Krista and my 25th wedding anniversary was five days away and we still hadn’t decided where to celebrate. We were leaning toward doing something easy like the Jersey shore. But when the weather forecast predicted temperatures in the 100’s here in South Eastern PA, it became clear we needed to head north.
“How about Monhegan?” Krista suggested.
I knew of Monhegan since my days as an art student at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts as a place beloved by painters and had always wanted to visit.
“Perfect,” I replied.
The next morning by ten o’clock we were on the road.
We stayed a place called the Trailing Yew in large part because it was one of the only places with availability at such late notice, but it ended up being perfect. It’s rustic and very communal, kind of like being in summer camp. Krista and I both loved it, even though we had to do a room shuffle and share a bathroom with other guests. Everyone was friendly, the view was great, and they did a big breakfast every morning that got us through our morning hikes.
On our first day on the island we renewed our vows on top of Whitehead. After that our days were spent mostly hiking and eating, and then eating and hiking with lots of art viewing in-between. I don’t usually paint when I’m on vacation but I packed some watercolor supplies just in case. As it turns out I couldn’t stop painting. Krista and I even did some painting together on the rocks! (Turns out Krista’s an abstractionist.) The highlight though, was our close-up encounter with a harbor seal while stopping to take a dip in Christmas Cove.
Krista stayed a week and then abandoned me — leaving me to somehow survive on this island for another week with only a hat-full of money, limited art supplies, six restaurants, and one local brewery. I’d wake up before sunrise most days, hike to the open ocean side of the island and paint until about seven. Then I’d hike back to the Trailing Yew where coffee and breakfast awaited. Then there would be another hike and more painting. The second hike was usually followed by a nap, after which there would be more hiking and painting. It was an endless cycle. Hiking, painting, napping. I endured this hardship for another ten days before the money-hat ran dry and I was called back to reality. Getting home was an adventure, but that’s a story for another time. Anyway, below are some of the paintings (and a drawing) I did while marooned on Monhegan, roughly in the order I painted them.
