fukurou, this past spring. The challenge for writers was to choose a fine art photograph that will be exhibited and write a story based on the image. The combination marries visual arts with the written word, helping Maine’s creative economy flourish. This unique new platform for writers in Maine brings the artistic community together with wordsmiths, which offers exciting unforeseen collaborations.
The result of our contest was pleasantly overwhelming. SCRP received eighty-eight entries to go with twenty-three images. Because of the quality of the submissions we decided some of the photographs would be paired with more than one story.
The images depict Rockland and the coast in its myriad situations, moods and emotions. “Our writers told stories with depth, insight, candor, irony, wit and humor. Anyone who has every visited Maine’s coast will be able to relate to them. They’ve put humankind’s instinctive emotional connection to the sea into words,” said Ramona du Houx, President and co-founder of the Solon Center for Research and Publishing.
The stories with art are published in Coastal Maine in Words and Art, which will be sold during the exhibit, on amazon, at local Maine bookstores, in the gallery, and worldwide through Ingram. Our winners herald from across Maine. Some have been published before, but for the vast majority this is their first book publication.
The writers are: Mark Aufiery, Eola Ball, S.M. Belair, M. E. Brinton, Donna Chellis, Diana Coleman, Steve Feeney, N.T. Franklin, Lee Heffner, Donna Hinkley, Khristina Marie Landers, Rosemarie Nervelle, Ed Peele, Lynn Smith, Sandra Sylvester, Lee Van Dyke, and John Holt Willey.
The opening night reception will be a book-signing night celebration with authors and the fine art photographers Yohaku Yorozuya and Ramona du Houx from 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. on September 14th at Gallery Fukurou, 20 Main Street, Rockland.
Every writer published will receive a free book and promotion of their story on our multiple platforms. The exhibit will run to November. All proceeds from the sales of books and art will be placed into a fund for next year’s exhibit of the same kind. The book will be available for sale world-wide, the day of the book signing event September 14th.
The Maine Humanities Council has provided a generous grant for our project that will enable us to donate books to libraries across Maine. MHC is a statewide non-profit organization that uses the humanities, as a tool for positive change in Maine communities.”
Cellardoor Winery of Lincolnville graciously donated their delicious wine that captures the essence of Maine for the opening night reception. Cellardoor is a special local winery with a philosophy of giving back to their community and the State of Maine. Their logo, based on a Hobo symbol carved into their farm’s barn door by a traveler who left it as a signal to others that they too would find hospitality there, is the winery’s guiding spirit. As their website states, “when you see our Hobo symbol, know that you are in a safe and friendly place.” positive change in Maine communities.” https://mainehumanities.org/
More about The Solon Center’s Gallery Fukurou—https://galleryfukurou.com/
Fukurou means owl in Japanese as well as prosperity and health. The owl in Ancient Greece often is associated with Athena, the arts and wisdom. Our gallery represents Maine artists, and fosters cross-cultural connections with Japanese artists and others. We work to help the humanities flourish in communities across Maine. Our books have themes of long-term intrinsic value and are published through our imprint, Polar Bear & Company.
The Solon Center for Research and Publishing is a 501(c)3 nonprofit Maine Public Benefit Corporation that helps build community in Maine and beyond through educational, literary, scientific and artistic means, with publications, research, exhibits, events and other initiatives. SCRP is also a platform where people from diverse disciplines can examine issues of cultural and environmental importance, while developing connections. http://soloncenter.com/__
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SugarWood Gallery showing photography of Ramona du Houx
SugarWood Gallery showing photography of Ramona du Houx
by Anthony Anderson
October 27th, 2018
Starting on November 8th the SugarWood Gallery, of Farmington, will feature new fine art photography of Ramona du Houx. The open house will be held on Nov 16th at 4-7 pm.
Ramona du Houx creates fine art photography that looks like watercolor paintings evoking a sense of wonder. Many have found they relieve stress, as they are relaxing, thought proving and mystical. Her new work will include images of landscapes of Maine’s Western Mountains, fields and flowers created with her technique she first discovered in 1979.
