Paintings by Damariscotta artist Denise Rankin will be on view at the Central Lincoln County(CLC) YMCA as of Jan. 15 through the end of February.

Primarily a painter of still life, Rankin produces work that is whimsical, surprising, and colorful. Collectors of her work enjoy her often bizarre subject matter and the nostalgic reverberations her paintings generate.

“I paint what tickles my fancy,” Rankin says. “I paint unencumbered by logic or even common sense, as a way to love life, the pure messy joy of it.”

Typically, Rankin assembles everyday objects such as old books, mason jars, penny candy, antique toys and rusty bits into compositions with unusual juxtapositions and tricks of scale. Most recently she presented a series called Clergy on Ice and continues to work on another called Advice Your Mother Gave You.

Her favorite artists are Henri Matisse, Janet Fish ... and anyone who paints diners.

From mid-May through Columbus Day each year, she exhibits her work at the Stable Gallery in Damariscotta. For three summers she was a partner in the Old Post Office Gallery in Georgetown and is a past member of the Pemaquid Art Gallery, where she served on the board for many years.

Her educational credentials are from Rice University in Houston, Arizona State University, and the University of Rhode Island.

For additional information on art exhibits at the Y [525 Main St., Damariscotta], visit clcymca.org (click on Events) or contact Katharina Keoughan at 563-6538 or email communityarts@clcymca.org.