THE ARTFULMIND Monthly Berkshire Artzine Promoting the Arts Since 1994
FEBRUARY 2015
POPS PETERSON Photography by Jane Feldman
NINALIPKOWITZ.COM
Mumbai, iPad painting, Nina Lipkowitz Still Life with Yellow and Blue Bowl, watercolor, Nina Lipkowitz
JOHNLIPKOWITZIMAGING.COM
John Lipkowitz Images from Hancock Shaker Village
John Lipkowitz Images from Great Barrington Reconstruction Project
510 WARREN STREET GALLERY
510 warren street, hudson, new york www.510warrenstreetgallery.com • 518. 822. 0510
HARRIETTE JOFFE She Fell From A Star
Exhibiting: Palm Springs Fine Art Fair Valentine’s Day Weekend, February 12 - 15
Diptych, Oil on canvas, 72 x 116, 1984
Lawrence Fine Art, 37 Newtown Lane (in the passageway), East Hampton NY 516. 547. 8965 www.lawrence-fine-arts.com lawrencefinearts8@gmail.com
THE ARTFUL MIND ARTZINE FEBRUARY 2015
Happy Valentine’s Day. Enjoy this beautiful winterland!
Pops Peterson photographs by Jane Feldman ...10
Artist Lee Everett Harryet Candee...6
Planet Waves for FEBRUARY 2015 Eric Francis.....14 Marie Antoinette Eats Cake Richard Britell ... 18
Fiction Sampler from The Virgin of Hopeless Causes Amy Tanner ...19 Simply Sasha Recipe for January Sasha Seymour...19
Contributing Writers and Monthly Columnists Eunice Agar, Richard Britell, Eric Francis, Karen Lewis, Sasha Seymour, Amy Tanner
Photographers Edward Acker, Cassandra Sohn, Jane Feldman Sabine Vollmer von Falken Publisher Harryet Candee
Copy Editor Marguerite Bride
Advertising and Graphic Design Harryet Candee
Box 985, Great Barrington, MA 01230 artfulmind@yahoo.com
413 854 4400 ALL MATERIAL due the 10th of the month prior to publication
FYI: ©Copyright laws in effect throughout The Artful Mind for logo & all graphics including text material. Copyright laws for photographers and writers throughout The Artful Mind. Permission to reprint is required in all instances. In any case the issue does not appear on the stands as planned due to unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control, advertisers will be compensated on a one to one basis. Disclaimer rights available upon request. Serving the Art community with the intention of enhancing communication and sharing positive creativity in all aspects of our lives. We at The Artful Mind are not responsible for any copyrights of the artists, we only interview themabout the art they create.
2 • FebruarY 2015 the artFul Mind
THE MUSIC STORE
it warms the heart in winter to give the gift of music, to those you love and to yourself. the Music store has begun its fifteenth year in business in great barrington. helping the community, near and far, make music has been an enjoyable and productive enterprise for us. and we look forward to continuing this mission into the second half of our second decade. some of the fun . . . • composite acoustic guitars (the forever guitar!) and their peerless travel guitar, the cargo, made of carbon graphite and impervious to most changes of temperature and humidity. guild guitars - light, powerful, affordable. • ukuleles! 50+ different models: soprano, concert, tenor and baritone, acoustic and acoustic/electric, six string, resonator and the remarkable u-bass. • how about a cordoba cuatro? • or a west african djembe with a sMashing carry bag? • try takamine for a guitar to suit almost any budget (limited editions and great sales, too)! and so many more brands and types from $150-$5000. • ever heard of dr. easy’s drunk bay cigar boxes? acoustic/electric cigar box guitars, exquisitely made, which bring the past into the present with a delightful punch, acoustically and plugged in. • harmonicas, in (almost) every key (try a suzuki hammond ‘Mouth organ’). • picks (exotic, too!), strings (!!), sticks and reeds. • Violins, Mandolins, dulcimers, banjos, even banjo ukes. • handmade and international percussion instruments. • dreamy native american and locally made bamboo and wooden flutes and walking stick flutes. and there is more to delight the eyes, intrigue the ears and bring warm joy to the heart. we remain your neighborhood music store, where advice and help are free and music is the universal language. working with local luthiers and repairmen we offer stringed and band instrument repair. and we just may have something you haven’t seen before (an acoustic/electric kalimba, perhaps?). we match (or beat) most on-line prices for the merchandise that we sell, and do so in person, for the most part cheerfully (though we reserve the right to glower a little when asked if we can ‘do better’ on the price of a pick). come and see us soon and help us celebrate our 15th year!!! Your patronage helps the community and makes it a more tuneful and happy place. The Music Store, located at 87 Railroad Street in Great Barrington, is open Wednesdays through Sundays and by appointment. Call us at 413-528-2460, or visit us on line at www.themusicstoreplus.com
LAUREN CLARK FINE ART
Japanese Flower arranging and lecture with local ikebana MASTER BRIAN MIKESELL
not satisfied with merely appreciating flowers in a traditional vase, Japanese people in the early 16th century endeavored to give deeper meaning to the thoughts accompanying the process of arranging flowers. in other words, they wished to arrange flowers (tateru, to arrange stems in an upright or standing manner), rather than simply placing them in the vase. an early attitude of passive appreciation gradually developed into a more deeply considered approach. this approach forms the basis of what we call ikebana. we arrange plants cut and removed from nature so that they are filled with new beauty when placed in a new environment. rather than simply re-create the shape a plant had in nature, we create with branches, leaves, and flowers a new form which holds our impression of a plant’s beauty as well as the mark of our own spirit. ikebana should also suggest the forces of nature with which plants live in harmony-branches bent by winter winds, a partially unfurled petal, a leaf half-eaten by insects… brian Mikesell will be creating ikebana arrangements at the gallery from 1pm until 4pm, saturday, March 7. this will be followed by a reception for the artist and informative lecture and question and answer segment. the arrangements will be on display at the gallery until the flowers wilt. save the date and sign up for a “freestyle” ikebana workshop with brian at the gallery, sunday, March 22 from noon-3pm. about the artist/instructor: brian Mikesell has achieved the rank of kakan (assistant professor, 2nd degree) in the ikenobo school of ikebana under the instruction of toshiko shindo alden (sokatoku rank) and Michiko baribeau (Junkatoku rank). he has taught ikebana workshops for adults at the new York tachibana chapter of ikenobo as well as lessons for high school students. as an artist, brian Mikesell works primarily in photography, artist books, and ikebana. Much of his work is rooted in the landscape and natural world, with an emphasis on details that may normally be overlooked. he is also interested in the ways we experience the world as we travel through it and how we each make an effort to represent our journeys. he believes fundamentally that, while much artwork makes a necessarily serious contribution to the world, there should be balance, and art should equally endeavor to lighten and lift the viewer. he makes his home in Mill river, Ma. Lauren Clark Fine Art, 25 Railroad Street,Great Barrington, MA, 413.528.0432, lauren@laurenclarkFineart.com / www.laurenclarkFineart.com
“A tremendous amount of preparatory work and continuous training is necessary in order to turn your vague wish into professional excellence, so that in the end you are not a talented dilettante but a true actor.” -Aleksandr Tairov
February 2015
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Things to do & People to see...
museums & galleries
510 WARREN STREET GALLERY hudson, nY • 518-822-0510 “black and blue”, recent work by peggy reeves, Jan 30Feb 22; reception Feb 7, 3-6pm
CCCA 209 warren street, hudson, nY on & off the wall: a 3-d Feast for the eyes! thru March 21, 2015
FRONT STREET GALLERY 129 Front st., housatonic, Ma • 413-274-6607 / 413528-9546, or cell at 413-429-7141 housatonic gallery for students and artists. Featuring watercolors by kate knapp (saturday and sunday 12-5pm or by appointment)
LAUREN CLARK FINE ART 25 railroad street, great barrington, Ma • 413-528-0432 / www.laurenclarkFineart.com; lauren@laurenclarkFineart.com Japanese Flower arranging and lecture with local ikebana Master, brian Mikesell. saturday, March 7, 1-4pm. “Freestyle” ikebana workshop with brian at the gallery, sun, Mar 22, noon-3pm.