“I’m excited and honored to be showing my work at SugarWood. Many of the new pieces depict the magnificent lands surrounding Farmington,” said Ramona, of Solon. “I try to bring the beauty, magic and mystery of nature to viewers by amplifying nature’s essence. I translate what I feel when I’m outside, merged within nature’s embrace, through my art work, thereby bringing the energy and peace of the natural world into the lives of folks who view my images.”
Ramona du Houx is currently represented by Fukurou Gallery, 20 Main Street, Rockland Maine, owned by the Solon Center for Research and Publishing and Gallery Storks of Tokyo, Japan.
She uses the camera with a painter’s eye. Her technique uses movement to create a sense of wonder through colors, textures, memories, energy and the seasons. Everything within the viewfinder becomes visibly interconnected when objects merge with the motion of the camera as the image, the “lightgraph,” is taken.
“Many Native American’s believed that everything is interconnected. I try and depict the energy and emotion that makes those connections tangible. But the technique can be challenging, as I never know exactly what the results will be,” said Ramona.
“Scientists, innovators, and inventors throughout history took the time to observe the connective rhythms in nature. Ben Franklin’s electrical experiment depended upon his observation of those connections. Aerodynamic technologies that make cars, planes and athletes faster have relied upon recording those rhymes. But the innovators of tomorrow may be in jeopardy for now society plugs us into the Internet, and while that can open doors, sometimes too much of being Internet-connected disconnects us from the mysteries of the natural world — that can be transformational.”
By the time Ramona was 12 she couldn’t be seen without a camera. By 18 she was teaching photography and industrial design at Collegio San Antonio Abad in Puerto Rico.
During college she worked with three New York City photographers. In 1979 she landed jobs to take political photographs of Sen. Ted Kennedy, and President Jimmy Carter. The same year she discovered her “lightgraph” technique and held her first exhibit in Huntington, Long Island. Excited by the new way of expressing herself she took her “lightgraph” images to the Museum of Modern Art, where they were put on file.
The Zen nature of her work became obvious to Ramona so she continued her studies in art, and philosophy in Kyoto, Japan while teaching. Her travels in the East led to numerous exhibits in Japan and lifelong connections.
In England and Ireland, she explored the mythology of the region, while raising three children, ghost writing a novel, and forever taking photographs. After returning stateside to Maine, she started a publishing company, Polar Bear & Company, with her husband and was hired as a consultant by a local artist. During this time she also explored more about the mysteries of motion in her lightgraph technique, worked for newspapers and wrote a children’s novel. By 1998 she was given access to a color darkroom at the Lewiston Creative Photographic Art Center to print a backlog of work in exchange for advising the Center’s photography students.
In 2005 Ramona started a newsmagazine, Maine Insights, which continues to this day. She worked as a photographer for the 2008 DNC convention in Denver, Colorado, and photographed President Barack Obama’s second Inauguration in 2012.
For the past three years she’s been consulting, writing, exhibiting, organizing and always taking photographs. Recently she organized the Elected Officials to Protect America’s Lands, a group comprised of veterans who are also lawmakers, to send a letter to Sec. Zinke requesting he support the Land and Water Conservation Fund. The LWCF supports millions of dollars of projects, in every county in Maine and in every state, for the upkeep of our parks. As the organizer/photographer she traveled with the EOPA delegation to Washington, D.C. where they made their case to seven US Senators.
“The Senators and their staff were incredibly supportive of our mission, wanting to protect our public lands,” said Ramona. “I see my political work as an extension of my art work. I’m passionate about protecting our public lands, without them we loose sight of who we are as a people.”
SugarWood Gallery is located at 248 Broadway in Farmington and is open Monday thru Friday 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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Mystical watercolor like photographs at SugarWood Gallery by Ramona du Houx
From the Daily Bulldog in Farmington:
FARMINGTON – Starting on Nov. 8 the SugarWood Gallery, of Farmington, will feature new fine art photography of Ramona du Houx. The open house will be held on Nov. 16 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Ramona du Houx creates fine art photography that looks like watercolor paintings evoking a sense of wonder. Many have found they relieve stress, as they are relaxing, thought proving and mystical. Her new work will include images of landscapes of Maine’s Western Mountains, fields and flowers created with her technique she first discovered in 1979.
