Afternoon at Cape Ann

 Earlier in the month, the Nashua Breakfast Club had highly recommended a huge exhibit of A.T. Hibberd paintings at the Rockport Art Association. Collectors from the area and elsewhere loaned their paintings in order that over 150 paintings could be displayed all at once. (No photographs were allowed, so be sure to go to the links to view paintings from this retrospective.) I agree that he is the "master of snow."  His winter paintings of Rockport itself and vistas in Vermont were masterful, if somewhat dated (not quite realist, not quite impressionist, not quite fauveist-- but nearly.  I admired the technique very much:  Each brush stroke seemed to be unhesitating with exactly the right color of pigment THE FIRST TIME.

The garden between the front and back galleries was beautiful, too.

 We worked up an appetite and had a fresher than fresh dinner of Fish and Chips at the Fish Shack across the street. It didn't look like much (compared to the cutesy quaintness of Rockport), but the service was friendly, the fish fresh, and the fries perfect.  Lots of locations were already "closed for the season."
     After supper we walked a little to peek into gallery and shop windows.

 It looked like the Tusinski Gallery would be worth a return trip.  Featured artists were Kate Nordstrom and Karen Tusinski.

 Bearskin Neck has been around for a long time.

 Stuffed Gelato fans.

 I didn't go into Milk and Honey, but I loved their sign and window display.  Will check it out next time.

 From the Fish Shack we got to watch a woman of a certain age indulge her big golden retriever while he/she went for a dip in the ocean.

 The sign in the distance says "Private Residence, Please Keep Out." It LOOKED inviting!

 Resort clothes and another gallery.

 Residential doorway.

 Where the buoys were....

 Archetypal First Congregational Church and square at sundown.

 The  Shalin Liu Performance Hall

 Rockport and sundown...

 Heading home

 An impulsive stop in Ipswich at Cafe Zabaglione for coffee and AMAZING Peanutbutter Blast Cake.  It wasn't busy... so it seemed almost like we were personal friends of the wait staff.  I'm glad I didn't read the reviews before hand.  Apparently the service can be inconsistent. For us, it was a great day.