Lucy Harrington

When Lucy was a toddler, her parents would watch her sleepwalk to the kitchen, step over the spaniel, sit on the floor, crayons in hand and draw all over the refrigerator and stove. As this activity continued for quite some time, it was thought weekend art classes would help to discourage her kitchen art. Every Saturday and sometimes Sunday without fail, surrounded by pugs and Pekinese’s yapping away at the cats on the tops of bookshelves Lucy went to art class.

She rode horses since she was five and was continually bringing home stray cats and dogs. Those early days animals have always been a part of Harrington's life and of her work as an artist.

In the 60's Lucy attended an arts preparatory school - Wykeham Rise. In 1970 at the age of 17, she attended the Portland School of Art and found the Portland Art world extremely invigorating with the urban life of streets and noise and brick.

Next came motherhood and alpacas.

It took two decades to raise a wonderful daughter and to establish the first breeding farm for alpacas in Maine. Lucy began breeding and selling alpacas in 1991. Her artistic outlet was confined to designing alpaca sweaters, which she had other artisans hand-knit in South America. In Maine she became known as the Alpaca Lady. But as the alpaca industry matured in Maine with the addition of many new farms Lucy was increasingly compelled to return to her original passion -painting and combining her love for animals and nature, which continuously rejuvenate and inspire her.

Lucy says: "When I paint, I don’t see a painting as such, but rather feel a special moment in my interaction with my surroundings. Some seek experience with something they call 'the divine'. I seek the divine in the experience. There is no chaos when a warm color meets a soft furry subject or a tall fir dances in a wild wind. They both permeate my work. I still have a deep sense of connection with the woods, the wildlife, the livestock and household critters in my life."

Lucy Harrington's paintings have been exhibited in many galleries in Maine, and her work is now in private collections throughout the US, Europe and South America.

Currently she is showing at the Salt Water Artists Gallery in Pemaquid and at the On The Waterfront Gallery in Wiscasset.

Gallery Exhibitions:

Chocolate Church, Bath, Maine

Wiscasset Art Gallery, Wiscasset, Maine (2002)

Round Top Center for the Arts, Damariscotta, Maine

Salt Water Artists, Pemaquid, Maine

Water Street Artists, Damariscotta, Maine

Wickford Art Festival, Wickford, Rhode Island

Maine Coast Artist, Rockport, Maine

15 Temple Street, Portland, Maine

Memberships:

Portland Museum of Art

Maine Art Gallery

Farnsworth Museum

Pastel Painters of Maine

Maine Fiber Arts