Architects; the people who bring amazing cities to life with their artistic and creative flair to the buildings and structures that make up our urban jungles. It is a career (or to architects, a lifestyle) that gives individuals the autonomy to experiment and creatively express their ideas through pursuing the artistic embodiment of project parameters. When travelling, different aspects of a foreign country appeal to different people. For some it is the people they meet, the food they taste, the history or culture that make up a community; for me it is the buildings. From the size and dimensions of a building, right down to the minute details in the lighting and intricate interior details.

Bar Harbor is a town along Maine’s Frenchman Bay on Mount Desert Island. When walking the streets of this town that is like something out a fairy tale, it allows us to slow down and appreciate the world and life we live in. The architecture of this entire town works brilliantly with the natural surroundings of the mountains and ocean, seamlessly blending the history of the town for tourists and locals. Surrounded my hills and mountains, the setting of this town can range from glistening sunlight to thick fog and mist; it is a lifestyle, an inspiration and a unique place. One guy who has found his muse and inspiration from this incredible town is an artist by the name of Sam Shaw. An artist by nature and builder/ architect by hobby, he skilfully brings his drawings to life creating a real life set like something from a Tim Burton film.

Nestled in the village of Islesford on Little Cranberry Island, anyone who stumbles across his works of art would think they stepped into what would seem like a fictional novel that we use to read as children. Think Hans Christian Anderson, a small cottage from one of his stories shielded from the elements by the surrounding trees with a tiled pointed roof that fits like a hat on a cottage with large arching windows, a faint glow illuminated from the fireplace inside, stone paths winding through the thick of the forest under arching timber entrances; this is the scene Sam creates with his work. From overhanging lamps perfectly placed on surrounding trees, to the impossible yet quirky lopsided twisting houses, his ability to essentially bring what would seem like a child’s drawing of a house to reality is second to none and inspiring. His works of art take you on a journey and brings out the inner child in all of us. Bar Harbor and the works of Sam flawlessly go hand-in-hand, taking anyone who has the privilege to experience this special place on an incredible journey.