Michael Boardman Sold at Auction Prices

Michael Boardman is an avid naturalist who has lived his entire adult life in the great state of Maine. His life long interests in wildlife, hiking, kayaking and artwork all combine to create the work you see here. Michael works mostly in watercolor in the field, painting when time permits or field sketching when not. He was selected to be the Visiting Artist at Baxter State Park in 2010 and the Artist in Residence at Acadia National Park in 2012. The summer of 2015 he was in Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska for the Voices of the Wilderness residency. You can see his work currently at Maine Audubon in Falmouth, ME.

I love to hike, kayak and just be in the natural landscape. Painting becomes a record of my experience outdoors; light, color and shapes combine to bring the spirit and essence of place to my work. That is why Baxter State Park has such a draw for me. It is a rare ecosystem that thas been specifically managed to keep it’s wild character intact. I was honored to be chosen as the Visiting Artist for Baxter State Park in 2010. The residency offered me a focused period time free of the disractions of daily life to explore all the inspiration the park has to offer. I found myself drawn to the stories written in stone that the mountains of Baxter tell. The abstract qualities of rock faces and the shapes they portray create places where imagination can roam, but is anchored in the history of what came before; glaciers, water, root and wind. Painting creates moments where you feel your existence crossing paths with these objects and their histories. My work is a way for me to spend time focusing on what I see in nature. As well, it is a way for me to see rocks or trees, foliage or wildlife as abstract forms and gestures of nature. I often carry a nature journal on hiking trips to record these gestures, when time and circumstance won’t allow for more focused work. I am lucky to live in a place as beautiful as Maine and painting is a huge part of how I see and understand the natural world. I’ve also enjoyed residency at Acadia National Park in 21012 and will be heading to Glacier Bay, Alaska this summer as part of the Voices for the Wilderness residency program.