"CLARK ISLAND PASSAGE". Unframed print (#315 of 500) from original oil by Loretta Krupinski. Size of print area: 14.25" x 22". Donated by Art of the Sea Gallery in South Thomaston.

A heavy morning mist bathes the sheltered cove and mutes the rich colors of this serenely beautiful scene. The ragged coast of Maine, particularly in the mid-coast area, is a series of small peninsulas with hundreds of solitary beaches and headlands carved out of the land. Ms. Krupinski's use of a limited palette is especially effective here, rendering Clark Island in its foggy finery, the tall pines fading into the moist cloud.

Loretta Krupinski is a contemporary marine artist who believes that her paintings will preserve a part of history that is fast disappearing - classic wood racing boats, lighthouses and working harbors. But her work is not limited to historical subjects. She also paints dazzling coastal landscapes and colorful still lifes, all reflecting the beauty and tradition of the Maine coast. Ms. Krupinski is on the Board of Directors and a Fellow of ASMA, and she has juried ASMA shows in major museums in the Northeast. She herself is a four-time award winner of the International Marine Artists Show in Mystic, Connecticut. Her work has been featured in many publications, including Nautical Quarterly and Marine Paintings (Rayfield). She is an author and illustrator of children's books, and has won several awards including two Outstanding Trade Book Awards, an International Reading Association Award and the Elementary School Library Collection Award.