Homes & Lifestyles April 2017

Page 56 $2.95 • April 2017 • Volume 13, No. 4

Griffin Realty page 40

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Campo Alegre

A Spanish mansion in Bloomington

Trapezoid Transformed

Modern home takes a new angle

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View past issues at homesandlifestylesmagazine.com

COVER STORY:

8 Campo Alegre Painter

16 Cheryl Gregg Duckworth 22 ‘81 Hoosier Basketball 32 Trapezoid Transformed

16

40 Realty Office Reimagined 44 Renovated Sun Porch 48 Artist Gallery 53 Are You Assertive with Color?

54 Julia Livingston’s 100 Cups

32

58 Do-It-Yourself Elegance Travel:

62 Siamese Twin Museum Recipe:

66 Chocolate Cherry Brownies ON OUR COVER: George Hallagan’s Spanishstyle mansion is the result of two decades of planning and refining. See the story on page 8.

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40 PUBLISHER Cory Bollinger ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Laurie Ragle MARKETING DIRECTOR Shaylan Owen CONTENT/LAYOUT COORDINATOR Brooke McCluskey EDITORIAL COORDINATOR Jackie Sheckler Finch WRITERS Jackie Sheckler Finch, Michelle Ann Crowe, Pete DiPrimio, Alexandra M. Lynch, Brooke McCluskey PHOTOGRAPHY Chris Howell, David Snodgress, Jeremy Hogan ART DIRECTION & DESIGN Dennis Laffoon, Clearbrook Creative

HOMES & LIFESTYLES OF SOUTH-CENTRAL INDIANA is distributed bimonthly on a subscription basis. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED BY COPYRIGHT. Prices, specials and descriptions are accurate as of the time of publishing. This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express written consent of the publisher. Advertising information has been provided by advertisers. Schurz Communications, Inc. does not make any representations as to opinions and facts contained herein. All terms and conditions are subject to change. The cover, cover design, format, content and layout of this publication are trademarks of Schurz Communications, Inc.

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Contact Laurie Ragle at (812) 331-4291 EDITORIAL QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS:

Contact Jackie Sheckler Finch at JackieSFinch@gmail.com or Brooke McCluskey at (812) 331-4289

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April 2017 • Homes & Lifestyles of South-Central Indiana • 3

Homes & Lifestyles

Contributors

Jackie Sheckler Finch became a Hoosier more than 25 years ago when she moved to Indiana from Massachusetts for a newspaper job. She covered city government and other areas for The Herald-Times until leaving to become a full-time freelance writer. Editor of Homes & Lifestyles since its inception in 2004, Jackie is also an award-winning travel writer and author of 20 travel books. She was named the Mark Twain Travel Writer of the Year a record six times. Jackie enjoys finding the fascinating people and places that wait over the hill and around the next bend.

Growing up in Spencer is a point of pride for Michelle Crowe, who is pretty sure no place on earth can compare with the sincerity of southern Indiana. A bookworm from birth, it’s fitting that her current place of employment is a library. When she is not writing for Homes & Lifestyles, you might find her over-photographing her children’s activities, teaching Sunday school at Arlington United Methodist Church or, of course, with her nose happily stuck in a book.

Pete DiPrimio is a Bloomington transplant who was born near Pittsburgh. His favorite part about writing for Homes & Lifestyles is meeting the various homeowners and personalities. He’s an award-winning sports columnist who has written three books on IU sports, plus 21 children’s books on topics that include Tom Brady, Eli Manning, Ancient Rome, Ancient Sparta and more. In 2016 he was inducted into the Indiana Sportswriters and Sportscasters Hall of Fame, which he says reflects the fact that he covered his first sporting event shortly after Adam and Eve left the Garden of Eden.

4 • Homes & Lifestyles of South-Central Indiana • April 2017

A California kid for his childhood years, Jeremy Hogan came to Indiana in 1997 after a series of newspaper internships that spanned the country. He first picked up a camera as a boy to snap pictures of his friends, which led to a journalism career and a Pulitzer Prize nomination. Jeremy shoots photos and videos for The HeraldTimes and produces his own documentary films.

Brooke McCluskey is the content and layout coordinator for Homes & Lifestyles. She assists the editor, develops layouts and guides the production process — and does the same for several other magazines published by Hoosier Times.

In her free time, she is renovating a fixerupper home in rural Bloomington with her husband. They have two children, a dog, a cat, a snake and many woodland friends.

Chris Howell has been a full time senior photojournalist for Hoosier Times publications since 1998. Born and raised in Bloomfield, Chris’ passion is documenting the everyday lives of people in local communities and wherever his travels take him. Away from work, Chris enjoys spending time with family and friends, playing softball and grilling in the summertime.

A lifelong Hoosier, Shaylan Owen grew up near rural Delphi. He has a background in fine arts, photography and graphic design and is the marketing director for Hoosier Times. Shaylan is a selfdescribed food nerd who has created and photographed dozens of recipes for Homes & Lifestyles since April 2009. When not working, he enjoys cooking, reading, running, traveling and the outdoors.

When not designing the pages of Homes & Lifestyles, Dennis Laffoon is the creative services manager for Hoosier Times.

He is also an ordained minister and pastor at Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church and winner of the City of Bloomington’s 2016 Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy Award. Dennis is married, with three children who bring him and his wife Rochelle much joy.

Alexandra M. Lynch thoroughly enjoys writing for Homes & Lifestyles because she gets to meet wonderful people and see fascinating homes.

Alexandra has been a writer most of her career, mostly newsletters and magazines. Now, in retirement, she finds the H&L gig suits her fine. In her leisure time, she likes to travel and take photos.

David Snodgress was born and raised in Bloomington. He has journalism and political science degrees from Indiana University and a master’s degree in journalism from Ohio University. He is the photography manager at The Herald-Times. He shares a log home with his wife and three children and can often be found camping and canoeing.

Our thanks to Megan Garner-Ballard of Jane Daniels Photography for photos of Griffin Realty.

