Rockport, Massachusetts, has got to be one of the most relaxing and most saturated places (for its size) to buy art. While you can find the paint-by-numbers paintings, your beach town spray painters, and the ocean painted in any way you want (from scary to soothing, with or without boats, from traditional to modern), and some of the art galleries are not worth more than a peek from the door, there are many true gems found in the numerous art galleries of Rockport.

One of them is Tusinski Gallery, on Two Main Street, Rockport. And while I would like to say I was the first one to claim to “find” Karen Tusinski here, it was no less than Sandra Bullock, who found Karen Tusinski while filming her movie Proposal at Cape Ann. Double lucky for Karen Tusinski, it wasn’t just Sandra Bullock who fell in love with her art, but also the production designer of Proposal, Nelson Coates. Both of them liked Tusinski’s poppy-infused art so much that they decided to bring a few of her paintings into the movie. Originally only two of Tusinski’s paintings were going to be in the movie, but the number rose to four, and Sandra Bullock bought one of them after filming, and went back for Tusinski’s gallery to get more.

The first painting appearing in the movie is “Blue Himalayan Poppies”, hung in the hallway of the mansion, and seen as Sandra Bullock’s character enters the house the first time. Tusinski’s painting “One in the Same” was hung in the bedroom of the mansion, and “Poppies in Raku Bowl on Tile” in the living room, and in the bathroom the “Queen Anne’s Lace with Tulips”. Sandra Bullock bought the “One in the Same” after the filming and also bough another poppy painting, called “Tall Poppies”. Fittingly, Bullock has a dog called Poppy.

Tusinski is originally from Salem, Massachusetts, but “has been all over” according to her, until settling down at least for now, in Rockport a two years ago. Her art is fresh, colorful, and she has a love for poppies, which play the main part in many of her paintings. I felt right at home at her gallery – the poppies reminded me of Marimekko’s famous Unikko print, and the artist said she likes the print as well.

I love Tusinski’s paintings, and Bullock’s taste, however my budget doesn’t allow any paintings. One thing that my budget does allow is this $450 whale made out of driftwood and rocks. I really want to take it home before leaving on Saturday, but the heavy weight and the fact that our artist souls like to move often and the whale might become whale of a problem to move (just when I have done so great getting rid of all my heavy antique finds). What do you think – whale or no whale?

You can also find Tusinski’s art at these galleries, and more at KarenTusinski.com Jules Place, Boston, MA E. Eisenhauer Gallery, Edgartown, MA Coda Gallery, Park City, UT Karen Tusinski, Rockport, Sandra Bullock