225 WATER ST • GARDINER, MAINE
Closed for Winter Vacation, reopening March 11, 2023
Two sisters, two artists, two visions, one gallery.
Paloma and Sabrina El Costell have been painting together their entire lives, which is only natural as they come from a family of acclaimed artists stretching back generations. Born in New York and growing up in Montclair, New Jersey, they each came to Maine by different paths — but now, living within minutes of one another and as happy collaborating today as they were decades ago, they are embarking on their most ambitious project yet: their very own art gallery. Nestled in a beautifully renovated row of glass-fronted brick buildings, the gallery is a working studio as well as a place to celebrate the two women’s unique visions.
On painting Maine landscapes together:
“We can be at the exact same spot, walking the same path, but her glance to the left and mine to the right make all the difference in our artwork.”
A lifelong painter and multimedia artist, El’s cerebral, gorgeously executed pieces are a style she calls Abstract Realism — a perspective that challenges normal expectations of beauty and art. The result is art that invites engagement and, ideally, enlightenment:
“I want people to come up with their own interpretations.”
A graphic designer and illustrator by trade, Paloma is a self-taught painter. She favors pastels, creating beautiful and evocative scenes ranging from the mills of Lewiston to rocky coastlines, working harbors, and rolling blueberry fields.