Homes & Lifestyles

From the Editor

Comments I really enjoyed the article about the Brown County Inn. Taking on a project like that is a huge job. I wish them much luck and plan to visit soon. The photos showed some big changes.

Susan Thompson

Thank you for the column about traveling and discovering how much alike we all are no matter where we live. That is a good thing to remember in these difficult times.

Looking forward to seeing where you travel next.

Bill Hoskins

Although I read your magazine for years, I stopped when my eyesight became too poor. However I recently discovered that you have old copies stored online. This is very helpful because I can view them on my iPad with a magnifier application for large print viewing. I am writing to ensure that your audience knows this is possible, and I thank you.

Marjorie Middleton Editor’s note: What a creative solution! Thank you for reading. Past issues can be viewed at homesandlifestylesmagazine.com.

W

aiting in line at the grocery store, the woman behind me said she’d like to ask me a question.

“Sure,” I answered, wondering whether she was curious about the artichokes I was buying, the Elvis keychain in my hand or the black patent leather shoes I was wearing.

The artichokes I planned to fix for dinner. The keychain came from Elvis’ hometown in Tupelo, Mississippi. And the three-year-old shoes that never seem to lose their shine were made by Merrill.

But that wasn’t what she wanted to ask. What she would like to know, the fellow shopper said, was where do we get all the story ideas for Homes & Lifestyles?

Now that is an easy question with a bunch of answers.

Since H&L will soon be turning 14 years old, that means we have done many stories about homes, people, places, artists, recipes, travel destinations, decorating ideas, entertainers, sports, businesses and so much more.

We try to feature at least four homes in every issue — H&L is published every other month — so you can quickly figure up that we have shared many area residences since H&L was born. Some of those homes were suggested by owners, some by neighbors and Our first issue premiered in autumn of 2004. friends, some by our writers and some we’ve driven by and thought they looked quite interesting so we contacted the residents.

Every home tells a story. We’ve featured big homes, little homes, homes that can travel on the water and on the road. Over the years, our H&L pages have spotlighted multi-million dollar homes, mobile homes, houseboats, campers, log cabins and the popular new tiny houses.

Some homes were just built. Some were historic. Some were being given new life with major makeovers. In truth, we have never met a home we didn’t like.

As for artists, our area is blessed with so many talented people that we never seem to run out of those ideas. We have probably featured artists and entertainers in almost every genre.

Sports stories also have covered a wide gamut, from coaches to players and their families. Some of our most popular sports stories are ones that talk about where former Hoosier players are now.

Interesting people abound. Listen to anyone long enough and there is sure to be a story there waiting to be told.

If you would like to suggest a story idea for H&L, please let us know. Send me a message at JackieSFinch@gmail.com and we’ll check it out. Some of our best story suggestions have come from our readers. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Have something to say?

Maybe it’s a comment about a home or a recipe. Whatever you’d like to share, we want to hear, so drop us a line!

Letters c/o Homes & Lifestyles • P.O. Box 909 • Bloomington, IN 47402 • Or e-mail JackieSFinch@gmail.com

April 2017 • Homes & Lifestyles of South-Central Indiana • 5

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April 2017 • Homes & Lifestyles of South-Central Indiana • 7

The Dream of Campo Alegre Stunning Spanish mansion rests in Bloomington countryside

By Jackie Sheckler Finch

G

eorge and Esther Hallagan were faced with a dilemma. In 1983, world-renowned architect and family friend Martin Price had designed a stunning house for the Hallagans to build on their 13-acre Bloomington property. Along with two others, the prospective Hallagan home was publicized with great acclaim in news media and architectural circles.

“It was a very big honor that he did that,” George says. “Our house and two others comprised Price’s Expo ‘How Nature Forms’ that was first displayed at The Museum of Finnish Architecture in Helsinki and then publicized worldwide.”

However, the Hallagans had their own house plans in mind.

As “international gypsies” during George’s 21-year Air Force career, the Hallagans had lived in many countries. Seeing what was good and what was bad in their dwellings, George had kept a diary of “desirous versus dreadful” ideas if they ever built their own home.

Not using Martin Price’s design would be a terrible insult to their close friend, yet the couple yearned to create their own home. Then one evening, as George and Esther listened to Frank Sinatra croon “My Way,” they knew the answer.

“We decided to do it our way,” George says. “Our unrelenting goal was to build what we wanted, not what we could afford. We took our time and did it right.”

It took two decades but the result is Campo Alegre, a limestone jewel that replicates the great country homes of Spain.

8 • Homes & Lifestyles of South-Central Indiana • April 2017

Photos by David Snodgress.

April 2017 • Homes & Lifestyles of South-Central Indiana • 9

Constructing the masterpiece of Spanish symmetry wasn’t an easy dream to achieve. For starters, there was the problem of money.

“The goal was to build a million-dollar masterpiece by a family that never earned $40,000 any year,” George admits.

According to bankers, “an expensive custom home was a frivolous dream by a man with no architectural training and meager income history,” George recalls. Undaunted, the project proceeded with groundbreaking in May 1993. George and Esther moved into the “cavernous, drab, completely empty structure” in August 1994. They named their new home Campo Alegre in honor of Esther’s father’s cattle ranch in Colombia, South America.

Two Worlds Converge

So how did a Colombian girl meet a Bloomington boy?

“Esther came to Bloomington in 1951 as an exchange student at Indiana University,” George recalls. “A friend arranged a blind date and a perfect love affair blossomed.”

Esther had planned to become a dentist. Instead, she and George married in 1952 and had their first son in 1953. The Hallagans have four children — James, George Robert, Vincent and Margaret. Esther left college and took a job at RCA while George finished his IU education. He graduated in 1955 and entered the Air Force as a 2nd Lieutenant.

“We shared a strong common bond of wanderlust,” George says.

“We wanted to live in other cultures, see their gorgeous lands, learn and explore their enriching histories.”

