SWAMPSCOTT GARDEN ART WALK
ARTISTS AND GARDENERS

Karlene Ball

Artist

I love finding funky fabric that makes the best functional gifts. I started sewing on a hand-me-down sewing machine about 10 or so years ago and now I try to find the time to cut fabric, iron it, and sew it whenever I get the chance. Sewing is a great way to de-stress and focus on something creative. It’s the best feeling when someone else loves the things I make too! I used to hear people say they were “so envious” that I knew how to sew and that name stuck!

Jocelyn Cook

Gardener

What began as a little project to remove invasive plant material from our new to us home in 2022, has blossomed into a passion for growing cut flowers, love of flower arranging and creating thoughtfully designed native habitats for critical pollinators.

This will be my second year working to overhaul our yard, expanding my gardens, beginning to transform our backyard and replacing additional grass with shrubs and flowers.  

Pending Mother Nature’s blessing, this year I’ll have close to 250 dahlias in my front yard, 145 native plants, 22 peonies, 6 roses, 2,000 cut flower annuals and 13 varieties of edible flowers and plants for inclusion as design elements in my arrangements. I follow nontoxic garden practices and love the connections made in the community through a shared love of gardening.

Ellen Garvey

Artist and Gardener

I have been involved with crafts all my life, always having many projects going to keep my hands busy. After decades of a career in high tech I came to the realization that I was no longer doing that due to the demands of work. It had to change! So I signed up for a glassblowing class as a way to force myself to escape. Glassblowing is an activity that requires one’s full attention so the escape plan worked. I was hooked. I subsequently added glass fusing to my repertoire.

Pam Holland

Gardener

The front garden of this large historic home consists of shaded Hostas on the north side and more sunny perennials on the south side. Large planters line the staircase to the front door and hanging baskets adorn the porch. The back garden has large rock terraces and a staircase to an upper yard. The house was situated to take advantage of the large natural rock outcropping in the back yard.

SHS Discovery Point Postgraduate Program

Emily Merced

Artists and Gardeners

The Discovery Point Program is for young adults, ages 18 to 22, with disabilities and diverse learning styles. This program focuses on helping young adults discover and develop their individual strengths and interests while preparing them for an independent and fulfilling life in the community.

Discovery Point Students and interns participate in designing, creating, and selling handmade items at local farmers and craft markets to fundraise for community-based learning opportunities. Our artists spend time exploring leisure and hobby activities as well as career opportunities through the design, creation, and sales process of the Discovery Store. Recently sold items have been: wooden jack-o-lanterns, holiday ornaments, greeting cards, customized pens and tumblers, vinyl stickers, upcycled crayons, and much more.

Margaret Bachini 

Gardener

Blueberry bushes in pots!!! Growing garden vegetables in groups of pots to hide from critters!! Creating your own oasis of peace and serenity to enjoy all summer!!

Theresa Curtis

Artist

Painting has always been a passion of mine, and since retiring from teaching I have enjoyed developing my style full time. Living on the North Shore has been an inspiration to me, and I enjoy painting scenes from my photographs of local landscapes. It brings me such pleasure to interpret the beauty in nature through experimentation with color and texture.

Torey Cummings

Gardener

Sean Lobdell

Artist

Sean Lobdell, born in 1968 in New Haven, Connecticut, began his artistic education early, exploring prestigious collections at Yale, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and MoMA in New York. He studied art at Northeastern University, The Museum School at the MFA, and Mass Art, including under the mentorship of Robert Wells. Influenced deeply by Jackson Pollock, Lobdell has dedicated over 100 pieces to the late master. His diverse portfolio includes abstracts, pop art, expressionism, and modernism, with more than 200 works created since 2000. Lobdell’s reclusive nature keeps him away from gallery shows and media, focusing instead on evoking strong emotional responses through his limited commissions and deeply private exhibitions.

Susan K Burgess

Artist

Susan K Burgess has painted on-site since 1966 in her native New England, Southwest & West Coast USA, Italy, Portugal, Mexico & the Caribbean. She earned a BA (studio art) from Boston College, MEd courses from RI College, and Graduate Certificates in Management from Harvard-Radcliffe Institute and Graphic Design from NSCC. Her career spanned teaching art to children in RI and MA public schools to producing art enrichment programs to savvy seniors and MBA students, initiating & managing a gallery in Cambridge, and managing two sales programs at an art museum, while still painting 'plein air' on a parallel course. An award-winning member of several North Shore arts associations, she has had 15 solo exhibits to her credit between 1995-2018.

Anthony DeLisi

Gardener

Vegetable Garden and flowers.

Frances Levy-Freiman

Gardener

A cottage garden on the property of a Royal Barry Wills home. Landscape, hardscapes, pergola, shed, trellis and arbor designed and built by the owners. Numerous perennials, window boxes and pots full of annuals. An explosion of color!

Agatha Morrell

Gardener

Our garden has been created for birds, bees and butterflies. The circular path through it is full of surprises. No dogs please.

Margaret Somer

Gardener

The SOMER GARDEN, sometimes known as BALLYHOSTA, is a classic perennial garden, with layers of bulbs, flowers and flowering shrubs emerging each month.  These perennials bloom for 2-3 weeks. Annuals are interplanted in May, which bloom till fall frost. The garden starts with tulips, daffodils and purple hyacinths in April and happily ends with mums and Montauk daisies in October.

