Notes from the Field: Discovering Art You Love

By Karin Lidbeck Brent

Last month while wandering through Deer Isle, Maine, I walked into the Turtle Bay Gallery, an established gallery of quality fine arts and contemporary crafts. When it comes to filling your home with art, I always say invest in art that moves you and choose artwork that you truly share a connection with. It takes time, even a lifetime, to gather a collection of art that you can call your own. You never know when you will stumble across art that really speaks to you. It happened to me on my first visit to the Turtle Bay Gallery. I was so enchanted with the showing artist that I could not pull myself away.

The photography and art of photographer Jeffery Becton drew me in and filled me with an everlasting awe. More than just the initial image the eye saw, it was the surprise waiting to be discovered in his work that truly captivated me. At first glance, Becton’s art seems to be ordinary photos of beautiful rooms, places or landscapes. But as you move towards the art, losing yourself in its tranquility, you realize the art is much more complex.

Photos courtesy of Turtle Bay Gallery

The overlapping and photoshopped images invoke a dream-like, fantasy persona that is truly captivating.

Becton describes his art process as a digital montage. He borrows elements from scanned objects, photomontage, drawing and painting to produce original, beautifully crafted pieces. On Becton’s website he explains he “creates altered realities where landscapes and interiors merge. Though at first glance one may be struck by their formality and serenity, these images are charged with undercurrent, both inviting and evoking a response to our understanding of the world and its mystical underpinnings.â€

It is the art of Jeffery Becton, and many other inspiring artists that stimulates a never ending search for artistic discovery. When you find the perfect piece for above your fireplace, or to fill that empty white wall in your bedroom, you will feel it as I did for the art of Jeffery Becton. Let your search for artwork ensue!

For more information on Jeffery Becton, visit http://www.turtlegallery.com/aboutus.html

And for more art you’ll love, check out the work of:

Bunny Harvey

Roxanne Faber Savage

Donald Florence