Landscape artist Susan Gilmore finds inspiration in her Wareham back yard. A glimpse into her reality can be seen on display at the Dartmouth Cultural Center, 404 Elm Street.

Gilmore has been cultivating and creating her collection since late 2017, but has been “an artist ever since [she] was a little girl.”

Much of her inspiration comes from the ocean, which she enjoys from her backyard or while sailing. Her paintings show this love through saturated color blocked depictions of the South Coast.

“I’m not representational at all, this is very expressive art. I lie tremendously, I lie constantly. All my colors are pushed, all my shapes are pushed,” Gilmore said.

Gilmore has surrounded her life with art. Among her multiple academic endeavors into art, she studied sculpture at the Swain School of Design, where she learned about making art and discovered that she didn’t like living in the city. “I’m a real country bumpkin person,” she said.

After college she started her career as a “professional artist.”

“I managed within a couple years to get a really good job as a graphic designer,” Gilmore said. “I climbed my way to the top and retired as senior art director.”

During her career she kept up with her studio time, painting and sculpting. Those paintings are what she has on display at the Cultural Center until June 26.

The paintings on display were a new project for her. She switched from oil paint to acrylic paint she said to avoid the smell of the oil paint in her home. She said she had to “teach [herself] how to do that,” explaining that the two mediums are quite different to work with.

“It dries really quickly and you have to get used to that, it doesn’t smug as well as oil, and stuff like that.”

Recently, Gilmore has moved away from landscape painting and is “trying to get a little bit more abstract.”

The Cultural Center works to facilitate arts in the community while preserving the Old Southworth Library building. The center relies on grants and donations from its members to keep the doors open and programs running.

The gallery is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. To learn more about Gilmore’s art and career, visit www.susangilmoreart.com.