By M. Sebastian Araujo

Springtime is finally here.

Like many, I too have been looking forward to the magical promise of re-birth, and good things to come. Amid the flurry of birds nesting and bulbs raising their heads to the sunshine, I had a lively chat with Dermot Meagher. Artist, writer of mystery novels and retired Boston Municipal Court Judge about his new book, Provincetown Drawings.

What in the world around you affects your creativity?

DM: Some days I am more sensitive to the world than I am on others. In Florida we go to a nude beach. It’s like a giant life class—all shapes and sizes. l often bring a little pad, sit under an umbrella and draw away. Sometimes the subject is a friend and knows what I am doing; often he doesn’t. I’m not drawing exact likenesses, so there’s no worry about privacy.

What changes do you see in the Ptown ART scene today…?

DM : In the mid Seventies when I began to come to Provincetown regularly the ART scene was pretty thin. There were the greats at the Long Point Gallery and that more or less was it. Since then many more galleries have opened, more classes are given in more places, and more people are making art. All of that is a good thing.

What changes do you see in the Ptown art scene today?

DM : In the mid seventies when I began to come to Provincetown regularly the art scene was pretty thin. There were the greats at the Long Point Gallery and that more or less was it. Since then many more galleries have opened, more classes are given in more places, and more people are making art. All of that is a good thing.

What in Life inspires your work?

DM : I draw when I want to. I’m not very disciplined. I work in spurts and take classes to get me going. If there is a technique I want to learn, I take a class. Katherine Smith teaches a great class in “Whiteline Woodcuts/Provincetown Prints” at PAAM. I always admired the technique and it is particular to Provincetown. I made some good prints (see above), I think. The sculptor Paul Bowen teaches a course called “Drawing Provincetown” at PAAM and a found wood sculpture course at Castle HIll. I’ve always admired his work. I think I took the drawing course three times (see below) and the sculpture class twice. He is a great and gentle teacher.

Was there a “shining lightbulb” moment in your career when you realized that you were an artist?

DM : I don’t think of myself as an artist. It’s not my identity. I make art from time to time. In addition, I also write and I had a very serious job before I retired eight years ago. However, when Midge Battelle, the very talented photographer, painter and curator selected me for the Emerging Artists Show at Provincetown Art Association and Museum (PAAM) in 2001, I thought of that as an arrival.

What is it about Ptown that keeps you and other creative people living here or coming back?

DM Art is valued in Provincetown. So is the making of Art. There is PAAM, which originally was mainly a group of working artists. It still is, with the addition of lots of art admirers. The open shows at PAAM, and even the juried shows, are great opportunities for an artist to be seen. The membership fee is not prohibitive.

I started showing at PAAM in open shows, then in juried shows. As a result of one of them I was selected by Midge Battelle to be in the PAAM Emerging Artists show. I sold out. From there I went to the Schoolhouse Gallery. One opportunity can easily lead to another in Provincetown.

I still live in Provincetown summers because it’s a beautiful place; I have many friends here. The Schoolhouse Gallery shows my work without dictating what it should be. I can take classes at the Fine Arts Work Center, PAAM and Castle Hill in Truro. I am encouraged by the encouragement and work of other artists, many of whom I know only through their work. And I’m gay and the town is congenial to gay people.

Life can take us many places we don’t always imagine. How refreshing it is to see work created by an artist who embraces the world around enjoying its diversity and beauty — all the while experimenting and finding new ways to expand their creative process.

Happy Spring. Keep on creating. This old world of ours needs art now more than ever.

Bonne Chance,Sebastian

If you would like an autographed copy of  « Provincetown Drawings » stop by or call  Provincetown Bookshop, 508 487 0864 PAAM, 508 487 1750  or  Calamus Bookstore in Boston (617) 338-1931

https://www.facebook.com/calamusbooks?fref=ts

For more about Dermot’s Book and Art Click on the Following

http://www.amazon.com/Dermot-Meagher/e/B00287NZ6E

 http://www.galleryschoolhouse.com/

http://woodmanshimkogallery.com/