Ann Mohnkern has lived in a house on the banks of the Cousins River in Yarmouth for 40 years. She and her husband spend their summers on a small island in Casco Bay.

“I can sit and look at the water for hours,” said Mohnkern, 73. “It’s imprinted on my brain.”

Still, it didn’t occur to her until much later in life to turn that fascination into creativity.

Mohnkern, a self-taught painter whose oil-on-canvas work leans heavy on seascapes, recently installed an exhibit at Merrill Public Library in Yarmouth. It will be on display until May 13.

Her first exhibit was back in 2006 at the same library. She had only recently taken an introductory class at the Maine College of Art & Design and was struck by how quickly it took. She’s been painting ever since.

Early on, she submitted one of her paintings for an exhibit by American Society of Marine Artists. When it was chosen, Mohnkern said she was “floored.”

“I was such a novice, you know,” she said.

Ann Mohnkern, “Single Handed” Photo by Jay York

Now, her work has been featured in museums across the country, including as part of the biennial at the Center for Maine Contemporary Art in Rockport in 2010. She currently has pieces on display at The Gallery at Somes Sound on Mount Desert Island.

Mohnkern, who’s retired now but for years was assistant general counsel for the insurance firm Unum in Portland, paints primarily in her studio from photographs, some of which she manipulates in Photoshop to arrive at the aesthetic she’s after.

“I can take images and crop and stretch and change color or bring in other elements and experiment and get ideas about what or how I want it to look,” she said.

She occasionally does plein air work, too. Her pieces are incredibly lifelike, almost like photographs themselves, but with more texture. In the 20 years she’s been painting, Mohnkern said her approach hasn’t changed. Even her cityscapes of Portland often feature oceanside buildings.

Ann Mohnkern, “Return to Port” Photo by Jay York

“I live on the water,” she said. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted. That’s what engages my imagination.”

It’s not just the water that inspires, it’s the movement.

“The water is fascinating because it’s heavy. It’s got a weight to it, so it’s always moving in some fashion, but it moves in a way that has an undulation to it. Everything you see is connected with something else.”

Ann Mohnkern, “Till Tomorrow Then (Thanks for Today)” Photo courtesy of the artist

She’s also drawn to painting water in Maine because the color changes so much. Sometimes, the water is green from the plant material underneath. Other times, it’s blue when the sky reflects, but a different blue from clear tropical ocean water. Her pieces look both current and historic at the same time.

Although she’s now a professional artist – she’s sold dozens of pieces – Mohnkern said she’s not someone who spends eight hours a day every day in her studio. Instead, she works in blocks of time when inspired. During 2020, when so many things were shut down because of the pandemic, Mohnkern barely painted at all.

“You would have thought I would have taken that time and been productive, but the world was so distracting,” she said.

This winter has been the opposite, although she acknowledged having the library exhibit deadline likely motivated her. She said taking a little time off likely did her good anyway.

Ann Mohnkern, “Still” Photo by Jay York

In addition to the seascapes that have become a trademark, Mohnkern has done several pieces recently that feature ocean rocks and outcroppings, sometimes with water, sometimes not.

“I do those with a pallet knife, applying the paint sort of like you’re frosting something, like a kid,” she said. “Then I keep adding and moving it around.”

The current exhibit includes more than 30 paintings in two galleries at the library. They range in price from $1,500 to $6,000. Mohnkern said she has a much different feeling now than when her first exhibit went up 16 years ago.

“I’m more at peace,” she said. “I have a lot more confidence in my work.”