Schooners and Castles and 'Beests...Oh my!

Courtyard Garden; photo by Sue Ann Pearson

So....it's Labor Day Weekend - already! August adventures were had and enjoyed; new designs have been explored, developed and are in process;  the garden has exploded with color and texture...I don't think my brain ever shut down during the summer and I still have ideas to work on. More on that to come soon....

Photo from Strandbeests Facebook page

                                                                    Theo Jansen's Strandbeests came to visit one of our beautiful beaches and I was able to watch from the water by boat. We didn't have a really close view but the crowd was huge and traffic was gridlocked so I was very happy to see as well as we did. It was very cool to see them move along the sand, even with a little help here and there at times.  You can see them on exhibit at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem for the next few months.

 

Did you know we have an authentic castle here in Gloucester? It was taken apart in Europe stone by stone, shipped across the ocean and reassembled here on the harbor almost 100 years ago by one of America's most prolific inventors, John Hayes Hammond (second only to Thomas Edison!). It became his home and laboratory and is now a museum that bears his name...and a landmark on the water's edge. I took this shot this last weekend when we took the boat out for a late afternoon picnic...they were having a wedding!

 

The gorgeous Schooner Columbia replica sailed into Gloucester Harbor last week to help celebrate our  Labor Day Weekend Schooner Festival - alongside the many other graceful tall ships that participate every year. (I hope to have more pictures of that event in an upcoming post). With a Boat Parade of Lights, schooner races and tours, fireworks and a Block Party downtown, Labor Day Weekend is a real celebration of our glorious summer!

September brings gorgeous weather, less crowds, beautiful sunsets and the fall gardens....and then I have SHOWS! First up is Celebrate Wearable Art 3, and I'm so excited about the runway look I have for this year. No pics until after the show but stay tuned, there may be hints.... plus there will be a panel discussion about Fashion and History on Cape Ann, at the Cape Ann Museum on the Thursday following the event, moderated by one of my past instructors...and I'll be on the panel too! More info to come as soon as I'm able to share the details.



Next up will be Cape Ann Artisans Fall Open Studio Tour, the annual mainstay of my Fall schedule. Three days of fine craft and art from all over Cape Ann; explore the main streets and back roads at your own pace. It's a beautiful time of year for a visit....look for our bright pink Studio Tour flags and stop in!

 

October 17, right after Open Studios is the BeadAffaire, Boston's best (and longest running!) bead show produced by Beadesigner International, The New England Bead Society. 20 years plus and still going strong....it's one of the most fun shows to do - and just may be my favorite!

                                                                                                                                              I have a couple of new events lined up for November that I'm very excited about but I'll save the details on those for another post (feel free to email me if you're curious!).  Check my calendar for show dates and details.

I'll sign off with some of my favorite shots from the summer.....inspiration abounds! Enjoy....