Mary DeChillo

Gardener

Along the sidewalk on Rockland Street, we have the new white cedar fence with a lattice top. Enter the gate, descend a hand-crafted staircase, and a “sunken” Beacon Hill style garden appears on the side and in the back of our 1870 Italianate Victorian house.

The garden, driveway,  and retaining wall were completely redesigned and  reconstructed 2 years ago through a collaboration  between the Kostin Nursery of Ipswich and Meninno Construction of Lynn. It has 2 raised vegetable beds, 2 separate patios (one vintage brick and one made of pea stone). 

The free-form (“figure 8) flower bed in the middle back of the garden lot has a lot of perennials,  a miniature red maple, and decorative rock. The border around the property’s perimeter has cedar trees, evergreens, and hydrangeas. A slate stone path and arbor separate the side and back spaces.

Marcie Gingle

Gardener

I designed the garden about 20 years ago into a series of “rooms including a water feature."

Swampscott Fire Department

The Swampscott Fire Department is proud to share the talents of our members through this work. The fire-related display is meant to engage the community in our daily firefighting and prevention.

Ernie Dion

Artist

I have been working with wood all my life. I get incredible joy out of creating with wood. It is a passion of mine. I am open to custom wood working to meet your needs.

Deb Newman

Gardener

All the grass is gone and replaced by shrubs and perennials. The garden is intentionally informal. Working on getting as many native and pollinator-friendly plants as possible.

Stephanie Moriarty

Artist

Stephanie Moriarty discovered her passion for ceramics a decade ago, immersing herself in the art form at The Clay School in Lynn. As a ceramist, Stephanie is a weaver of functionality and beauty. Her hands mold clay into pieces that seamlessly blend form and function. There's a palpable joy in Stephanie's work, stemming from the deep satisfaction of crafting something with her own hands – something that not only looks beautiful but also serves a purpose, that she is able to shared with others.

Susan Bishop

Swampscott Veterans of Foreign War Post 1240

Gardener

Red, white, and blue planters to show our spirit!

Leila Tanen

Artist

Raised on the beach, I’ve collected sea glass my whole life. While organizing my glass, I started playing around with creating pictures with it and now it’s my favorite thing to do. I teach 3rd grade special education in Lynn. Grew up in Nahant and was in the first class to attend Swampscott High School. My 3 children also attended SHS.

Lori Dion

Artist

I have been working with clay for several years. I love working with my hands and creating with clay. I find clay work and painting with watercolor provides me with sense of peace and strength of mind. These mediums ground and balance my life.

Cindy Hellmann 

Gardener 

I have a beautiful front yard garden consisting of perennials, annuals, benches, birdbaths, and bird feeders. I also keep chickens and goats which people will be able to meet and even pet!

Artists

Longtime friends and neighbors, Cindy Hellmann and Romi Kielnecker dreamed up Ocean Thrift Mercantile as they love to create beautiful planters and up-cycled treasures for your home and garden.

Come and see our beautiful succulent planters and unique upcycled thrifted treasures.

Swampscott Arts Association

Our mission is to foster and encourage art in Swampscott and the surrounding communities through camaraderie, workshops, and exhibitions for both artist and those who appreciate art.

The work of participating artists at this year's Garden Art Walk is as varied as they themselves are.  Our Works are two dimensional - both painters and photographers  We count many award winners among our membership.

Andrea Amour

Gardener

We have a flowering front yard and a rear set of raised beds that my 3 year old helps me plant, water, and pull fruits and vegetables from. Gardening is also one of the main points of conversation with our neighbors, which has helped our relationship grow over time.

Diane Reynolds

Gardener

Lush gardens and flowers and a walking path behind Swampscott High School. Photos of local gardens from long ago, provided by the Swampscott Historical Society, will be on display.

Hannah Sharpless

Gardener and Artist

Beneficial native plants and dye plants gardened in a way that is most sustainable for pollinators and our planet. Always moving towards better stewardship of the earth.

Because the through line of my art practice is the natural world, it ebbs and flows with the seasons, with the tides, and with the temperature. In the winter, I am with the dogs at the beach, observing and capturing the light, water, and landscape, or at home painting with plant inks and pigments I gathered and processed in the summer and into the fall. As we turn towards spring, I anticipate muddy hikes with ink rich buds, blossoms, and fungi, and the sprouts that will unfurl into summer blooms ripe with dye colors. For every new color or interaction I stumble into in my process focused work, I learn more about our local habitats and the way people have interacted with dyes, inks, and other wildcrafts throughout.

Julianna Donovan

Artist

Salem Style: crochet accessories that are anything but granny (no offense to granny!). Our original handmade crochet collection draws inspiration from Salem, MA. With over 25 years of crocheting experience and as a fifth-generation crocheter, I create every design with intention.

My original designs include: the iced coffee cup cozy as well as several original hat, scarf, and ear warmer designs.

Heather Goodwin

Artist

One of a kind sculptures, wreaths, and textile art created from recycled and reclaimed materials.

Heather Goodwin is the maker behind Sea Hag Studios. She creates art from reclaimed materials. Each piece is one of a kind and helps make the world a cleaner, more beautiful place. Every piece of wood, rope, and textile gets a new life as art. What’s better than that? Her studio can be found in Nahant MA where the land meets the Sea.

Swampscott Police Department

Bike helmet art display: Come and see the colorful display of bike helmets decorated by local students. "Sora" the K-9 will join us plus we will have Kell's Kreme certificates for children.