May 2026 - is Oxford, England

May's Virtual Hike destination is Oxford, England - home of Oxford University and Harry Potter.... I explored the banks of the Thames River and found this lovely spot. Of course it was raining...

Thames River Swans 6x8, oil on canvas panel.

How about joining us in our next virtual painting adventure?  It's a new destination every month!

We'd love to have you. It's free, fun and no strings attached. And no judging. You can interpret the scene anyway you wish and in any medium. You'll be painting in your own studio, from your own computer and at your own time schedule. You can even skip a destination if you're busy... Check us out here on Marla's blog -  The Virtual Hike Painting Group.

This painting is now available in my eBay Store -https://www.ebay.com/str/celenefarrismaineartist - or directly from me. Please DM me for more info. Free US shipping.

Digital reproductions on computer screens may not accurately reflect the true colors and quality of the work. Your satisfaction is guaranteed or you may return the painting.

Thanks for visiting and happy painting,

Celene

My Website -  CeleneFarris.com
My eBay Store -  Celene Farris, Maine Artist
My Facebook Page - Celene Farris, Maine Artist
Email me at - mail@CeleneFarris.com

Thoughts of Spring

Even though there is still plenty of snow on the ground and drifts as high as six feet on the north side of the house, there is a wonderful feeling of spring in the air. The sun is now higher in the sky and gives a warmth that is long overdue. The birds are happy at the feeder and there is the cheerful dripping sound of icicles melting from the eaves. But on gray days, when the sun hides in the clouds, the bone chilling cold returns and the birds and the icicles are quiet again. This is the game March plays in Maine.

Another sign of spring is the arrival of the seed catalogs. Today, while looking at one of the catalogs, I was reminded of another spring when our art gallery was located on Front Street in Belfast. My studio was in the back, overlooking the harbor. 

I was determined to paint as many of the spring flowers as I could from life.  Each morning I would gather them from my garden and bring them into the gallery with me. After opening the gallery, I would set up my studio and begin to paint. 

I was successful for awhile, starting with the early forsythia and pansies, but it wasn't long before there were so many flowers that I was overwhelmed. My biggest challenge was my favorite – the peony. I was never able to capture the beauty of those gorgeous flowers. I needed at least two days of painting but the flowers wouldn't wait for me. They moved by the hour, opening their petals and shifting their position in the vase. By the second day the bouquet was completely different from what I had on the canvas.

Lilacs are another favorite of mine and I have painted them many times. 

Lilacs and Lace, oil, 20x16

Lilacs and Brass, oil, 14x18

Because my studio was part of the gallery, many customers would join me while I painted. Some came back the next day to see if my painting was successful. And some came back to purchase the finished wet painting. It was all great fun. I have met so many wonderful people over the years. We had an interesting mix of customers - "the summer people" who returned each year, "the locals" and "the new visitors to Belfast". Friendships were formed and treasured. 

One elderly couple will always remain in my memory. They were visiting Belfast and looking forward to visiting their son in California. They were to fly out in two days, Sept. 11, 2001. Later I saw their pictures in the newspaper. They had been on one of the planes. I wasn't going to add this part to my story, but I can never think of the customers on Front Street without thinking about them.

Thank you for visiting with me. I have more stories to share. I hope you will join me.

These paintings are available on my website.

Celene

The Working Art Gallery, a day of mixed emotions.

Today we had the closing on the sale of our building.  I would like to share the history of the gallery that has been such an important part of my life. 

In January 1999, three Maine artists, Louis Masciovecchio, Celene Farris and Dianne Horton, established The Working Art Gallery on Front Street at the Belfast waterfront. The name was chosen because the three artists maintained their studios at the gallery. Visitors were encouraged to watch and ask questions. Celene also offered art classes at the gallery. The three artists helped to establish The Belfast Art Association, working closely with the other galleries to create a vibrant art community in Belfast.

Mid September of 2003, the gallery moved to its own building at 65 Main Street in historic downtown Belfast. (The William Crosby Building, 1857). The gallery expanded to two floors and added a visiting artist’s gallery giving new, up and coming artists the opportunity to display their work in a gallery setting. A classroom on the second floor was now used for Celene's expanded oil painting classes. The gallery continued to grow, representing over 30 local artists.

In November 2006, Maine artist, Sheryl Tripp, became the gallery’s new manager and added The Aina Moja Shop, a project of Expanding Opportunities, a non-profit organization supporting native African artists in Kenya and other Kenyan charities.

When the local newspaper began its “Best of the Best” People’s Choice Awards Competition in 2007, the gallery was voted the top art gallery in Waldo County.  The gallery continued to receive recognition each subsequent year.

At the close of 2011, after thirteen busy years, Celene and Louis decided it was time to downsize the gallery and give themselves more free time to paint. They moved their gallery to the second floor and exhibited the works of Louis Masciovecchio, Sheryl Tripp and Celene Farris. 

On the first floor, noted Maine artist and antique collector, Jude Nickerson, opened her new signature gallery, Raven’s Nest Gallery, featuring an exciting mix of Maine art and Maine antiques. She offered to oversee the upstairs gallery as well.

In March of 2014, Louis and his wife, Mary, returned to Maine. The second and third floors of the gallery building became their new temporary home. The physical gallery closed and a new virtual gallery was created. The first floor remained the home of Raven's Nest Gallery.

