Martha’s vineyard is divided by two unofficial designations…up Island and down Island. Chilmark, Aquinnah being two of several Up Island towns, Tisbury, Edgartown and Oak Bluffs being Down Island. Whether up or down, the entire island is rich with old farms, many maintained to preserve how they looked hundred or so years ago. This piece is based on one such farm, one that I used to pass every day on my drive from up Island to down. “Down Island” 40 x 30
Loved the afternoon light on the distant treeline of this scene. While I came across this location in the winter…the slope was buried under a heavy blanket of snow…the ridge glowed red with afternoon sun. “Red Ridge” 36 x 36
This time of year, on the Cape (and anywhere along the Atlantic coast), seasonal cottages and more stately seaside homes come alive with summer activity. There are fewer of the smaller, more humble retreats, but those that remain convey a sense of the past…of summers many decades ago. This place is one such place…simple and solid, locked into a dune, cooled by sea breezes and perfectly ok with sandy feet. “Beach House” 48 x 36
There’s an old expanse of land along Cape Cod Bay, in Brewster, that was once part of an old Cape farm, but is now a public park. A reproduction windmill is a central focal point of the property, and serves as a backdrop to the farmers markets that are often held here. But further back, hugging the woods that separate the park from the marsh that connect land to the bay, is a small barn structure. It might technically be a shed, as it’s fairly small, but in the sparse landscape of this large, open meadow, it suggests the former purpose of this place, back when the Cape was home to farmers and fisherman. “Farmland” 36 x 36
The remnants of Hurricane Elsa and her storm winds whipped the Cape this weekend, but spared us of any considerable damage. Homes on the beach, or up on bluffs, were spared, though the wind would have continued to shift the dunes, which constantly move, storm or not. The stretches of fencing that crisscross dunes and beaches help redirect a shifting dune, but can never stop it from moving. This little place, that sits right on Nantucket Sound, was on the front line of the coastal winds, armed only with a small stretch of weathered fence. “Storm Fence” 16 x 16
This July 4th weekend has been a cool and rainy one down here on the Cape. But despite the weather, quite a few committed visitors and renters put down towels and umbrellas out on our towns’ beaches, undeterred. Similarly, the homes that line the shores of the bay and sound sides are all occupied and alive with summer activities. This old summer cottage, that hugs a bluff that gets a few inches closer each year, has seen decades of July 4th weekends, and does so without regard for the weather. “July” 24 x 24.
Once you get off the main roads and highways that connect the towns of Cape Cod, the bustle of activity (especially during the summer), dissipates, the quiet tranquility of the peninsula reveals itself. You just need to get lost to find it. “Cape Road” 40 x 30.
Color in nature tends to default to what we see most often. Grass is green. Skies are blue. While true, there are variations in those color that are visible if you look close enough, or at the right time of day, and in different light. On a recent morning drive through the local countryside, I came across an expanse of meadow grass that glowed a pale blue in the morning mist. It wasn’t green, nor was it solid blue, but somewhere in between. “Bluegrass” 34 x 20
Despite the buildup of much large, and often beautiful and impressive architecture on the Cape and other coastal areas, stragglers of the simpler structures that once dominated these summer destinations still stand. This place is one of those. While in reality, there are other cottages and more stately summer homes surrounding it…the simplicity of this simple beach cottage, tucked into the dunes, reflects the Cape I remember as a kid. “Dune Breeze” 28 x 28
Light on the Cape is pretty unique. The Cape, being a sandbar, is low in elevation, and surrounded by sea level…so late day sun is pretty dramatic, no matter where on the Cape you are.
This scene, one of my favorite places on the Cape, was put on the map by Edward Hopper, in his painting “Corn Hill”…which is also the name of this small section of Truro. These old cottages still stand at the top of the hill, facing west, across Cape Cod Bay, and are likely the first to see the light of day come to an end. “End of Day” 40 x 30
