Ah Maine...

One week is never enough in Maine but I'm grateful for the time we did have to get away, relax and do some day dreaming, without which artists would surely be sunk. Maybe all those dreams won't  come to fruition fully formed as we see them in our heads but they are a necessary fuel that pushes us forward. 

As seen from Shaw's Wharf in New Harbor.

This was a low budget trip as the college bills for our older two oldest kids are rolling in now but I will tell you, Maine can be done quite nicely on a tight budget if you have some basic camping equipment and do your homework on Airbnb. Beyond that there are many free to low cost adventures to be had. I googled "free things to do in Maine" and came up with more than we could possibly have done in a week. 

One of our favorite things to do (possibly my favorite thing in the world to do) is muck about on beaches like above at Owl's Head Lighthouse . There's a charge for admittance into the lighthouse but parking, the beach and walking around outside  the lighthouse is free. I gathered rocks and Kyle did a very nice painting and talked to a charming family from Quebec (he has a gift for starting conversations with strangers - a plus while traveling) .

Iconic image - looking up from the rocks at Pemaquid Point.

View of the Damariscotta River at our Airbnb.

Below are some of the interesting pieces found at the small beach at Pemaquid Settlement. From top to bottom: wood, shell, wire, rock and unidentified rubber thing. I'm happy to say in all our beach wanderings we found very little trash. More on that and "found jewelry" in my next post. 

Kayaking in South Bristol.

"I met her on the internet."

That's what I had to say when someone asked me how I know Barb Fernald because that was the truth. I didn't in fact know her; my family and I were traveling 3 mi. across the water to meet her for the first time.

Backstory: Barb read on my blog that I was coming to Maine and suggested that we visit her home, Little Cranberry Island. I mapped the trip and  realized we could manage it as a day trip from Martin Point as my husband encouraged me past the anxiety and there you have it.  Island adventure! Thanks to Barb's planning we were able to catch the 10am mailboat out of Northeast Harbor and spend a beautiful day seeing the sights and lunching with lobsterman (her husband :-)

harbor at Ilesford, Little Cranberry

There is an amazing number of things to do on this 1mi. x 1mi. island. A long, grey, shingle building on the dock houses a great restaurant, art gallery, and gift shop (Winter's Work - a very nice shop with handmade goods from the state of Maine). There is also a decent sized pottery with excellent work from at least three potters.  (And they wrap what you buy quite nicely for the journey back across the water.) 

My husband found the gorgeous green ones.

Looking back to Mt. Desert Island

Barb, as it turns out, is a wonderful person and we clicked. I mean, how can you not just love someone who's suggested afternoon activity is going to pick up rocks?! 

Her work is featured on island at Winter's Work of course and includes polymer, metal clay and beach stones. We were so fortunate to have time to visit her studio. Its wonderful how visiting another person's workspace can make you feel excited about getting back into your own!  

You can also find her jewelry in Archipelago (Rockland, ME) and online. Check her out! She has wonderful craftsmanship and I feel like her work, even the more abstract pieces, "speak" about the natural beauty of her island home.

Now to the part of the day's visit  was completely unexpected. 

Did you know award winning illustrator/artist, Ashley Bryan, is a Little Cranberry resident? I must admit that I didn't, but he is and how very blessed we were to spend some time visiting his studio. Puppets, paintings, lots of work in progress and papier mache stained glass windows! You don't meet too many people who are such a perfect combination of funny and smart and encouraging - but Ashely is all of these and more. Meet him and you feel like you've had your soul massaged. Its as if  you walked right into a children's book.  My oldest son Ben turned to me and said "I'm staying. I'm staying here with Ashley. Forever." 

photo : Barb Fernald

from Simon and Shuster

Island's have long been safe harbors for artists. The natural beauty, the quiet and the retreat from the fast pace of mainland life leaves space in the brain for imagination to happen.  Little Cranberry even has a lobsterman poet and lobsterman painter. So much art is such a tiny space. 

A very big thank you to Barb Fernald for inviting perfect strangers to visit, gutsy former sternman that she is! We've been told twice in the past week how fortunate we are to have friends on Little Cranberry and I know that to be absolutely true. 

Good bye tiny island - see you again sooner rather than later I hope!