The treasures the Hallagans discovered in their travels are reflected in their home. Constructed of hand-chiseled Indiana

10 • Homes & Lifestyles of South-Central Indiana • April 2017

limestone, the home is topped with a multi-colored Ludowici tile roof. Where most houses have a welcoming front door, the Hallagans have three hand-carved double entrance doors.

“After traveling so much, one of the things we knew we had to have was very tall wide doors where you could easily move furniture in and out,” George says.

Although George taught himself how to lay tile, do masonry and other work, he realized that he needed a crew of local craftsmen to build his extraordinary vision. Friends have joked that Campo Alegre should be nicknamed “The Bloomington Fire Department” because so many firemen were the backbone of major construction.

The crew included Lee Chapman (head foreman, primary builder), Fred Matthews (concrete), and Roger Arnold (excavation/ utilities/grading). Other local craftsmen were Larry Ferree and John Rinne (custom cabinets/doors/trim/custom furniture/dining room table), Tim Jeffers (stone work), Kelly Cunningham (custom windows/glass), John Hayes (timber frame) and David Devitt (timber/panel-set crane service).

The size and scope of Campo Alegre is astonishing. Two great rooms with 26-foot cathedral ceilings and floor-to-ceiling limestone fireplaces, three full and three half bathrooms, two laundry rooms, two HVAC systems, three wet bars, two kitchens, walk-in cedar closets, multiple audio/video music systems, two custom staircases, Spanish tile and rosewood floors, two back balconies with a patio in between, Kohler bathroom fixtures, two jetted bathtubs, finished basement with 10-foot ceiling and audio/video room, two-car garage with workshop and much more.

April 2017 • Homes & Lifestyles of South-Central Indiana • 11

Timeless Treasures

As the heart of the home, the Hallagan kitchen reflects what George and Esther wanted to achieve.

“It’s the room where people want to be,” George says, standing by a 15-foot, three-sided fireplace bar.

The kitchen island offers a commercial-grade gas stove with adjacent barbecue and a custom exhaust hood by Abbaka of Denmark with a brass nameplate identifying that the work of art was made for Campo Alegre. The kitchen also features a modular electric cooktop with rising telescope exhaust and double oven, both by Dacor of Germany. All kitchen, dining room cabinets and window trim are solid walnut with granite tops matching the fireplace bar.

12 • Homes & Lifestyles of South-Central Indiana • April 2017

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chewing gum that Wrigley made was under this table.”

Over the unique table are three Framburg brass chandeliers personally selected for Campo Alegre by Framburg president Malcolm Tripp.

“Mr. Tripp also custom built matching Framburg wall-mount fixtures for the bedrooms and baths,” George says.

Walking through the beautiful rooms of Campo Alegre, George says he is pleased with the result but the most important part is missing. Esther died Aug. 17, 2011.

“She never got to enjoy her finished home,” George says. “Losing her was, and is, the deepest pain and sorrow which will never dissipate.”

The Hallagan home is currently for sale with Griffin Realty. Learn more about Griffin Realty in a story on page 40. Contact them at (812) 323-7232 or at leanong.com

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To furnish their jewel box home, the Hallagans chose timeless furniture, much of it from Knoll Showrooms in Stuttgart, Germany.

“This is one of our most precious possessions. I’ve been told it is the only one in the world,” George says, gesturing to a music equipment cabinet designed by Martin Price and built by Knoll Showrooms.

A guest bedroom has the first furniture the newlywed Hallagans ever bought — a bedroom set from Old Hickory Furniture in Martinsville.

“That has traveled around the world,” George says.

The 12-seat dining room table likewise has personal history attached to it.

“It was an IU surplus table, made in 1907 and used in Franklin Hall. I probably sat at it when I was a student there,” George says.

“I had it refinished … I think half of the

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A Little Bit of Magic Local artist blends nature with whimsy

by Joel Pierson

W

hen you meet Cheryl Gregg Duckworth, her softspoken, down-to-earth demeanor might remind you of a lady who sells flowers at the farmers market.

Funny story, because that’s one of the things she’s done when she’s not busy creating her paintings and drawings.

For 17 years, she had a booth at the Bloomington market.

Making a living as an artist is a challenging endeavor, so Cheryl supplements her income with her home-based flower farm, supplying flora for special events like weddings. The flowers make their way into her artwork as well, contributing to a style she calls “whimsical realism.”

As Cheryl explains it, “All my life, I’ve painted in a fairly realistic style — landscapes, animals, ocean scenes. But they all seem to end up with something a little bit fun in them, something that’s not quite as the real world would see it. A tree looks a little bit unusual, a bit magical. A horse’s mane is a bit longer, and the colors are exaggerated.”

Cheryl’s paintings have a somewhat ethereal side to them as well, one that might be recognizable to movie fans. She admits there’s a strong influence from Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” movies. The films’ scenic design spoke to Cheryl and inspired her to give her painted landscapes, hills, trees, sunsets and even animals what she calls “an elfish feel.” For those who haven’t seen the movies, the style is very lush and verdant, rich with color and an absence of straight lines.

Cheryl grew up in Indianapolis, graduating from North Central High School in 1976. Her father was a school principal who loved to draw, and his artistic inspiration got Cheryl started drawing horses and landscapes at a young age. After high school, she went to Indiana University in Bloomington for one year but then decided she wanted to attend the John Herron School of Art in Indianapolis. In 1981, she graduated from that very school.

“After that,” she says, “I worked for several different ad agencies to make a living for a number of years. I did a lot of technical line drawing, which helped me with my illustrations.”

Some of her bigger clients included Delta Faucet and Hook’s Drugstores. “After the computer age hit,” she added, “I started doing more illustration and painting.”

16 • Homes & Lifestyles of South-Central Indiana • April 2017

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April 2017 • Homes & Lifestyles of South-Central Indiana • 17

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About 20 years ago, Cheryl joined an art gallery called Gallery North on the Square, where she displayed her work for ten years, along with 30 other artists. She later joined the Hoosier Artist Gallery in Nashville, a co-op she’s been a part of for the past seven years. They do four change-outs a year, which Cheryl says, “inspires you to constantly be creating new work.”

