Statement
The coastal landscape on Cape Ann motivates me to paint. The changing New England seasons create unending combinations of shape, value, texture, color and mood. When I began this body of work, I sought a literal, in-the-moment connection between ocean, rocks, sky and painterly marks on canvas. I was delighted to discover that each work, in fact, took on the feel and attributes of the place and day on which it was begun. Back in my studio, the work took on additional significance for me. As I worked to refine my initial “plein air” response, I learned that a friend’s time on earth was drawing to an end. The elements of a body, my work at hand and also of our human life came into focus. Rocks, sky and ocean became heart and soul, the physical body and the mind, and most importantly, memory. The heart represents love, and loss, while the soul transcends life on earth. Our physical body is our form; our mind and thoughts are the essence of our humanity. When our physical being is gone, the memory of each of us remains. As for the ocean and the rocks, that memory is far greater than the sum of it’s parts. This body of work is created in honor of my neighbor and friend, Lauren.
Nancy LeGendre, Sept. 12, 2021
