Liz and Paul Norwood have been coming to the Vineyard for about as long as they have known each other. In a house tucked away in one of Edgartown’s quieter corners, they spent summers raising their two children, wandering the Great Pond and making art.
Now, after nearly 30 years as summer residents, the Norwoods are coupling their creative mediums in Away To See, a book that reflects on what it means to exist on Martha’s Vineyard and pays homage to the place the Norwoods call home.
Away to See pairs Ms. Norwood’s rhythmic vignettes with her husband’s paintings, which depict familiar Vineyard spots using unique texture and light work. The two said they were hoping to offer a different perspective of the Vineyard, especially to those who haven’t spent time on the Island.
“People tend to think of the Vineyard as bougie,” Mr. Norwood said. “We kind of wanted the opposite of that.”
The Norwoods often travel the Island to seek out quiet, unexplored places, which then became centerpieces of their book, as seen in Mr. Norwood’s paintings of empty beaches and Ms. Norwood’s accounts of slow, peaceful nights. Ms. Norwood said she used personal experience and specificity to invite readers into their version of the Island.
“Even though some of the vignettes are personal, the idea is that it can also be universal, and that people can feel what it feels like — or maybe they have an experience that equates to that experience,” she said.
Her creative process is all about being present. That means writing in the place she’s trying to capture. “I need to look at the leaves,” she said. “I need to see how the wind hits the leaves, I need to smell the pine.” Her favorite pieces are After Hours and Moonshadow, a scene from the very first night she spent on the Island, in the dead of winter.
Mr. Norwood said that while his wife’s background in editing fosters a perfectionist attention to detail, he is more inclined to go with the flow when painting.
“I’m all about embracing mistakes in my work,” he said. “That’s where the magic is.”
He is particularly proud of Great Pond because he believes “it really encapsulates everything that we do down here.” Only a five-minute walk away from their home, the pond holds fond memories of times spent with the whole family.
The process of creating Away To See took two years, a time period that coincided with the departure of their children as they headed off to college. The Norwoods said that sharing creativity became a way to cope with the transition.
“Your kids are the most meaningful thing that you do in your lifetime,” said Mr. Norwood. “And it’s like, after that, where is that meaning going to come from? It’s never going to replace it, but it can help it out.”
Now the Norwood children, Jameson and Laina, are getting involved in the artistic collaboration too. Jameson’s sketch of Grange Hall is featured at the end of the book, and Laina is joining her father for an exhibition at the Eisenhauer Gallery that began on July 1 and continues through July 21. The exhibit will showcase Mr. Norwood’s paintings, both from the book and other work, along with a collection of coastal paintings by Laina. There will be a reception at the gallery for the book on Friday, July 17, from 5 to 8 p.m.
In addition to bringing their family closer together, Ms. Norwood said that the book helped connect them to more people on the Vineyard.
“We feel more part of the community,” she said.
Mr. Norwood agreed, reflecting on the familial feel of the Island compared to where they live year-round in Mill Valley, Calif., just north of San Francisco.
“New England people, I think, are very hard to get to know, but once you do get to know them, you’re in deep. You’re family,” he said.
Away To See is the Norwoods first book in what will be a continuing series focusing on place. They plan to direct their creative attention to coastal California next before moving on to somewhere in Europe — possibly the islands of Italy.
Ms. Norwood connected their plans to the title Away To See, explaining that the series will be an exploration of places both new and familiar.
“You can either see new places in a certain light by being away and getting out of your everyday autopilot, or you can see familiar places,” she said. “We’ve been on the Island for 30 years, but we’re seeing it differently now because of this experience.”
Article written by Daniella Freedman. Photos by Jeanna Shepard