LICHTENSTEIN CENTER FOR THE ARTS pittsfield, Ma ten spot, exhibit, Feb 6-28, wed-sat, 11am-4pm. reception Feb 12, 5-7pm. included in this show is Marguerite bride.
Yin Yong chun, black pluMs in a chinese bowl, 2014, oil on linen, 20 x 16"
William Baczek Fine Arts, in Northampton, Mass. is pleased to welcome the new year with the 2015 Still Life Exhibition. The group exhibition will be on display from Wednesday, February 4 through Saturday, March 17. There will be an opening reception with the artists on Saturday, February 7 from five to seven in the evening. This year eight artists will be presenting recent work exploring the concept of the contemporary still life. www.wbfinearts.com. For more information about this or upcoming exhibits please call the gallery at 413-587-9880 or e-mail at info@wbfinearts.com. The gallery is located at 36 Main St. in downtown Northampton, Mass. and is open Tuesday and Wednesday 10 – 5, Thursday – Saturday, 10 - 8 and Sundays from 12 - 5.
MARGUERITE BRIDE nuarts studios, studio #9, 311 north st., pittsfield, Ma margebride-paintings.com • 413-841-1659 original watercolors, house portraits, commissions, lessons
OBER GALLERY 6 north Main st, kent, ct • 860-927-5030 obergallery@yahoo.com / www.obergallery.com russian winter series
MORRISON GALLERY 208 old barn road near the inters. rts 7 & 341 in kent, ct. • 860-927-4501 / wm@morrisongallery.com / www.morrisongallery.com Vincent inconiglios, paintings from the donut series, Feb 7 Mar 29.
NORMAN ROCKWELL MUSEUM rte 183, stockbridge, Ma • 413-298-4100 Mort künstler: the art of adventure: nov 8 - March 8, 2015.
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VENTFORT HALL lenox, Ma nYc cabaret singer & pianist ron ramsay and berkshire vocalist samantha talora present “affairs of the heart” sunday, February 15th, 3:30pm
WAM THEATRE emilie: la Marquise du chatelet defends her life tonight by lauren gunderson returns in Feb, 2015, as an enhanced staged reading for three performances. williams college tues, Feby 10, 7:3 pm, adams Memorial theatre in the ’62 center for theatre and dance (1000 Main street, williamstown, Ma 01267) as part of the off-center series. http://62center.williams.edu/...at ualbany on thurs, Feb 12, 2015, 7:30pm, performing arts center (1400 washington avenue, albany, nY 12222) advance tickets $10, general public, $5 students, seniors and ualbany faculty-staff. day of show tickets $15 for general public, $10 students, seniors and ualbany faculty-staff. box office (518) 442-3997 or visit the performing arts center website at http://www.albany.edu/pac ...the berkshire Museum (39 south st, pittsfield, Ma) on Fri, Feb 13 7:30 pm, Museum’s theatre part of pittsfield 10×10 upstreet arts Festival. adm. $10. 413-443-7171 x 10. http://www.discoverpittsfield.com/10x10/
BARD COLLEGE AT SIMON’S ROCK great barrington, Ma the hillman-Jackson gallery at bard college at simon’s rock will present claiming citizenship: african americans and new deal photography, a traveling photography exhibition curated by historian rickie solinger, from wednesday, January 28 through Friday, February 20.
GOOD PURPOSE GALLERY 40 Main st., lee, Ma new works by pamela crimmons, opening Feb 20, 5-7pm. thru april 16.
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SCHANTZ GALLERIES 3 elm st, stockbridge, Ma • 413-298-3044 www.schantzgalleries.com a destination for those seeking premier artists working in glass. (11 - 5 daily)
music/theatre
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS WITH MUSIC the Mahaiwe, gt. barrrington, Ma • 413-528-0100 www.mahaiwe.org sergei rachmaninoff & russia orientalia, sat. Mar 21, 6pm
HISTORIC NORTHAMPTON 48 bridge st., northampton, Ma the david ruggles center for early Florence history and underground railroad studies and historic northampton will cosponsor a discussion with editors erika desimone and Fidel louis on their 2014 book, Voices beyond bondage: an anthology of Verse by african americans of the 19th c. the book event will take place on thurs, Feb 12, 2015, 7 pm HUDSON OPERA HOUSE www.hudsonoperahouse.org │ (518) 822-1438 warren st, hudson, nY dan tepfer classical/Jazz piano sat, Feb 14, 7pm, $35, Valentine's day benefit concert, ticket includes a post-performance reception with artist. 10TH ANNUAL 10X10 UPSTREET ARTS FESTIVAL throughout pittsfield, Ma Feb 12 - 22
workshops
BERKSHIRE FESTIVAL OF WOMEN WRITERS berkshirewomenwriters.org / info@berkshirewomenwriters.org acclaimed novelist and memoirist dani shapiro will open the 2015 berkshire Festival of women writers with a keynote address entitled “the permission to write” on March 1 at 7 p.m. at bard college at simon’s rock in great barrington.
SABINE VOLLMER VON FALKEN photographic workshops • 413-298-4933 www.sabinephotoart.com, info@sabinephotoart.com photographic one on one workshops, scheduled throughout the winter months: behind the caMera - sabine’s eye for detail provides the students with everlasting creative tools. explore the beauty of patterns, textures, layers, depth of detail in the real. participants learn how natural light can create dramatic or lyrical images. designed for the serious learner who is interested in improving her/his skills. the hope is to concentrate on the artistic and critical eye. You are asked to bring a digital slr camera. January 1, 2015 – May 31, 2015 Please send us your calendar listings no later than the 10th of the month prior to publication
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THE ARTFUL MIND FEBRUARY 2015 •3
KATE KNAPP
Kate Knapp, Calder sculpture, NYC
Berkshire hills & Manhattan streets
January 12 - March 6, 2015 the Gallery at Berkshire school
245 north underMountain road, sheffield, Ma Gallery Hours: Monday - Saturday, 8 - 5pm, or by appt. 413 229-1265
ANN GETSINGER
Paintings, drawings, and summer classes www.anngetsinger.com
Ann Getsinger, Turban on Brick, detail
“With thanks and congratulations to The Artful Mind for 21 years of helping artists and art lovers”
4 • FebruarY 2015 the artFul Mind
MARILYN KALISH
Lew Scheffey, Hay Bales
“Lew Scheffey was a HUGE FAN of The Artful Mind. He was there at the beginning.” Congratulations!
-Joyce Scheffey
Vault Gallery
413. 854. 7744
front street Gallery
Kate Knapp
Painting Classes on Monday and Wednesday mornings 10 - 1pm at the Studio and Thursday mornings 10am - 1pm out in the field. Open to all
413-274-6607 413-429-7141 (cell) 413-528-9546 Gallery Hours: Saturday and Sunday 12-5 or by appointment
FRONT STREET, downtown HOUSATONIC, MA THE ARTFUL MIND FEBRUARY
2015
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Barbara, pencil rendering, Lee Everett
ART i S T
LEE EVERETT Wood-carving, Lee Everett
Harryet Candee: Lee, you’re multi-talented. Musician, commercial artist and photographer, illustrator and of most recent, sculptor. Am I missing anything? Do you have a top list? Lee Everett: thank you! well there is also Video production. boy, i don’t know, i love them all, but if i had to choose one it would have to be pencil drawing. it was my first love.
What is your focus right now? Do you find working in two different mediums at the same time? lee: i am all over the place. i guess i use all of those disciplines to some degree. i feel that Multimedia is an appropriate description of what i do, because often i do more than one thing at a time. For example, i sing when i draw. if i had more time to specialize, i think i would like to put more time into sculpture, carving wood and stone. right now, i probably do more photography and graphic design than anything else.