To that end, she typically completes 15 to 20 paintings a year. In October she will be part of the Bloomington Open Studios Tour and part of the Lampkins Ridge Holiday Tour in December. Lately, she’s started working in oils, after previously painting in watercolor and acrylic.

“I really liked working with pencil and with pen and ink a long time ago,” she explains. “I had an amazing illustration teacher at Herron who had us do a lot of technical pencil drawings, very intricate ones. I still do some pencil work, but I believed I was better at watercolors. With them, you can blend very well and get the paper quite wet. The paint bleeds into

the other colors very easily. I got into oils recently after meeting someone who does amazing oil paintings. Oil paints blend very nicely, and they take a long time to dry.

You can go back and work it and rework it. I pencil everything in first until I get it perfect.

Then I start in on the painting.”

Cheryl’s artwork features predominantly nature scenes, including animals and birds.

“I have always loved being outside. I like going to lakes and to the ocean, and I love animals very much. I have four dogs, six cats, two horses and a miniature horse.”

The avocation of flower farming started with volunteering.

“When I moved down here, I had a couple of friends who did flowers for farmers market. I volunteered to help them pick flowers. When they left to start doing weddings, I decided to jump into the market. I have so many flowers on my property, and everything gets planted specifically. I grow things like zinnias, sunflowers and cockscombs. My favorite flowers to paint are roses and sunflowers.”

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April 2017 • Homes & Lifestyles of South-Central Indiana • 19

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Conspicuously absent from most of her paintings and drawings are human subjects. While the few that do appear in her gallery are quite good, Cheryl explains that people aren’t her specialty.

“Pictures of people come from the heart. If you love someone or something, it’s easy. Otherwise, it doesn’t come out the way I like it.” Hence, the skillful and lifelike portraits of family members she’s done reflect the degree of affection she

feels for her subjects.

Nature Near and Far

The natural world, however, is a frequent theme in her paintings, with many depicting Florida seascapes. For further inspiration, Cheryl headed west.

“I went to a family reunion in Missoula, Montana. I went on a picnic with relatives to Georgetown Lake at the Continental Divide and created a very large painting.

I also traveled to Creed, Colorado, which was a big inspiration. I’ve done five or six paintings from that trip.”

As to the future, Cheryl says, “I hope that my oil paintings get better and better. I was quite pleased with the first one I ever did. I hope they will make a lot of people happy in the future, and a lot of galleries will take my work.”

See more of Cheryl’s work at cherylgreggduckworth.com.

April 2017 • Homes & Lifestyles of South-Central Indiana • 21

Herald-Times archive photo.

22 • Homes & Lifestyles of South-Central Indiana • April 2017

Hurts so Good IU’s 1981 national basketball title showcased wisdom from pain

By Pete DiPrimio

S

ometimes wisdom comes through pain, and no college basketball coach in history put that to good use more often than Robert Montgomery Knight.

Case in point, Indiana’s 1981 national title team.

Knight had put together a talent-rich powerhouse with a roster full of NBA players, including eventual Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas. IU would go on to unleash a NCAA tourney run so dominating — the average victory margin of 23 points remains a record — that a generation later, former Herald-Times sports editor and Hall of Famer Bob Hammel said it was the closest team to matching IU’s unbeaten 1976 squad he’s ever seen.

But talent produced an opening month

of misery that left Knight raging and the Hoosiers reeling.

The result was a series of two-a-day practices as warfare.

“We had a lot of expectations,” says Tony Brown, a reserve guard, “and paid a cost for not living up to those expectations.”

Or, as forward Ted Kitchel put it, “Those practices were just about becoming tough and learning how to win. We learned a lot about that in those five days, and it made a huge difference.”

35 Years Later

The Hoosiers could smile about it 35 years after the fact, when teenage angst had evolved into middle age perspective.

They gathered at IU’s Cook Hall and

Assembly Hall to honor that championship run and reminisce about what it all meant, part of a late November night to remember capped by IU’s win over No. 3 North Carolina.

Check that. They all gathered except for Knight, who remained a no-show locked in the bitterness from his 2000 firing. He did send a message, via reserve Phil Isenbarger that, “He could not have been more thankful and grateful to coach this group. He said he was most proud, not of the games they won, but how they won them, playing as hard as they could.”

Thomas was the superstar who wasn’t treated like one. Brown and fellow reserve Chuck Franz went after him during those two-a-days as if they were boxing matches.

Photo by Chris Howell.

April 2017 • Homes & Lifestyles of South-Central Indiana • 23

Herald-Times archive photos.

24 • Homes & Lifestyles of South-Central Indiana • April 2017

“Every part of my body was scratched,” Thomas says.

“There were big whelps everywhere. They gave us the confidence to move on. Had they not practiced so hard, we never would have gotten out of the funk we were in.”

That “funk” was a surprisingly poor 7-5 start that was as much due to the quality of the competition — topranked IU lost to top-10 teams Kentucky, Notre Dame and North Carolina, plus a talented Clemson squad — as it was lousy play, losing to a weak Pan America team.

Knight tapped into his old-school roots for practices that were basically just excuses to beat each other up.

Brown said the reserves took full advantage, and not just to please their feisty coach.

“We wanted to get (the starters) kicked out of practice,” Brown says, “and we did. If we did, practice was short, and then we could do what we wanted to do.”

In this scenario, the better the reserves did, the angrier Knight became with his starters, which often led to kicking the team out of practice, which told the reserves it was a job well done.

“We had to take it out on each other,” Brown says, “to make each other strong and tough.”

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Big-Time Trouble

Kitchel was a big beneficiary. He was a 6-8 forward and a small-town guy from Indiana who quickly found out how tough life at a big-time program could be.

During early practices his freshman season he went against veteran big man Ray Tolbert, and the results weren’t always first-kiss good.

