The Carriage Road
Painting by Mary Gilmartin
Rich colors and delicate brushstrokes combine in artist Mary Gilmartin’s paintings to convey a sense of place. Growing up in a family of artists, Gilmartin always loved to draw and spend time in nature. Her appreciation for the outdoors led her to study Earth Science in college. While there, she decided to take a painting class and quickly realized that she had found her calling.
“The first painting I ever sold was a homework assignment,” says Gilmartin. “I guess I should have changed my major.” Fast forward to today and the Hanover resident is a successful artist, whose specialties include realistic wildlife and pet portraits as well as dynamic depictions of South Shore landscapes. World’s End in Hingham is one of her favorite local spots.
“I have four daughters and we take a lot of walks together,” says Gilmartin, who often snaps photographs of coastal views so she can paint them when she gets back to her studio. Her painting “The Carriage Road” was inspired by one such afternoon walk on the winding seaside paths at World’s End. The painting has won numerous awards, including 1st place at the Pembroke Arts Festival in 2020 and 1st place at The Nationals at Cape Cod Art Center in 2022. “I like to show people how I view nature and all of her beauty,” she says. “It’s my zen space.” To view more examples of Gilmartin’s art, visit marygilmartinart.com.