The Barn Project’s current show, “Blue: A Spatial Dialogue,” features work by local artist and sculptor Douglas Gimbel and Alejandra Seeber of New York City – and it’s one no one should miss.

A small sculpture grove of white pine and Texas honey mesquite stand center stage, sentinels of time, created and groomed by Doug, well-known for his sculpture work for 40 years. Yep. 4-0 years. Over the decades since graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), he’s been exploring the mysteries that fascinate us all: life, death, nature, the skeletal form; spirituality, the passage of time … and whatever else creates a spark in his endlessly curious mind.

He really digs the solitary nature of carving wood. As he told me many years ago, “It's a meditative act. The repetition of carving wood is Zen-like – and hard work.”

Alejandra’s sculpture designs are suspended from the ceiling. And my eyes were led to them by the varying heights of the “Gimbel Grove.” She designed these speech balloons that she had blown in by Murano glass artists in Venice, Italy. Airy, delicate and beautiful, in pale colors of green, blue and pink as well as clear glass, Alejandra’s speech balloons are also curious. I couldn’t help but wonder what any dialogue between them might be about.

Once my gaze came back down to eye level, the paintings of both artists were vying for my attention. Alejandra’s work in bold colors like strong opinions, while Doug’s are in earthy tones of green, blue and yellow.

Some of her paintings depict nature scenes such as in “Blue Black Grass 1.” I love the action in this piece as well as the colors … I could hear the sound of water from a waterfall (perhaps) in this micro-sized version of place, watching it join water pooled below. Vegetation, and a few life forms, perhaps, are there, too. I’m not sure if there is black grass in Buenos Aires, like that of Sicily, but … I definitely enjoyed my visit in “Blue Black Grass 1.”

A few paintings depict her speech balloon. One has many of varying sizes, larger moving forward, I imagined were demanding to be heard. I couldn’t help but look up at the Murano balloons above me and wondered if they wished to be heard or were more interested in absorbing conversations overheard at the exhibit for later discussions.

Back to Gimbel Grove. The red-colored column that stands in front of the rest is absolutely stunning and endlessly beautiful. It is a piece that was once part of a 250-year-old honey mesquite tree in Texas. A few years back, Doug was in the “friendship” state working on a commission.

This wood, he said was hard as stone, and when you look at the movement Doug has created, the elegant, feminine lines … how cool and smooth this sculpture feels to the touch...Wow.

I couldn’t resist: I had to look up how hard honey mesquite is. There’s what is called the “Janka hardness rating” for just that purpose. According to Woodworkly.com, this rating is “measured in pounds-force (lbf) and is determined by testing the force required to push a steel ball with a diameter of 11.28mm into the wood to a depth of half the ball’s diameter. The higher the Janka hardness rating, the more resistant the wood species is to denting and wear.”

According to this method, 2,340 pounds of force is required when working with honey mesquite. It is the hardest wood in North America. Knowing this, go back and take another looooong look at this sculpture, entitled “Mesquite” standing 9 feet, 6 inches tall. It’ll blow your mind. This baby was literally and figuratively a labor of love.

There are two roughly chain-sawed white pine columns, “Pine Reflections 1 and 2” with humanesque vertebra exposed, the possibility of movement doubtful, their exposure silently beckons human touch. Transformed from their original, outer form, I wondered … was I drawn to them because of their vulnerability? And is that perceived vulnerability desirable?

Man what a show! And I’ve barely touched the surface on the delight and depth of “Blue: A Spatial Dialogue” in this column. You must, must, must experience this work!

The Barn Project is at 29 Summerhaven Lane in East Boothbay a bit before “Thrill Hill.” The gallery is open Thursday-Sunday 1-4 p.m. and by appointment. And, the gallery is participating in the First Friday Art Tour on Sept. 5 from 5 to 7 p.m.