PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — After putting her artistic pursuits aside for several decades, Peggy Hemberg Bosse of Fort Fairfield has spent the past five years actively pursuing her individual voice as a painter.
“I first took art lessons at UMPI in 1988 but I put art aside after I started to raise my family,” Bosse said, on the opening day of her new exhibition, “The Road Less Traveled,” on June at Wintergreen Arts Center.
The exhibition features more than 50 oil, pastel and watercolor paintings, all of whom portray scenes of nature in northern Maine, such as the vast expanses of lakes, roadside daffodils and the bright colors of tree leaves during the peak of autumn.
Bosse is a lifelong resident of Aroostook County and said that the landscape of the region has become the main influence for her artwork.
“Northern Maine has such vast and beautiful places all around us with every season,” Bosse said.
Bosse has displayed her work at local exhibitions and will participate in the Bucksport Art Festival in August. Some of her paintings are being considered for use in episodes of Maine Cabin Masters, a reality show on the DIY network in which a team of cabin builders restore Maine vacation homes.
As she becomes more comfortable with showcasing her work in public Bosse has embraced being part of the local art community, which includes monthly First Friday Downtown Art Walks.
“I love meeting new people and interacting with other artists,” Bosse said. “The local arts community has been growing so much lately. We have much more talent than people realize.”
Wintergreen will display Bosse’s exhibit throughout the month of June at its 149 State St. location. She noted that the theme of “The Road Less Traveled” stemmed from a desire to slow down and pay attention to the world.
“I think sometimes we don’t stop to really look at what’s around us,” Bosse said. “I hope people enjoy all the colors of the paintings and the sense of nature they give.”
