Cape Ann
Massachusetts
Topographic and bathymetric relief of Cape Ann, where granite shoreline, tidal estuaries, and working water meet the Atlantic. Hardwood forms the land, with laser-etched tributaries extending inland through the watershed. Translucent resin defines the tidal edge and offshore shelf, positioning river, harbor, and open water in relation.
Complete topographic composition
Ocean floor detail
The couple’s children commissioned this piece for their parents’ 50th wedding anniversary. The conversation centered on continuity, on a marriage shaped over decades along the same granite coast, with rivers, marshes, harbors, and offshore water all part of the place they know.
The design needed to show Cape Ann as a connected coastal system rather than a shoreline alone. Tributaries were etched inland, tidal marshes were kept legible, and the bathymetry was included so the coast could be understood as land meeting water over time.
The resin was mixed toward the color of Atlantic summer water, with a sea-glass tone suited to the coast. The material choices were intended to let land, sea, and family history occupy the same field of view.
Artist's Note