“I’m excited and honored to be showing my work at SugarWood. Many of the new pieces depict the magnificent lands surrounding Farmington,” said Ramona, of Solon. “I try to bring the beauty, magic and mystery of nature to viewers by amplifying nature’s essence. I translate what I feel when I’m outside, merged within nature’s embrace, through my art work, thereby bringing the energy and peace of the natural world into the lives of folks who view my images.”
Ramona du Houx is currently represented by Fukurou Gallery, 20 Main Street, Rockland Maine, owned by the Solon Center for Research and Publishing. She’s also represented by Gallery Storks of Tokyo, Japan.
She uses the camera with a painter’s eye. Her technique uses movement to create a sense of wonder through colors, textures, memories, energy and the seasons. Everything within the viewfinder becomes visibly interconnected when objects merge with the motion of the camera as the image, the “lightgraph,” is taken.
“Many Native American’s believed that everything is interconnected. I try and depict the energy and emotion that makes those connections tangible. But the technique can be challenging, as I never know exactly what the results will be,” said Ramona.
“Scientists, innovators, and inventors throughout history took the time to observe the connective rhythms in nature. Ben Franklin’s electrical experiment depended upon his observation of those connections. Aerodynamic technologies that make cars, planes and athletes faster have relied upon recording those rhymes. But the innovators of tomorrow may be in jeopardy for now society plugs us into the Internet, and while that can open doors, sometimes too much of being Internet-connected disconnects us from the mysteries of the natural world — that can be transformational.”
By the time Ramona was 12 she couldn’t be seen without a camera. By 18 she was teaching photography and industrial design at Collegio San Antonio Abad in Puerto Rico.
During college she worked with three New York City photographers. In 1979 she landed jobs to take political photographs of Sen. Ted Kennedy, and President Jimmy Carter. The same year she discovered her “lightgraph” technique and held her first exhibit in Huntington, Long Island. Excited by the new way of expressing herself she took her “lightgraph” images to the Museum of Modern Art, where they were put on file.
The Zen nature of her work became obvious to Ramona so she continued her studies in art, and philosophy in Kyoto, Japan while teaching. Her travels in the East led to numerous exhibits in Japan and lifelong connections.
In England and Ireland, she explored the mythology of the region, while raising three children, ghost writing a novel, and forever taking photographs. After returning stateside to Maine, she started a publishing company, Polar Bear & Company, with her husband and was hired as a consultant by a local artist. During this time she also explored more about the mysteries of motion in her lightgraph technique, worked for newspapers and wrote a children’s novel. By 1998 she was given access to a color darkroom at the Lewiston Creative Photographic Art Center to print a backlog of work in exchange for advising the Center’s photography students.
In 2005 Ramona started a newsmagazine, Maine Insights, which continues to this day. She worked as a photographer for the 2008 DNC convention in Denver, Colorado, and photographed President Barack Obama’s second Inauguration in 2012.
For the past three years she’s been consulting, writing, exhibiting, organizing and always taking photographs. Recently she organized the Elected Officials to Protect America’s Lands, a group comprised of veterans who are also lawmakers, to send a letter to Sec. Zinke requesting he support the Land and Water Conservation Fund. The LWCF supports millions of dollars of projects, in every county in Maine and in every state, for the upkeep of our parks. As the organizer/photographer she traveled with the EOPA delegation to Washington, D.C. where they made their case to seven US Senators.
“The Senators and their staff were incredibly supportive of our mission, wanting to protect our public lands,” said Ramona. “I see my political work as an extension of my art work. I’m passionate about protecting our public lands, without them we loose sight of who we are as a people.”
SugarWood Gallery is located at 248 Broadway in Farmington and is open Monday thru Friday 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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Sails
INVESTING IN THE NEXT BIG NAME ARTIST: RAMONA DU HOUX
By Lisa Crothers The following is an excerpt.
One one my favorite places to meet artists is the famous Art Walks. Cities large and small across the country have established calendars and galleries who participate in such events. Many times the displaying artists can be found enjoying the positive energy.
