The Miles Memorial Hospital League Art Committee is delighted to accept a significant gift to its hospital art collection. Damariscotta artist Bertil Whyman, and his wife Amelia, have gifted the hospital with a beautiful acrylic landscape painting entitled “Sanctuary.” The painting of the Stone Arch Bridge in Bristol Mills will hang in the second floor surgical corridor at the hospital.

“Sanctuary” was inspired by a canoe trip up the Pemaquid River to the Benner Road Stone Arch Bridge, a familiar stone bridge landmark to local kayakers and river walkers. The bridge and its old hand-crafted stonework impressed Whyman and he has painted it several times. The beautifully framed painting presented to the hospital is the largest of his works focusing on the bridge and is meant to be viewed by all who appreciate the beauty of the Maine countryside and the historic stone structure that are part of our local community

Whyman came to painting rather late in life after pursuing other careers. Nonetheless he has been painting for over 30 years and has been showing his work in Vermont and Maryland, as well as Maine. His primary focus has been nautical and landscape painting.

He and his wife retired permanently to Damariscotta in 2005 after Amelia’s counseling career on Maryland’s Eastern Shore ended.

Bertil Whyman’s work can be seen by appointment at his barn studio and at the River Gallery, Damariscotta, the Art of the Sea Gallery in South Thomaston, and seasonally at Blue Hill Bay Gallery, Blue Hill.