Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Carpe Diem: Rockport, Mass.


I felt like I needed a day to clear my head so I cleared my schedule and decided to head up to Rockport and Essex, Massachusetts today.  Two days of rain yielded to a sunny morning on land but the stubborn fog held on to the harbor.


Rockport is an old fishing village and artist community.  This old red fishing shack, purported to be the most painted building in America, has become affectionately known as Motif #1.



Paintings and photographs bearing the "Motif #1" title can be found all over town and probably in galleries all over the world.  I see them on ebay all the time. 

This Anthony Thieme oil painting dates to 1938.



Although I'm sure locals will roll their eyes, its position at the end of a pier makes it charming from almost every angle.



The tall ship "Formidable" was docked at the end of Tuna Wharf and the sun was illuminating the water from behind.  The color was amazing.



Study in Blue.  Does anyone know the shrub?  I don't.



Steps down to the water.



Roy Moore Lobster Co. on Bearskin Neck.



I asked the shop if I could take a photo of the inside and they yanked this big boy out for me.

Eight pounds!




Lunch.  

(Sorry little guy.)






Bearskin Neck cottages.



Cottage detail.  Can you see the carved face in the beam in the upper left?



More cottages.



A little afternoon fog bank moving in off the back harbor.



A sweet little quiet spot.



And a freshly planted window box announces the arrival of our planting season.

I have more to show you of Rockport and Essex, Massachusetts but it was a wonderful long day and that's all I got for now.

Enjoy.

73 comments:

  1. Great day! Wonderful pictures...I'm wishing I lived closer to the shore...I miss the salt air.
    Enjoy the long weekend!
    Tami

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  2. What a beautiful place!! Makes me want to ship out my kids and get on the first plane there!
    Hope you post more pictures soon!

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  3. Some real perfection in these images. I adore the carved face in the beam.

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  4. So lovely and so different from anything near me.

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  5. I sure enjoyed looking over your beautiful photos here. Wonderful shots. I'd love to visit.

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  6. Love Rockport and Essex. I could spend all day poking around the shops in Essex. Motif #1 is also a favorite of mine. Great post!!!

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  7. That bank of fog photo would make a wonderful painting as well. Hint, hint.

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  9. Rockport is such a charming town. I live in RI..., and every once in a while I visit that part of MA. The fog looks beautiful!!

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  10. Steve, your photos are wonderful, especially the first one (light on the boat) and the table on the porch. You absolutely have that "depth of field" thing down pat.

    Could the "shrub" actually be a huge clump of Amsonia Blue Star? I can't seen enough of the base, but was it many, many stems rather than an actual "bush". It's a lovely plant that turns the prettiest yellow in the fall. Truly a three-season plant.

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  11. Webb,
    I think you're right. I've not seen it before here, or at least it's not a common plant. It's quite nice.

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  12. I personally love seaside scenes enshrouded in mist. You got some gorgeous photos. I have never been to New England - just to the Canadian maritimes - but have it on my list to do after I retire. I always picture myself walking along rocky beaches and through quaint towns in cold misty weather rather like what you had.

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  13. What a nice time to visit, just before the hordes descend.

    I love it all, pictures and paintings.

    Can't be too charming for me.

    xo jane

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  14. Wonderful photos, felt like a mini vacation! So relaxing!

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  15. Very pretty and calm.
    a lot like portsmouth NH
    Cathy

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  16. Delightful! Every single picture. What a great spot to have close enough for a day trip.

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  17. when i saw that first photo i thought to myself, "what a stunning painting that would make", see i am not alone!

    really love when you go wandering steve, your great eye and photography talents bring us along with you. rockport has never been on my radar and all i can think of is "where the hell have i been!?" lovely.....
    debra

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  18. What a great place to clear your head. Just being close to the ocean like that does it...doesn't it? Oh....and I am so far away from ocean. Fields of alfalfa don't do it for me. And you can't hardly find that any more around here.

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  19. Amazing photos Steve. So glad you enjoyed the day and I hope it helped. Being by the ocean always does it for me. I can't wait to see the rest of your shots and hear more about your day.

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  20. Hi Steve,

    As usual, thanks for the tour. Maybe the blue flowering plant is a northern version of our Plumbago? The blooms look similar, but the leaves are a little different. Such a wonderful area. Enjoy your weekend!
    am

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  21. Great photos. Glad you got away for a break and hope it cleared your head. I would KILL for a lobster roll.

