RUMFORD – The soft colors of lilacs and pansies, the bold color of a vintage pickup truck and the grace of a Victorian-styled gazebo were among the images that greeted the dozens of visitors who turned out for a reception for Peru artist June Dragoon.

Pennacook Art Center’s third exhibit was unveiled late Friday afternoon, featuring the talents and paintings of Dragoon, a 30-year artist.

“We feature a new show each month,” said art center director Betsy Bell. “It’s nice to have the turnover in paintings. It keeps everything fresh and new.”

Rachel Carignan of Rumford attended the opening because she loves art, and she wanted to buy a watercolor by Dragoon.

She found just the right one, “Lupine by the Sea,” painted by Dragoon from a mid-coast scene.

Dragoon likes coastal scenes, local scenes and depictions of Baxter State Park. But her favorite subject is flowers. Hydrangeas, pansies, sunflowers and lilacs are among them.

“I love flowers, I have flower gardens. I just have a feeling for them,” she said.

Dragoon, a Stephens High School graduate, began her art career nearly 30 years ago when she took lessons to learn how to paint in oils. After a hiatus to raise her children, she took up watercolors under the tutelage of well-known watercolorist, Stan Kierstead of Farmington.

Painting with water colors is very different from painting with oils. Making changes is more difficult, and with oils, the artist must paint light colors first, then the dark ones. With watercolors, the opposite is done. But she likes the softness and the variety of effects that can be made on paper, contingent upon the tool used for applying the paint.

“You can get some nice effects using sponges or spraying,” she said.

Dragoon’s featured works will be on display through the end of September.

October’s exhibit will feature autumn colors and scenes as interpreted by many of the River Valley artists.