“You quickly found out the game is a lot quicker than you thought,” Kitchel says.

“You think you have an open shot and Ray blocks it into the third row and Knight jumps you for not shot faking.”

Kitchel learned well. He was bursting with confidence by the time Big Ten play arrived in January of 1981, as his battered teammates were not. In the Hoosiers’ second conference game, against No. 12 Illinois, he was ready to show it.

“We were scared to death,” Thomas says.

“I don’t know if anyone was willing to take a shot. We were afraid to shoot. Kitchel was the one who led us. He scored 40 points and we won. That was the game that got us started. He gave us the confidence to keep competing.”

And so the Hoosiers did, kicking into gear when junior forward Landon Turner busted out of his own three-year funk.

“I thought about quitting the team because of dealing with Knight,” Turner says. “It was rough. Ray convinced me to stay.”

No Hoosier was more thankful than guard Randy Wittman.

“He could play the (power forward) position the way guys do now. He could defend out on the floor. He was so versatile.

We won the national title because of how Landon came along. I truly believe that. I don’t think we would have won it without him turning around his play.”

The Hoosiers won their final 10 games, and, after a close first half, dominated North Carolina in the championship game.

They finished 26-9 to set an unwanted record for most losses by a NCAA title team — not that anyone wearing cream and crimson cared.

Sometimes, you see, it can hurt so good.

Herald-Times archive photo.

Photo by Chris Howell.

April 2017 • Homes & Lifestyles of South-Central Indiana • 27

Photos by Shaylan Owen.

28 • Homes & Lifestyles of South-Central Indiana • April 2017

The Stone Mill Market Bloomington’s new eclectic arts

market attracts thousands of shoppers

By Brooke McCluskey

T

he idea for the Stone Mill Market came to Laurie Ragle while strolling through the famous Brooklyn Flea, an upscale arts and food market in Brooklyn, New York. Ragle, the advertising director at The HeraldTimes, thought Bloomington would be the perfect place for something like it — a fun, funky marketplace to browse furniture, art, jewelry, ceramics, beauty products, woodworking and more.

After a few months of pondering and planning, Ragle consulted with Shaylan Owen, the marketing director at The Herald-Times, and they took a road trip to Brooklyn to scout out the Flea. The duo took note of the things that made the Flea successful, like careful selection of vendors, a hip vibe and a large industrial space.

The first Stone Mill Market launched in February 2016 at the historic Woolery Stone Mill on Bloomington’s south side. Hopeful about a large crowd for the first event, Ragle and Owen were bowled over by the attendance — 3,000 people, eager to see the first 36 booths. Visitors encountered a charming mix of items for sale, most priced at less than $50. Booth vendors ranged from antique furniture sellers to specialty food vendors like Dip Chick Dip, which sells custom dip mixes.

“The promotion was excellent and the event is unique. I had a good feeling about this one, and I was right; I’ve never seen this kind of turnout for a first event,” said Serena Schamp, owner of

Dip Chick Dip. Many vendors were sold out, or near sold out, of inventory as the first market came to a close.

After several more successful shows at the Woolery Stone Mill, the event moved to The Warehouse, a large renovated industrial structure on South Rogers Street. The move allowed for further growth and by February 2017, 60 booth vendors were on board — plus food trucks and options for charitable giving.

To celebrate its first anniversary, The Stone Mill Market surprised its visitors with The Stone Mill Gazette, a takehome event guide with a map, coupons and information about the vendors.

The Gazette extends the visitor-vendor connection beyond the one-day event.

Ragle and Owen are constantly refining the formula for a successful Stone Mill Market. The event’s Facebook page, which quickly gained 5,000 fans, has been a great way for attendees to share feedback and ideas.

“I think we’ve built a regional reputation as a quality, yet eclectic, shopping event,” Owen said. “Our goal is to make every Stone Mill Market better — and different — than the last.”

Upcoming shows: • May 6 • August 5 • November 3 and 4

Learn more at stonemillmarket.com or follow Stone Mill Market on Facebook.

April 2017 • Homes & Lifestyles of South-Central Indiana • 29

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A Trapezoid Transformed

New owners remodel a unique Bloomington home we featured in 2015

By Alexandra M. Lynch

W

e must first go back in time to early summer, 2015. I came across my 89-year-old neighbor, Patsy Kellar, lying on her front yard, attacking dandelions with a screwdriver. When I admired her persistence, she hopped up and we started talking.

I explained that I’d always admired her unusual trapezoid-shaped modern home and wanted to write about it. We met, interviewed and I was dazzled by the inside of the house, which was filled with dramatic stonecut prints by the Inuit of Canada.

The article was published in Homes and Lifestyles in August 2015.

Four months later, I heard that Patsy was

32 • Homes & Lifestyles of South-Central Indiana • April 2017

gravely ill with a rare form of leukemia. On January 20, 2016, she died. I was among many friends crushed by her sudden demise.

Transformation

When Catherine and Konstantine took ownership, a transformation took place.

After moving in and replacing the carpeted floors with hardwood maple, the couple realized the house needed more light. Three windows, two skylights and a light tunnel were added after consulting the original architect, Richard Hartung, who had built the home with Realtor Tim Ellis in 1976.

They also removed a small closet in the entryway, which obstructed light from a

large window in front of it and encroached into the dining room. A dark wood paneled and grass-cloth hallway was replaced with impeccable flat white walls.

After removing the dated textured ceilings and the old 16-inch chimney and fireplace, Catherine and Konstantine discovered the roof had to be replaced. The ceilings are now flat white drywall and the new fireplace is gas log. What had once been reclaimed barn wood around the fireplace is now marble and stacked white quartzite. Recessed lights on dimmers, supplemental pendants and uplighting with under-mount puck lights create adaptable ambiance.

After

Before

April 2017 • Homes & Lifestyles of South-Central Indiana • 33

After

Before

34 • Homes & Lifestyles of South-Central Indiana • April 2017

Catherine could not picture keeping an imperfect arch into the dining room, considering the sharp angled walls around it, and chose to fill it in completely.