    :)
    xo T.

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  22. Yeah....that sammich' kinda had me at hello/

    8 lbs. ? Seriously?

    Hope you have shooken off the cobwebs...and contemplated enough.

    But, dayum, whata' place to just sit and think!

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  23. Gorgeous photos and locale....makes me want to go there. AND learn about my new camera.

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  24. Your photos are really gorgeous. They must be good if they make me want head north! I particularly like the cottages with blue woodwork and the foggy sky beyond them.

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  25. I was there many, many years ago. Such a charming town and your photographs are wonderful.

    xo
    Claudia

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  26. It has been to long since we were in Rockport and it looks like it's time to go back...how stunning! We have fog this morning ourselves but nothing as gorgeous as this! Thanks for sharing your day!

    XX
    Debra~

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  27. One thing I remember the most are all those pretty little window boxes! I just crave to be there. Thank you so much for the photos. I love your part of the world and cannot wait to return to it!

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  28. Gorgeous cottages...I would love to visit this town.

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  29. Upon looking at your delightful photos of Rockport, I realized they helped to "clear my head," as well. Thank you, Steve.
    Linda

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  30. Hi, Steve - I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but you have a great sense of composition. The sweet little quiet spot might just be the final destination for a really good meditation.

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  31. Yeah, I agree with Mark. I was noticing the comp of those shots and wondering what makes them so good...the angle you shoot from is definitely more interesting than my straight on camera work.

    As usual, another little lesson learned from YOU!
    Shelley

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  32. Wow, you really are a great photographer. I LOVE the water in the "Formidable" pic. And the quiet spot...you can feel the air. Thank you once again for sharing your day with us.

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  33. Wow what an awesome place to clear your head! Quaint and Quiet :)

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  34. Gorgeous photos! What a beautiful spot. There are so many of them in Mass. I think I see you in the window.

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  35. You captured it's essence beautifully, Steve. In the summer you can find me up that way in the very early hours of the morning striper fishing for the rocky shoreline.

    CHeers,
    John

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  36. Wow, did you take those photos? They are like paintings!! I love the first two photos, #4 and the grey cottage one. Beautifully composed!! Are you on Pinterest? Do you allow your photos to be pinned? BTW, the plant is a blue ice amsonia. I did a blog post about it recently. Here is the link:

    http://toneontoneantiques.blogspot.com/2012/05/once-year.html

    Cheers,
    Loi

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  37. Beautiful photos Steve, I love the fog. Sometimes it's hard to remember that we're not too far from these enchanting places.

    I believe Webb is right on the bluestar. Lovely.

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  38. What a lovely place for a relaxing, rejuvenating day. Wish I were there.
    Best...Victoria

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  39. Good on you for seizing the day, and for capturing its essence to share with us. Several of these shots had me catching my breath with their beauty. I'd love to spend awhile in that sweet little quiet spot. Hope it did the trick for you, head-clearing-wise.

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  40. Great photos--wish I was there! The 'shrub' is Amsonia. There are several different types and I have three in my garden. They are herbaceous perennials. Easy to grow and they always put on a lovely show in the middle of spring.

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  41. Beautiful pictures! I live down on the SECT shore and feel like I shrivel when away from the shore too long. "The voice of the sea speaks to the soul" in my life (can't remember who originally said that). Found pic of the shrub online and it matches perfectly to the Amsonia tabernaemontana, Blue Star
    as alreay mentioned! Don't comment often, but love your blog.

    Ciao!
    Guerrina

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  42. think maybe the blue shrub is plumbago---- grows very well in the south so maybe not is you were up north and then wasn't potted

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  43. Okay. I truly gasped at the images. You, my friend, is who we will see next in a gallery if you keep this up. Those pictures are EXQUISITE. Every one of them. I want to print and frame the first one. I mean the second one. No, the second, or maybe the last, or wait...

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  44. Rockport is such a hidden gem- especially on a misty, rainy day when the tourists aren't out in full force. We have so many beautiful little coastal towns along the north shore, but Rockport is definitely one of my favorites : )Your photographs are beautiful!

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  45. Hi-
    Beautiful pictures! The shrub from "a study in blue" is actually an herbaceous perennial Amsonia tabernaemontana. Thanks for the cheerful post!