A great Art Walk I have mentioned on this site before is the First Friday Art Walk in Portland, Maine. This Art Walk tends to be more like a festival with different types of music on street corners, sidewalk art sales and refreshments in many of the participating galleries. What you will also find at the August 1st Portland Art Walk is Art at The Constellation Gallery, 511 Congress Street Portland, Maine – by a spectacular artist worth investing in:Ramona du Houx
RAMONA DU HOUX takes photographs with a painter’s eye. The technique she discovered in 1979 uses the camera’s motion to create a sense of being personally closer to an object through colors, textures, memories, and the seasons by capturing the energy of nature. People, animals, building, landscapes … literally everything becomes visibly interconnected as they merge in, what she calls, a Lightgraph. Gallery Storks of Tokyo, Japan, represents Ramona’s work. She’s exhibited her fine art photography internationally and in cities along the US Eastern seaboard, including New York.
Lisa Crothers is an independent community educator, passionately advocating for the arts & humanities. She teaches courses in both English and the Humanities at the higher education level. Her ongoing insights about Maine art can be found here.Read the entire article here
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RAMONA DU HOUX EXHIBITS LIGHTGRAPHS AT BERRY’S IN WATERVILLE, MAINE
By Morgan Rogers in Maine Insights
The inside gallery at Berry’s, 153 Main St, downtown Waterville, features the artwork, Ramona du Houx, until December 30, 2014.
Ramona du Houx creates fine art photography that looks like watercolor paintings evoking mystery and a sense of wonder. Many find them nostalgic and some mystical.Ramona is currently represented by Gallery Storks of Tokyo, Japan and is also a member of the Maine Artist Collaborative where she exhibits regularly at the Constellation Gallery in Portland, Maine. Read more HERE.
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Maine artist concurrently exhibiting in Tokyo, Portland
Headline in the Sun Journal about the exhibits in Tokyo and Portland
The following article appeared in the Sun Journal, Thursday, May 8, 2014:
PORTLAND — Maine artist, Ramona du Houx, is concurrently exhibiting Maine photos in Tokyo, Japan from May 7-19 and at the Constellation Gallery, in Portland for the month of May.
Du Houx’s photographic fine art in the exhibit tells the story of a bird who transforms as the avian experiences the seasons.
“Modern society plugs us into the Internet and that can open doors but sometimes too much of being Internet connected disconnects us from the mysteries of the natural world that can be transformational. I want to show how nature’s interconnectedness can lead us to discoveries about our world and ourselves,” said du Houx.
To read the entire article please go HERE.
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Ramona du Houx exhibits photographic story of Transformation in Tokyo, Japan
By Morgan Rogers in Maine Insights
Maine artist, Ramona du Houx, is in a current group exhibition in Tokyo, Japan, from May 7th to the 19th and at the Constellation Gallery in Portland, Maine, throughout May.
Anat Parnass, Ramona du Houx, Suzanne Mooney and Takafumi Suzuki, are all members of the Creative Artist Group showing at the Tokyo Gallery Storks show entitled: The Beauties & Beast.
Ramona’s photographic fine art in the exhibit tells the story of a bird who transforms as the avian experiences the seasons.
“Modern society plugs us into the Internet and that can open doors but sometimes too much of being Internet connected disconnects us from the mysteries of the natural world that can be transformational. I want to show how nature’s interconnectedness can lead us to discoveries about our world and ourselves,” said Ramona du Houx.
In Ramona’s story a bird first sees Lupine’s Dance in spring and wants to uncover more about nature’s mysteries. The young bird awakens to nature’s energy more in the summer, shown in the photo Wake Up. In fall the bird begins a Journey of discovery and in winter the she realizes because of her experiences that all life is interconnected– depicted in Snow Dance. Finally, the bird transforms into energy – in the photo Transformation Flight. To read the full article go HERE.
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Ramona du Houx’s exhibit at the Constellation Gallery in Portland, Maine
By Morgan Rogers in Maine Insights
Throughout May, Ramona is exhibiting eleven fine art works conveying the harmony and energy of Maine, at the Constellation Gallery at 511 Congress Street in Portland, Maine. Ramona is a member of this unique Maine Cooperative. Some of these fine art photographs resemble watercolors and have been exhibited in New York, Japan, Scotland, England, Ireland, Florida and Maine.