This change brings special reverence to the dining room, which has southern exposure, two windows and a square minimalist chandelier. The wall also creates more privacy for the living room — which the couple considers a gallery — where the décor is inspired by a white Alexander Calder mobile and Franz Kline paintings in a room at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston.

They replaced the original stained strand board partitions around the spiral staircase with open onethird flat white walls for safety, open concept and minimalism. The entire living area is also white, which, combined with the warm hue of the maple flooring, the big red O wall sculpture and primary-colored museum mobile, seems quite perfect.

Simple fabric textures from area rugs to grometted drapes soften and warm a potentially cold concept.

This has been Catherine’s signature design in the five different places the couple has lived over the years.

After

Before

April 2017 • Homes & Lifestyles of South-Central Indiana • 35

36 • Homes & Lifestyles of South-Central Indiana • April 2017

After

The kitchen was shortened and widened, adding more space to the living area. Clean-lined, smooth-glide cabinets were installed in the kitchen. Modern stainless steel apron front sink and appliances with medium “griege” walls set off the white cabinets with tubular stainless pulls. Catherine is leaning toward marble for countertops.

Finding Forever

Down the spiral staircase is Konstantine’s work space.

Multiple colorfully-lit digital sound boards connect to a computer network and numerous speakers fill the main room. The adjacent room is his recording studio, with a drum set, keyboards, more instruments and equipment. Musicians can record here or use electronics to collaborate with their counterparts in other countries.

Other areas of the house — three bedrooms, a study, a bathroom and half-bath — are future projects for the couple.

They are living in the west wing of the house for now with a two-story bedroom reminiscent of lofts they shared in San Francisco.

Catherine and Konstantine believe they have found their forever home in Bloomington after only eight months, especially after adopting a schnoodle named Murphy. They are both grateful for friendly neighbors and the diverse community and architecture of Spicewood, and they plan to contribute to Bloomington in creative and artistic ways.

Before

April 2017 • Homes & Lifestyles of South-Central Indiana • 37

Around the World and Back About Catherine and Konstantine

Their names — Catherine and Konstantine — could come from the pages of Russian history.

Catherine Conlin is an artist, designer and songwriter who graduated from Indiana University and lived in Bloomington until 1990 before moving to San Francisco for 25 years.

There she created a thriving event/ design business, Wiggy Flowers. Her company created enormous sets for large events, including symphony and opera gala openings and weddings in the Napa Valley and San Francisco.

Konstantine Baranov was, in fact, born in Russia and raised in Moscow.

He is an audio software test engineer by profession, and musician/audio producer by occupation. He has dozens of albums to his credit and is an accomplished guitar player who performed with various bands both in Russia and the U.S. The two met because of a common passion — creating music. They have written, recorded and released three albums in their eight years together, performing with musicians from around the world.

In 2012, the two began the quest for a home by traveling from California to the East Coast and back again, before settling near family in Houston.

Catherine spent two years in Houston remodeling their home and landscaping the yard until, on a whim, she convinced Konstantine to drive to Indiana, where her sister lives. When a Muncie house wasn’t the right fit, they decided to drive to Bloomington.

Of the three houses that met their criteria, only one was available to view that day — the trapezoid house on Round Hill Lane in Spicewood. The unique architecture, mature trees, hilly terrain and stone-walled driveway appealed to them so much that they made an offer immediately.

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38 • Homes & Lifestyles of South-Central Indiana • April 2017

April 2017 • Homes & Lifestyles of South-Central Indiana • 39

Photos courtesy Megan Garner-Ballard, Jane Daniels Photography.

40 • Homes & Lifestyles of South-Central Indiana • April 2017

Realty Office Re-imagined

Realtor remodels a Bloomington auto lube building into a bold new office

By Brooke McCluskey

D

on Griffin is a realtor, sure, but he’s also a bit of a real estate visionary. He saw potential in an old oil lube building on South College Ave. — an odd, box-shaped building that was a little dilapidated.

In Don’s mind, the building’s high ceilings and abundant windows, originally designed for auto servicing, could create a sun-filled meeting space. Its location, right at the point where Walnut St. and College Ave. merge into two-way traffic, would be eye-catching for drivers going by.

Don bought the property in May of 2016 and started the process of renovating it into a realty office.

Outside the Box

Don enlisted the help of local designer Dennis Laffoon — who also designs Homes & Lifestyles magazine — to ensure that the building’s new look would match the overall style of Griffin

Realty. Dennis and Don re-imagined the building as a dynamic, sun-filled space. Eye-catching red and black blocks of exterior paint — designed to match a Griffin Realty car and Don’s real estate signs across the county — give a bold, almost modern-art look to the boxy building.

Inside, realtors meet with clients in a space that feels bright, open and welcoming. From the front entrance, visitors can see all the way across the office and out the floor-to-ceiling windows to the streets of Bloomington. It’s certainly a refreshing place to think about a real estate purchase.

There are no cubicle walls to break up the flow.

Instead, sleek tables and retro-chic chairs create cozy spots to talk. There’s even space for Don’s motorcycle, which is parked just inside one of the huge garage doors.

“I love cars and motorcycles. I’d live in a garage if I could,” he says.

April 2017 • Homes & Lifestyles of South-Central Indiana • 41

Photos courtesy Megan Garner-Ballard, Jane Daniels Photography.

Mid-century Modern

Before becoming a realtor, Don studied architecture — and it shows. Every detail in the Griffin Realty building is perfectly — yet casually — industrial and mid-century modern.

“I didn’t want a typical office,” Don explains. “I didn’t want a stuffy place. I wanted someplace laid back and easily digestible.”

In planning the layout and décor, Don took inspiration from things that were left over from the auto lube business and expanded from there.

