A chance encounter on a beach inspired the exhibit “Some Mornings: Paintings by Meg Kaczyk from poems by Linda Robertson,” a collection of oil paintings and poetry that reflects on types of loss and the things that can bring comfort during the grieving process. The exhibit is now on view at Northwind Art’s Grover Gallery on Taylor Street until May 30. 

Kaczyk seeks to move the legacy of abstract expressionism forward by focussing conscious attention to heartfelt experiences of loss, guided by Robertson’s evocation of these tender places.

“The paintings are not intended as illustration — this is an important point,” Kaczyk said. “The painting is a furthering of the poem, a sense of impression beyond the obvious narrative, a wordless felt experience.”

The idea to collaborate happened when Kaczyk decided to take a walk on the Cape George beach near her home before teaching a painting class at Fort Worden. Robertson was there, walking as well. They had met before in a hiking group. Robertson mentioned some recent poems she was writing and Kaczyk said, “send them to me. I’ll use them in my class as an example of how poems inspire my painting process.” And so it began. 

Ultimately, Robertson shared a collection of more than 30 poems with Kaczyk. The work of this exhibit is rooted in that serendipitous meeting with Robertson on the beach, and a shared connection to loss and grief.

“Meg’s paintings bring the heart of my poems — of transience and loss, comfort, and the wild world — to profound wordlessness again,” Robertson said.

Robertson’s recent work touches on the tragic losses of her 20-year-old son Evan in an avalanche accident, and her oldest brother Tommy to brain disease, and includes her experience caring for aging parents. “Linda’s poems resonated with my life. For the past six years, I have been caring for my husband who has a rare, incurable form of cancer. Loss is slow but real,” Kaczyk said. “Going into the studio to work with the poems and my art is a restorative practice. Art-making — and this body of work in particular — helps me and grounds me, and it is my hope that comfort emanates from the work to be felt by others too.” A book of the exhibit with corresponding poems is also available at the Grover Gallery.

To learn more about the exhibit, go to northwindart.org/news/some-mornings-paintings-by-meg-kaczyknbspfrom-poems-by-linda-m-robertson.