Hubris

Summer Farewell

September 20, 2014 /

Meredith d’Ambrosio

“Before the end of my final summer with Haydn on Cape Cod, my good friend and fellow vocalist Marianne Bermingham and I decided to go on an adventure. Our purpose was to venture into parts of Cape Ann we had not previously explored.”—By Meredith d’Ambrosio

The Disappearing Land

By Meredith d’Ambrosio

“Summer’s End,” Watercolor, 15” X 24” (1999).
“Summer’s End,” Watercolor, 15” X 24” (1999).

Meredith d'AmbrosioDUXBURY Massachusetts—(Weekly Hubris)—9/22/2014—I painted this watercolor of the road leading to our summer cottage on Daniels Island. Every year, the marsh grasses, with the inlet of Ockway Bay snaking through, reveal the rusty hue of summer’s end in the late afternoon sunlight.

“Pont Du Gard,” Watercolor, 22” X 15” (1995).
“Pont Du Gard,” Watercolor, 22” X 15” (1995).

Haydn Higgins: “In April of 1995, Meredith and I did a concert tour which included Bordeaux, Collias, and Paris. While in The Midi, we visited this historic Roman aqueduct, built in the 1st century A.D. and still in use now as a vehicular bridge. My favorite subject as a young student was ancient history, so it was truly the thrill of a lifetime to walk across a structure built in Arles, France almost 2,000 years ago.”

“Eastern Point Light” (Cape Ann), Oil on Canvas, 30” X 40” (2009).
“Eastern Point Light” (Cape Ann), Oil on Canvas, 30” X 40” (2009).

Before the end of my final summer with Haydn on Cape Cod, my good friend and fellow vocalist Marianne Bermingham and I decided to go on an adventure. Our purpose was to venture into parts of Cape Ann we had not previously explored. From the cottage on Daniels Island, we traveled to the North Shore by way of back roads along the breathtaking Atlantic coast, passing Prides Crossing, Manchester, Magnolia, and Gloucester, into East Gloucester. We viewed the historic Hammond Castle whose granite stones were originally transported by ship from Scotland so the structure might be re-erected on Magnolia’s rocky coast. I thought nothing that day could surpass the beauty of that scene, but I was mistaken. Soon, the unmistakable scent of Gloucester’s fishing town wafted over us, the same pungent odor I had experienced coming there weekly to shop for groceries as a teen-aged girl accompanied by my mother. Suddenly, I loved that smell. We continued past Gloucester Harbor towards East Gloucester, took a right, and found ourselves in a maze. The scene in the painting above emerged before me, and I stood transfixed. The grace of this distinguished lighthouse captured my eye and heart . . . forever!

Note: Meredith d’Ambrosio’s exhibition of paintings entitled “Landscapes of the North Countries” will run from Sunday, November 15, 2015 through Sunday, February 14, 2016 at the Art Complex of Duxbury, Massachusetts, 189 Alden Street, Duxbury MA; daily opening times, 1 till 4 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday; Monday and Tuesday, closed. The opening reception will be held on Sunday, November 15, 2015, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.; Ms. d’Ambrosio will give a concert, accompanied by Chris Taylor on piano.

Boston-born Meredith d’Ambrosio, a Renaissance woman whose creative work crosses many genres, has successfully combined careers in the musical and visual arts. In 1958, in Boston, d’Ambrosio began singing with small bands, accompanied by Roger Kellaway on piano. Although she has worked primarily as a jazz singer-pianist, she is also known internationally as a calligrapher, watercolorist, creator of eggshell mosaics, composer, lyricist, recording artist, and teacher. D’Ambrosio branched out into New York City in 1981 and, since then, has toured extensively throughout North America and Europe (view d’Ambrosio’s complete discography at www.meredithdambrosio.com). D’Ambrosio’s paintings, both watercolors and oils, may be viewed at www.meredithdambrosio.com, her multifaceted website, which covers her work as a musician, painter, and writer. (Author Head Shot Augment: René Laanen.)

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