The Grace E Stevens is a cargo ship that was owned and operated by John Stevens.  John was the original builder/owner of our house on 190 Main in Winter Harbor.  I have a ships log that he kept and it has some amazing stories of leaving WH for Boston with a load of lumber or other cargo.  Navigating the ocean waters from WH to Boston and back in 1904 was not what it is today.

This piece has boats similar to his and a copy of a page from the log along with the family home that he built in 1864.  I have not heard much about folks from that generation but I do know that they had vision and lots of ideas and ambition to help make WH what it is today.  As our historical society restores it’s building and infrastructure  hopefully we’ll have a repository for these stories and so many more.

Crace E Stevens
6 x 20 encaustic

Hanson’s Store was owned and operated by Grace Hanson.  She was brought up in this home located at 190 Main in Winter Harbor.  She lived here until “old age”-what was considered old age in 1951 when my parents bought the house from her is unknown to me.  Maybe my age today!

I have heard from a lot of people who enjoyed shopping at this store.  It was described as a “dry goods” store and for some reason I have interpreted dry goods to include sewing supplies.  When I grew up in this house my mother was a wonderful seamstress.  She could design and create anything she set her mind to making.  I also began sewing.  Much to my mother’s chagrin.  My skills and attention to detail were totally non existent.  Thankfully I eventually learned the value of precision and patience.  Sewing seems to have lost it’s appeal in our culture today.  There are large franchise stores that carry the supplies, but maybe it isn’t unending choices that attract us to sewing but the small things you can enjoy and benefit from while shopping at a family owned business.  The jury is out-but I know that I would be much more likely to continue sewing if I had a choice like Hanson’s Store.

Hanson’s Store
10 x 10 encaustic

This new piece is a 10 x 10 encaustic.  It seems to have a very different feeling then many of my landscape pieces.  I think that is because of the colors, I could not help myself.  These are the colors I saw.  Ray and I were up here and when I saw this scene snapped some shots.  This is my interpretation of what I saw.

We live in such a magnificent spot.  Sometimes I think I take it for granted.  Since I began using these scenes for art I have developed a way to remind myself everyday of the special beauty

East from Anvil Trail
10 X 10 encaustic