INK MAGAZINE - JULY 2022

A Guide to Finer Living in Connecticut & abroad July 2022

Vol 17 Issue 198 inkct.com

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JULY 2022

Vol. 17 Issue 198

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Feature Stories

Departments

Tidewater Lighting and Design Co.

“She Lights Up a Room”

Highclere Castle Gin

Cheers to Downton Abby

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Mystic Cinema - A Life Spent in the Movies.

Cheesemonger - Coffee Do’s and Don’ts July Events - Get out and live a little

“It doesn’t matter where you go in life, as long as you go to the beach.”

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God’s Left Ear - Part 1 For a Moment Everything was Quiet...

Artist, Alan James

A “Career Creative” in Deep River

Words to live by. Well we are back to bring you yet another installment of what we in the business like to call INK! IT’S SUMMER! The smell of tanning lotion, sand and sea, children laughing and talking amongst themselves, and now you have something good to read. Perfect! Maybe you could grab a cool drink and find a nice comfortable shady spot? All boxes are checked. In this issue, (as in most issues) we present to you a wide variety. A little something for everyone. We feature many of our local population, their stories, and even a creative three-part fiction piece this month. I personally enjoy a good serial. Not nearly as “bingy” as our digital counterparts but in truth, not everything in life needs to be instantaneous. (no really) So now hunt down the next two issues of INK or please go online to find out what happens in the next two parts of the story. Also, we have some exciting news to share. During the pandemic, our publisher “found time” to dissemble a former retail store located in the Westbrook Outlets and convert it into the INK studio/gallery. It has long been our wish to have a location where we can meet our readers, showcase the many artists we have presented over the last seventeen years, perhaps host artist and author talks, etc. etc. etc. To bring into form the many facets of INK that cannot be presented in the two dimensions of a printed page. There is a lot beginning to happen at the Westbrook Outlets. If you have a vision, you very well may see it there! Enjoy!

Contributors

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Author, Rod Cornish

A Lesson in Our Similarities

Jeffery Lilly founder / publisher

Ashley Alt - ask ashley

A. Vincent Scarano - photography

Susan Cornell - editorial

Carolina Marquez-Sterling - design

Caryn B. Davis - editorial/photography

Paul Partica - the cheesemonger

Autumn Handley - editorial

Jan Tormay - editorial

Nancy LaMar-Rogers - editorial

Robert Rabine - editorial

Rona Mann - editorial

Joe Urso - ad design

Advertising

Contact us to receive our media kit with detailed marketing information.

Jeffery Lilly - Publisher 860.581.0026 Bob Houde - Advertising Director bob@inkct.com 860.303.6690

Rona Mann - Greater Connecticut six07co@att.net - 401-539-7762 Richard Malinsky - Shoreline richard@inkct.com - 215.704.9273

On the Cover: Club Car IV, watercolor by Alan James

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All content of INK Publications including but not limited to text, photos, graphics and layout are copyrighted by Inkct LLC. Reproductions without the permission of the publisher are prohibited. Inkct LLC is not responsible for images or graphics submitted for editorial or by advertisers which are not copyrighted or released for use in this publication.

Ink Studio/Gallery - 314 Flat Rock Place F125, Westbrook, CT 06498 - email: submissions@ink-pub.com - visit www.inkct.com

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She Lights Up a Room ...

And Brightens the Entire Landscape

By Rona Mann Photos By Jeff Lilly

Y

ou’ve heard the expression many times, haven’t you?

“She lights up a room.”

Well, meet the person for whom this expression must have been created. Meet Carla Snowdon. She naturally has a smile that lights up the whole room. You hear Carla Snowdon even before you actually see her because she begins speaking and spreading joy as she comes around the corner from one part of the vast 3200 sq. ft showroom to greet the visitor in the main reception area. And from the very first there’s that smile.

But more than the genuineness of the individual is the fact that there is an aura of enthusiasm around her. In short, she exudes Light. Warmth. Positivity.

How fitting that wonderful quality is because it perfectly defines not only who she is, but also what she does and does better than almost anyone else in her industry. Carla is owner of Tidewater Lighting & Design right in the very heart of Madison, and although her breathtaking showroom is little more than a year old, the woman herself is a Certified Lighting Consultant with over 30 years of lighting expertise.

She is highly respected in the industry for her intrinsic knowledge of lighting, from the pure science behind it to how to best design a space and highlight it properly and beautifully with light...and she absolutely loves every minute of working with customers, with the trade, and with both commercial and retail projects.

Forget everything you may already know about a lighting store because you’ve never seen a showroom like that of Tidewater Lighting, you’ve never witnessed the unique approach Carla and her staff take, and you’ve probably never heard a lighting salesperson say to you, “Gather all the information you want today, then go home and measure your space, then come back.”

There is no “push” to make the sale, there is only a push to educate the customer, to find out all she can about the space, and to give that customer exactly what they want and within their budget. What they want may be just an accent lamp or some new lighting hardware to completely change the look and mood of an area, or it may be a large commercial or residential project. No matter. Carla Snowdon jumps right in and gets involved. She loves to be involved!

12 “I’m passionate about working with blueprints,” she fairly bubbles. “I love the end result!” And by that Snowdon means an end result that might involve changing the lighting in just one room or perhaps creating different moods throughout an entire home or office. Carla also will not take any money from the customer until she has first called the factory to find out if what they want is available and how long delivery will take.

Not your average lighting store? Darn right. From the time a customer enters they are greeted with a bright white décor with glimmering lights and a front counter that has sand incorporated into the top, sand direct from Madison’s popular Hammonasset Beach. The look is completed by painted rich blue ocean waves, thus channeling the name Tidewater.

Adding to the total ambiance are old doors in a hue of nautical blue and rich with history from antique homes found along the shoreline. Now they serve as display boards for wall sconces, bath lighting, and exterior fixtures. The character of the showroom is finished with concrete flooring and exposed ductwork at the ceiling creating a definite mood.

Tidewater opened its doors little more than a year ago smack in the middle of a pandemic with 1700 sq. ft. Ten months later when an adjoining business decided to shutter their doors, the lady with a smile that can light up a showroom took the plunge, took over the space, and increased it to 3200 sq. ft offering more product and more options for their customers.

Residential interior and exterior lighting, landscape lighting, lighting for dining rooms, bathrooms, kitchens, family rooms, bedrooms, and home offices are featured at Tidewater.

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“We deal not just with homeowners but with construction and remodeling,” Carla adds and urges that Tidewater be brought into the planning stages of any project from the very first to complement, to set a mood, to add functionality and practicality, and to direct focus, but lighting should never be an afterthought. In addition, Tidewater can offer all lighting hardware, finish options, shades, cabinet pulls and knobs, bulbs, even staging services.

Perhaps most unique about Tidewater Light & Design and surely something that puts them head and shoulders above any competition is their Technology Lab dedicated to educating the customer with demonstrations of landscape lighting, Kelvin temperature boxes to show various color temperatures in LED lighting and how they affect different color palettes, under cabinet lighting, different vendors of recessed lighting, commercial sign lights, and track lighting. Carla is adamant that customers learn how lighting behaves before they invest in it, always striving for a zero-return rate and a 100% satisfaction rate if the proper decision is made.

