Artist finds inspiration in the lines between land and sea.

Something about the process of printmaking captures Cape images in a completely unique way. Solid and grounded, the artwork evokes feelings, likely rooted in the process as much as in the outcome. Chunks of color, broken by intersecting lines, come together to create images that touch viewers in a primal way.

“The line itself is really what so much of printmaking is about” says artist Emily Beebe whose linoleum-cut prints starkly and succinctly portray the simple lines found across the Cape landscape. “The image is about holding the edge of the line, and that is done with space, and, really, isn’t that at the heart of our whole relationship with this place—the line of the horizon, the space around it, the ocean and sky.”

Creating art has always been a part of Beebe’s life, a means of relaxation and expression. Beebe moved to the Cape shortly after leaving college where she studied environmental ecology. “I worked in that field. I raised a family. I never really studied art. Art for me has always been a pleasure, an escape, a hobby, or craft. But now it’s become something more, something that feeds me more. I particularly love working with other people in art classes. That sense of camaraderie when you’re doing something you’re so immersed in—that’s wonderful.” Beebe appreciates the deep artistic heritage of Cape Cod and says she feels lucky to have learned from the many artists here who continue the tradition of white line printmaking, people such as Bill Evaul. Printmaking, however, is only one facet of Beebe’s creative expression, which she says is always informed by the history and landscape of the Cape. In addition to...