Finding Joy is about recognizing the delight and wonder found in simple, often unexpected, places. These paintings celebrate those times when the beauty of the natural world suddenly stops you in your tracks: Being mesmerized by a starry night sky, noticing how the brilliant oranges and golds of autumn foliage pop against the deep blue sky, or watching a kaleidoscope of monarch butterflies as they pass through on their annual migration.   

Crumley’s painting process is defined by layering. Each piece containsup to 15-20 strata of pigmented wax. With each pass, she is not just applying more paint, but intuitively responding to what is already on the surface and adding fresh thoughts and observations. She also incises and scrapes away wax, revealing underlying colors and textures. During the final stages of a painting, she often rubs oil paint into the marks she has made, to create even more visual interest. The highly textured surfaces of these encaustic paintings invite viewers to spend more time with them. Crumley likes the artist’s hand to be visible in her work, and the longer you spend looking at these paintings, the more you see – subtle gestures, hidden textures, and even “mistakes” that she decided to leave in the work. 

The exhibition features contemporary landscapes inspired by her daily walks in coastal Maine, including stylized takes on lupine and Queen Anne’s lace, as scenes from Maine’s interior. There are ethereal night sky paintings with thin washes of translucent paint that yield a glowing luminosity, and energetic seascapes in a tondo (round) format that echo the view through ships’ portholes.  

Crumley’s art has been featured in Art New England, The Boston Globe, Boston.com, and other publications. She was named one of “five standout artists to keep your eye on” by Maine Home + Designand one of Maine’s “most collectible artists” by artmaine in their annual art guide. Her work is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Encaustic Art in Santa Fe, NM, and is held in corporate collections including Boston Children’s Hospital, East Boston Neighborhood Health Center, and the Tower Corporation. Crumleystudied painting at Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt) and The School of the Museum of Fine Arts (SMFA) in Boston.  

Blue Door Gallery is located at 2 Southside Road in York, Maine. Gallery hours are Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 9-11:30 am and 12:30-5; Saturdays from 9-1; and by appointment on weekends and evenings. For more information call (207) 332-2938 or email janicesantini@icloud.com.