For those who prefer, Tidewater provide ZOOM consults to customers all across the USA, and she and her designers also offer onsite visits. Carla herself is often right on the job site, especially one that involves new construction. Additionally, Tidewater has provided lighting for medical offices, restaurants, retail stores, apartments and condos, and vacation homes.

12 We cannot possibly hope to list here all the trade associations to which Carla and Tidewater belong. In an industry that for years had been dominated by men, it was important to Carla as a successful woman-owned business that she be an active part of her industry associations. She works before and after hours, volunteers, networks, and chairs committees letting her male counterparts know she is not a member in name only, but a viable, active, experienced part of the lighting industry...and one who’s here to stay!

By the time you read this, Carla will have returned from the Dallas Lighting Trade Show where Tidewater is a national finalist for “Showroom of the Year” by Furniture, Lighting, & Decor Magazine. Although Snowdon hopes to take home the first-place title, she realizes she wins every day by lighting up her customers’ lives and projects and knowing that the job Tidewater does is always first-rate backed with the professionalism and experience of 30 years and a guarantee of total and complete satisfaction.

It appears that a large part of Tidewater’s success is the fact that Carla realizes lighting is not just a science, but an art and must be viewed and presented that way. It’s why education, not only of the customer but also of architects, builders, electricians, designers, and especially continuing education for both herself and her staff are paramount to Tidewater’s total success.

If you shop in the lighting department of a furniture or big box store, you get your track light or lamp wrapped up and handed

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to you. At Tidewater when you purchase lighting, you’re getting an education handed to you...one of science and art, and most of all your peace of mind, your satisfaction, and your guarantee all come happily gift- wrapped in one big smile.

It’s the smile of a woman whose experience, education, and passion for every project just lights up the whole room.

Tidewater Light & Design is right in the heart of downtown Madison but tucked away at 32A Wall Street, just behind The Wine Thief (203) 779-5128 www.tidewaterltg.com Follow them on Instagram @tidewaterlighting

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A Life Spent in the Movies Following in His Fathers Footprints

By Rona Mann

was playing, it was the experience of being in this wondrous place where she was always welcomed and thanked for coming, where she could tuck into a comfortable recliner with its own seat-warming device, and where she found a man who became her friend - a man she lovingly called "Mr. Bill."

“Mr. Bill” Dougherty

"This is the best theatre on the planet - no, the universe because you do what no one else does." ...Rory Walker, 11 years old

T

he military family had just moved back from being stationed on the West Coast. When they first left Connecticut a few years prior, Rory was just a little girl but loved to come to the Mystic Luxury Cinemas in the Olde Mistick Village. It never mattered to her what movie

"Mr. Bill," the owner of the theatre, was a gentle man, who accompanied by his dog, Charlie, always seemed to be there to welcome the Walker family to the movies as he did with every patron. So there were tears on both sides of the aisle when the family was transferred to California. But now that had changed once more. The Walkers were once again back in Connecticut, and as soon as they were, Rory insisted they go visit "Mr. Bill." She was eager to tell him that she had gone to a number of movie theatres on the West Coast, but none were like his...because his was much more than seeing a movie. His was an "experience."

The experience that "Mr. Bill," whose full name is Bill Dougherty, and his staff creates is not just

smiling at a young family on a good day, those smiles are intentional every day. It is the only way they know how to operate this business.

"I tell each of my employees that no one is to leave any of our theatres unhappy. You do whatever it takes to make any problem right. Give

them a free pass for another movie, give them free popcorn and a soda, whatever it takes. But these people are very important to me, and I want them leaving these theatres feeling good, so good that they come back."

Dougherty's story began more than 60 years ago when as a toddler he trotted around after his father, Bill, Sr. who took over movie houses, built new ones, remodeled old ones, and eventually opened them to the public. Bill, Jr. vividly remembers the day his father was on assignment at The Palace Theatre in Danbury and took his three-year-old son along. First opened in 1928, this classically designed movie theatre had seating for nearly 2000 people. By 1941 it was taken over by Warner Brothers Management Company, and today it still remains a fixture on Main Street in downtown Danbury with an eclectic program of both live shows and musical performances in addition to films.

"I watched my Dad every opportunity I could," says Dougherty. The elder Dougherty started as an usher at age 16 in 1946 at the Cine Webb in Wethersfield and cleaned on weekends.

Cine Webb, which was demolished in 1983, was a big single-screen theatre with 728 seats.

Back then you had to learn how to work the projector. Each reel was 20 minutes long and had to be rewound by hand. "It was tedious, but he loved it." Bill continued, "All the ushers had to come dressed every day, and if your shoes weren't shined, you were sent home. On

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weekends my father wore a tux. (he laughs) That's all changed now."

There was a rapid succession of more theatres throughout New England, and Bill, Jr. watched and soaked up everything he could. At age 15 he wrote his first business plan for buying a theatre, something he still does to this day. In 1978 he ushered at the Groton Cinema which was a twin theatre located in the Groton Shopper's Mart. Five years later he purchased the Norwich-New London Drive-In. Next, Dougherty went on to a short career in risk management in Dedham, Massachusetts where the young man was responsible for 105 movie theatres spanning 17 states. It laid the groundwork for later acquiring theatres of his own. Bill, Jr. also attributes much of his learning to his father who ingrained in him, his brother, and sister, "be whatever you want to be in life, but so long as you're under my roof, have a work ethic. If you want to be a ditch digger, fine, but dig the best ditches and always be on time.

If you don't have a work ethic, you're toast."

In 2005 Bill Dougherty partnered with Harold Blank, a man from Massachusetts with considerable movie theatre ownership experience.

Dougherty says with a smile, "We couldn't be more different. He's in charge of administration,,finance, and construction. He orders the

films from the film companies, works the numbers, and primarily stays in the background. I am the front of the house and the face of the theatres. I'm the one who visits all our lo-

cations, engages with the staff, and am constantly out front shaking hands, thanking our patrons for coming. Yes, we're different, but it works."

It has worked beautifully as the Mystic Luxury Cinemas has four auditoriums, the Madison Art Cinemas will eventually have two, and the newly acquired, renovated, and reopened All South County Cinemas in southern Rhode Island has eight. In addition to showing first-run and classic films, all of them feature operas, ballets, and live productions from around the world, and all are available to their patrons for rental. This is a unique idea wherein patrons can rent an auditorium for a celebration, corporate event, or just for one couple's date night. With help from the theatre manager, they select the movie(one in their vast collection or one of their own), the date, the food, and drink. Once again, it fortifies Dougherty's philosophy and modus operandi that going to the movies is an experience you just can't get streaming at home.

19 downstairs. I hung up on him," he laughs.

Dougherty also refuses to have video games and pinball machines in the lobby. "People are here for the experience of seeing a movie in a very special setting.