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  46. Wow. Beautiful. I love the picture of the little table and chairs - looks like you could just walk off the end of the earth right there. Have a great holiday weekend Steve!

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  47. I think I needs to take me a road trip! Beautiful photos!

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  48. First things first...your photography is stunning. Fo real.
    What a nice day....if that didn't clear you head then what will???

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  49. Rockport has been my little safe haven for years. It has gotten me through some very difficult days, especially during my divorce. I spend my mornings at "Gardeners Beach", which on a weekday is all but deserted, and then I head into town for a little browsing and a late lunch. One of my favorite spots on earth!

    (I was watching the movie "The Proposal" last night on tv and while the movie was supposed to take place in Alaska, it didn't take me long to realize that it was filmed in Rockport. Also check out the movie "The Love Letter" which was also filmed there)

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  50. Victoria,
    They certainly don't get much more charming. One of my other followers told me about Halibut Point but I just didn't make it because I wanted to stop in Essex as well.
    I watched "The Proposal" after seeing a scene I thought looked like Rockport because it's always fun to see local places. But did you notice at one point they added a big mountain in the background? It looked SO fake it was really funny!

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  51. I did indeed enjoy! Your photography is so beautiful...I could practically "feel" the fog...I have loved seeing your part of the country. I just want to get back east and plant lovely window boxes.

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  52. Wow.....
    I could use some head clearing.
    Maybe I'll stumble down to the Mississippi and take some photos of floating logs, tires and the occasional body part.
    Seriously, I'm filled with envy at every post of yours. You never disappoint. Each one is always a visual treat. I'm in awe of your photography skills.
    :)

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  53. The rocky coastline always amazes me. Our coast is so sandy and full of shells, no rocks anywhere. Beautiful area!

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  54. Thank you for another lovely vicarious day trip. We are having very dry, very windy days here. The smoke blowing in from forest fires doesn't quite have the charm of the fog on the water, so I loved being reminded of days at the shore.

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  55. What an enchanting post...I would love to visit there...reminiscent of our East Coast, here in Canada..
    Beautiful shots of the harbour...BRAVO!!!

    Cheers!
    Linda :o)

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  56. I love that green water under the blue boat, Steve. Stunning. And your photo of the two blue trimmed houses is pretty great. So sharp!
    Camille

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  57. I didn't know about "Motif # 1"--love it! Now I need to go to the North Shore!

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  58. Your photos of Rockport are stunning. I was there on Friday and visited some of the places you did.

    Did you see the new concert hall? It is spectacular with the ocean as a backdrop behind the stage. I hope to attend a concert there this Summer.

    I find Rockport to be an excellent place to clear my head. Great post!

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  59. Painting subjects all! Hope you are finding some time to paint. The post I did about your paintings generated a lot of interest!

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  60. Thank you for these wonderful photos. They bring back childhood visits to Rockport and times when I introduced my now-grown children to the town. Haven't been in years, but this summer may be the time to revisit. Pictures were charming.

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  61. So glad I found your blog. Lovely photos. Have a nice weekend.
    Jennifer

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  62. What gorgeous images of Rockport. We vacationed in Maine several years ago and took a day trip into Rockport and loved it - such a quaint and beautiful seaside town!

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  63. That image of the sweet, quiet spot is amazing! Such a beautiful tour.

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  64. Hubby and I set the GPS on Monday and did some of the coves along the way to Rockport, had never been to Lobster Cove....such a fun day...Love to eat at the Village in Essex...we ended up at the Clam Box for clams....so good, we are so lucky to live in this neck of the woods...your photos are amazing!!!

    Kathy

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  65. Amazing pics Steve~makes me want to take a drive there....

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  66. Love, love, love Rockport - such a quant place. Can't wait to return!

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  67. I have a travel journal and there are some really great quotes in it. I think no matter how far we roam, it is always amazing how much we can find to inspire.
    Thanks for sharing all that fine inspiration, especially your lunch.
    pve

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  68. Brings back memories! I taught in Rockport, MA for one year when my husband was in grad school and I was attending Montserrat College of Art. :-) Beautiful images!

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  69. I swear, I think I'll retire/have a vacation home in New England. All your pictures make me so nostalgic and make me want to GO THERE NOW. Absolutely loooove the carving in the beam, the fog on the water, everything!

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  70. I think that might be what I love best about Boston, that you can take a long day and ship off to place like this, just because you needed a break. Really lovely, and a wee bit jealous.

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