On September 3, 2014, Celene and Louis met to sign the sale papers on their building. The great old building was about to begin its new life and the artists are free to paint and travel. Celene will continue to maintain the gallery's website.

It has been a remarkable journey and I would like to sincerely thank our patrons and participating artists for making this a wonderful and exciting experience. The success of our gallery would not have been possible without your support. It has been a great pleasure to be part of Belfast's vibrant art community.

We are extremely pleased to be voted one of the top art galleries in Waldo County by The Republican Journal's "Best of the Best" People's Choice Awards. It is an honor we will always treasure and we sincerely thank all those who made this possible. 

I hope you will visit us at www.TheWorkingArtGallery.com 

"Art washes away from the soul, the dust of everyday life."   Pablo Picasso (1881-1973)

Thank you for visiting on this day of mixed emotions.
Celene

March 2014 Newsletter. To Everything There Is A Season........

“To everything there is a season …..….” so goes the well-known song. Finally, spring has arrived and brought not only a change in the weather, but also a change for our gallery as well. My partner and his wife have relocated from South Carolina to Belfast, Maine, and will live on the second and third floors of our gallery building. The first floor will continue to be the home of Raven’s Nest Gallery operated by Maine artist and antique collector, Jude Nickerson. Our gallery’s physical presence will be replaced by its virtual presence.

My partner, Louis Masciovecchio, and I have owned and operated an art gallery in Belfast, Maine, since 1999 and now it is time to slow down and paint. Now that we are both retired and he is back in Maine, we hope to be able to paint together again without the responsibilities of the business getting in the way.

I would like to share the history of our gallery, taken directly from our website.

Three Maine artists, Louis Masciovecchio, Celene Farris and Dianne Horton, established The Working Art Gallery in January 1999 on Front Street at the Belfast waterfront. The name was chosen because the three artists maintained their studios at the gallery. Visitors were encouraged to watch and ask questions. Celene also offered art classes at the gallery. The three artists helped to establish The Belfast Arts Association, working closely with the other galleries to create a vibrant art community in Belfast.

In September of 2003, the gallery moved to its own building at 65 Main Street in historic downtown Belfast. (The William Crosby Building, 1857). The gallery expanded to two floors and added a visiting artists’ gallery giving new, up and coming artists the opportunity to display their work in a gallery setting. A classroom on the second floor was now used for Celene's expanded oil painting classes. Louis and his wife used the third floor apartment when they visited Maine.

The gallery continued to grow, representing over 30 local artists. In November 2006, Maine artist, Sheryl Tripp, became the gallery’s new manager and added The Aina Moja Shop, a project of Expanding Opportunities, a non-profit organization supporting native African artists in Kenya and other Kenyan charities.

When the local newspaper began its “Best of the Best” People’s Choice Awards Competition in 2007, the gallery was voted the top art gallery in Waldo County. The gallery continued to receive recognition each subsequent year.

At the close of 2011, after thirteen busy years, Celene and Louis decided it was time to downsize the gallery and give themselves more free time to paint. They moved their gallery to the second floor and featured the work of Louis Masciovecchio, Sheryl Tripp and Celene Farris.

On the first floor, noted Maine artist and antique collector, Jude Nickerson, opened her new signature gallery, Raven’s Nest Gallery, featuring an exciting mix of Maine art and Maine antiques. And she agreed to oversee the smaller gallery on the second floor.”

It has been great fun and lots of work operating an art gallery. I won’t miss the paperwork and the long hours, but I will miss all the wonderful people I have met along the way. We have worked with so many talented artists, both local and from away. It has been a privilege to be part of their art community and I have devoted two pages on our website showing their work and contact information. I will continue to update our gallery’s website presence. I will also miss all our wonderful customers. We have had so much fun and enjoyed ourselves immensely, but it has taken a great deal of the time that we will now be able to use for painting – both plein air and in our studios.

Lou and Mary’s furniture has arrived and all the artwork on the second floor will be removed so they can use the wonderful space as their home. They have an awesome view from their living room and new back deck overlooking the water and the new boatyard. From their front windows, they can look out across the bay. Belfast is a charming community and they are pleased to be back. You can visit The Working Art Gallery here.

I will be shipping some of my paintings to my new gallery in McKinney, Texas. Some I will add to my Ebay page. I have had good luck with Ebay. It’s an easy way to sell and I am developing a customer base with repeat sales. I also have a few local venues that will accept more work, such as our local hospital and The Fireside Inn’s Ocean Edge Gallery on Route One in Belfast. I will continue to teach at my home studio. I have two small classes that I really enjoy. And, of course, there is my new venture into social media. I do enjoy writing my blog and newsletters and have met many new friends. Our new puppy has kept me busy, but she is growing up and requires less supervision. She is currently sleeping across my feet as I work at the computer.

Happy spring, everyone.

Celene

PS. I'd like to invite you all to visit my Blog. I have written more than 50 blog posts and will continue to add more on a regular basis. I hope you will enjoy reading my thoughts as an artist and teacher.

If you wish to automatically receive my new blog posts through your email, there is a sign up link on the right hand column of my blog page. You can opt out at any time, but I hope you will enjoy these visits to my studio. And I would enjoy hearing from you. Thank you.