Artist Series: Half a Dozen; Hermit Crab
By Hattie Stiles
Artist Statement
Hattie is a UMaine alum who currently works in an administrative role at the Darling Marine Center, a field station for the university’s flagship campus. She grew up by the ocean and continues to cultivate inspiration by working and living alongside Maine’s marine ecosystems. Her paintings are emotive and dreamlike, and seek to celebrate the curious, the bizarre, and the beautiful aspects of sea life.
She uses watercolor as a preferred medium because it forces the artist to relinquish control. We are at the mercy of the earth and its oceans, and water does what it wants. Allowing its behavior to materialize in paint, not knowing how it will dry, is a testament to its power and wisdom, a practice in letting go, and a compelling juxtaposition to human expression.
Hermit Crab
