ROCKLAND — The thermometer may not reflect it, but spring is finally here, and Archipelago Fine Arts Gallery at 386 Main Street in Rockland will celebrate the season with “Sea & Sky,” a new show of work by Maine artist Betty Heselton, from April 4 to June 20.

There will be two free events: the first reception on Friday, April 4, 5-7:30 p.m. will open the show, and the second on Friday, May 23, 5-8 p.m. will provide another opportunity to meet the artist, who lives in Gardiner and paints on Monhegan each summer with several friends.  

Surrounded by a creative family, Heselton was exposed to drawing, carving, painting and photography throughout her childhood on a small working farm in rural Maine. She developed a keen interest in seeing and documenting the beauty around her, and her oils and acrylics subtly capture her passion for the special places she explores by land and sea.  

“This body of work,” Heselton said, “speaks to the clear and simple beauty and pleasure I experience during my summers on the rocky coast of Maine. From my kayak to the path along the shore, I find never-ending excitement in the play of light, color and shape of the objects around me.”

To view an image gallery, please click here. For more information about the show or the receptions, please contact Lisa Mossel Vietze, Archipelago store and gallery manager, at 207-594-9209 x137 or lvietze@islandinstitute.org.