We are not an arcade. If they want to be entertained, let them talk to each other."

"The people who want to stay home and stream movies are not my concern. I am concerned with the people who want the total experience of seeing a movie with the best seats, the best sound, the best I can give them." The only thing that seems to rattle Bill Dougherty are people who insist upon bringing their cell phones into the theatres and not turning them off. "I want people to leave their phones in their cars. I actually had someone call me when I was in my office in Mystic asking me to turn the sound up in one of the auditoriums

It's too early to judge the recently acquired Madison and All South County theatres, but Mystic Luxury Cinemas screens approximately 7000 shows per year just in that location, "and with very few complaints. "We entertain about 700 guests a day during school vacations," Bill adds. So, no, streaming doesn't bother him in the least.

If Bill Dougherty's life were a movie, it wouldn't be a blockbuster nor an action- adventure film with a superhero. It wouldn't qualify as a documentary or even as a bio-pic, for this man's life is one that has spanned some six and a half decades and began with a three-year-old child standing in

the lobby of a Danbury theatre uttering the words, "This is what I'm going to do. This is what I want." Indeed, this man's movie would be a classic. A film for the ages. A film that began in simple black and white and one he would never allow to be colorized nor tampered with. It would be a story born of great respect and lessons learned that never were forgotten, lessons about commitment and how to treat people. It would be a movie that would never win an Oscar, and the leading man would never be asked to put his footprints in cement. Instead, it would exist as the way to live a life....honestly, simply, built on a handshake and a learned work ethic that never, ever quit. Just ask Rory Walker. She knows, as do thousands of moviegoers, that "Mr. Bill" has the best theatres on the planet because he "does what no one else does."

As for the trailer of the film, it would be short and sweet with the leading man saying with a smile as he rides off into the sunset, "I wouldn't change anything I've done. Not one thing."

In short, this movie would be the real deal just like the man. Just a simple story of a little three-year-old boy who went to the movies with his father a long time ago and never came home.

Mystic Luxury Cinemas, Olde Mistick Village, 27 Coogan Blvd., Mystic (860) 536-4228 Manager: LorraineMcBride Madison Art Cinema, 761 Boston Post Road (Rt. 1) Madison (203) 245-3456 Manager: Lizzie Ogala All South County Luxury Cinemas, South County Commons, South Kingstown, RI (401) 642-8062 Manager: Rashmi Hauser

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Cheers To Downton Abbey,

By Susan Cornell / Photos Courtesy of Highclere Castle Gin

W

hether you’re toasting the Downton Abbey movie sequel, her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee, the discovery of King Tut’s tomb or your latest investment, you may have in hand a cocktail with Connecticut

connection. But what do these topics have in common? And who’s the entrepreneur behind the bar?

There’s an ultra-luxury gin with a local connection that’s winning international acclaim and is made by 8th Earl and Countess of Carnarvon, who live in Highclere Castle, the estate where the Downton Abbey series and movies are set. Highclere Castle Gin, a partnership of Essex businessman Adam von Gootkin and Lord and Lady Carnarvon, is on its way to becoming one of the most awarded gins in the world.

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came Prohibition and, “my great grandfather and his brothers essentially put together a speakeasy in the basement serving moonshine and gin and other illegally begotten things and kind of rode that wave for the duration of Prohibition.”

If the name “Chafee” sounds familiar, von Gootkin is related to former Governor of Rhode Island and U.S. senator, Lincoln Chafee.

Von Gootkin’s journey into the gin world started long before even he knew of his family history in hootch.

Explains von Gootkin, co-founder and CEO of Highclere Castle Gin, “When I started researching this period of New England history, I discovered my family was arrested in 1864 for shipping legally produced moonshine (unaged whiskey) without paying taxes on it, which, as it happens, the feds really don’t like.” This resulted in the closing of the family distillery, Chafee & Company Distillers.

Years later, his family opened the grand Chafee’s Hotel in Middletown, where steamship ferry boats would make daily runs to New York City. Along

He knew nothing of spirits (liquor, that is) in the family tree until he jumped into the business. When von Gootkin decided to build the first distillery in Connecticut in many years, he was telling the story to his grandmother.

Her response was, he says, “Oh my God. You know your great grandfather had a hotel with a speakeasy, and the family had a distillery in the 1800s.”

Is this coincidental he entered the liquor business, not knowing that his family was in the business, or is he doing what he was meant to do?

“I think we pass along more than just genetics to our children and our grandchildren. I think there's memories somehow trapped in our DNA or maybe perhaps a piece of the energy the soul

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kind of moves on when you give birth so with that comes something kind of spiritual, probably scientific and spiritual being the same thing.”

But wait, there’s more. Long ago, von Gootkin’s family lived in the village of Chaffcombe, not far from Highclere Castle, and his ancestor was sort of a lord of the town. When Chaffcombe’s clocktower burned down, the Earl of Carnarvon donated the clock from Highclere to the village’s clocktower. What are the odds, 350 years later, von Gootkin ends up with the Earl of Carnarvon? And by the way, the name “Chafee” comes from “Chaffcombe”.

Just over a decade ago, he launched Onyx Moonshine distillery, using Connecticut corn and Connecticut spring water. Onyx was his entree to industry and led him, eventually, to Highclere. Roughly midway between moonshine and gin, the entrepreneur wrote Living Proof: Onyx Moonshine's Journey to Revive the American Spirit (Red Wheel/Weiser, 2015).

The book tells the story of how, in just a few short years, he took Onyx from a start-up concept born in a restored Civil War-era factory to a multimillion-dollar, award-winning spirit distillery by breaking rules, learning from failures, and challenging the status quo, reads the description.

Shortly after writing the book, Von Gootkin co-founded the Highclere Castle Cigars Company, produced in Nicaragua with world-renowned cigar blender Nicholas Melillo.

Did I mention he dropped out of college after his first semester?

And how did a moonshine maker end up with an earl and countess?

“Like many other people, I was exposed to Highclere through Downton Abbey. My wife had been trying to get me to watch the show for months, and I don’t watch a lot of TV so I was kind of reluctant to watch.” One night he did.

“I was enchanted by the show. It’s a beautiful, well-written, well-produced series on what life was like in a grand English country home in the 1920s and 30s.”

The next day, he sent an email to Highclere’s general email box saying something to the effect of “I'm an American entrepreneur looking for a brand that I can really sink my teeth into, and I really feel that Highclere, considering it's a functioning working estate with a botanical garden etc., could be a really beautiful place and beautiful stage to develop a brand around.”

Lord Carnarvon contacted him the next day, and two weeks later von Gootkin and his wife hopped the pond and stayed at the estate. “That weekend was critical.”

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Highclere Castle has played a key role in English history since 749 AD and, in many ways, he says, “its beautifully manicured gardens are the birthplace of Highclere Castle Gin. Starting with the Victorian era orangery behind the castle - that's when we grow oranges, our lime flowers and lemons, and right behind that we've got the walls monks started lined with lush lavender beds that were literally planted by the Bishop of Winchester in the 9th century. This lavender adds this lovely very subtle and floral top note to our gin.”