Who influenced and inspired you, told you it was okay to be an artist? lee: My grandfather, my father and my first cousin all had a big influence on my early attention to art. My grandfather was a printer who also carved wood, among other things. My father was a photographer who was a very good at hand lettering. he was also an excellent draftsman, musician and singer. Finally, my cousin was a multi-faceted artist who was a painter, potter, knitter, weaver, puppet maker, sculptor, and more. i was quite impressed that she could do so many things well. What were some of the ways you learned to draw? lee: the old masters captured my imagination with such life-like drawings, paintings and
6 • FebruarY 2015 the artFul Mind
sculpture at an early age. i poured through art books and loved visiting museums and art shows. some of my heroes are da Vinci, degas, Michelangelo, ingres, escher, dali and others.
Like most of our first loves we care to spend lengthy time developing and mastering feverishly, which art medium have you found to be the least and most challenging? lee: drawing came easily, but mastering drawing skills takes a lot of practice, just like playing the piano. i draw all the time, and i'm still working on it. carving is the most challenging right now because it is my newest medium. i am dabbling in stone carving and that is really difficult.
Interesting, why is it so difficult? lee: wood and especially stone carving are challenging both because they are time intensive and force you to think in three dimensions. i am quite comfortable with giving the illusion of 3d in 2d, but when you have to look at all angles and volumes on a pieces there is a lot more to consider. they are also a little more physically demanding than drawing. Do you run a business in art and also a music band that David Reed is in? lee: i do have a Multimedia studio in lenox in business since 1970. there i do photography, graphic design, Video production, advertising, Marketing, and website and social Media creation. i specialize in performance photography, Video and promotion. You can see examples of all that on my commercial website at: www.finelinelenox.com and more of the artwork i do at www.leeeverett.com. i used to be in a band with david reed called tamboura. we put out a cd recorded live at the lion's den where we were regulars for fourteen years and played around the region for
Lee’s
mus
ic no
te lo
go
fifteen years. now david and a group of our friends just jam at my studio. it's a lot more fun without having to schlep equipment around.
Living in the lovely Berkshires often is a strong influence on the art we make. The natural beauty that surrounds us can foster and generate ideas and inspire us to love music and art. How might this hold true for you? lee: the beauty of the berkshire landscape has always resonated with me from the first time i saw it. i do some landscape photography, but that isn’t my main focus. photographing live performance, which is such a large part of the berkshire environment, became my specialty. however, i think the things that reflect my love and appreciation of the berkshires the most have got to be some of the design work i’ve done that incorporates the peaceful landscape elements. one of my favorites is an illustration inspired by the music and the beauty of the Music inn where i lived when i first arrived in the area. the illustration was later used as a logo for the Music store in lenox and at the Music inn. Thinking down the line, Lee, you might have some challenges and new avenues you plan to explore / tackle within the next few years. Care to let us in on some of those ideas? i am hoping to get more proficient at sculpture. i also started to get back into teaching art, which i love doing, and would like to get more involved with mentoring young artists.
Lee, tell us a short story of something interesting you recently experienced. i recently got to photograph and meet a gifted young musician named brandon niederauer. he is now an eleven year old guitar prodigy and is absolutely amazing. while he is an unassuming, nice young man, he has already played with some of the greatest guitarist in the world. he is definitely someone to watch. if you google '10 year old guitarist on Wood carving, Buddha, Lee Everett the ellen show' you'll see what i mean. then, there was my recent family reunion and visit to california. after a wonderful family gathering in san diego where i met relatives i never even knew i had, i arranged another reunion of sorts. i was planning on visiting friends in the la area who were all one time berkshire residents now living in ca. My good friend lauren suggested we gather at her house, a great artsy complex in topanga canyon. we all had the best time with her and her husband tony dow who is a terrific sculptor and former television star. everyone knows him from 'leave it to beaver', but he would rather people didn't refer to him as wally. What is your motto for making things work in life? do what you love and love what you do!!
Richard Reading, Lee
Everett, pencil rendering
I know you love dogs. I do, too. “Fur Faces.” Got any good stories you’d like to share? How many canines do you and Lynn live with at this point? we have three right now. oh, i have a great story about our dear wally, who is now 16 years old. when he was younger, he loved to ride in the car and bark at the top of his lungs. his voice was so piercing that it hurt. My wife, lynne, got a citronella collar that was supposed to stop the barking habit. the sound activated a mist of citronella, which most dogs find unpleasant, (but not harmful) and they stop barking. not wally, he loved it! Bark, Spray… Bark, Spray… Bark, Spray. lynne got so frustrated she ripped the collar off and threw it on the dashboard. Bark, Spray…and she got it right in the face. i couldn’t stop laughing. wished i had my video camera to record it.
~ G ~ VV
the artFul Mind FebruarY 2015 • 7
SABINE PHOTO ART
FRONT STREET GALLERY kate knapp
pastels, oils, acrylics and watercolors…..abstract and representational…..landscapes, still lifes and portraits….a unique variety of painting technique and styles….you will be transported to another world and see things in a way you never have before…. join us and experience something different. painting classes continue on Monday and wednesday mornings 10-1:30pm at the studio and thursday mornings out in the field. these classes are open to all...come to one or come again if it works for you. all levels and materials welcome. classes at Front street are for those wishing to learn, those who just want to be involved in the pure enjoyment of art, and/or those who have some experience under their belt. a teacher for many years, kate knapp has a keen sense of each student’s artistic needs to take a step beyond. perfect setting for setting up still lifes; lighting and space are excellent. kate knapp’s paintings are also on display at 510 warren st. gallery in hudson, nY. please stop by to see all the many works of art by exceptional artists. Front Street Gallery – Front Street, Housatonic, MA. Gallery open by appointment or chance. 413-528-9546 or 413-429-7141 (cell).
a published and collected fine art photographer, sabine has a number of specialties. one of these is a focus on commercial and editorial portraiture, collaborating with professionals to provide their publishers / labels with an image portfolio. her talent lies in both choosing the location and working with the subtleties of lighting. her eye for the “Yes Moment” results in timeless imagery. she has the talent to bring introspection to the art of life style photography. she is the interviewer, catalyst and image-maker. her inside and out studio is located in stockbridge, Ma. signed books: “WOODLAND STYLE” and “ SHELL CHIC “, M. H. Marshall, published by Storey, all photography by Sabine. she is a member of asMp, the international center of photography icp, and the wedding photojournalist association, wpJa. photographic one on one workshops, scheduled throughout the winter months: behind the caMera sabine’s eye for detail provides the students with everlasting creative tools. explore the beauty of patterns, textures, layers, depth of detail in the real. participants learn how natural light can create dramatic or lyrical images. designed for the serious learner who is interested in improving her/his skills. the hope is to concentrate on the artistic and critical eye. You are asked to bring a digital slr camera. January 1, 2015 – May 31, 2015 For more detailed info please contact Sabine Vollmer von Falken Photography at, info@sabinephotoart.com tel. 413298-4933
COLLINS/EDITIONS formerly BERKSHIRE DIGITAL
after seven years of working for artists and photographers as berkshire digital, we have changed our name to collins|editions. we are a fine art reproduction service that offers the highest quality digital photography & reproduction of paintings as well as giclée printing on archival papers and canvas with sizes up to 42” x 90”. artists & photographers use us to create limited editions of their images. private collectors and galleries use us to document their collections. whether the reproduction needs are for archiving, printing, books, magazines, postcards or internet use, bd adheres to very strict color controls along with delivering stunning detail by using either a large format camera with a better light™ digital scanning back for making giclee prints as well as the best dslr cameras for publication & internet uses. in addition to the photography and printing services, collins|editions also offers graphic design, enabling clients to create show announcements, post cards and brochures. the website, www.collinseditions.com has a complete overview, lots of information and pricing. the owner, Fred collins, has been a commercial photographer for over 30 years having had studios in boston and stamford. he offers 20 years of experience with photoshop™ enabling retouching, restoration and enhancement. the studio is located in Mt washington but dropoff and pu can be arranged at other locations. Collins|editions studio, 220 East St, Mt Washington, Massachusetts; 413644-9663, www.collinseditions.com
nina lipkowitz 8• FebruarY 2015 the artFul Mind
BERKSHIRE FESTIVAL OF WOMEN WRITERS
OPENS WITH KEYNOTE BY DANI SHAPIRO
acclaimed novelist and memoirist dani shapiro will open the 2015 berkshire Festival of women writers with a keynote address entitled “the permission to write” on March 1 at 7 p.m. at bard college at simon’s rock in great barrington. despite the fact that dani shapiro is the best-selling author of many books, including the Festival March book club pick Still Writing: The Perils and Pleasures of a Creative Life, she sometimes struggles with giving herself the permission to make writing her central focus, and she believes this is true of many women writers. “isabelle allende wrote multiple novels before she felt she could list “writer” as her occupation on her tax returns,” shapiro says. “sylvia plath once wrote that she was ‘a wife and mother of two small children’ when asked by a publisher to describe herself. it should come as no surprise that women find it difficult to give themselves permission to find a voice, and to sing it.” in her Festival keynote, shapiro will share the story of her own writing life, as well as offer inspiration and advice to all women who are longing for the right to write. shapiro’s keynote kicks off the month-long berkshire Festival of women writers, celebrating its Fifth anniversary season in March 2015 with more than 50 events at more than 30 venues throughout berkshire county, showcasing and nourishing the creative talents of women of all ages and from many walks of life. there is at least one Festival event every day of the month of March, women’s history Month. tickets for the dani shapiro keynote are $15 and are available for purchase online. BERKSHIRE WOMEN WRITERS - For information on this event and the full Festival schedule, visit www.berkshirewomenwriters.org.
