We had just attended a Wedding in Maine and decided to ride and explore the coastal towns in Mass. We came upon a beautiful red barn like building at the end of the harbor. The sky was clear and the sun was at the perfect angle to create beautiful reflections of boats in the water. I couldn't help but take a picture and return home to paint what I had seen. Unknown to me at the time, the picturesque old building, known as Motif No. 1, may be the most painted building in the United States — if not the world.
The shack was originally built circa 1884-85. Today’s Motif (or “Motive,” as the locals call it) is actually a replica. Rockport rebuilt it after the original was destroyed by the Blizzard of 1978. For decades Motif No. 1 ‘settled into a peaceful coexistence’ with fishermen and tourists. In 1930, the artist John Buckley bought the shack and used it as his studio.
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