What's the most interesting about the recipe is that it’s the first gin in the world to use oats.

“These prizewinning oats are grown at Highclere and add this creamy, velvety-smooth finish to the gin so much so that people are saying it's the first gin you can truly sip on the rocks,” he says and adds, “we're finding some brown spirit consumers converting over to our brand from their favorite whiskeys.”

Highclere Castle is, von Gootkin says, “One of the most unique places in the whole world. It’s not only preserved in all its beauty but it's still a home and Lord and Lady Carnarvon have kept so many of the traditions alive there such as entertaining.”

“We've brought it to life in Highclere Castle Gin. We're in the 1920s again -- it's 100 years later and, despite all the challenges that we're hav-

ing in the world, I think it's a time that people are remembering what matters most, which is family, spending time with those you care about and, on occasion, glitzing yourself up a bit and setting the bar a little higher to make it very Highclere, enjoying the fruits of life and celebrating what it’s all about.”

In March, Highclere Castle Gin began offering fans a chance to invest in the brand by launching a crowd fund. “Investors will be invited to attend cocktail masterclasses, exclusive events, both virtual and in person, and top investors may get the exceptionally rare opportunity to stay on Highclere Castle’s grand estate. Investors will appreciate the benefits of ownership in Highclere Castle Gin, including an invite-only cocktail event at Highclere planned for September 2022 for certain tiered investors,” the press release reads.

To learn more about the investment opportunity, please visit: https://wefunder.com/highclerecastlegin

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Also on the 2022 programme, to use the British English spelling, is a commemoration of the 100year anniversary of the discovery of the tomb of King Tutankhaten. But what’s the connection between Carnarvon and Cairo? Lord Carnarvon’s great grandfather, the 5th Earl of Carnarvon, was the chief financial backer on many of Howard Carter's Egyptian excavations.

“Both he and Howard Carter actually opened the tomb in Egypt of King Tut and discovered all the wondrous things,” explains von Gootkin.

The gin is presently sleeping in 50-year-old Armagnac casks and is expected to be done this summer for an autumn release in a special commemorative edition gold bottle developed with two Egyptologists who live in Connecticut, one being a Yale professor. “They helped us translate Highclere Castle into authentic hieroglyphs,” he noted.

“It’s a way to honor this amazing history with Highclere, which already has amazing history, and to bring it to life through the tomb of King Tutankhaten and this archaeologist’s greatest discovery. It’s very exciting for us.”

Highclere Castle Gin has won 56 prestigious international awards since launched in 2019.

For more information, visit highclerecastlegin.com

In May, Highclere celebrated her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee by releasing a signature cocktail in honour of Queen Elizabeth II. THE JUBILEE COCKTAIL 1.5 oz. Highclere Castle Gin 1.5 oz. Dubonnet Topped with champagne Garnish with orange twist In a mixing glass half-filled with ice, combine Highclere Castle Gin & Dubonnet. Still until well chilled (30 seconds). Strain into a coupe glass and top with champagne. Squeeze with an orange twist over the surface of the drink and place into glass.

Luis Coelho Head Butler

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Gods oodd'd's LLeefeeftfftEa t EEaar ar PART P AR RT I

By Daniel el Lev Shko Shkolnik

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S

hortly after Renata’s argument with the rab bbi, she decided she would learn to speak with angels.

The next week, an egg arrived at the Kameenev family’s door. Its shell was green, and it sat in a cratte of golden straw.

Togetherr,, Zee and Misha carried the cratee to the kitchen To table and waited for it to hatch.

“Maybe it’s a duck,” Zee said. “Or a swan “No,” said Misha, “it’s a dinosaur.”

Renata, their motherr,, came into the kitche and examined her delivery. “Did Did you crac it?”

The children shook their heads.

Satisfied, she took the crate and disappeared into the attic.

In the following days, more eggs arrived. A speckled egg g, cushioned with jungle leaves. A striped egg, packed in Polish newspaperr. Some were the size of coconuts and others could be popped into the mo outh like grapes.

Zee and Misha watched their mother carry this processio on of eggs from the door to the attic. After the eggs came the cages. Renata carried them up, three to a hand.

They waited until their mother was out of the house befo ore climbing the attic steps themselves. The cages hung from the ceiling liike a floating city y,, while the eggs sat in their crates, each under the perpetu ual noon of its own private heating lamp.

In the cornerr,, one began to hatch. The children knelt overr the cracking egg and saw the head of a wrinkled creature break the surfacce.

“It’s ugly y,,” Misha said.

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“That’s how all swans start,” Zee replieed.

As the birds hatched, Renata nursed th he weak and ugly creatures with a tenderness neither Zee nor Misha could d ever remember receiving from their mother. She attended to their squawks and fluffed their straw.

As the cages filled with colorful birds, ds Zee spent more and a more time in the attic. She sa at on the floorr,, hugging her kneees and looking up until her neeck hurt. mpressive Until then, the most im bird she’d ever seen wa as a oneeyed pigeon in Manhatttan with stumps for legs.

She imagined that, in th he cities these birds came from, skyscrap s ers were not grey nor made m of steel, taxis ran through the streets powered by sails, and th he rivers, fed by stairrcases of indigo waterfalls, would not send you to the hospital if you fell in.

Seeing her daughter loitering in the attic, Renata decided to put heer to work feeding g thee creatures.

Renata kept the birds on very particular diets. To Tomtits ate moths. Ch haffinches ate locusts. The midnight-colored bird ate poisonous berries while th he handsome white vulture was fed strictly vegetables so it would never kno ow the charnel taste of meat.

Zee followed behind her mother trying to remember which birds ate at dawn, which at dusk, and which—if left with too much food—would gorge themselves until they died.

Within a matter of days, Zee had starved half the birds and poisoned the peacock, which nearly expired. Wo Worst of all, when she accidentally fed a mouse to the vulture, the bird changed forever: its feathers turned black, its head went bald, and its

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neck bent like that of a crippled old man’s. From that point on, the vulture refused all vegetables and ate only rancid meat.

Renata was furious. She condemned Zee to a desk until she wrote out the diets of every bird two hundred times. While she wrote the first hundred, Misha hid under the table and wrote the second.

In the weeks that followed, the children noticed a series of changes take place in their mother. She began moving her head in quick, furtive motions. She no longer cooked and instead subsisted on seeds and berries. Even her English began to sound strange. All the while, her birdcalls lost their human accent.

Unbeknownst to the children, their mother had become certain that angels did not speak Hebrew.

Ratherr,, she believed—as they did in the middle age—that the birds spoke a langue verte: an angelic language similar to what Adam used on his early morning strolls with God. Having finally mastered the basics of birdcall, Renata felt she was ready to start her dialogue with the citizens of heaven.

One Tu Tuesday y,, the children peeked through the attic door to find their mother crouching g on the floorr,, ccloaked in birds.

