In the early 1970’s, Kenbridge resident Maggie Love was in her mid-40s. Her children were grown and out of the house. Rather than playing bridge or picking up a golf club, Love picked up a paint brush.

When she started out, she said she couldn’t draw a straight line, but she soon realized that in painting she didn’t necessarily have to draw a straight line. Soon Love began visiting a Richmond portrait artist who gave her some guidance on how to paint. “She probably was the one that pulled the best out of me. She hollered at me a lot, which I loved,” Love said.

According to Love, her teacher’s favorite expression was, “Don’t tell the world everything you know on one canvas.”

The viewer’s imagination should be allowed to play with what it sees. From that positive experience she moved into landscapes and flowers with a penchant for bright colors. Using still life subjects, fields of flowers, barns and seascapes, she quickly established herself on the art scene in southeastern Virginia.

“And if you go beyond a hobby, it’s nice to know that other people like your work enough to buy and put it in their homes,” she said. Love currently resides in Galloway Ridge Retirement Community in Pittsboro, N.C. Even though she is no longer able to paint due to the effects of macular degeneration, her paintings are still in high demand by her followers. The public is can see her works now on display at the Ripberger Public Library until Oct. 31.