Quarry Reflections
Deep in the Dogtown woods, a Rockport artist finds inspiration
Cape Ann’s quarries have been mostly abandoned since the 1930s and have since been filled by rain and spring water. They remain hidden in forested areas that nature has reclaimed over time. Skip Montello’s frequent forays into the center of Cape Ann’s Dogtown bring him new and fresh opportunities to record the reflections of the quarry walls on glassy calm water or a thin sheet of fresh ice.
“The stone can get its color a number of ways — from varying percentages of minerals present in the stone, to the environment in which the stone walls were created, plus exposure to different elements and organic materials,” he says. “The intriguing rock designs were created by cutting and splitting large blocks of granite and in some cases, an artistic carving created by a quarryman.”
For Montello, creative inspiration abounds on Cape Ann thanks to its ocean, the rocky coastline, and miles of woodland trails. “My creative inspiration has much to draw from. Every day and every season provides endless diversity of photographic opportunities. I am drawn to the serenity and beauty found in the deep woods where the remnants of days past can be found among the abandoned quarries and homesteads. There is no other place that I have traveled to that inspires me more.”
