Sylvan Gallery features paintings by Stan Moeller of York, Maine, opening on Tuesday, Sept. 10 through Sunday, Oct. 13. The public is invited to a reception to meet the artist on Thursday, Sept. 26 from 4-7 p.m. during Wiscasset’s Art Walk.

The subjects of Moeller’s latest paintings demonstrate the range of his skills and interests, encompassing paintings from his travels to Florence, Italy, to paintings of figures in the landscape, and to Maine’s coastal views. His work is either completed on site, plein air, or back in his studio where he utilizes sketches and videos as memory devices for the larger-sized paintings. The gallery will also be displaying the work from its regular roster of contemporary fine artists.

In “Red,” at 24 x 30 inches, a sunlit, fashionably dressed redheaded woman leans back from a cafe table in Florence, Italy. Her skirt is a match for the color of her hair, and black framed glasses echo her black and white striped top. Moeller pays close attention to the objects on the yellow tablecloth: a cell phone, a wine glass, an almost finished cup of cappuccino, and a stylish white clutch bag. While the figure and cafe table are bathed in sunlight, they are juxtaposed against the patterns and textures of a background cast in shadow. Stan painted the entire scene from a unique angle, viewing it from his hotel balcony, looking down on his subject. The sense of realism, and an underlying narrative, are conveyed while also maintaining a painterly quality.

Stan painted several studies of the same subject before painting this larger painting in his studio and allows that he loves painting the figure from interesting angles, which can be both challenging and rewarding. Additional paintings from trips to Italy include, “Cosmetici,” at 20 x 24 inches, where Moeller creates a wonderful, intimate composition of women in a cosmetics shop. Shop assistants, clad in black with concentrated expressions, demonstrate products on beautifully attired clients who study the results in handheld mirrors; and “The Hat Makers Shop -  Florence,” at 14 x 11 inches, is a delightful plein air study of a view into a shop where hats and mannequins are abundantly scattered throughout. The brushwork is lush, expressive, and vibrant, and the hat maker can be glimpsed at work in the back of the shop. Moeller adds rich details to these paintings that capture the atmosphere of the settings.

His paintings of Maine reflect his long familiarity with the Maine coast, in particular, Monhegan Island. “Surf Behind Gull Rock,” at 12 x 16 inches, is a dramatic painting of an up- close view of crashing waves and jagged rocks. Moeller captures the raw force and intensity of the ocean with rich textural brushwork. His understanding of how the water is a reflecting board for the colors of the sky gives the waves their color palette of varied blues and greens, and the rocks are deep violets and greys with some rich earth tones reflecting the energy of the sun. There is a confidence behind his brushstrokes, and it’s remarkable how he can communicate the untamed nature, atmosphere, and rugged beauty of Maine’s iconic coast.

In “Looking Out on the North Atlantic,” at 12 x 16 inches, “Walking on the Rock,” at 24 x 18 inches, and “Watching the Waves,” at 12 x 16 inches, Moeller uses his skill in painting the figure to create evocative scenes of man in harmony with nature. There is a meditative quality to these works, a feeling of introspection. The paintings focus on solitary figures exploring the coast, or, as in “Watching the Waves,” two figures are seated on rocks, absorbed in the brilliance of the sun rising above the ocean. Moeller has a gift at drawing us in, and we feel as if we are there, experiencing the same salt air and feeling a sense of awe and respect for the natural world.

Moeller brings his own personal experiences to his paintings and shares that while he’s out painting some place like Lobster Cove (“Looking out on the North Atlantic”), he “not only sees a young woman looking out to sea, but maybe subconsciously recalls art, movies, books, or poems about someone waiting for their love to return from sea.” It is no wonder that there is a sense of poetry to Moeller’s paintings.

Another painting of note is “Gulls on Pause,” at 14 x 18 inches. Moeller creates a dynamic composition of gulls perched on jagged rocks with a central larger gull in the foreground staring right at the viewer. A lobster boat and a close-cropped image of a distant island are in the background. As our eye circles the gulls, we’re aware that  they are the subject and that Moeller captures their untamed nature in an equally untamed environment. Moeller again creates a realistic painting but one with an expressive force, as he captures the unique experience of Maine’s coastal landscape. For more on the artist visit https://stanmoeller.com

For more information, call Ann Scanlan at 882-8290 or go to www.sylvangallery.com. Also, find Sylvan Gallery on Instagram and Facebook. The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday by chance or appointment. Sylvan Gallery is located at 49 Water St., Wiscasset, on the corner of Main and Water streets, next to Red’s Eats.