PORTLAND — “When I come to Maine, time stops. Maine has that way of captivating you,” David Driskell, national scholar, author, artist, educator and longtime Maine summer resident, told the crowd at a Will Barnet Scholars Foundation event at the Portland Museum of Art this past weekend.

Driskell was elected in April to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a renowned honorary society and center for policy research devoted to the advancement and study of key societal, art, scientific and intellectual issues of the day. Members have achieved outstanding accomplishments in their fields. Through conferences and symposia the organization works to create policies that open up and influence the next generation. 

Although Driskell is a world traveler, has authored 11 books on black artists and culture, has taught art education for 27 years at the University of Maryland College Park where there is a building named after him, he remains humble and genuine. At 87, he speaks eloquently without reading from a prepared script and answers questions spontaneously with warmth, scholarly knowledge and gentle humor.

“Maine has influenced my art in many ways. I love the pine trees here and the state’s natural beauty. I love gardening around my home and studio in Falmouth, where I live in the summer. When I come to Maine I can relax and have privacy. Maine’s natural environment gives me new energy,” Driskell told the group.

Driskell knew realist-style painter Will Barnet, who died in 2012 at the age of 101. In fact some of his works hang near Barnet’s on the third floor of the PMA. An example of Barnet’s work on the third floor is in an exhibit titled “Under Pressure: Art From the 1980s” which will be up until Aug. 12.

Driskell said in his lecture, ”When I come to Maine things change. I bring to Maine my experiences in life which appear in my work like, masks and African American culture, as well as my love of nature in Maine which has had a strong impact on me and can also be seen in my work.”

Painting ideas is important to Driskell. He said,”I paint ideas not portraits or still- life works.” Many of Driskell’s works include superimposed images fused together with images of nature. Driskell said, “I want the viewer to bring to the painting their own discoveries and perceptions.

“Artists give you a vision of what you do not always see. My mission is to extend our perception in life. You can be taught art as a skill, but you can’t be taught an artist’s special vision and spirit.”

Driskell’s special vision can be seen in the PMA Biennial which continues until May 30, and in a large work in oil titled, “Pine Tree and Moon,” as part of the permanent collection on the third floor. 

“Pine Tree and Moon,” by David Driskell

David Driskell