Longtime Maine artist Stephen Pace, whose fluid brushstrokes depicted lobstermen at the helm and clamdiggers in the mud, died Thursday afternoon at his home in his native Indiana.

Pace, 91, first visited Maine in the 1950s and bought a house in Stonington in the 1970s. He and his wife, Pam, were fixtures of the Deer Isle cultural community, frequenting classical music concerts and supporting an array of institutions.

Pace returned to Indiana in 2007.

He found inspiration in the natural environment in and around Stonington. He painted local ponds, the coast, boats, and especially enjoyed painting his wife in the garden.

“What he loved and admired most was the place, wherever he was at the time, whether it was Stonington or Indiana or New York, where he lived for more than 50 years. He also had great admiration for the working person, and he had great love and admiration for his family,” said filmmaker Richard Kane, who knew Pace for 40 years.

“Those are the things that drove him throughout his life, and those are the things we will remember him for.”


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