Special to the Times
Beacon Hill resident, Catherine Rockett, held a solo art show over the Holidays, hosted by Kristin Jenkins, proprietor of the Mount Vernon Street 1928 restaurant. A collection of Ms. Rockett’s hobbyist oil paintings were featured and offered for sale. Beacon cityscapes and historic architecture are of primary focus for the artist, who became enamored of the charm of Beacon Hill from her long-time involvement in sailing at Community Boating on the Charles. Many of her other works feature seascapes, landscapes, sailing and historic buildings in Nantucket, drawn from Rockett’s years of cruising and racing sailboats. While Rockett paints Nantucket scenes in situ, she often paints from the live webcams streamed from Nantucket as well as from multiple photographs.
Catherine Rockett.
Not only is Rockett self-trained, she explained that she is not a life-long artist, but she only began painting as an adult. Rockett paints local scenes that she sees as particularly interesting and charming, but she also takes commissions. In fact, Ms. Jenkins was first introduced to the artist through a commissioned oil painting gift of the facade of her 1928 restaurant, which was part of the art show, although it was not for sale.
The commissions Rockett has completed are usually to commemorate significant everts – birthdays, weddings and other such events. One example is a Boston University aerial scene painted for a wedding present for a couple who met at BU. Surprisingly, Rockett noted that commissions of the facades of historic Beacon Hill homes have not been as major an activity as she would have thought. However, Charles Street businesses have been well represented in her portfolio. Her oils of Beacon Hill are realistic, filled with fine detail of the buildings, making them very recognizable and appealing to those familiar with the neighborhood. While not all shown at the holiday show, in addition to the 1928 restaurant, Rockett’s has painted the old Beacon Hill Pub, the Rouvalis floral shop, even the U.S. Post Office.
of her paintings.
The show also featured a large oil of the Longfellow Bridge facing the Hill with its historic architecture in the background, and the State House and Financial District high rises beyond. The artist works at her craft in her spare time, as she works full-time as a risk management consultant at Robert M. Currey & Associates, Inc. She holds a law degree from Suffolk University, which she earned in two and a half years while working full-time. She is actively involved in the Community Boating (CBI) organization where Rockett is on the Board of CBI, acting as Secretary, as well as a member of both the Budget & Finance and the Strategic Planning Committees. When not engaged in consulting, CBI activities or painting, Rockett’s additional advocation is studying maritime law. As Rockett’s typical painting may take her forty-to-fifty hours to complete, one can wonder when she sleeps. However, she was enthusiastically open to taking on future local commissions. The artist may be reached at http://www.instagram.com/rockettart/