Parents pass down many of their passions to their children – some intentionally and others unintentionally.
For sisters Meghan and Erin, it was the art that adorned their home as children that never left their imagination and thoughts, even after they left the house as adults.
In particular, the colorful scenery and landscapes of artist Jill Hoy left a lasting impression. Their parents, Jill and Bob, had collected the visual artist’s work during the 1980s – colorful artwork that richly depicts landscapes and scenery with eye-catching details. My. Hoy painted many scenes of Dear Isle, Maine – where the sisters spent many summers.
The artwork assumed such a strong meaning for the family that the younger sister, Erin, commissioned a painting for her sister as a wedding gift.
But most recently, the two women decided to surprise their parents with the ultimate gift – a Jill Hoy painting of their Mattapoisett Village home as a 30th wedding anniversary present.
“We grew up with Jill’s art, and we grew up going to Dear Isle and we grew up going to Mattapoisett… My parents love the house and town of Mattapoisett. We just felt it was a marriage of things that they love and we love, and decided to have Jill paint a painting of it,” Meghan said.
“What was interesting, is that they were not much older than their daughters when discovered me up in Maine,” commented the artist, Ms. Hoy. “They just love art, and have always trusted their love of it… they go for what they love.”
But getting the house painting without their parents noticing was tricky business.
“We’ve been going back and forth with Jill for almost a year,” she said of the ordeal. “We had to find a time when they weren’t going to be around.”
Ms. Hoy said eventually the daughters found a window of opportunity during a winter vacation, and luckily a friend helped take care of the family dogs. “It happened to coincide with decent painting weather,” said the artist. The paintings (she did two paintings) took two whole days to complete, she said.
“Because I work outside, there is an alive quality to it,” Ms. Hoy said of the painting, remarking on the effect of the outdoor lighting.
When the day finally came to unveil the gift, it was well worth the intensive planning.
“They were very surprised. They were really blown away,” said Meghan of the unveiling to her parents last weekend.
“They loved it. They thought it was very special,” Ms. Hoy said. “It’s a sweetheart of a story, they are a great couple.”
Even more special is the passing on of the love of art from one generation to the next.
“Art is a kind of mystical dialogue, it keeps giving and nourishing and that is kind of wonderful.. To be given by your kids, what you gave to them, is pretty special,” Ms. Hoy said.
By Laura Fedak Pedulli