I went to Rocky Neck - billed as "America's Oldest Working Art Colony" - or maybe it's just "America's Oldest Art Colony" - but no, I do think there's a qualifier in there somewhere. Anyway, the point is, Rocky Neck hosts monthly events every late Spring through early Fall, with open studios, lectures and music. Rocky Neck has a shabbiness that ranges from the slightly deranged to the genteel, but all of it is interesting. And like all places with personality, the people who live there seem to really, really love it. Reminds me of the goon docks in "The Goonies" (which I just re-watched) and I mean that as a compliment. The moon was full over the harbor that night and it was pleasant beyond words. I even bought a painting, a small study by Eugene Quinn, who is at the genteel end of the spectrum. Great work. I stood in his studio staring at his work for a long, long time like a child counting her pennies at the candy counter, trying to figure out how to make the most out of a severely limited budget. He graciously makes his studies affordable for the rest of us. I would include an image of the painting but my photography skills don't quite measure up to the necessary standard.
If you can handle my sub-standard picture-taking abilities (not quite as important for the following photo), here's an image of a Sycamore Hollow tripod lamp in its habitat. I never get tired of seeing where pieces from the shop end up. This one is in a friend's lovely summer home in Rockport. I wish I was sitting on that couch right now, reading a book (okay, maybe a newspaper. Or a magazine) by the light of that tripod lamp.
