A Tradition on the Shore

I was commissioned to paint a piece for my sister and family for the most perfect place in their home, right behind the dining room table. In our family, the dining room table has always been an important gathering place full of tradition, love, togetherness, and delicious food. When talking to them about what they wanted the piece to reflect, it was very apparent how it revolved around family tradition.

Our annual vacation to Door County, Wisconsin has been a family tradition since my sister and I were young children. As depicted in this painting, one of our favorite spots in Door County is overlooking Eagle Harbor in Ephraim across from the famous Wilson’s Ice Cream. We have spent many beautiful summer evenings watching this sunset view while devouring Mackinac Island Fudge and Sneakers ice cream. 

After indulging in all that ice cream, we balance it out with a hike or bike ride in Peninsula State Park. On one of our hikes I took pictures of the shoreline and gathered fallen items on the trail. I found scrap pieces of bark from tall birch trees to leverage within my painting for added texture. My nephews helped me find some special items from the trail and I made sure to incorporate them in. The birch was layered under the wax and over an image transfer of the Peninsula State Park tree line. If you look close you can see the tree tops! I loved being able to encapsulate these special memories of our family in a place we treasure, and most of all, the moments spent together.