‘Artists Painting the Mill Site’ by Alison C. Dibble is an original, one-of-a-kind oil painting on canvas, 4x12 inches. I painted it alla prima (all at once) outdoors at the Penobscot River just south of the former site of the Verso Paper Mill in Bucksport, Maine. At the time, the mill was closed; part of the mill had been torn down and the countless rail cars full of rubble removed, to the sadness of the local community. I painted my friends while they painted the mill, and thereafter the mill was even further dismantled.

For many decades the paper mill in Bucksport was a major employer in the area, with the shift workers from the area producing a coated paper used by popular magazines. After the mill closed, though, the town went through a transition as people tried to adjust to the loss of mill jobs. The resilience of the people of Bucksport is an example of Maine Yankee ingenuity and hard work, and the town thrives despite the huge change in the papermaking industry. New enterprises have come in to the former mill site, and the town is vibrant again.

Not all of this could fit in one painting. So I opted for the obvious enjoyment of the artists as they sought to portray the scenes here; their camaraderie and friendship made the day.