Maine Sail
A sloop, Maine Sails, photographed off Belfast, merges into its surroundings showing how it’s geometry is reflected in nature. Click HERE to read more.
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The New York City ArtExpo and Portland, Maine’s Constellation Gallery exhibit Ramona du Houx’s work
Article by Morgan Rogers in Maine Insights.
Maine artist, Ramona du Houx, is in a current group exhibition at the New York City ArtExpo 2014 from April 4th to the 6th and at Portland, Maine’s Constellation Gallery.
“Being a part of the ArtExpo While exhibiting in Portland is a great opportunity,” said du Houx. “It’s an honor to become part of Portland’s only Cooperative Gallery.”
The New York City ArtExpo 2014 offers artists chances to exhibit with galleries that represent them worldwide.
Du houx is currently represented by the art’s district Storks Gallery of Tokyo, which exhibited her work in a solo show in February of 2012, and will have another solo show of Ramona’s work in September of 2014.
“Ramona’s work is unique and captures emotion that stirs the soul. It’s timeless,” said Takafumi Suzuki, Storks Gallery Owner. “It’s a privilege to represent her.”
For the entire article go HERE.
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Maine Artist, Ramona du Houx, exhibits in Miami to help community grow trees
From an article in THE EDGE by Morgan Rogers.
Maine artist, Ramona du Houx, is in a current group exhibition with her Maine photos of seasons in Miami, Florida from December 3 – December 8th at the Red Dot Art Fair.
“It’s a wonderful chance to showcase Maine’s seasons the way I see and feel them,” said Ramona. “It should give folks in Florida a taste of Maine, some may miss and it’s a fantastic cause.”
Du houx is represented by the art’s district Gallery Storks of Tokyo, which exhibited her work in a solo show in February of 2012. Du Houx sold a copy of her photograph, Whisper Song, in the October Affordable Art Fair in New York City, where 50 galleries were represented. Read more here.
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Saturn Center
From the Bangor Daily News by Morgan Rogers.
Local Maine artist, Ramona du Houx, exhibits Maine photos of seasons in New York City.
Local Maine artist, Ramona du Houx, is in a current group exhibition with her Maine photos of seasons in New York City from Oct 2 – Oct 6 at the Affordable Art Fair.
“It’s a wonderful chance to showcase Maine’s seasons the way I see and feel them,” said Ramona. “Returning to NYC to hold an exhibit is always a thrill.”
Du houx is represented by the art’s district Storks Gallery of Tokyo, which exhibited her work in a solo show in February of 2012. The Affordable Art Fair offers artists opportunities to exhibit with galleries that represent them worldwide.Her website has more examples of her stunning photos. Read more here.
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Portraits of Barack Obama by Ramona du Houx at the Harlow
The full article is here.
Now on view in the window gallery at the Harlow Gallery in Hallowell, is a limited edition series of photographs of President Elect Barack Obama created by Ramona du Houx of Solon. Du Houx calls these images “Lightgraphs”, and they will remain on view through February 8th.
Ramona du Houx attended the Democratic Party’s National Convention in Denver as a photographer for the College Democrats of America. There she took the opportunity to photograph the newly nominated democratic candidate for president during his famous speech at the Mile High stadium. While other photographers were using high speeds to ensure no blurs du Houx did the opposite.
“Most of the press crew thought I was nuts, until I explained that I was creating a photo that would look like a painting,” said du Houx. Read more HERE.
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New website/blog for artists and writers designed by Ramona du Houx
The following article appeared in Maine Insights by Morgan Rogers
In order to highlight artists and writers with Maine connections Ramona du Houx has created a new website/blog, INSIGHTS. For many creative people in the state finding a way to gain more exposure to a wider audience is still dependent upon being able to garner the attention of the media.
INSIGHTS lets the public know more about these artists and writers and how they can obtain unique works of these artisans and writers, when their exhibits will be held and how to contact them.
“There are so many artists and writers in Maine that don’t receive the attention they should have. INSIGHTS is a media website that will showcase the talent we have here,” said du Houx. “I will be adding more artists and writers to the site over time to build an online community where we can work together to promote and discuss our work. If anyone is interested they should contact me.”Read more here.
Photographic art by Ramona du Houx 