MARGUERITE BRIDE Marguerite bride, nantucket lightship, w/c
watercolors
as one of 10 artists selected for pittsfield’s “ten spot” exhibit at the lichtenstein center for the arts, Marguerite bride will be featuring some favorites from her lighthouse/seascape series in this invitational exhibit. one of her paintings will be displayed on a billboard in somewhere in berkshire county leading up to the 10x10 exhibit. ten spot will be on display February 6-28, 2015. gallery hours are wed-sat. 11am-4pm with an opening reception on thursday, February 12, 5-7 pm. spearheaded by barrington stage company and the city of pittsfield, the 4th annual 10×10 upstreet arts Festival is which will be held throughout the city’s upstreet cultural district from February 12-22, 2015. berkshire gas will be once again the lead sponsor of the 10×10 upstreet arts Festival. bride will be one of four artists exhibiting at the st. Francis gallery in south lee, Ma March 14 – april 13. the exhibit, “travels with Missie – the artists’ View” features new works with an irish theme, inspired by a magical trek along Missie’s path in ireland as documented in kevin o’hara’s book, “last of the donkey pilgrims”. artist reception March 14, 2-6 pm, complete with irish music, refreshments and readings by kevin himself. Visit bride’s website “what’s new” page or her Facebook “Marguerite bride watercolors” for the latest exhibit and show schedules. commissions for vacation and house portraits are welcome at any time. it’s not too soon to think about 2015 holiday gift giving…take photos now if you want a winter scene in the berkshires. Visit bride’s studio by appointment. Marguerite Bride, NUarts Studios, Studio 9, 311 North Street, Pittsfield, by appointment. Call 413-442-7718, or 413-841-1659 (cell); website: margebride-paintings.com / email: margebride@aol.com
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS WITH MUSIC Yehuda hanani
rachManinoFF and russian orientalia
saturday, March 21, 6pm at the Mahaiwe performing arts center in great barrington, Ma. the mesmeric russian pianist Vassily primakov joins distinguished cellist Yehuda hanani in a program that explores the many facets of this enigmatic and prodigious figure. the magnetic appeal of the mysterious east attracted rachmaninoff’s artistic predecessors (rimsky-korsakov’s scheherazade became the best-known example of russian musical orientalism), and he followed suit beginning with some of his earliest compositions. the sumptuousness and ecstatic expressivity of the sonata for piano and cello and the early prelude and orientale organically entwine orientalism around his thoroughly european palette. his Variations on a theme of corelli, miniature character pieces, is a pianistic tour de force, requiring the highest levels of piano performance. Tickets, $45 (Orchestra and Mezzanine) and $25 (Balcony), are available at The Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center box office, 413.528.0100. Subscriptions are $150 ($130 for seniors) for the remaining 4 concerts in the series. Visit our website at www.cewm.org.
413. 528. 5523 the artFul Mind FebruarY 2015 • 9
columbia, which introduced me to the ivy league world. but my soul first came alive in painting class, surrounded by color, the smell of oils and turpentine., and most importantly we were surrounded by friends who all cherished beauty and believed in art.
Warming up here….let’s sort out your talents. Tell me about the different venues you are involved with? Pops: too many, actually. i’ve been a playwright, reporter, screen writer, director, tV host, videographer, web producer and designer, singer, songwriter, poet…. if i’d just stuck to painting i may have been a hit by 32, not 62. at this age, instead of just now making a mark i could be all washed up!
Pops, what achievement so far is your biggest? And how are you working with that at this time? Pops: corny, yeah, but my one biggest achievement is raising a beautiful, loving, intelligent and accomplished daughter, Monroe. she’s doing important work in this world and loves me like the sun. and i never spanked her, not even once! next to that i’m proud to be married to the man of my dreams, Mark Johnson. we‘ve been together 25 years and still counting. when we first met the idea of two men being married was beyond our wildest dreams, but we stayed together until the laws finally caught up with reality, thank heavens. great as it is to have a solo exhibition or see your name on the silver screen, nothing is more gratifying than family and love.
POPS PETERSON Interview by Harryet Candee Photography of Pops by Jane Feldman
Harryet; Pops! Oh, I mean… Maurice… wait? Which is it? Pops: it was Maurice my whole life and i wanted finally to have a nickname. i took on pops so i would never be too old for it. grandma Moses made it big in her 80s, so pops peterson could make it big as an alte kaker, too. it came to be when a young friend said to me, “Maurice, i’ve never had an older man in my life to look up to, and i want it to be you!” so i actually changed my name for him. people are sometimes surprised i’d adopt such an old persona when i still have moves like Jagger and a full head of black hair. i have to tell them i dye it.
What sign were you born under? What year were you born, if you don’t mind me asking? Pops: i’ve always heard that a gentleman who will tell you his age will tell you anything. but since you asked, 1952, on February 19th. i’m a pisces. this article in your February issue is the best birthday present ever!
10 • FebruarY 2015
the artFul Mind
Thank you, Pops. We went to the same high school in New York City, Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art! Do you feel privileged to have been accepted there? Funny, I still remember my art teachers like it was yesterday. Any fond memories stand out for you? Pops: My life began at Music & art. we called it “the castle,” and we understood we were among the lucky few students in the country, the whole world, whose inner selves were being nurtured, trained and celebrated while everywhere else the inner selves of students were being suffocated. we didn’t have to worry about gangs or drugs or school shootings. the castle was our sanctuary, our nirvana.
