“Maine Oasis,” an exhibit of the work of Georgetown artist Léa Peterson, opens Feb. 21 at Savory Maine Dining & Provisions in Damariscotta. The public is invited to a reception to meet the artist on Friday, March 3 from 3 to 5 p.m.

Featured in the show are several paintings from her new series on skiffs and dinghies, along with paintings of puffins from her “Puffin Dialogues” collection. Other sea- and landscapes of the Maine coast will also be displayed.

Peterson's paintings show the color and texture of life in Maine - seabirds, docks and dinghies, fishermen, or the stormy sea.

“Something in the landscape will strike me as particularly stunning or interesting, like the dinghies we see tugging their lines at every fishing dock,” Peterson said. “Or the mirror images in water, which are almost more important to me than the objects themselves. The subtlety and movement in reflections expand and enhance the reality we see.”

In 2007 Peterson committed to a full-time career as an artist and moved to Maine. Ever since then she's been interpreting the character and moods of the coast in her art. “My work is an oasis for me,” she said.

Léa Peterson is represented by the Elizabeth Moss Gallery in Falmouth and is a partner in the artist-owned Centre St. Arts Gallery in Bath. She partnered with four other artists 10 years ago to found and run the Old Post Office Gallery in Georgetown. For more about the artist, visit www.leapetersonart.net.

The exhibit at Savory Maine (11 Water Street) runs through April 10. Hours: lunch and dinner from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursdays through Mondays. Closed Tuesday and Wednesday. For more information call 207-563-2111.