Jerry Blayne

I’m 84, but as an artist I’m only nine-years-old since I didn’t pick up a brush until I was 75. I started with acrylics from the beginning because I thought they would be simple and was hesitant about oils because of the chemicals. However, my studio was a three-season sunporch and my paints all froze so I transitioned into the kitchen and watercolor. That was pretty satisfying until I discovered water-mixable oils and now I’m hooked. I also explore the energy underneath objects, people, and landscapes. I find that the right composition, color and value unlock a deeper level of truth about my chosen subject. Only when I can get those qualities right, do I begin to authentically paint it.

I’m a chameleon. I started painting portraits, but only of buildings. Next came a watercolor series called ‘wishful thinking’ tropical scenes. But in the middle, I became enamored of abstract and fantasy. Every year I have painted a scene from the neighborhood where I live. After struggling to find a lane I have finally decided that my lane is that I have none! I am self-taught, am incredibly curious and get enormous help from the Internet.

The Kennebunk Free Library announces its January 2020 exhibition, “Art by an 84-Year-Old Who Started At 74”, the oil, acrylic and watercolor paintings of Gerald Blayne. The public is invited to view the exhibit at 112 Main St., Kennebunk, Maine during regular library hours when the gallery is not in use for library programs (library hours are: Monday and Tuesday 9:30 a.m. - 8:00 p.m., Wednesday 12:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., Thursday, Friday and Saturday 9:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.)