NORWAY – Four artists of the Commons Art Collective will have displays on the walls of the Fare Share Commons for four weeks, with the opening from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, March 3.

Dianna Arcadipone, a new member, commutes from Otisfield to Boston where she is a dean and faculty member at the Art Institute of Boston. Her fascination with making art from natural materials emerged from making her own paper for painting and printmaking.

Her interest in handmade paper enticed her to make shoji screens and study Japanese architecture. She used those traditional forms and techniques to build her home in Otisfield.

Arcadipone often works in gouache with mixed media and incorporates stitching and beading in her images. Her midwestern heritage of resourcefulness leads her to incorporate natural materials into her artwork, and she often embarks on extensive travel and outdoor adventures to nurture her ideas and inspire new images.

Michael Raymond of Buckfield is a self-taught artist who began painting in 2001 when his wife gave him an easel as a gift. He recently completed his first commissioned portrait and has won awards in the Poland Spring Art Festival.

One of his favorite pieces in the show is “Ode to Theo” a tribute to Van Gogh’s brother, the only person who believed in Vincent’s talent. The painting is Raymond’s version of “Starry Night.”

Raymond said, “I’m excited about being sandwiched between these other artists. My work, which tends to be natural and realistic, is a nice complement to theirs.”

Greg Shattenberg, a founding member of the collective, lives and works in West Paris. The work he will be showing is a new series of letterpress prints from a suite titled “My Father’s Blocks.” The prints were hand inked and printed letterpress on a Reliance New Century hand press, and type was cast of lead.

Shattenberg said, “The blocks were carved by my father. Few knew him, and now he is gone. The blocks were not intended to be printed, but they are now. This means that the work is somewhat of a collaboration.”

So far, Shattenberg has printed editions of 50 to 75 prints of each of five pieces.

Don Best, another founding member, lives and works in Norway. His primary media is indigenous wood. “I like harvesting materials in the winter. The trees are bare, so it’s easier to find the curly branches.”

From basswood, he carves figures: dancers, cats, mothers, children and dogs. His work from the last three months, the elongated dancers, have evolved into new forms: basketball players and musicians, including a fiddler, guitarist and accordion player.

The four-artist show will run through March. Gallery hours are Thursdays and Fridays from 3 to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The gallery is also accessible through Fare Share Market during store hours. Everyone is welcome.

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