“Forsythia II” by Irene Rothe

The Woman’s Hospital Association (WHA) Rotating Art Gallery at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston is now displaying watercolors by Irene Rothe of Auburn and photographs by Debbie Angelides, manager of the WHA Gift Shop.

Rothe began painting in 1973 with instructor Phyllis Woodsum of Wayne. She began showing her art work at sidewalk shows in 1992. Her primary medium is watercolor, and she enjoys painting island scenes, especially of Monhegan.

“I studied with other artists, but the greatest impetus in the development of my own style came from absorbing the brilliant work of Charles Reid,” Rothe says. “Beyond the influence of these people, I have been profoundly inspired by the beautiful state of Maine. I grew up in the Midwest, where there are no mountains, coasts, or islands. Moving to Maine has blessed me with an opportunity to feast on this abundance of landscapes.”

Angelides began her photographic work while she managed her own gift shop in Jay for more than a decade.

“It’s amazing the beauty that is out there,” she says. “Watching turtles sunning in spring… Feeding birds and watching them feed their young. Some of my best pictures are of birds and wildlife.”

These works will be on display through November 7. The gallery is located in the hospital’s main lobby at 60 High Street. Works on display may be purchased through the adjacent WHA Gift Shop. A percentage of sale proceeds benefits CMMC.