Waldoboro — Two artists living in Friendship not so far from each other have followed completely different paths to create their art, but the resulting work is similar in surprising ways. Both are featured in the season's first show at Hurricane Gallery, opening Saturday, June 23.

New York City-born and -bred Pam Cabanas is flourishing in Maine, working in pastels and painting in ink, deep blacks and washes in many shades of gray and white, seldom introducing color. Her works recall Chinese and Japanese Zen paintings, almost abstract but hinting at forms of trees, rocks and clouds.

Elaine Niemi hails from Finn Town, and her life provides the wellspring of ideas and emotion in her work. Full of color with hardly a stroke of black, forms are revealed with little concern for their natural appearance. People have told her that her work reminds them of Chagall and she speaks admiringly of Louise Nevelson, but it's the naturalness and lack of sophistication that wins people over. What does she hope to gain for her work? She said she hopes to buy stove wood for the winter.

What unites these two very different artists are the refusal to be fooled into copying the clichés of Maine art, a freedom from fussiness in their styles and a deep feeling for the primitive.

In addition to Niemi and Cabanas, Hurricane's show includes the startling graphic work of Alan Hynd, works in fiber by Sandi Cirillo, paintings by John Lorence and Stephen Mott, works in colored pencil by Lois Hill and striking photographs by Colleen Gleason. Gallery owner Robert Macdonald, who is doing his best to make the gallery a small force in the Midcoast, will be showing some of his recent work.

Hurricane Gallery is at 175 Quarry Road, off Depot Street quite close to Route 1, and it is open most of the time. For more information, call 832-4062 or 701-7477; or send email to  nyiako@yahoo.com.

Courier Publications' A&E Editor Dagney C. Ernest can be reached at 207-594-4401 or dernest@courierpublicationsllc.com.

Elaine Niemi