BELFAST — Local Color Gallery welcomes Sheep Jones, a Belfast, Maine painter, as a guest artist for the months of December, January, and February. A popular artist in Maine and beyond, according to Local Color, in a news release, Jones primarily works with oil and wax on panel using a palette knife. Her dilapidated sheds, skies of various colors, quirky birds, congested gardens, bumblebees, fish, botanicals, and uniquely clad figures are some of the images she chooses to create her painted narratives.

Jones says her paintings begin in layers.

“Layers add extra interest, leaving swatches of colors in their wake,” said Jones. “These are perfect tidbits for the imagination.”

Jones always looks for “the puzzle pieces to suggest a narrative. The thing is, all people have stories. Often, they will look at one of my paintings and recognize in it their own story, their own past, their own dreams.”

Born and raised in Waterville, Jones studied art at the University of Southern Maine. She has exhibited her work in solo and group shows and galleries in the US and Europe. In 2003, she was chosen as Artist of the Year at the Torpedo Factory in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia. She now lives in Belfast. 

Marli Thibodeau, an abstract painter from Rockland, will continue as a guest artist during the month of December. Thibodeau’s work is influenced by the natural world and the landscapes of Maine. Her paintings are composed of opaque and transparent layers representing the ongoing dialog between painter and painting.

Local Color Gallery, 135 High St., is open 11 - 4, Tuesday through Saturday during December, and Wednesday through Saturday in January and February, or by appointment. For details, visit localcolorgallerymaine.org or call the gallery at 207-218-1249.