River Arts in Damariscotta is now showing Sally Loughridge’s exhibition, “Maine Elemental — Land, Sea, and Sky,” in the River Room through July 17. Loughridge’s lush, serene paintings invite viewers to pause, reflect and appreciate the quieter moments of the natural world she has beautifully captured. The exhibition opened June 25.
“Since moving to Maine full-time in 1999, I have painted the Midcoast through the lens of my emotional response to it,” Loughridge said in a prepared release. “I am entranced by the beauty, endurance and interaction of its fundamental elements — the land and sea around us and the sky above. I am continually inspired to paint by shifts in light, season, weather, and atmosphere, the predictable and especially the unexpected.
A painting by Sally Loughridge, whose exhibition, “Maine Elemental — Land, Sea, and Sky,” is showing at River Arts in Damariscotta through July 15. (Courtesy of Sally Loughridge)
“For me, Maine’s granite edges hard against the surging Atlantic symbolize the stability and liveliness of our world set in the wider universe. Above us, the sky is ever-changing and mysterious, an essential border between the Earth and the galaxies beyond.”
Loughridge had a career in Vermont as a clinical psychologist, but eventually embraced her art and has been painting, teaching and exhibiting in Maine for over 25 years. She has also written and illustrated two books, both of which stemmed from her battle with serious health issues. “Rad Art: A Journey Through Radiation Treatment” (Atlanta, GA: American Cancer Society, 2012) shares the daily small paintings Loughridge made during 33 consecutive days of radiotherapy. “Daniel and His Starry Night Blanket: A Story of Illness and Sibling Love” (Thomaston, ME: Maine Authors Publishing, 2015) tells the tale of a boy whose older sister gets cancer and, from his perspective, far too much attention from their parents.
Loughridge’s artwork can be seen at Pemaquid Art Gallery in Bristol and 165, The Inn on Park Row in Brunswick. She also frequently exhibits at River Arts and in solo and juried exhibitions throughout the Midcoast. When she is not painting, Loughridge enjoys reading, cooking, gardening and walking.
River Arts is located at 36 Elm St. in Damariscotta. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. yo 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. For more information, visit riverartsme.org or call 207-563-6868.
