Introduction
During our hikes throughout this region of the North Shore and Cape Ann in northeastern Massachusetts, Dick and I have discovered the beauty of this diverse area. Of course the ocean comes to mind, with its intense blue water rendered all the more vibrant by the extraordinary light. Then there are the ponds, rivers, lakes and the Great Marsh, the seaside towns of Essex and Rockport, and the historic fishing port of Gloucester. From Fitz Henry Lane to Edward Hopper to Mark Rothko, this region has provided a wealth of source inspiration for their art.
For my quilting mind, as we hike I see shapes, patterns, colors, textures in the scenes that I am eager to interpret in textile.
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The Stone Bridge 2021
The Stone Bridge is an appliqued pictorial quilt that I composed based on a photo that I took during a hike in the Ipswich River Sanctuary in Topsfield, Massachusetts. The site of this beautiful bridge is a feast for the senses, especially in autumn with its brilliant colors reflecting in the waterfowl pond, the delightful home of all sorts of birds, beavers and other creatures.
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Fisherman’s Wharf Gloucester 2022
(19.5” W x 14.5” L)
December 24, 2021, Christmas Eve. We were going to be many fewer at the holiday table that evening because of COVID. Nevertheless, I needed to go to the wharf, to buy our fish, to acknowledge that we were still going to celebrate, albeit in a quieter way. The day was drizzly and gloomy, reflecting the mood of the time.
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The Blue Dragon 2023
(25” W x 16.5” L)
Arthur Wesley Dow was born in Ipswich, Massachusetts, and was an integral part of the thriving colony of artists in Ipswich. His 1892 painting, The Blue Dragon of the Marshes celebrated the light, movement and vibrancy of the North Shore. I was generously accorded permission to interpret this painting as a quilt from the Ipswich Museum, where this painting can be found. As I hike through the river sanctuaries and area trails, I have the wonderful sensation of living in my quilt.
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Rafe’s Chasm 2023
(23” W x 17” L)
I was inspired, as many artists before me, to interpret the North Shore for the light, the ocean, and topography which makes it a natural wonder. Rafe’s chasm is located in Gloucester on the ocean. The brilliant light reflecting on the ocean and the rocks, the chaos of boulders with their angular surfaces, the courageous vegetation which manages to grow from stone make this spot an explosion of sensations.
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A Day at the Beach on Plum Island 2023
(20” W x 30” L)
This quilt was part of a group exhibition where each of us quilters imagined a day at the beach. At the time, my husband and I were renting on Plum Island as we were house hunting on the North Shore. The naturally purple hues of the sand and seaweed there, as well as the vast sky/ocean delineation made this quilt a delight to do.