Priscilla Barter’s work is rooted in a lifelong, instinctive connection to art and to the Maine landscape. “It’s just in me,” she has often said of her desire to be an artist—a feeling that has guided her from childhood sketching to her current painting practice. Early summers spent in the Rangely Lakes region offered a sense of freedom and immersion in nature that left a lasting imprint. “I saw it as a challenge,” she recalls, “how to take the color of leaves or blueberry barrens, or the light reflecting on a flowing stream, and capture it.” Priscilla’s paintings are shaped by close observation and a deep affection for the places she depicts. Working primarily in acrylic, she seeks to preserve a vision of Maine that is steadily disappearing—old houses, small stores, quiet dirt roads, and the lived-in landscapes that hold memory and meaning. Her use of color and light reflects not only what she sees, but what she feels: a reverence for place, history, and continuity. “I want to paint Maine the way I see it,” she says, “the way I love it.” While her path as a painter was intentionally paused for many years as she supported the career of her late husband, renowned Maine artist Philip Barter, Priscilla never stopped creating. Through pen and ink drawing, textile work, and a successful business centered on hooked rugs and handmade woolen clothing, she maintained a rich creative life that continues to inform her work today. Now fully returned to painting, Priscilla approaches her practice with both clarity and gratitude. The opportunity to devote herself to this work—capturing the essence of Maine with honesty and care—brings her great joy. She considers it a privilege to share her paintings at the Portland Art Gallery, alongside the work of her husband, and to contribute her own voice to Maine’s ongoing artistic legacy.