The dense, liv ving fabric stared at the children n with hundreds of unblinking ey yes.

When Renata stood, the birds moved with her h like a continuous piiece of cloth. She paced around the attic like a monarch ccontemplating ways in n which to widen her kingdom. g “I have become the lead goose,” she said to no one in partticular. “Soon, we’ll have a word,” she said, pointing at the ceiling.

The children closed the door and looked at each other.

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“I think it’s time,” Misha said. “Is your bag b packed?”

Zee’s eyes filled with tears.

As she lay in bed that night, she tried to o think of what to do. For everything Renata was not, she was still her mother. She cried until she fell asleep and kept crying in her dreams.

Near dawn, Zee lowered herself out of bed and went up to the attic. The darkness was speckled with eyes, and for the first time, she saw how sad they were.

The vulture had grown too large for its cage cage, which held it like a wire mummy. The crows had tried to pick their locks with their beaks. Even the songbirds sang in minor keys.

Suddenly y,, a little flame appeared within n her and licked the bottom of her heart. One by one, Zee unlatched the ca ages. When they were all agape, she unlocked the round attic window and th hrew it open to the dawn sky.

For a few terrible moments, nothing hap ppened.

Then all at once, the birds rose behind her h like a wave and began rushing through the window. A river of featherss roared past herr,, erupting into the sky y..

Caught in that living geyserr,, she outstretched e her arms to either side and felt herself lifted off the gr g ound. First her heeels left the floorboards, then her toes.

Zee was well outside the attic window by b the time her mother grabbed her ankle and pulled her back inside.

Renata dragged her daughter down thee stairs, shoved her in her room, and locked the door. Then Zee heard her mo other chirp and squawk as she ran

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back up the attic steps.

Zee flung open her bedroom window w in time to see the birds receding like a

haandful of seeds flung at the horizon.

After several agonizing minutes, her motherr,, hoarse and br b eathless, finally sto opped calling to her flock.

Fo a moment, everything was quiet.

For Then Zee heard her mother cross the ceiling and descend the attic steps. The Th ho house shook as if Renata’s legs had turned to cannons.

Ze calmly put on her shoes, tightened the laces, and turn Zee ned to face the door.

Today To o y,, she thought, is the day I die.

Continued in next month’’ss issue…

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Welcome to Connecticut Magazine’s Readers’ Choice Best Steakhoouse in Middlesex County, and bestt kept secret in the state, Black Jax Saloon!

Black Jax opened quietly in late 2019 to hand train its staff from the t ground up, improving every dayy and aiming to deliver the best customer experience. Like many restaurants, it was devastated by the pandemic annd also forced to close for nine months for repairs. Black Jax is now back in action and better than ever before. e Industry veteran and chef Jack Flaws has enjoyed a successful career e spanning more than 30 years and has been at the helm of some of CT’s bestt restaurants.

His talents are on display at the best steakhouse in CTT..

Come to Black Jax soon and see what the press has been missing -

78 Main Street, Centerbrook, CT 860 662 4000 • www.blackjaxsaloo on.com

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Painting by Alan James, Rexhame Beach II Marshfield MA

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"I think we all go through life hoping and dreaming that our work and achievements during our sojourns on this planet would give us a kind of immortality with a lasting positive effect for future generations that follow, but this goes beyond all of my wildest expectations!"

Alan James

HE’S A MAGIC MAN

by Autumn Handley Photos Courtesy of Alan James

W

atercolor is famous for imbuing luminosity, and it works on the artist as well. In the creative events of Alan James, there is no question that art can be separated from the artist because the alchemical effect of water’s lifeforce runs through his veins, into the tip of his brush, and onto paper. Color magically flows into the paper bonded, broadened, and brand new. Reciprocally, Alan’s presence radiates his confidence in creative expression with primordial ease seemingly influenced by fate. Yet, the trajectory of any artist fascinates: Alan James is a star shooting itself, literally, from earth to its moon.

44 Deep River is home to Alan James’ en rogue studio thanks to his self-proclaimed tenacity. He pays homage to French Impressionism and Connecticut’s impressive tradition in art. But in addition to mastering history, the first lesson Alan teaches students in his classes is to become equally committed to the surprises watercolor painting presents. He lets go of himself, illustrating a gestural performance of flexible branches shaking leaves in as fast as thirty-two seconds. Otherwise, art a la mode is quoted as a lifetime for each piece; the total time the technician has spent on the foundation and dancing in visual art.

AJ: I got this place in 2018. The building is from 1830 and it was the original storage for piano works.

Before me it was a woman’s boutique and before that a package store.

AH: I love that the building has the energy of music, women’s chattering, and now you host your own groups in here, right?

AJ: I have individual and group classes in here, and I used to teach at the Lyme Art Association up until the Covid era. Now we’re back at it, people are starting to come in out of their nests, out of their cubbyholes.

I also teach in Putnam, for the Northeast Guild up there, and I also teach at Jerry’s Artarama.

Of course, an effort to control watercolor masterfully speaks to its inability to be tamed; It must be handled with negotiation. Its voice is his voice, conversation always begins with drawing perspective.

For example, Alan’s small eyes drew large cereal box characters while he waited at the bus stop as a child. The older he got his perspective grew so that even skyscrapers accommodated his drawings. His favorite subject matter is urban, and his most prized painting Rainy Night in Manhattan was the hardest to let go of. It speaks to the growth of his career as a prolific artist.

The construction of Alan’s perspective on paper, however, transcends a literal interpretation of the story.

One detail the viewer takes note of is the figures’ lack of completion – no faces or extremities. We observe light enmeshed with both concrete, glass, steel, and organic flesh in movement, yet all become a mirror of ourselves. Windows and indistinct features invite us to reflect on our own thoughts and interpret a story that holds individual meaning, reciprocating individuated truth. We fill the white paper spaces coming through, we enliven watercolor’s translucence with bold chromatic freshness when we complete the story ourselves; meta magicianship.

Above: Taxi of NewYork, Guangzhou Cafe II Opposite Page Clockwise: Keyboard Pond II, Steam Pots, Spring Morning Marshfield, Springtime in Chester.

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AJ: I get passionate about things. It’s like a feeling of love, like any kind of loving relationship, I always have to learn. When it was music, I knew those notes were on the guitar somewhere, I had to find them – and I had that extra dose of tenacity, perseverance.

The same with art, I’d see some of the French and some of my favorite current impressionistic artists… you see something that blows you away and, in your heart, you want to do it. And there’s just no stopping me. I was up in Chicago, and I was freezing and didn’t want to be there anymore, playing in a blues band and someone had just stolen all my equipment.

I moved down to Key Largo and quickly got work as a musician but there was a lot of off time, so I went digging in my stuff and I found art supplies. I started getting back into art and I found the watercolor book. And when I made one, I liked I decided to give myself a present. I found a framer who wanted to hang it in their gallery. You make a lot of mistakes, and you learn from your mistakes.