Have you run into other alumni these days? Pops: My class, ’69, is still close as family! we have a very active Facebook group and in-person reunions several times a year! we even had a group art exhibition and music fest just the year before last, in new York. it was called “artists evolved.” i went on to
Visually speaking about your digital art…. It must feel good to have been honored to grace the walls at Lauren Clark, and coming up at Sohn Fine Art in Lenox. Tell me a little about what you will be showing this February at Cassandra Sohn, who focuses on photography? Pops: lauren clark was my angel! when i’d only done three canvases she declared i was a pop artist and i should have my own show in her gallery! she waived her magic wand: poof! You’re an artist! i’m so grateful and humbled to have so much support from lauren and so many others this amazing community. Jacqueline togut, who gave me my first two commissions ever. carole Murko and will regan who gave me the dream commission to make two pictures for each room in the hotel and office building of the center for Motivation and change. to cassandra sohn and you, too, harryet. Thank you, Pops. the new show is called “reinventing rockwell.” and my goal is to show how our community and the world have changed in the 50 to 75 years since norman rockwell painted his iconic works. the changes in clothing and hairstyles, new machines and gadgets. but beyond that, the differences in the types of people and the attitude in the air. and rockwell was outspoken in his political works, the most moving paintings in his whole catalog. in two works especially, i’ve updated some of the important political images to address today’s headlines. Can you reveal your technique for the digital art you create, Pops? How many people do you think are doing what you are doing? I am sure there may me some variations on the same theme. Pops: i guess ‘cause i told you my age now you think i’ll tell you my secret creative techniques, too? okay then. each work begins as a photo taken on my iphone 5s. i bring them into photoshop on my Mac to heighten the colors, edit out unwanted details, adjust the lighting, crop, sometimes combine with pieces of other images, blend in filters for certain effects, and manually paint shapes, colors and lines using a stylus on a tracking pad. the technical term for all this is called, “sprinkling fairy dust.” there are thousands of other digital artists out there, and many have done their own takes on norman rockwell, which google will instantly prove. but i think i have a special sensitivity to norman rockwell’s world. For the past eight years i’ve spent most of my waking hours at seVen salon.spa, the business Mark and i own right across the street from the house where he lived and died. Most of his famous works were painted in his studio on that property, just a few hundred feet away from my desk. each day i drive the same streets, see the same families, the same homes and mountains. the salon used to be a funeral home and when rockwell died, his body was brought into the room that is now our staff room. so i own and work in the building where norman rockwell was embalmed! norman rockwell was the first artist i ever knew of as a kid. before picasso, before Matisse. every week i looked forward to
his covers on the Saturday Evening Post and wished i could be in the picture. this was the fabled all-american homeland i wished i lived in instead of Queens, where i grew up. when i first came to visit stockbridge, back in the ‘70s, the leaves were in their richest red autumn hues, swirling around the streets like characters in one of his paintings. and it was so beautiful that i actually cried, feeling so grateful i ever got to experience such a beautiful world. now that world is my home, and i feel more a part of this land and community than i’ve ever felt anyplace else my whole long life long. so if there are other artists out there with a similar style or intention to continue his legacy, they certainly couldn’t be any more authentic than i am. Visiting the norman rockwell Museum i weep in the wake of his greatness. My goal is to keep the world focused on his vision. by “reinventing rockwell” i intend to revitalize interest in the original rockwell images as well as my own updated interpretations.
I wanted to ask you about your experience working for Interview magazine. My mentor magazine, by the way! Tell me about it, please. Pops: when i was studying at columbia in the seventies, andy warhol had just started interview. i went to film class with bob colaciello, an editor, and glenn o’brien who was the editor-inchief. they gave me assignments based on my articles in the school paper, the Columbia Spectator, and Essence Magazine. i was twenty when i wrote for them, profiles including, “at the deli with liza Minnelli,” upon the release of liza’s oscar-winning role in “cabaret.” during the interview i went with liza and her then boyfriend, dezi arnaz Jr. to the deli around the corner from her east side apartment. since i was with them, all the people thought i had to be famous too, with my huge afro. so i signed autographs as the guy from Mod squad, clarence williams iii. the paycheck for the interview was autographed personally by andy himself and i stared at it a long time wondering if i should just hold onto it as an investment. that check was for about $200; i could get $20,000 for it today, no doubt. but i needed the cash for food! speaking of achievements, that interview is currently in the collection of the andy warhol Museum, which i visited in pittsburgh. what an eerie feeling to be inside a huge museum about someone who was actually a part of my life! and how strange that my name and my work were in their archives! More than any other goal right now, my personal wish is to be shown at the andy warhol Museum as a visual artist, as well as a writer. I am wondering, and I know it may sound strange to you, but we don’t always find what kind of person the artist is behind their canvas. We see the art, but do we at times, wonder who the artist is that created a piece of art that is out there to be seen and thought about? Who is Pops, and who is Maurice? Pops: when i was in art school i discovered that every artist’s work resembled the artist who painted it. the big guy would use broad brush strokes and lots of paint; the sad little girl drew
Pops Peterson, “The Problem Persists” 1964-2014. Fifty years after Rockwell painted “The Problem We All Live With,” racial strife is still with us. When Ferguson erupted, the media covered the shooting, the police and the looters, but paid scant attention to the hardworking citizens who lost jobs, business owners who lost everything and the innocent children who have to grow up in a war zone.
gloomy landscapes with small insignificant dark figures, etc. so every picture is a self-portrait and i do see an image of myself in each of my paintings. each image is a different facet, a different mood, but each image is a vision that i’ve created from the love in my heart. if you see enough of them, you’ll see my every mood and belief.
In your lifetime, so far, what experiences have you encountered that may have caused an epiphany, or altering lifelong lesson? Can you let us in on at least one private learning experience you have had? Pops: when i was ten years old i was lit on fire in an accident and suffered third degree burns over a large percentage of my body. i stayed ten weeks in the hospital, suffered multiple procedures and operations, saw my friends dying in the ward. but it didn’t kill me. i feel i’ve had the guts to take big chances in my life in large part due to this early tragedy. because it didn’t kill me. what could happen that could possibly be worse than i’d already been through? and i’m still here, still forging ahead and smelling some roses, too.
I know you are also a graphic designer, those skills must have been the ladder towards creating art that is totally for yourself to be enjoyed – that is before it went public… What were the stepping stones and ground work connection between graphic designing, web designing, and now, I am throwing in your writing skills, as well. Sounds like it was a culmination of all of the above, but maybe, you were not aware that this new adventure needed these skills on board in order to create your POP art, that…really pops. Pops: it’s misleading to say i was a graphic designer, actually. after making it to hollywood as a tV and screenwriter (“homework” starring Joan collins) then losing my agents at william Morris, i struggled for years as an office temp to support my family and put my daughter through private school. so when the internet was introduced and a lucrative new industry was born, i taught myself from books to program websites. i’d never even heard of photoshop, which was then at version 3, but i got that program for my pc and taught myself enough techniques to crop
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Pops Peterson, “Queen of the Dome” 2014. I photographed Beyoncé on stage in her “I Am… World Tour,” 2009, at the Izod Center in NJ. The background is the ceiling of the Bellagio, shot in Las Vegas, 2013.
the artFul Mind FebruarY 2015 • 11
POPS PETERSON
Pops Peterson,The Sexiest Man Alive, 2015. Rockwell painted various versions of a “First Haircut.” Owning a salon right across the street from his house, of course I needed a version of my own. With Collette Villetto, Miles Carpenter and William Caligari.
and resize images, and make headers, banners and buttons. i never took a class. i did a poster here and an ad there, plus all the marketing for our business, seVen salon.spa. but it wasn’t until June 17, 2012, that i actually drew anything just as art since my 20’s. that was a cartoon for my humorous advice blog, www.come-to-papa.com. the blog was supposed to get me exposure as a writer, so i could build an audience for my memoir, “hearts and scissors.” and my first drawing was just a stick figure. but post after post, the writing took less time and the drawings took more. You can still visit the blog and see how, week to week, i became more skilled and expressive as an artist. and within only eight short months, after my cartoon for the blog post called, “should i shave My Junk?,” i got my first commission, to make two large portraits! For real money! other commissions came immediately, then the solo exhibition was booked, i was in our school’s group show in new York, and i got the hotel and office building commissions. it’s been like a rocket ride! i hadn’t done a painting in thirty five years, and in a year and a half i sold over sixty works! when i went back to painting, i guess it was just the right timing, finally.
