Homes
Tollef Runquist: A Painter Follows His Bliss
Painter Tollef Runquist’s colorful canvases draw on place and experience. Recently he has been inspired by his son’s playthings.
The Pull of an Island
It took some time, but eventually Great Gott became the heart of an island-based business for Claire and Carly Weinberg. Their company, Dulse & Rugosa, uses seaweed and botanicals grown on the island to make skin care products, and has allowed them to make a living in the one place that has always felt like home.
Dancing Around
The growing community of Maine’s tango dancers travel to Portland to attend milongas, and to Thomaston for a seaside summer tango retreat.
Rhubarb Musings
Rhubarb had a place in the China trade and the tart treat was served aboard vessels in the mid-1800s and featured in a letter to Queen Victoria.
Maine’s First Summer Home
Built for a Louisiana hotelier and his wife, the jaw-dropping rooms of Portland’s Victoria Mansion constitute the first and only extant interior by 19th-century design star Gustave Herter. Today, more than 150 years after it was built, the mansion retains 90 percent of its original furnishings and grants a rare look at 19th-century design.
Modern Rustic
An architect designs an efficient yet elegant one-story home where his parents can enjoy their retirement.
Architectural Sparkle: Lowe Hardware
Founded by Bill Lowe of Owls Head, Maine, who started out making special metal fittings for yachts, Lowe Hardware has expanded into the high-end custom hardware home market. The company makes doorknobs, pulls, hinges, cabinet handles, and even fittings for furniture, in finishes that range from shiny or rough bronze to gold-plated brass or nickel.
Stellar Art
She may be 99, but Stell Shevis, master enamellist and life-long artist, continues to look for new experiences and creative outlets.
Marine Art from the New York Historical Society
The New-York Historical Society has sent an impressive array of its marine and maritime art holdings, mostly 19th century, to the Portland Museum Art for the 2014-2015 winter season. “The Coast & the Sea: Marine and Maritime Art in America” offers an excellent opportunity to take in a clutch of sea-going artifacts, plus ships, seascapes, and portraits by a top-notch lineup of painters.
Two Maine Rock Gardens
Two Maine gardeners, Vickie Cunningham in South Bristol, and Douglas Cole in Rockport, have worked magic with rocks and stones and a ledge or two.