“We wanted to keep with the feel of a garage — to be high-tech but also repurposed,” he said. “The lights were from the auto pit, for oil changes. They were rewired for LED. The main divider wall is handmade and was a shelving unit that held auto parts.”

Don also found treasures at places like Jeff’s Vintage Warehouse and the IU Surplus Store.

“The chairs come from a barbershop from the 1940s. The kitchenette is from a lab from a high school. The big white board is on tracks and moves.”

Amid the vintage décor, in various nooks around the building, pop-art graphics give bursts of color. Comic-style panels — another Dennis Laffoon creation — adorn the bathroom door and nearby kitchenette. Local painter Joel Washington also contributed artwork to the space.

42 • Homes & Lifestyles of South-Central Indiana • April 2017

A Team with Vision

Previously, Don worked by himself in an office closer to downtown Bloomington.

“I was downtown for quite a while, in a great office — 12 years. But I realized that the space was holding the growth of my company back. I needed a large space conducive for more employees.”

The new building is a reflection of Don’s desire to create a collaborative workspace.

“We work as a team — all our projects, all our clients,” he said. “With Griffin Realty, it’s a collaborative effort. You don’t just hire me; you hire the whole team.” The Griffin Realty team includes Gretchen Nall, Tim Ballard, Pilar Taylor, Kait Sandes, Mitra Kaviani and Nicki Lan. As the group works together in the space, with conversation ebbing and flowing, it’s clear that Don’s vision has come alive. There’s a spirit of camaraderie and optimism here.

Don sees it as the perfect spot to run a realty business.

“I’m from Bloomington,” he says. “I’ve been doing the real estate thing for 25 years here. Bloomington is just a special place.”

April 2017 • Homes & Lifestyles of South-Central Indiana • 43

Photos by David Snodgress.

44 • Homes & Lifestyles of South-Central Indiana • April 2017

InHomes the& Lifestyles Reno Zone writer sees a renovation up-close in her own home

By Alexandra M. Lynch

W

e already loved our Spicewood home, built and designed in the 70s by owner Jim Suelflow, a professor in the Indiana University Business School. He attended to every detail of the house using the best materials. He carefully oriented the house on the wooded lot so that the view from the back was a panorama of trees, creeks and ravines.

This was our view from our roofed screened porch.

The porch had been an open deck, and we opted to create large wood-framed screens, keeping bugs at bay. We adored sitting on our porch whenever weather allowed. Watching wildlife — deer and birds — became a daily joy.

However, we realized we were missing out when the cold weather came. We retreated to our den with a view of the woods, but it was not the same as the wide-open view of the porch. We began wishing for a year-round room to give us the view, more space and a new look. We spent at least a year thinking about this project, changing our minds frequently, gradually forming a plan. What began as enclosing the screen porch transformed into opening up our den and kitchen to the new room, freshening the kitchen and more.

Let me stop here for a warning. Renovating your house while living in it is an extreme stressor. There are surprises around every corner, decisions to be made on the fly, and everything will cost more and take more time than ever imagined. Living for weeks — or months — with hammers, drills and bangitty-bangs could be likened to an endless MRI. (If you haven’t had one, it’s like having a drum corps inside your head.)

Someone advised that owners need to be on site 24/7 during a renovation and we nearly did that. The project takes over your life.

Just didn’t want you to think that renovation of your home is a cakewalk. You have been warned.

April 2017 • Homes & Lifestyles of South-Central Indiana • 45

In the Right Hands

Once we decided to make our plans a reality, we selected Golden Hands Construction, known for its work on restorations. We described what we had in mind to the architect, who came and measured every inch. A few weeks later, we received drawings of what our dream would look like. The drawings showed a number of views of the sunroom and deck — even overhead views of the new rooms. These drawings clinched the deal. We were ready.

And so it began. First some excavating and laying a foundation for the new room, then destruction of the old porch. For a while we had a long block-lined hole, which we thought could make a lap pool. Suggesting this to the contractor got a reaction.

The subfloor — very solid — followed and the beginnings of structure. The ceiling was raised to the roof and then lined with poplar bead board. Since the three walls of the room are all large sliding glass doors, the six-foot surrounding deck needed to be built first to accommodate the door installation.

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The deck was enlarged during the building process, giving us an area for table and chairs.

There were poplar wood trim experts, dry wall specialists, painters, floor installers and an electrician to complete the process.

During construction, the big new openings in the kitchen and den walls were covered with thick plastic to separate us from the construction. We could see light and shadows, but no detail. When the plastic sheets were taken down, AH! The view was visible. It was what we had been waiting for.

The installation of the large sliding glass doors, made by Marvin Windows and Doors, was amazingly fast and only took two men.

Suddenly our open area became a room.

Each step toward completion was enjoyed and appreciated. We met some wonderful people along the way. We gained appreciation for the many skills involved in renovation.

But we were so relieved when it was finally done! Suddenly we had an expanse of light bamboo flooring and big open spaces.

We’d chosen a very pale gray Benjamin Moore paint for the walls — except the kitchen, where we selected a pale blue, applied by Color Theory painters. With the sunlight flowing in through our glass doors, everything was bright, bright, bright.

Wide Open Spaces

We wanted a clean, simple look, so we resisted our usual tendency to accumulate. In the den, we opted to eliminate bookshelves and use our collection of blue glass to highlight the room. With the light bamboo floor from Bounds and McPike, Lacey Pearl walls and white trim, plus the openness to the sunroom, the old den was transformed.

A nice addition to the room is a Wassilystyle armchair with black leather straps and stainless steel. This chair is special because it comes from the estate of Patsy Kellar, who was featured in Homes and Lifestyles in August 2015. It was the chair I sat on when I interviewed her.

Because our wall space changed, the art

we chose to include changed, too. A few pieces were retired to the archives. Other favorites took on new life with a fresh vantage point.

Life in our new rooms has been bliss. After all the decisions, debates, and discussions, we came up with a great result. We can watch our parading deer from behind the glass, not scaring them at all. Our cats enjoy the new space — including new sitting spaces — and enjoy the deck. The deck railing features stainless steel cables which almost disappear when you look through them. They look cool, too.