Maybe for you growing up in the city was the real ground work for becoming a successful artist. Your thoughts? Pops: i owe my current successes in the salon and as an artist to living here in the berkshires, being connected in this great community. but i am a creation of the city, a new Yorker through and through, and i thank the lord in heaven for that blessing! new York gave me a wonderful education, from elementary school straight through Music & art high school and columbia u. but more than that, new York gave me access to the fabulous. as a teenager, my twin brother, gregory, and i went to broadway shows and network tV tapings and took part in the show business world the rest of the country only dreamed about. by being in fan clubs and hanging around stage doors i met Joan rivers, who took us under her wing at fourteen, giving us front and center seats at all her 12 • FebruarY 2015 the artFul Mind
Pops Peterson, Stockbridge Fire Department to the Rescue, 2014 If Rockwell were painting today he may have shown a female in uniform, or a boy who may not have been white. I found that switching genders changed the entire chemistry of the story of a runaway. With Heidi Teusche, Jim Finnerty and Benjamin Gross.
performances. thanks to Joan i met ed sullivan, don rickles, countless stars—and even got on tV myself! as a kid in high school, instead of being just an art student, this was my identity, what made me special. What did you do yesterday, Maurice? Oh, I met Cher! More importantly, i got to see behind the curtain and learn how the strings pull all the puppets. Joan taught me that the fantasy world on television was a reality that you could own if you worked for it, put yourself out there and if you weren’t afraid of falling on your face. next to my parents, Joan was the most influential person in my whole life. when she died, a piece of me went with her. with the passing of my parents, aunts and uncles, and now Joan, i’m the one who has no one left to look up to. i have to embrace the fact that i truly am pops. i brought my brother with me to Joan’s funeral and we were inconsolable. this was the end. after forty-eight years of laughs, love and excitement, this was the very last time we would ever go to see a Joan rivers show. i’m still heartbroken, but so blessed that she loved me! Tell me what else you adore on this planet. Pops: potential. i adore the fact that every day is a chance to learn, to make yourself better and other people happy, glad to be alive. What do you steer far away from? Pops: greed. if nobody in the world were greedy, then planet earth would be planet paradise.
What attracts you? What is it that you cannot get enough of? Pops: it think the most attractive thing in a person is discipline; training and self-control. what i can’t get enough of? exercise and learning. they keep you young.
Pops Peterson, “Ode to the Pear Trees of Great Barrington - The Package Store,” 2014. These magnificent pear tree blossoms will never again be seen in Great Barrington. They are currently being razed for a road renovation. Another from this collection is featured in my current exhibition, “Reinventing Rockwell,” at Sohn Fine Art.
What was the craziest thing you ever did in your life, and what goes through your mind, like a dream, that you want to do, but may scare you? Pops: i’ve done a lot of things that were outlandish and risky. some might say that marrying a woman when we both knew i was gay could have been one of the riskiest. but crazy as my actions may have seemed from the outside, i’ve always had a plan and a rationale for my actions.
Pops, tell me what your parents were like? I mean, paint me a picture of you growing up in the borough of Queens, NY. Pops: My brother and i had trees and a backyard, bikes and pets. a typical day began with a hot breakfast of eggs and bacon, maybe some grits or grapefruit prepared by my mother, who also made and pressed our clothes. we’d walk or take the bus to school, the only two ink spots in our overwhelmingly Jewish class where all of my friends were Jewish, all of them. after school there was dinner with Mom, the dishes, homework, a half-hour of piano practice and then tV with Jello pudding or a hershey bar. My father owned a barber shop and came home late each night, usually with some bubble gum or other treat in his pocket for us. it was a wonderful, warm, safe childhood and we lacked nothing. My mother, a public school teacher, taught me that hard work and education were the keys to success and happiness. My most valuable lesson, ever.
property in new York to move someplace and open a business i’d never worked in before where i didn’t know a soul except the lady who sold me the building. My whole life has been one big crap shoot. and that’s why i hate the casino, won’t play poker or any other gambling game. For me, gambling is not a game and i still wonder what hand i’ll be left to play when the sun goes down.
I think the photography you do is so different than the colorful digital art. Can you live with making both? Or is one set on the side for the time being? pops: Making photographic paintings in the style of norman rockwell has certainly tamed my color palette and i’m sure when i move on that this experience will influence the future work. but i know i’ll always have to discover something new, explore some artistic turf no one’s ever touched before. that’s any artist’s goal.
If you could have three wishes, and I mean just three, what would they be? Pops: wish number one: to live in a world with no greed. wish number two: to remain healthy and active until i die Pops Peterson,Tree in the Ice, 2014, from the collection of 30 black and white landscapes created for the hotel of the peacefully in my sleep. wish number If you were to ask yourself a Center for Motivation and Change, New Marlborough. The images were chosen for their meditative and healing properties. three: to invent “undrunk,” the pill that question, what would that be? lets you piss out all the alcohol in your Pops: the only question i ever blog articles to cartoons to portraits to landscapes and now to set blood stream in five minutes so there’d never be another dui need to ask myself is, “are you happy?” right now my answer pieces—what an adventure! in five years? let’s see… i’d like to death or arrest—and i’d be a billionaire! is a boldface “Yes!” but there have been times recently when that have a book deal for my art and my writing, and maybe a line of answer was just as boldfaced a “No.” and that was when i wasn’t greeting cards or other products with my images on them. and Thank you, and Happy Birthday, Pops! making the effort to be who i am in my core, an artist. i was only maybe get into some terrific international galleries and maybe a “REINVENTING ROCKWELL,” will be running at Sohn Fine Art working, vacationing and watching tV. not respecting my body museum? have a wikipedia page, and maybe a hair product not from February 6 to March 15, 2015. All are invited to the artist’s with enough exercise. not writing, singing or painting. i’m very the market. not much. but i think what would please me most reception Saturday, March 7, 4:00 to 6:20 PM. proud of my accomplishments as a small business owner, manwould be a grandchild. aging a thriving company for eight years and counting, enabling twenty people to get their daily bread and shelter. as creative as Are you a safe guy, or one that likes to take risks? it is to run a company, however, i have a calling to draw, paint, Pops: Yes, i am a risk taker. it was risky to decide to be an artist write, sing—whatever i can do to bring the love i feel inside to when i could easily have just to be a lawyer or a shrink. it was the outside world. a risk to get married and raise a child. and risky to sell all my What is it that you want people to know about you? Pops: i’d like them to know i can be commissioned to make their portraits in the style of norman rockwell. . and it’s still affordable! lol! so all they need to do is click on www.popspeterson.com and get in touch.
Are you religious? Pops: don’t get me started! i was raised in the congregational church, but by about fourteen i’d already decided the things they expect you to believe are either too farfetched, illogical or contradictory. so i’m not a follower of any particular denomination now, although i am extremely spiritual. i believe in eternal life, alternate realities, reincarnation, destiny, karma and the power of the divine. i pray constantly to the god inside me, the god that’s inside everybody.
What is come-to-papa.com all about, please? Pops: as i mentioned, i started my blog to build a new audience as a writer, eventually to promote my memoir, “hearts and scissors.” but the deeper reason was that i had just turned sixty and had no artistic outlet. i decided to do the blog for one year and see where it might lead. i envisioned myself as a new dan savage or Miss tiger. imagine surprise when the writing went nowhere but the drawings exploded! i continued for the full year, but had to eventually let it go to make the paintings. but the blog is still online drawing readers worldwide. as of January i just have my 100,000th visitor! Do you think you are changing fast as an artist? Or slowing down in your style, and what you desire and want to create? Is there a challenge you would like to meet within the next, say, five years? Pops: i’m changing so fast it really takes my breath away. From
Pops Peterson, “Sunset on the Surf ” 2014 began as a snapshot on the beach of Playa Del Carmen, Mexico in 2005. I “popped” it in 2014 for my debut solo exhibition, “New Frontiers in Pop Art,” presented at Lauren Clark Fine Art.
the artFul Mind FebruarY 2015 • 13
Planet Waves
ARIES (March 20-April 19) Your mantra in these weeks can be "anything is possible," as events conspire to open up new worlds of potential. what comes your way may not be what you were expecting, what you thought was likely or the thing you seem to want the most. even so, what transpires has the power to send your life in bold, new directions you never could have planned.
TAURUS (April 19-May 20) desire is your most trustworthy ally this month. set your priorities, start at the top of the list and work your way down. charm, elegance and cooperation will help you assert your will. though you may be tempted, an easygoing approach will work better than competition or aggression. keep your mind as focused as a warrior, never forgetting your goals for a moment. GEMINI (May 20-June 21) Your solar chart is vibrating with genius, ideas and revelations. it's as if you can tap into all of your past lifetimes as an inventor and artist and remember everything you once knew. at least one idea will easily connect to a source of income, though i suggest you let everything other than money motivate you, for now anyway.
