New River Arts exhibition explores land, sea and sky
Sally Loughridge has always seen Maine as more than a place to live—it is a source of endless inspiration that she has spent decades translating onto canvas. Her latest body of work, "Maine Elemental — Land, Sea, and Sky," is now on display at River Arts in Damariscotta, inviting visitors to pause and consider the quiet majesty of the natural world.
The exhibition opened June 25 and will remain in the gallery's River Room through July 17. Loughridge's paintings are characterized by their lush, serene quality—pieces that encourage viewers to slow down and reflect.
"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 statement. "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."
That deep connection to Maine's landscape runs through her work like a current. The state's granite shores meeting the Atlantic, she said, represent the balance between stability and dynamism that defines the natural world.
"For me, Maine's granite edges hard against the surging Atlantic symbolize the stability and liveliness of our world set in the wider universe," she explained. "Above us, the sky is ever-changing and mysterious, an essential border between the Earth and the galaxies beyond."
Before becoming a full-time artist, Loughridge worked as a clinical psychologist in Vermont. She eventually turned her focus to painting, teaching, and exhibiting along the Midcoast—a transition she made more than 25 years ago. Throughout her artistic career, she has continued to draw from her experiences in unexpected ways.
Loughridge has authored and illustrated two books, both rooted in her personal journey through serious health challenges. In 2012, she published "Rad Art: A Journey Through Radiation Treatment," which compiles the small paintings she created during 33 consecutive days of radiotherapy. Her second book, "Daniel and His Starry Night Blanket: A Story of Illness and Sibling Love," followed in 2015. That work tells the story of a young boy whose older sister becomes ill, exploring how illness reshapes family dynamics through a child's eyes.
Beyond her current exhibition, Loughridge's work can be found at the Pemaquid Art Gallery in Bristol and at 165, The Inn on Park Row in Brunswick. She regularly shows pieces at River Arts and participates in both solo and juried exhibitions throughout the Midcoast region. When she is not painting, she enjoys reading, cooking, gardening, and walking.
River Arts is located at 36 Elm St. in Damariscotta. The gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. For more information, visit riverartsme.org or call 207-563-6868.