AH: I think that’s one of the covenants to survive watercolor in general because the water can be so irregular, depending even on humidity. You’re really dealing with elements. That’s one thing I really like about watercolor that matches your personality is going for adventure, embracing anything that could happen, and manipulating it into beauty.

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So, it comes as no surprise to learn Alan left home at just seventeen years old. Where we see groups of people in streets and masses of foliage in the landscapes, perhaps Alan is showing us a collective audience watching him perform as a professional musician.

When he captures sunlight, perhaps Alan is sharing with us the feeling of the limelight, the basking in the mutual connection all art offers. Because he was a sibling to five children sharing a single mother, it is safe to say his talent for standing out is in his unique sharing through many instruments.

"Graeme and I became really fast friends. Kindred souls from the other side of the planet."

Coalescing music and artistry, performance and teaching, in 2019 Alan’s entrepreneurship took another step forward into video production. Australian TV art documentary producer and host of Put Some Colour In Your Life, Graeme Stevenson chose Alan as a featured artist for episode ten of the show’s twentieth season. As seeming chaos is usually the precursor to a strong painting, the exciting hustle of filming formed a strong friendship offset that bloomed into Alan becoming a host of the tv show himself. In addition to his previous life of traveling musicianship, Alan explores America’s eastern states for provocative studio visits.

Above: 1st Anniversary Opening Gallery, Put Some Color in Your Life Producer, Graeme Stevenson, Alan James and Sophia.

Opposite Page: Ocean House Chefs, Club Car IV

47 Alan makes sure every stroke of talent he practices is magnified without the hand of luck. When he saw the opportunity to work as a teenager, he hit the road. When he found himself in Key West, he found his watercolor set and he hit the books. When he discovered a passion for documentary making, like everything before, Alan taught himself the technical skills to master post-production editing. The selftaught flow of life can be unpredictable, but it is also freeing. The opportunities to correct errors may not present themselves, so Alan embraces the adventure with self-determination and finesse.

Sadly, Graeme passed away on June 5th, 2022. Before leaving this world, he made unusual arrangements that he and the artists he loved remain a testament to human achievement for eternity. In November 2023, NASA rover Viper will leap aboard a Space X Falcon I rocket and land on the moon, carrying with it all 300 episodes of Colour In Your Life for future explorers to discover. It is beautiful to consider a moon box time capsule straddling like blended stippling the light and dark sides of the moon. Watercolor condenses time and consolidates experience. Graeme lies in peace.

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Above Clockwise: Flatiron Building Fog, Sunshower In The City, 16th Street Mall Denver, Parker.

Opposite Page Clockwise: Marshall Tucker Concert 2008, Alan James in the Studio, Viper Rover Courtesy of Astrobotic, Moon Signature Badges, Put Some Color in Your Life Logo.

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Impressionists were rebels against the classical teachings of academies who seized modernity to study all manner of light interacting with technology. Preceding flaneurs waxed La Boheme - whereas Alan expresses his contemplative paintings using heavy washes, calligraphic lines, forceful texture, and luminosity of colors. His layered watercolor is bold, it takes your breath away when it is wet and time travels until dry. It is by modern marvel, embrace with the machine, that Alan should fly to the moon and play among the stars. In other words, how one

engineer’s space flight depends largely on hard work and creative genius!

Please feel welcome to view Alan’s work in Ink Studio Gallery at 314 Flat Rock Place Unit F125, Westbrook, or directly with the artist in his establishment Alan James Art Gallery at 114 Main Street in Deep River, Connecticut. Additionally, you can view Alan’s work online at www.alanjamesart.com. His online presence includes newsletters, workshops, videos, and the latest information on his mission to the moon and upcoming events. For course enrollment visit: Alan James Art School https://alanjamesart.thinkific.com/collections

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By Caryn B

ations by Autum mn Wilson

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od Cornish wasn’t necessarily taken aback by his son Roen’s question, he was just a little surprised a 4-year-old had the wherewithal to ask it. They were in New Y Yo ork City returning from one of Roen’s modeling gigs when he lo ooked up at his father noticing the color of hiss skin was darker than his own.

Roen’s fath her is African American, and his mother is Lithuanian, L so while it’s natural for Roen’s skin to be lighterr,, it was simply the first tim me he had observed it.

“He just sa aid to me very matter of fact, ‘Daddy your skin’s darkerr,, and mine is lighter.’ I w was trying to rush around and figure out how h I’m going to have the race talk with a four-year-old, but before I could think of an nything he said, ‘It’s okay. y. We We’re y all jju y moved really ust the same.’ I was very by that beccause he was so young and yet he figured out something a lot of adults can’t seem to figure out,” says Rod Cornish, owner of th he Hot Rod Café in New London.

On the traiin home from Manhattan, as Roen fell asleep, Rod contemplated his son’s comment. comment A As a fatherr, r, he was concerned for what challeenges his son would encounter growing up p as a person of color. If he could help in som me small way y,, maybe he could elicit chang ge. He took out his phone and began writting. The words poured out onto the screen and by the time he reached his home in Co onnecticut, he had finished a children’s book b that he aptly titled, “W Wee Are Really All Just J the Same.”

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“I’m not saying we’re all exactly the same, obviously we are different, and we should embrace those differences, but when it comes down to it, we’re all human. We all love our families. We all want to live well. We all want to be safe,” says Cornish.

In Cornish’s line of work, he meets all kinds of people from different backgrounds, ethnicities, and professions. They come into his restaurant, the Hot Rod Café in New London, for camaraderie and for his world-class chicken wings which have a selection of 30 flavors. His customers and his staff are like his second family. But even when Cornish was embroiled in his former career working for the financial giant Merrill Lynch in New York, he always had a knack for bringing people together.

“Even when I was in corporate, one of my best friends used to joke around with me and say my apartment was like the United Nations whenever I had a party because there were people there from all walks of life. I’ve always been drawn to all kinds of people. The book was probably born back then,” he says.

Eventually, Cornish decided he had had quite enough of the business world. Every day he sat behind a desk becoming more and more disillusioned until he finally realized this wasn’t a profession where people cared about other people, but rather the focus was all about the bottom line. It soon lost all its appeal.

“Our whole group was about to get wiped out, and my boss just sat there and shrugged. It was just so cold,” Cornish recalls.

Cornish was at Merrill Lynch for 21 years. During this time his life consisted of going to and from work often returning after dark. Not only was it soul-sucking, but he started to feel

old, even though he wasn’t, so when his company offered a downsizing package, he took the money and ran.

“I often say my best day in corporate, wasn’t as good as my worst day at the restaurant,” he says.

He decided to travel for a while, spending time in Europe, meeting friendly strangers in bars and restaurants where people naturally congregate to socialize. A seed was planted, and after he returned home to his native Connecticut, he went to culinary school at Grasso Tech in Groton. When he graduated, he went to work for many of the area’s most celebrated chefs and learned the ins and outs of the restaurant industry. That, coupled with the master’s degree in business he already had, gave him the recipe for success he needed when he opened his own place.