CANCER (June 21-July 22) You're feeling at your very boldest and brightest, and it won't be a coincidence if you're summoned into a leadership role. Yet you must handle any form of authority gently. be fair at every turn. Move at a slower pace than you may be inclined. You have so much energy that people will need to work to keep up with you. give them a chance. LEO (July 22-Aug. 23) business travel is highly favored this month, and you're ready to burst free from your present surroundings. in any event
Eric Francis
F ebruary 2015
you're going somewhere, as Mars moves over the success angle of your chart, giving you a surge of faith in your talents and abilities. the goals to pursue are your newest ones -- what you're excited about right now.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) Focus on one specific idea or objective and you are bound to succeed -- that is, if you're willing to work with others who push you. sometimes you are at your best when challenged by partners or collaborators. take all of your work or financial involvements as learning opportunities and you cannot go wrong. in so doing, the potential for profit is much greater than knowledge.
LIBRA (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) You may feel the invisible hand on your shoulder, guiding you quietly. still, be sure you make clear decisions rather than allowing others to make up your mind for you. You might not understand what seems like a complex situation, though the picture will come into focus soon enough. listen carefully and you'll hear people reveal their motives -- always useful information.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) events this month are drawing you directly into the action. do not hesitate to step up. there's plenty to get done, and you have something to offer. For one thing, there are no limits on what you can get done. Yet in any work project situation you're likely to be the one with the idea that solves the big puzzle. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) everything you touch turns to beauty, to something exciting, something of value. experiment with your most out-there ideas. give them life, give them a voice and a place where they can be seen. reveal your boldest, splashiest work. in
planetwaves.net
other words, don't hold back, especially for fear of being different. You may be shocked how useful those ideas turn out to be. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) You may find yourself needing to reconcile your work-related responsibilities with so much that's happening at home. the truth is, your domestic life is more important, for the moment. though you won't read this in any stock definition of capricorn, it's your foundation, both of your identity and your success. it's far more meaningful than you typically let on. remind yourself of that often. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) You have something to say, and whatever that is will benefit the people around you. though you're not one to keep your opinions to yourself, i suggest you be especially generous this month -- especially with what you know from direct experience. people look up to you as one with wisdom to offer, and as someone they trust dearly. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) You're still under the influence of a potent solar eclipse in your sign, which has set you free from many old ideas about yourself. the real question is about where you're going and what you're becoming. You're being empowered to rise to your highest concept of yourself. For that to work, start now actively visualizing your ideals, through imagination, clear description or photography. ~ Read Eric Francis daily at PlanetWaves.net
Happy Anniversary Artful Mind! You are 21 years old! 14 • FebruarY 2015 the artFul Mind
GOOD PURPOSE GALLERY paMela criMMins
pamela crimmins will exhibit underwater photographs from two bodies of work at good purpose gallery in February. one image, “tree dance,” is a painterly photograph shot up through the surface of water. “Jessica” and “Virginia,” are underwater portraits commissioned through splash photography. both bodies of work exploit and embrace the properties of water and light as they interact with her subjects and her interests. the photography show will be displayed from February 16 until april 16, 2015; opening reception on February 20, 5-7 pm (wine and appetizers will be served along short artist’s presentations). pamela’s photographs have been featured in harper’s, new York Magazine, the new Yorker, coastal living and other publications. she has exhibited nationally and currently lives in new York city. Good Purpose Gallery, 40 Main Street in Lee, Massachusetts. The gallery is open 9am - 4pm, Sunday - Saturday. For more information, visit www.goodpurpose.org
the artFul Mind FebruarY 2015 • 15
Amy Cohen I like to paint in oils and mixed mediums, medium sized, lyrical abstract portraits and landscapes inspired by real life and fantasy. I work with oil pastels,water colors, pigments on canvas, wood, paper. I share my love of nature, music, poetry, literature with my audience through metaphor in color and form and light. I reside in New Marlborough and New York City and show here and internationally. JWS in Great Barrington, Kit And Kaboodle, North Adams, and art fairs in the Berkshires, Hamptons, NYC and Miami.
www.amycohenbanker.com
Denise B Chandler Fine Art Photography
Dancing Poppy © 2013 Denise B Chandler
“Happy 21 Year Anniversary to The Artful Mind!” Denise B Chandler Fine Art Photography is represented by Sohn Fine Art Gallery
www.denisebchandler info@denisebchandler.com
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!! 16 • THE ARTFUL MIND FEBRUARY 2015
lauren clark fine art presents
Japanese flower arranging artist reception and lecture with local ikebana Master Brian Mikesell
Join us anytime throughout the day Saturday, March 7
Observe Flower Arranging from 1-4pm Reception and Lecture from 5:30-7pm
LAuREN CLARK FiNE ARt
25 railroad street, Great Barrington, Ma 413. 528. 0432 LaurenClarkFineArt.com
MICHAEL FILMUS
“Williamstown Orchard”, 24” x 36”, oil on canvas
MiCHAEL FiLMuS FiNE ARt
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!! THE ARTFUL MIND FEBRUARY 2015 • 17
MARIE ANTOINETTE EATS CAKE
From: No Cure For The Medieval Mind Richard Britell part 3
the tutor picked out the perfect piece for Marie to learn, perhaps you are familiar with: the first prelude of the first book of the “well-tempered clavier.” it is an unusual work, although it is very simple to play, and almost anyone could master it in a week or two. still it is profound and moving. after the first prelude, things get more and more complicated in the “well-tempered clavier,” until you get to works so intricate and involved that the playing of them belongs only to those who are willing to give their life to the task. but as great as those works may be, they are not as moving or as perfect as that first prelude. the first prelude is like a perfectly formed child who will later grow up to be a Venus de Milo. he played the first prelude slowly so that she could see that there was hardly a place where it is necessary to play two notes at the same time. at the end, where there are all those repeated low notes in the left hand he slowed down the tempo, and at the last chord that ends the little piece he looked Marie right in the eye. Marie nodded her head to indicate she understood what was being asked of her. it was a royal gesture, just like her mother. angela began to attend the music lessons, and so it is necessary to say something about this child, playmate and close friend to one who would someday be the most famous and unfortunate queen in history. angela was also a child of a noble family, although her line of the family had long fallen into near destitution. angela's father, because of his poverty, was reduced to teaching
the children of other noble families; his specialty was diction, deportment. the only reason his wife was a lady in waiting at the court of the empress was because of her exceptional beauty. her daughter angela was also blessed with the same beautiful face, and perfect deportment, learned from her father's instruction. the attachment of angela for Marie antoinette, and Marie antoinette for angela was very intense and had existed undisturbed since they met when they were five years old. now they were ten and had spent some time together every day with almost no exceptions. once when they were seven they had an argument about a doll, and did not speak to each other for an entire day. on the following day they made up and then spent a long time each trying to force the other to take the doll. this argument left a scar, and ever after the two of them referred to it as that “day of the doll.” a thing it was hoped would never be repeated. one of the reasons the two girls had such a perfect friendship had to do with some accidents of their birth. Marie antoinette was the superior child in that she was the daughter of the emperor and empress of austria, an archduchess already being considered for the position of Queen of France, whereas angela was a nobody. angela was the more beautiful child and also more intelligent. her character sparkled with charm, and at a young age she was capable of spontaneous wit and droll humor. angela was really the one suited to be a future queen, and not Marie; they both knew this and so, in their hearts each was intensely jealous of the other, this flaw was the cement of their attachment to each other. actually they were rivals since Marie antoinette and angela were both ten years old they engaged in all the activities you would expect of children that age, they created tea parties for their dolls, had long conversations about what boys could be like, and read each other passages out of romantic French novellas stolen from their parents libraries. a child of ten was no different in 1750 as at any other time in human history. they had an easygoing indulgent music teacher and so, just like today, they set to work to torment, abuse and ridicule him without him knowing it, all the while acting the part of complete innocents. the first thing the music tutor had to do when the music lesson began was to tune the music room harpsichord. this was a very fine instrument but the temperature it the huge room varied so much that every day the instrument was completely out of tune. even though a harpsichord must be tuned as many as three times in a day, it does not take too long for a person as expert as the music tutor and he could complete the task in about ten minutes. but while he concentrated on the task the girls would reach into
