As lush and robust as shorelines can be, careful hands can capture their simplicity in an elegant but sturdy way. That is what Hannah Viano, the inaugural artist in residency at the Jefferson County Museum of Art and History, has been striving for with her brand of paper cut art.

Viano also was tasked with creating the poster for the 2018 Wooden Boat Festival, and she described it as an opportunity to cross-pollinate while she is in the area to gain inspiration for her work moving forward.

Although the end product is made from black pieces of paper depicting shorelines, marine creatures and boats, Viano gathers ideas for her works using various artistic mediums.

Dabbling in watercolor and pen and ink, she heads out to learn about a place, while capturing a moment in time, or studying a certain subject, whether it is a boat or an animal. She also may add notes to help remind her about how she was feeling at that moment.

“There's something amazing about capturing information like that in your hands,” Viano said about the process of putting to paper what she sees on the water. “There's something about translating information through your eyes, through your arms and through your hands. It taps into different pathways in muscle memories.”

Once she collects all the imagery a location can provide, Viano retreats to her studio to get it into a more permanent form. Her brand of cut-paper artwork is high-contrast and minimalist, and she describes it as “distilled shapes and ideas.”

The inspiration she gathers during her residency will be used to create a body of work that will be on exhibit next fall.

Viano lived on boats when she grew up on the coast of Maine, and her father built boats where she lived on shore. As a teenager, she worked on tall ships and eventually became a captain of a vessel.

Shorelines — and all that come with them — have been a constant interest throughout.

Viano said the work she is most proud of involved maritime and watery locations. When she first came to Port Townsend, she worked alongside a rigger and through outdoor education programs.

“Maritime pursuits have been an ongoing thread,” she said.

Viano also wrote and provided illustrations for three published children's books, two of which aim to help little ones learn the alphabet through images of Northwest flora, fauna and elements. The books include “S is for Salmon – a Pacific Northwest Alphabet” and “B is for Bear.” Her other book, “Arrow to Alaska – A Pacific Northwest Adventure,” tells of a young boy who goes on an adventure to visit his grandfather.

Viano also published an illustrated journal titled “Weathering.”

The residency is a welcome retreat to dedicate seven consecutive days to her craft, she said. Viano took time off to raise her son after he was born, and as he has grown, Viano has found more time for art.

She was drawn back to shorelines from regions east of the Washington Cascades in the Methow Valley.

Next year, Viano plans to spend time on a Norwegian island for a residency as well.

During her time at the Jefferson County Museum of Art and History, Viano will have a display called “Saltwater Lace,” which will feature most of the pieces from a series she created during a residency in Scotland last year.

Viano said the body of work that came from that time connects with her Port Townsend residency, which is why she will choose those specific pieces.

Viano will start setting up Nov. 1, and her door will be open to the public to visit and ask about her artwork.

“It's a treat to get over there and smell the saltwater,” Viano said. “It's an amazing opportunity to have a whole week to just focus on generating new ideas.”