So far, the book has been doing extremely well. It’s timely yet remains an age-old message – we are all part of this shared journey known as humanity, and once we can see each other as fellow humans and develop empathy, we will start to treat each other better.

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Recently, one of the first customers he met at Hot Rod when he first opened, bought 100 books to give to a school system in Colorado where a friend’s child was being bullied because his mother was gay. Cornish never expected his book to take on that added dimension, but he is proud it has.

“Throughout history and especially in the past few years, we see people exploiting our differences to create fear and a divide. People use it for bullying. My friend said every one of those kids in that school needs this book to teach them not to bully people who are different. It’s really all the same message,” Cornish says. “Adults need it too.”

“I think a lot of times people use name-calling to dehumanize others, but it’s hard to do that consistently when you recognize that they are a person. That’s somebody’s son, somebody’s daughter, someone’s mother or father,” Cornish explains.

Cornish just sent 50 copies to various senators and even President Biden in hopes that they will really think about it.

He wants to see the book in all types of school systems from urban to suburban, from public to private. It’s as much a message for members of the majority as it is for members of the minority, even more so in fact because the minority kids already know they are different.

The book is geared more towards children because Cornish thought it was important to get the message out early as hatred and divisiveness are learned behaviors.

But, if we are taught tolerance and compassion instead, that mindset will be the one children will carry forth into adulthood.

“When we think about people as humans and think that somebody has a family, it really makes you treat them differently, I believe. And that’s how I want myself and my son to be viewed as human beings, regardless of what we look like or where we are from. Everyone wants to just live well and keep their families safe,” says Cornish.

“A teacher just sent me an envelope full of letters from her class who loved the book. She said by the second verse they were all chanting, ‘we’re really all just the same,’” he says.

For more information or to purchase a book log onto https:// rodcornishauthor.com.

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The

Cheesemonger Paul Partica, The Cheese Shop, Centerbrook CT

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Coffee Do’s and Don’ts For whatever reason we seem to be selling more coffee than ever. I’m assuming it’s still related to the pandemic, and many more are still working from home. In any case, more customers are brewing at home.

I know that its’ essential for me every morning. It is one of the first things I pack when going on vacation. I’ve been known to call ahead to make sure the hotel has a coffee brewer in the room, if not, I’ll take one with me.

Why are we such a coffee drinking nation? Tea is the most popular beverage in the world in every country but ours. Give up yet? No it’s not because we all live in a hectic world or it tastes so good and gets us going in the morning. It’s simply because of a well-known fact in history, an event called the Boston Tea Party. It became patriotic to drink coffee and not tea. This was passed on from generation to generation for so long that the original reason may have been forgotten, but we still drink coffee. I didn’t make this up, you can find this fact mentioned in the history section of just about any coffee book written. If you ever go to Boston stop in at the Green Dragon Restaurant near Faneuil Hall on the Freedom Trail.

That’s the place the patriots got together to plan the Tea Party.

The problem with coffee is that it is very different than most other goods because we don’t buy it as a finished product. For example, as we experiment with different wines all we have to do is open and then taste. This is also true of most baked goods, cheese, candy, and so on. However with coffee, assuming we bought a great fresh Arabica bean to begin with, we still need to consider many other issues. Was the coffee kept under ideal conditions? We now have to grind it properly for correct extraction, measure the amount, brew it in the right clean coffee maker with the proper water temperature and timing, and let’s not forget great water (it’s over 98% of the beverage.)And if that’s not enough to deal with, we now add unmeasured amounts of sugar, Sweet & Low, milk, cream, half & half and other concoctions. How could you ever recreate the same beverage twice? This is why I usually answer customer’s questions as to how to compare one coffee with another by explaining if you’re not willing to brew properly the same exact way every time you brew, you are more than likely going to taste the difference in your brew, not the coffee.

When we cup coffee professionally we have a very rigid routine to follow.

We control every step of the process exactly so only the coffee is different.

We also taste black coffee regardless of personal taste. So, unless you are willing to put forth some effort into your coffee brewing, you too might only taste the difference in your brewing technique thinking it was actually the coffee.

Let’s review the steps for proper brewing: 1, Buy fresh coffee in airtight packages. Coffee is at its best when kept in sealed containers. This limits oxygen’s negative effect. Avoid bulk displays that are not properly kept and rotated. Once your coffee is purchased, store it in an airtight container at room temperature. Coffee is very porous and can absorb odors. Do not store in the refrigerator.

2. Use clean pure water at proper temperature. It stands to reason that if the largest ingredient in a cup of coffee is the water, then the water should be clean and pure with no bad tastes or odors (not distilled water).

If tap water is chlorinated or foul smelling then it would be advisable to use bottled water. Water temperature for brewing should be just below the boiling point. Too high a temperature will over extract the coffee and will bring out the bitterness and negative flavors of even the finest beans.

3. Proper grind and timing. As far as the grind is concerned, the theory is simple; when you grind coffee you are exposing much more surface to the water. If the water is exposed to the coffee for a short time you will need more surface space. In other words, the faster the brewing time, the finer the grind. The longer the brewing time, the coarser the grind. Different coffee makers and filters work on different timings so proper grind is crucial.

0-4 minutes 4-6 minutes 6-8 minutes Over 8 minutes

Fine Med Coarse Improper device

Just because your coffee maker may be a drip method device it doesn’t mean it will use a drip or medium grind. For example, a Chemex drip coffee maker uses a thick paper with one side being three layers deep that comes to a small point. Using a fine or medium grind will dam up the filter causing a long brew time yielding cold, over extracted, bitter coffee. You would need a coarse grind here.

4. Proper formula. This refers to the amount of coffee vs. the amount of water being used.

ONE STANDARD COFFEE MEASURE (2 level tablespoons) PER 6 to 8 OUNCES OF WATER. This rule is correct regardless of the type of brewer you are using, the type of coffee, the length of time it takes to brew, and the amount of cups you are brewing.

5. A clean and proper coffee maker. A clean coffee maker will not have stale coffee oil residue left to destroy the taste of your coffee. In addition, make sure your coffee maker adheres to the previously mentioned rules for brewing coffee.

Coffee Brewing don’ts.

1. Don’t use boiling water to brew; it will over extract and yield bitter coffee.

2. Never pass the water through the grinds more than once. This again, allows for over extraction.

3. Brew time should never be more than 6-8 minutes or you will bring out the bitterness in the bean. Many people confuse this bitter taste with “strong”. Coffee should be strong and rich without being bitter.

Remember, the best parts of coffee dissolve first, the bitter parts last.

Somewhere in between is the perfect target for you to strive for. Actual timing brew time is important.

With a little effort you can really enjoy your morning cup of brew.

Determine your formula and stick to it. One last hint-- if your coffee is too strong, try making your grind a little coarser rather than using less coffee.

You will get a bolder, richer taste by doing this. It’s better to add hot water to your finished brew to lighten it rather than to use less coffee. Using too little coffee will over extract and produce weak and bitter coffee.

