GEORGETOWN – “Man is a pattern-making animal,” said Dahlov Ipcar, sitting in a window seat in her studio, surrounded by sculptures done by her father, William Zorach, and a quilt her mother, Marguerite Zorach, collected more 50 years ago and Ipcar is now repairing.

At age 90, Ipcar, renowned artist, writer and illustrator of children’s books, is still creating exciting images in intricate designs.

An exhibit of her new work – fresh and vibrant – opened Nov. 12 at the Frost Gully Gallery in Freeport. The 27 pieces come down Dec. 28 and are definitely worth a trip to the gallery to see.

Among the standouts in the show are “Grendal’s Nest,” “The Royal Game,” “Fox and Crow,” “The Ark of the Lord,” “Geese and Ducks,” “In Black and White” and “Mille Fleur Leopard and Antelope.” A beautiful three-panel screen (not for sale) done by Ipcar at age 17 is also on exhibit – and is awe-inspiring.

As I approached the Zorach and Ipcar family grounds – high on a hill overlooking rolling fields in the quiet countryside of rural Maine – I noticed a fieldstone bridge that looks like an illustration from a children’s book. Riding down the narrow private road is like entering a fantasy land found in one of Ipcar’s books.

Ipcar’s cat, Grendal – the subject of an oil painting created for her exhibit at the Frost Gully Gallery – sits by her side during the interview. Titled “Grendal’s Nest,” the artwork has a warmth provided by Ipcar’s choice of earth colors: ocher, coral, brown and yellow. The focus is on her long-haired, plump, tortoiseshelled cat, who is leaning on a needlepoint cushion. One can see a touch of tapestry design in this oil painting, as well as a love of animals.

“I like intricate designs,” said Ipcar when asked what she looks for in a work. “I got my interest in patterns from my mother, who was an artist and created tapestries. She didn’t like empty spaces. My dad liked simple forms with subtle contours.”

“In the beginning, I struggled with composition and color but now it just happens and comes automatically,” she said.

When the light is good, Ipcar works in her studio every morning from 9:30 to 11:30. Two large easels stand in her studio with many bottles of paintbrushes and a palette. Several beginnings of sketches with new ideas for future paintings can be seen on a nearby rolling cart of supplies.

Ipcar said she has no favorites among her books. “I like them all equally for different reasons, like you would like your children. In my stories, I write first and paint around what I have written.”

“I don’t do children’s books anymore but I like to see them republished,” she said. “The first book I illustrated was called ‘The Little Fisherman,’ published in 1945. It was written by Margaret Wise Brown. It is being republished next spring by the Islandport Press. I am excited about that.”

Other well-known children’s books written and illustrated by Ipcar – and found on library shelves across the state – include “Lobsterman,” “Brown Cow Farm,” “The Calico Jungle,” “The Marvelous Merry Go Round,” “Sir Adlepate and the Unicorn,” “The Land of Flowers” and “My Wonderful Christmas Tree.”

Ipcar’s oil paintings and cloth sculptures are found in every major museum across the state, including the Portland Museum of Art, the Colby Museum of Art in Waterville, the Bowdoin Museum of Art in Brunswick and the Farnsworth Museum in Rockland. Her work is also owned by the Metropolitan Museum of Fine Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York.

These days, she feels a little bit tired but happy. “At my age, you know that you only have 10 more years, so every day is precious. Every hour is precious. At 90, the most important thing in my life is to try to hold my world together so that I can live independently and continue to keep creating.”

So, what’s on her easel in her studio? A piece titled “Labyrinth.”

“I like mythology. Before I started this painting, I drew a thumbnail sketch of a maze with different creatures. Mythology is part of my inner warehouse in my brain. I pull images out when I need them. This work has a Minotaur, from Greek mythology in it. He is dancing with a Cretan maiden in the center of the work. But there are different images on the borders of the work. A black leopard with white spots is an example of my own imagination,” Ipcar explained.

“This work isn’t finished yet. You can see the geometric underpinning on one side, which I start out with as a foundation in all my paintings. I plan to layer more intricate figures over the foundation and on the borders,” the artist added.

“Color has always been important in my work,” Ipcar said. “I like using oils best because you can put something in or take it out. My hand takes over sometimes and does things I never quite expect. I like mystery in paintings. I like a sense of enchantment in my works.”

Thus, Ipcar comes up with her own visual vocabulary.

Still creating fresh and exciting works at age 90, she is a living legend.

Pat Davidson Reef has a master’s degree in education. She has written two children’s books, “Dahlov Ipcar, Artist,” and “Bernard Langlais, Sculptor.” She teaches children’s literature for teacher recertification for the American Institute for Creative Education.