Painting the North Shore with Lisa Boemer

With the hustle and bustle of daily life, it’s hard to take a step back and look at the beauty right in front of you. But it’s out there, just waiting to be seen.

Artist Lisa Boemer sat down with The Item at the Pomona Cafe and Wine Bar in Swampscott, where she resides, and discussed how she immerses herself in the beauty of the North Shore to find inspiration as a professional painter.

Growing up in Newton, Boemer decided to head to the North Shore in 2018, after her divorce and when her youngest was heading off to college.

“I fell in love with it,” she said about the area. “What’s not to love?”

Previously working in administration and operations, Boemer decided to take a break from the corporate lifestyle, traveled around and painted for a year, then came to Swampscott and opened up her gift shop, The Hiccup. However, Boemer became sick and had to close the shop in April 2023. Now, she spends most of her time painting and works part-time at the Marblehead Arts Association.

“I paint a variety of different things, but this past spring I’ve been really passionate about connecting with the community and the art,” Boemer said.

Most recently, Boemer collaborated with students at Lynn Vocational Technical Institute on the exhibit, “Charting Our Course and Connecting Our Communities.” The exhibit featured Boemer’s paintings atop NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) navigational charts, to bring awareness to the endangerment of the North Atlantic right whale.

According to the NOAA, the right whale is one of the world’s most endangered large whale species, with Boemer saying there are only 350 left in the world.

Boemer said after she became inspired to paint on the NOAA maps, she noticed multiple dots indicating the whale’s critical habitats. So, she looked into it and became fascinated with them.

Every year during the spring, Boemer said people can see the whales pass by the beach in Nahant as they migrate north.

Living on the North Shore, Boemer gets most of her inspiration from the water and feels a connection to it.

“Water can be very healing. The tide comes in, it goes out, and it’s fierce,” Boemer said.

One of her favorite pastimes that she recommends to anyone wanting to connect with nature and seek artistic inspiration is walking along the coast.

“You can walk from Nahant, all the way along the water and down to Fisherman’s Beach,” Boemer said. “I think that’s inspiring and wonderful, especially at sunset.”

“At night, the water will shimmer with the sunset… with the Boston skyline,” Boemer said.

Sunrise is an amazing time as well, she said, if people are able to wake up early enough to view it.

Boemer said that it’s incredibly important to stop and look around you, because you’ll see something you never noticed before.

“What inspires me in creating, is the beauty… it’s all right in front of us, it’s just whether or not you see it,” Boemer said, pointing to the flower arrangement on the table in front of her, saying it’s the perfect still-life painting waiting to happen.

Even the dismal winter weather in New England doesn’t stop Boemer, but rather brings more time to create.

“You’re not going to go out in it. So, you’re inside, you might as well create,” Boemer said.

Just like those with a “typical” job, Boemer likes to keep a scheduled week, to make sure she gets everything done.

On Mondays and Tuesdays, she’s in her studio; on Wednesdays, she’s taking time to explore and find inspiration; on Thursdays and Fridays, you can find her working at the association; and her weekends are usually spent at gallery shows.

Being an artist for many years, Boemer credits her dedication and ability to continue improving her craft on continued education.

“I love connecting with other creators,” Boemer said.

Not only is she taking painting classes, but delving into cooking, woodworking, gardening, and anything that allows her to open up and “create.”

“I would even encourage any creator to do something that creates, to get away from our phones, to set aside time,” Boemer said. “As an artist, what I want to do is try to create a connection with the view that is an expression of something, whatever that expression might be.”

Her advice to those wanting to create is to get involved, take classes, and don’t be too hard on yourself.

“Be patient with yourself, you’re not going to be a master, it takes practice… accept where you’re at… happy accidents, embrace them,” Boemer said. “It’s scary, but the hardest part is to just do it.”

Other areas in the North Shore that Boemer recommends taking time to soak in the view at are the murals decorating Lynn, Humphrey Street in Swampscott, and any art gallery or museum.

“You don’t even have to be an artist to appreciate that stuff,” she said.

Everything anyone might be worrying about or working on will still be there tomorrow, Boemer said, so in the meantime, look up, and bask in the beauty of the North Shore.

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