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BIDDEFORD, Maine

UNE Professor Charles Thompson's 'en plein air' paintings on display at the Campus Center Dec. 1st

The University of New England's Biddeford Campus Center will exhibit the paintings UNE Art Professor Charles Thompson - a series of en plein air paintings in an "aggressive painterly celebration of nature" - from Dec. 1 until mid-January.

The collection of imposing canvases - many of which exceed 48 x 48 inches - immediately inducts the audience into Thompson's highly sophisticated and vibrant world of water and woods. His paintings depict the rugged coastline and dense woods surrounding his home in Maine, and clearly pronounce his pure affection for the outdoors.

Thompson is one of a handful of painters who work from start to finish on location. While this approach presents a formidable challenge to the artistic process, the payoff is immense. The images, created in a symphony of color, are anything but Spartan. They powerfully translate the relationship of light, atmosphere and space with an authenticity that can only be established by direct interaction of the artist with his environment. The viewer stands in awe of nature's richness, receiving welcomed relief from a world overflowing with synthetic assemblage.

Thompson, a professor in the UNE Department of Creative and Fine Arts, has painted plein air for almost 30 years and has been in over 100 national group shows and as many as 20 solo shows in galleries and museums throughout the U.S.  and Europe.

About the University of New England

The University of New England is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of flexible, accredited online degrees. In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.