Last updated: April 28, 2025
Article
Lorraine Bubar
Photo courtesy of Lorraine Bubar. Used with permission.
Being an Artist in Residence in a national park offers a rare and profound opportunity: the gift of time. Time to explore the varied landscapes, time to immerse myself in the natural rhythms of the park, and time to develop a creative flow. My goal as an artist is to capture the essence of my experiences, from the plants and wildlife, to the colors and textures that stir a sense of awe within me.
Upon my arrival at Acadia National Park, the pull of the iconic “must dos” was undeniable. I stood on top of Cadillac Mountain, indulged in popovers at Jordan Pond, climbed the ladders of the Beehive and Precipice Trails, and marveled at the beauty of the rugged coastline. But even more transformative than these well-trodden paths was my discovery of the place that truly resonated within me—the “Quiet Side” of Acadia National Park.
The dark nights revealed a universe of stars and the mornings were made for the kind of solitude that could only be found by running to Schoodic Point to witness the sunrise. This piece, “The Quiet Side,” evolved from those early mornings as I watched the colors of dawn shift over the granite, as cormorants spread their wings, and as the call of the gulls echoed across the water. I could hear the steady rhythm of the waves as they crashed against the rocks and the low tide crossing over to Little Moose Island revealed colorful seaweeds and hundred of little shells filled with life. The granite rocks shimmered with a delicate pink hue and the mustard yellow seaweed glowed. The ocean’s deep blues was a stark contrast to the stillness and pale colors of the shore.
I also found inspiration in the Petite Manan Preserve and Forbes Pond, where trails lined with red and yellow fungi sparked my imagination. In all of these moments, Acadia’s beauty and diversity fed my creativity, inspiring a range of compositions that reflect the park’s unique environment. In the stillness of the Quiet Side, I was reminded of the balance between exploration and introspection. In Acadia National Park, I found a deeper connection to both the land and my own artistic expression.
– Lorraine Bubar, 2024
Photos courtesy of Lorraine Bubar
Lorraine Bubar Lorraine Bubar is a native of Los Angeles and received her B.A. from UCLA. She studied animation at UCLA and Yale University and her short independent films won awards at animation festivals around the world. Bubar worked for many years in the animation industry, animating television commercials, special effects, and film titles. During that time, she exhibited her watercolor paintings in numerous art exhibitions and was the featured artist for a calendar published by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and illustrated a children's book, Lullaby by Debbie Friedman. She also taught animation at Santa Monica College. Her love for drawing and painting led her to get a Masters in Art Education and a Teaching Credential at CSULA and then teach studio arts to middle and high school students. Bubar's love of traditional crafts and traveling made her aware that in numerous cultures around the world artisans create varied forms of papercuts. Developing her own painterly approach to papercutting, she honors the heritage of papercutting and captures the unique environments that she has explored, and uses handmade colored papers from countries where she has traveled. Her love of hiking and beautiful places and her unique artwork has led her to Artist-in-Residencies at Denali, Zion, Petrified Forest, Lassen Volcanic, and Capital Reef National Parks. Working in paper has opened many opportunities to exhibit including at the International Paper Art Biennale in Shanghai; Paper Global, The International Triennial of Paper Art in Germany and at The International Exhibition of Paper Cuttings in Lithuania, as well as in local galleries.
Visit her website.