As any gallery owner knows, artist requests for representation are frequent. The fact is, there are far more talented artists than there are galleries that handle fine art. With so many artists to choose from, what a gallery is looking for is an artist who stands out, who has something unique and special to offer. When Lyn Asselta approached Gleason Fine Art last year, we knew right away that she was an artist whose paintings we wanted to carry.

Lyn Asselta paints landscapes in pastel, a medium that is notoriously difficult to master. But master it she has. In fact, one of her paintings recently took Gold at the prestigious 36th Juried Exhibition of the International Association of Pastel Societies. For a pastel artist, this is like winning the Kentucky Derby.

Asselta’s pastels are transcendent. Some, such as the breath-taking “Slow Dance with Fog,” are delicate and moody. In others, such as the bold “As We Wait for Summer,” sunlight bounces from rocky outcroppings to greening shrubs to brilliant blue skies. Clearly, the artist revels in the natural world that is so close at hand along the Maine coast.

Lyn Asselta’s life and art career have recently come full circle. Having grown up in York and Cape Neddick, with a two-year stint at the former Portland School of Art, she headed south to Florida after a family tragedy, intending to be away from Maine for only a short time. The year or two turned into 36 years, during which she raised a daughter and worked as an art teacher, a designer, and finally a landscape painter.

Never a fan of warm weather, Asselta longed for Maine’s ever-changing weather and rocky coast. Finally, last year she packed up her studio and moved to a house in mid-coast Maine. Here, with sunsets over a tidal cove and mossy hills outlined with old stone walls, Asselta has found the inspiration she needs and has loved all her life.

In Maine, Lyn Asselta’s pastels may be found at Gleason Fine Art, 31 Townsend Ave. in Boothbay Harbor. Her work may also be viewed on the gallery website, www.gleasonfineart.com.

For now, Gleason Fine Art is open to the public, Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Hours may be extended as the season progresses. An appointment for a personal viewing of the gallery may be arranged by calling or emailing the gallery at 633-6849 or info@gleasonfineart.com