About the Demonstration
Watch Michael E. Vermette demonstrate his painting process by repainting the painting you see here. This painting, “Young Lobsterman Hoisting Lobster Traps,” is on display as part of his exhibit at Bangor Public Library. Michael will begin by talking about the original drawing from a photo and then move on to how the (black and white watercolor) monochrome was made. He will demonstrate the traditional “Cartoon” method of transferring the drawing onto his watercolor paper using graphite paper, and, with the monochrome present, he will demonstrate his three-step watercolor painting process in full color on vintage 1948 J. Whatman handmade watercolor paper.

About Michael E. Vermette
I am intrigued with the timelessness in change in my figurative and landscape paintings. I believes that visual rightness is captured in my paintings when active humanity engages with nature to become an even deeper metaphor of truth. I have a passion for color and light with emphasis on the expressive painterly mark, which I feel captures the very soul of the painter. With a brush fat with paint my watercolors embolden color by putting into practice traditional methods of the masters, such as wetting the back of the page, to cause the pigment to be brighter, richer, and more translucent. Careful watchfulness and attention to understated detail, descriptive movement, purity of light, and the uniqueness of the atmosphere are all characteristics of my painting personality. In Maine, my works have been shown in various galleries and museums, and I am represented at the Gleason Fine Art Gallery in Boothbay Harbor, the Frame and Art Gallery in Falmouth, and the Lupine Gallery on Monhegan Island.

“Michael Vermette is on a similar mission: to reveal the currents and energy of his surroundings, be it on Monhegan Island, in Baxter State Park, or, most recently, along the Allagash Wilderness Waterway. With a lively brush and an acute sense of motion and light, Vermette creates that harmony that runs adjacent to the natural world while rejoicing in its sheer magnificence.”
                                                                               -Carl Little, Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors magazine, May/June 2021.

Follow Michael on Instagram @michael.vermette and Facebook @michael.vermette.90

Note: This demonstration may be videotaped for future use in an art video by Tiana Vermette. Only the artist will be filmed.