Sylvan Gallery is excited to announce the addition of acclaimed Maine artist Roberta Goschke to its distinguished lineup of contemporary New England fine artists. A seasoned plein air painter, Goschke’s work combines impressionistic color and expressive brushwork with realistic structure, often depicting the light and atmosphere of Maine’s working harbors, rocky coastal views, rural landscape, and many local homes and historic buildings.  She uses direct observation to capture the fleeting moods of Maine’s natural world, usually completing paintings in a single session to preserve the spontaneity and immediacy of the moment.

Paintings of two well-known Maine sailing vessels on view include “Angelique at the Dock” (Camden), at 12 x 12 inches, and “Trade Wind Afternoon” (Rockport), at 11 x 14 inches. Goschke paints them in a spontaneous, impressionistic manner; capturing summer’s glistening light and the bright colors of the scene in “Angelique at the Dock,” whereas “Trade Wind Afternoon,” is more of a study of contrasts. Dots and dashes and scumbling of blues, representing broken reflections, contrast with the lighter terracotta underpainting and the more solidly painted hull of the boat. It’s a quick interpretive impression of a restored 1938 Alden Motorsailer, emphasizing mood over strict rendering.

In “Little Green Boat, Rockport Harbor,” at 11 x 14 inches, Goschke masterfully depicts the transient quality of the harbor scene with expressive brushwork that captures the interplay of its light, color, and atmosphere. The anchoring structural elements of the boats, rocks, and distant shoreline are not sharply delineated, but blend slightly at the edges, giving the painting an almost dreamlike quality. There is a beautiful color harmony of blues, violets, and greens reflected in the gestural brushwork of the water; notes of red create additional visual interest. Goschke paints not just what she sees but what she feels, which lends a poetic quality to her paintings as we experience the beauty of Maine’s harbors through her eyes.

For gallery goers who delight in spring bouquets, Goschke’s floral still life paintings will keep flowers blooming in their homes year-round. “Flora’s Tulips,” at 16 x 20 inches, is her largest floral painting on view. It’s a beautifully composed, loosely arranged painting of French tulips. Goschke brings her sensitivity and observational skills to capturing the nuances of light playing across the foliage and blooms. She captures the essence of the flowers, not by focusing on detail and rendering but by observing their gesture, color, and form. The tones of pinks and violets of the tulips and rich greens of their foliage play off against the darker blues, greens, and violets of the background. Paying attention to hard and soft edges, there is almost an abstract quality to how some of the edges of the leaves merge and dissolve into the atmospheric background.. Goschke’s ability to capture the intrinsic nature of flowers is conveyed in her other floral still lifes including “Swallows and Daffodils,” at 14 x 11 inches, “Pansies in a Bud Vase,” at 8 x 6 inches, and “Gold Cup and Daffodils,” at 7 x 7 inches.

Her artwork has been included in numerous exhibitions in Maine, Washington D.C., Virginia, and Maryland and is in many private collections including Maine Senator Angus King. Awards include “Best of Show” at the 2022 Paint Wiscasset & Beyond plein air event; “The Guerilla Painter Award,” Wayne Plein Air Festival, 2017; “Honorable Mention,” Bath County Plein Air Festival, 2017; “First Place,” Castine Plein Air Festival including the “Castine Captured,” 2015 award. Goschke states that “painting and drawing from life keep me grounded in what I most love about art, going out and exploring and enjoying all the unique features and beauty in the world, no matter the subject.

For more information about Roberta Goschke, visit https://www.robertagoschke.com/.

For more information on her work at Sylvan Gallery, call Ann Scanlan at 207-882-8290 or go to www.sylvangallery.com. Current gallery hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, Noon to 4 p.m. Monday and Tuesday is by chance or appointment. Sylvan Gallery is located at 49 Water St., Wiscasset, on the corner with Main St. (Route 1), next to Red’s Eats.