A red fishing shack, motif # 1, sits at the end of Bradley wharf in Rockport, Massachusetts. It was a favorite subject among art students in the 1800s in the growing artist colony of Rockport. Its name was believed to have been coined by a painter. It was destroyed by a blizzard and rebuilt because of its iconic value in depicting the New England maritime way of life.

Rockport, Massachusetts was the first of the three coastal towns that we decided to visit. We wanted to see the way of life away from the hustle and bustle of Boston. Motif # 1 was a 40 mile (64 kilometer) drive to the north until we reached the tip of Cape Ann. It was a small town. We liked it.