The Beauty of Maine

There is a natural beauty of Maine that is impossible to capture on film, be it photographs or video. There is great inspiration that comes from what Maine exudes, which may explain the many artists that flock to the area to express themselves through their medium, using Maine as inspiration.

This winter we had some of the most incredible days I have seen since I moved here. We had an ice storm that challenged the renowned ice storm of 1997. Sheets of ice coated everything, from power lines, tree branches, roads, walkways, cars and more. There was an inch diameter around tree limbs and the remaining apples left over from harvest at the tippy top of trees. The ice was so heavy trees would creak and crack under the pressure and weight, if you stood still listening you could hear the eerie symphony of frozen trees creaking and swaying in the breeze, occasionally you could hear a crash and fall in the distance. Power lines snapped under the weight causing power outages for days, for some. 

But there was a tremendous level of beauty; beauty in the stillness, the silence and this glistening awe of everything being covered in crystals. I have forever been perplexed by holiday ornaments being coated in glitter and sparkly crystals, never understand the fake bling, beyond being festive. This ice storm made the connection for me. The ice coated everything, making everything glisten and sparkle in the sun. The sun would bounce between the ice covered tree branches, sparkling, twinkling and blinding with its sparkle. I finally saw the natural form of glittery holiday ornaments. While the ice caused great strife for many it was extraordinarily beautiful.

Attempting to catch the beauty that this winter brought in weather, massive amounts of snow and ice, subzero temperatures with days crystal clear blue skies, the cotton candy colored sunsets after a recent snowstorm, photographs attempt to show the beauty of Maine, some artists are able to capture a glimpse of that essence of beauty, but really there is no way to really see Maine except for being here.