HIstory in the Harbor

 What is your process?

“I spent a lot of time researching and letting my inspiration develop before diving into the painting. This series began when I learned about my husband's family history here in Cohasset, which led me to visit the local historical society and dive deeper into the area's history.

It all started with eight initial ideas. As I began painting, those ideas evolved and took on a life of their own. I wish I could say I know exactly where a piece is headed from the start, but usually, I think I have a plan, and then the piece starts to speak to me, and we go from there. I really enjoy seeing where it leads and discovering what I’m working through as I create.

On the technical side, I always start with a mini painting to figure out the composition or to work through some trial and error before committing to the full piece. Then I choose the reclaimed frame or canvas to work on. All of my pieces start with a wash of bright orange or hot pink. It helps take away some of the intimidation of a blank canvas. From there, I do a basic sketch and lay down the composition, focusing first on the main subject, followed by the striped background and gold leafing. Once everything’s done, I varnish the piece to finish it off.”