The Coast Guard Station

    Whenever I see a work of art, I always wonder what the artist was thinking when they created it. What were they thinking about? What was it that made them create THAT piece of work? In this blog, I am going to try to tell you what made me paint or create the works of art I do. Some of them will have stories or memories, some may have feelings or thoughts. Some may be funny. Some may not. This will be an exploration into why this artist does the things she does.

      This little painting was a 4"x 5" acrylic done on a canvas board. It is not for sale because I believe it was sold last summer. The Life Saving Station established on Islesford in 1878 was the first Coast Guard presence on Mount Desert Island. It was used as a lighthouse depot to aid ships until 1945 when the facilities were moved to Southwest Harbor. Today, The Station is privately owned and can be rented during the summer months.
     I love this building. My younger cousin, Meagan, had her wedding here a few years ago. The house is astounding. The view is beyond impressive. From the description of the house, there is a 360 degree view from the top of the 4 story tower. Getting to the house can be a hike but it is a gorgeous walk from the docks. 
     The Coast Guard Station sits on the backside of Islesford (Little Cranberry Island) and looks out toward Baker's Island. The nearest house is at the beginning of the 3/4 mile rocky, bumpy dirt road. There are some places on that road where the bushes and trees seem to reach out and grab you. Beach rose bushes are scattered along the rocky dunes of the beach. Sometimes, the walk seems to be longer than it is and with nothing else around, I often feel lost, but then I round the corner and there is the house. I don't go out often as it is usually rented or the owners are there. I prefer to sit on the beach and just look. I have actually only been to the house a few times.
     The first time was for a party way back when I was a teenager working at the Islesford Dock Restaurant. A lot of the older people from the restaurant (20's) were having a party out there and I was invited. I was never a drinker and soon realized this was not the place for me. I had to walk that long, difficult road in the dark with a pathetic flashlight, all by myself. It was scary! There were no streetlights to guide me, no house lights to show the way. This was a side of the island with minimal houses nearby just woods and scrub brush. I was (and still am) a great reader of all books Stephen King, Clive Barker and Dean Koontz.....masters of horror and all things scary in the dark. To make things even better, I believe it was raining. I grew up with older cousins who loved to jump out of the paths at night and scare me. To be walking along what I considered to be one of the scariest roads on the island during the day, at night was truly a nightmare.
     I don't remember the year, but I was taking a painting class on Islesford. It was taught by Henry Isaacs and Ashley Bryan, two of Islesford's well-known artists. It was a 4 day event run by the restaurant just after the summer season ended. Our group often went to special places on the island where the views were best. One of those places was The Station. The choices were endless of what to paint. There was Baker's Island, Great Cranberry, the beach, the rocks, the seals sunning themselves just offshore, the beautiful trees.....it didn't matter. It was so hard to not just do nothing but sit and enjoy. The restaurant crew brought lunch out to us so we could sit on the deck or on the lawn and just be amazed that we were all in the most beautiful place in the whole world.
     Then there was Meagan's wedding. A joyous, happy occasion bringing family and friends together in a spotlessly beautiful location. The day was perfect and the two bald eagles that flew over at the end of the ceremony was the icing on the cake.