the instrument and touch various strings with a fingernail, thereby throwing everything off. the tutor would begin over again, and finally give up in desperation. he said to the girls, “this old instrument was one of the best when it was made 50 years ago, but now the soundboard is old and cracked, the pins will no longer hold their tension, and you must talk the empress into getting something new.” the tutor would decide to teach using the flute, but some olive oil would have accidentally gotten into the bore. he would be puzzled to find that the guitar was strung up with only g-strings. as a result the piano lesson would turn into a voice lesson. the more the girls came to love their music tutor the more they tormented him, but it was not long before they went too far. not all the instruments the tutor used belonged to the court, he always brought his own viola, an old italian instrument of unknown origin that had belonged to his father. while the music tutor had his head in the harpsichord, concentrating on getting it in tune, angela opened his viola case and Marie took out the instrument. Very quickly and deftly they loosened a peg, put a tiny bit of lard on it, pressed the peg back in its hole and put the instrument back in its case. they expected the music tutor, after he gave up on the harpsichord, would take out his viola and proceed to tune it up as he did every morning. they expected to delight in his frustration since the greased pin would not be able to hold the tension of the string. what happened next utterly amazed the girls. the tutor opened the viola case and took one look at his instrument. in an instant he understood exactly what had happened. he said nothing at all but turned to Marie antoinette and gave her a penetrating look. in that look was his awareness that all his frustration with the instruments was her fault. Marie knew that musicians were great masters of their instruments, she knew that they could do with effortless ease things that others could never do in a lifetime, but she never realized that a musician would know his instrument with such intimacy that they would be aware in an instant if it had been tampered with. From that day on the relationship of the girls to their tutor changed fundamentally. they longed to be good students and to prove to him that they liked him, because they were certain he thought they despised him. Marie began to work feverishly on the prelude she had been given as an assignment, and angela began to search for something she could do to please him. the tutor was a bachelor and it was natural for him to feel towards angela and Marie antoinette as he would to his own children if he had had any. that being the situation sometimes the music sessions were devoted to storytelling. he would tell them some anecdote from his past in italy. after the incident with his viola he was extremely tempted to punish them, but that impulse combined with his affection for them resulted in his telling them a story from his childhood.
-richard britell H
nina lipkowitz “Let us proclaim that the sidewalk can climb up your table, that your head can cross the street, and that at the same time your household lamp can suspend between one house and another the immense spiderweb of its dusty rays.” HAPPY ANNIVERSARY you are 21!!!!18 • the artFul Mind FebruarY 2015
-Umberto Boccioni
The Hidden Cave
clementine was the first to drop down into the cavern, which was little more than a large hole beneath a vast, intricate webbing of tree roots. she was soon joined in this antechamber by Yardley and pascal. the boy took her flashlight but didn’t turn it on, and began leading the way. thrills of anticipation were teasing her. what were they going to see? silently the three of them traversed a low, narrow passageway, quickly immersed in total darkness. they traveled in a line, pascal leading, then clementine, then Yardley. the earth ceiling above their heads grew closer and closer, finally forcing them down on all fours. invisible roots brushed clem’s hair and skin, making her flinch as she continued crawling. it grew cooler, the air staler. she felt the claws of claustrophobia begin to pull and pick, testing her. it seemed they moved like that for ages, her lungs full of dust, hands and bare knees scraping against rocks and what were probably small animal bones, her neck and back aching. Just when she was about to ask pascal how much further, a shift in the air quality an-
nounced a change, and the passageway opened up into what seemed like a large chamber. slowly, clementine and Yardley got to their feet, wavering drunkenly in the emptiness. the air here tasted strange in their mouths: a mixture of mineral and bone and firelight. “le voila!” pascal whispered, and turned on the flashlight. For a moment all three blinked their eyes stupidly in the glare. then, her eyes adjusting, clementine’s mouth fell open as her mind burst wide, filled with such wonders... pascal spun the beam slowly around the large chamber, which began to reveal its painted treasures. the light rested here, where a great herd of stampeding horses poured down in a glorious flood over a wall; there, rivers of elk flowed around a large hollow in the rock, ancient echoes of their thundering hooves reverberating in the stillness next, the beam illuminated an enormous spiral of leaping, frolicking women and men, who seemed to welcome this newest, fleeting age of the world in their long dance. there were strange, exotic scenes: a woman with a lion’s head, a man with a stag’s head, locked in either mortal combat or the most intimate of embraces. everything was rendered in rich, unrelenting shades by hands that saw, that knew. and there, standing alone, a stalagmite rose from the cave floor, entirely covered with overlapping handprints of varying sizes in yellow, red, brown ochre as if to say, Yes. we lived this. we were here. gratefully, Yardley accepted the light from pascal and explored the cave in an exalted state, his fingertips nearly brushing the images but refraining at the last instant to stroke the air above them. he was dazzled by the way the geography of the place merged effortlessly with the painted visions, as if each artist had simply picked out with color what already lay there, pulsing, in the rock; amazed that such artistry, such genius could lay here for so long, hidden under the ground. how had the earth not vomited forth these emanations of the life force sooner, like lava? clementine found herself thrown into an ancient conflict, torn between the waves of ethereal beauty which flowed, and the pulsing of primal ferocity which surged, through every painting; the paradox overwhelmed her intellectual mind, leaving it stupefied and dumb. she was made tangibly,
Simply Sasha
F
ic achingly aware of the unbreakable ti on connection between herself and every sa other thing in existence. those horses, the mp elk. the lion-woman and the stag-man. all were ler her, and she was them. all of them emanations of a primordial energy gleefully translating itself into ever-varying vibrations of color and sound and density. tears stung her eyes. it was more than she could bear. turning in the neardarkness to see Yardley approaching her, she stifled a cry; aware, in that same instant, that every beat of her heart was in time with his, the lines of light growing stronger between them as he drew near when his mouth met hers, their kiss was like breathing, so natural and inevitable it was. he enfolded her in his arms, in that instant encompassing all the beauty and savagery of existence, and she was lost to anything else. excerpted from The Virgin of Hopeless Causes by Amy Tanner, available in softcover and electronic versions on amazon.com. Visit www.amytanner.net for news and unfounded rumors.
“The universe is real but you can’t see it. You have to imagine it. Once you imagine it, you can be realistic about reproducing it.” -Alexander Calder
by Sasha Seymour
Love You Granola!
February is the month of Love, and i researched a ton of recipes geared towards couples. then i got to thinking, shouldn't the person we love the most in this world be ourselves? in that spirit, i chose to write this granola recipe. i love granola, however store bought granola can be pricey, and many contain hidden processed sugars and fats that aren't necessary to the overall flavor of the product. My suggestion to you all fine humans, is this: love yourselves. Make this treat for you! it's so easy, so yummy and your kitchen will smell fantastic while it's baking! enjoy, my friends! ~ Preheat oven to 325 ~ 3 cups of oats ~ 1 8oz bottle of cherry juice ~ 1/4 cup of raisins ~ 1/4 cup of pitted dates ~ 1/2 cup of mixed nuts, seeds and/or dried fruit ~ 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut ~ 2 to 4 Tbsp honey (depending on how sweet you like it!) (every ingredient should be organic!)
1. Mix everything in a big bowl, except for the honey 2. spread mixture on a cookie sheet and drizzle with honey 3.bake at 325 for 20 to 30 minutes, checking it every 5 minutes and tossing it with a spoon 4. it will continue to cook for a bit when it's out of the oven, so take it out early. no one likes burnt granola! Have a Happy! the artFul Mind FebruarY 2015 • 19
20 • THE ARTFUL MIND FEBRUARY 2015