After you do all of this, then come ask what the difference is between Colombian and Kenyan Coffee.

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JULY EVENTS

LEIF NILSSON SPRING STREET STUDIO AND GALLERY PRESENTS: CONCERTS IN THE GARDEN Seasonal concert series of eclectic international and local singer songwriter artists from cool jazz to blue grass.

Choose your favorite bottle at the Chester Package Store across the street, get your picnic from any of Chester's fine restaurants and grab a growler from the Little House Brewing Company next door.

in the early 20th century.

This exhibition focuses on the art and artists of Mystic, Noank, Mason’s Island, and Stonington, with over 60 varied landscapes dating from 1890 to 1950.

Picturing Mystic explores what makes this region so special, with art from the private collection of Jonathan C. Sproul and the Lyman Allyn Art Museum. Historic maps, photographs, and postcards contextualize the works on view, tracing how the village and the landscape have endured and changed over the last 130 years. Postcards and snapshots also reveal how artists were part of a broader visual culture of tourism in New England, helping to shape Mystic’s identity as an iconic seaside destination.

come first seated.

Saturday, July 9, 2022 7 - 9 pm Parker's Tangent

From Ed Train of the Black Duck: These guys are terrific with unbelievable musicianship and a great vibe. You will love them.

Parker’s Tangent is a fun group playing all original [sometimes art] rock music based on blues and roots sources. They have a wonderful female lead singer who has been compared to Grace Slick and Nora Jones, drums, lead and rhythm guitars, bass and an awesome violin player. They are a professional working band based out of greater New Haven CT. The music is extremely accessible and can be enjoyed by people of virtually all ages. Their original music can be poetic, quiet and touching to bluesy to out and out rocking.

They have been together over seventeen years and have performed at hundreds of bookings including Toads' Place, the main stage of the New Haven Green, The International Festival of Arts and Ideas, Westport’s Blues, Views and BarB-Que Festival, Long Wharf Theater, the Phoenix, Black Eyed Sally's and many more.

“To one [person] New England means inland hills and river valleys; to another, the rocky shore and the beating sea; to yet another, the quieter coves of the sound. What has been written here is of a place that is all of these together, [Mystic], the quiet place where sound and ocean meet.” [New England Magazine, An Illustrated Monthly, April, 1901] Exhibition Opening Friday, May 20 • 5 – 7 PM Members free / Non-members $10 Please call 860.443.2545 ext. 2129 or email us to RSVP.

Susan Powell Fine Art, Madison Jeanne Rosier Smith July 16 Artist Jeanne Rosier Smith, a member of the American Society of Marine Artists and winner of numerous major awards, will be giving a pastel painting demonstration of one of her seascapes in the gallery garden from 2-3 pm on Saturday, July 16.

$20 donation - BYOB and picnic Outdoor Bistro Style Seating in the Amphitheatre Rain or shine GATES OPEN Half Hour before the show. First come first seated.

Space is limited, bring a chair, refreshments served, please call the gallery, 203 318-0616 for more information and reservations.

Lyman Allyn Art Museum Picturing Mystic: Views of the Connecticut Shoreline, 1890-1950

Susan Powell Fine Art Summer in New England June 24 to September 5, 2021

May 21 – September 4, 2022 The historic waterfronts and picturesque landscapes of Mystic, Connecticut have long made it a destination for artists and visitors. Painter Charles H. Davis settled in Mystic in 1891 and was soon followed by other artists, forming a Mystic art colony

“Summer in New England,” one of our most popular exhibitions, is back for its 19th year. Twenty-five nationally-acclaimed artists celebrated for painting seascapes and landscapes of New England are exhibiting in this new show. We are proud to present these exquisite paintings of ocean and shoreline views, marshes, picturesque harbors, relaxing summer days at the beach, sailing yachts, and shore birds. The works range in style

63 chronicled “American history in the making” for nearly 200 years, and Norman Rockwell, who captivated the American public by the sheer visual appeal, historic detail, and narrative brilliance of his art for more than four decades. Taken together, Rockwell’s Saturday Evening Post covers detail Americans’ lives and the history they shared for 47 years.

from traditional realism and impressionism to contemporary.

“The paintings in the show capture the unique light and atmosphere of the shoreline and invite viewers to breathe in the magical moments of summer,” says gallery owner Susan Powell.

Among the artists participating in the show are: Kathy Anderson, Del-Bourree Bach, Paul Beebe, Peter Bergeron, Zufar Bikbov, Kelly Birkenruth, David Dunlop, Neal Hughes, Tom Hughes, Andrew Lattimore, James Magner, Anne McGrory, Leonard Mizerek, Deborah Quinn-Munson, Dennis Sheehan, Jeanne Rosier Smith, Katie Swatland, and George Van Hook.

There will be an opening reception on Friday, June 24, from 4-7 pm.

Meet the artists and enjoy refreshments in the gallery garden.

The gallery is located at 679 Boston Post Road, Madison, near the fire station. Hours are Tuesday-Saturday, 11 am to 5 pm, and any day by appointment.

Further Information, please call (203) 318-0616, email us at susanpowellfineart@gmail.com and visit www.susanpowellfineart.com to see works in the show.

Mystic Museum of Art (MMoA) June 18 - September 18 Norman Rockwell’s Saturday Evening Post Covers: Tell Me a Story Mystic Museum of Art (MMoA) is pleased to present Norman Rockwell’s Saturday Evening Post Covers: Tell Me a Story, organized by the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, MA. The highlight of the MMoA Year of Narrative Art, the exhibition will run from June 18 through September 18.

The exhibition will present all 323 of the legendary covers created for The Saturday Evening Post by the renowned American painter and illustrator, Norman Rockwell (1894-1978). In doing so, the exhibition brings together two giants of American cultural history: The Saturday Evening Post, which

Little Pub Landing, Outdoor Raw bar and beer garden is now open!

Tuesday Night Trivia Live Trivia is back! Little Pub live trivia nights are held in our enormous dining room complete with a giant projection screen. Reservations suggested. Space is limited. Tuesday Nights 6:30-8:30.

MixTape Match Thursdays MixTape Match is a cross between Name that Tune and Bingo.

Thursday Nights 6:00-8:00 in the lounge.

Birds and Bees Brunch All Egg Dishes feature Farm Fresh Eggs from the happy hens in The Little Pub Chicken Coop, and all honey used comes from the Little Pub Honey Company apiaries. Reservations suggested. Space is limited. Sunday 10:00AM-3PM.

Buck-A-Shuck Sundays Join us after the beach for buck a shuck oysters and draft beer specials. Sunday 3PM-5PM.

Live Music at Little Pub Landing Live Music is back at Little Pub. We’ve booked dates outdoor dates with Rock Bottom, Jamie’s Junk Show, and other local favorites. Outside in the Little Pub Landing beer garden or inside if weather is bad. There will be dancing.

Little Pub Old Saybrook, 1231 Boston Post Road, Old Saybrook, CT 06475 (860) 339-5591 more info at www.littlepub.com/oldsaybrook

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