Our kitchen feels so different with its view out the glass doors. The new blue paint works wonderfully with our Dutch tile backsplash by local artist Olga Yevseyeva. The kitchen features Dutch objects, including a large 17th century wooden cookie press.

We plan to enjoy our new digs for a good, long time. After all, our dream has come true.

We give our thanks to all who worked to make it so.

April 2017 • Homes & Lifestyles of South-Central Indiana • 47

Homes & Lifestyles

Artist Gallery

Tom Rhea Paintings in gouache “Kirkwood Hall Entry” 9” x 12” Intimate portraits of family, home, vacations or special events. Memorialize a moment or a treasured photograph with a reasonably-priced commission for a painting, drawing or print.

1019 East Wylie Street Bloomington, Ind. 47401 812-336-8335 tomrhea31@comcast.net tomrhea.com

Susie Gregory Horses 40” x 30” Oil Working in watercolor, pastel, mixed media and oil, Susie Gregory has been painting for more than sixty years. Locally, her work can be found at White Key Gallery in Valparaiso, The Venue in Bloomington, The Empty Vase in Indianapolis, and Harrison Lake Country Club and various local businesses in Columbus, Ind. Original work can be viewed at The Venue at 114 S. Grant St. in Bloomington.

812-379-2519 sadiedavis7@comcast.net susiegregory.blogspot.com susiegregoryfineart.com

Dorothy Thompson Photo Folk “Buffalo Grass in Glacier National Park, Montana” 36” x 24” Photographic image on canvas Using original photos, software to mimic a painting and printing on archival photo paper adhered to canvas. Framed with a vintage frame the artist had for many years.

812-318-1957 dbt@photofolk.net

48 • Homes & Lifestyles of South-Central Indiana • April 2017

Marilyn Brinley Fine art photography “Cataract Falls Rapids in Winter” 11” x 14” Photoscapes by Marilyn offers an artistic view of local Indiana and national scenery.

Matted photographs in multiple sizes are available for purchase.

812-361-3315 photoscapesbymarilyn@gmail.com facebook.com/photoscapesbymarilyn

Jim Grabski Watercolor impressions “The Finish” 14”x16” Original paintings are on exhibit at The Venue at 114 South Grant St. in Bloomington.

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Sara Goodwin “Never Forget” skeleton key pendant Skeleton key with elephant charm, beads and 22-gauge wire.

Elephants never forget! Unique, one-of-a-kind pendants created from antique keys, charms, beads, stones, pearls and fossils. Available at Wagon Wheel Country Market & Deli in Bloomington and Stone Cottage in Bedford.

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Jim Halvorson 8” stoneware bottles with carved surface Jim Halvorson’s pottery is available at By Hand Gallery in Bloomington and Brown County Craft Gallery in Nashville, Ind. halvorsonstoneware.com

April 2017 • Homes & Lifestyles of South-Central Indiana • 49

Homes & Lifestyles

Artist Gallery

Anne Ryan Miller Private commission, California 60” x 60” stained glass with metal overlay One-of-a-kind and custom-designed stained glass windows and lamps.

Work can be seen at Hoosier Artist Gallery in Nashville and The Venue in Bloomington 812-988-9766 anstmiller@aol.com anneryanmillerglassstudio.com

Marilyn Greenwood Dianna Porter PortalUnlimited “Scottish Rite” 11” x 14” watercolor print

“The Wave” is an Australian opal pendant with amethyst and spinel accent stones, set in silver.

Affordable prints of people, places and things.

Commissioned pieces including portraiture in several media.

Hand-fabricated, one-of-a-kind pieces using unusual gemstones and fossils set in gold and silver.

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Smollthings “The Bunny Bowl” stoneware Smollthings is a paper and clay studio in West Lafayette, Ind. run solely by Tracy Smoll.

She draws floral animal images and transfers them to her own hand-thrown pieces.

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50 • Homes & Lifestyles of South-Central Indiana • April 2017

Hickory Tree Studio Individually-formed stoneware ceramics from Hoosier clay

Martina Celerin

Functional stoneware for every room of the home and beyond. Available at the Brown County Craft Gallery, Brown County Pottery and By Hand Gallery in Bloomington.

Custom wood, steel and pottery.

Martina Celerin creates wall sculptures that fuse weaving and felting techniques using reclaimed and recycled materials to tell the story of her life.

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Lampkins Ridge Studios — Glass, clay, paint – Call for personal or group tours.

Christy Wiesenhahn — stained glass

Leanne Ellis — clay

Cheryl Gregg Duckworth — oil

“Mourning the Irish Summer” 18” by 18” 7438 Lampkins Ridge Rd. 812-322-8044 christywiesenhahn.com

“Bird Feeder” 10” x 5” 5657 Lampkins Ridge Rd. 317-445-0627 lampkinsridgestudio.com

“Bloomington Farm at Sunset” 24” x 32” 7807 Lampkins Ridge Rd. 812-361-1071 cherylgreggduckworth.com

April 2017 • Homes & Lifestyles of South-Central Indiana • 51

Homes & Lifestyles

Artist Gallery

Elizabeth Capshew Hert “Julia” bracelet, bead woven glass seed beads Pieces of jewelry and objects ranging from whimsical to elegant, one bead at a time, using the technique of off-loom bead weaving. Original work can be viewed at the Stone Mill Market and at The Venue at 114 S. Grant St. in Bloomington.

812-334-1300 lizhert@gmail.com facebook/com/bitsybeadweaving

James B. Campbell Painter/sculptor “Instagramophobia” 36.5” x 26” Acrylic on wood, aluminum, brass Bloomington, Ind. 812-333-4577 campbellarts.net

Julia Livingston “100 Cups – One Artist’s Journey” The Haan Mansion Museum of Indiana Art presents a series of 100 wheel-thrown porcelain cups by Julia Livingston in an exhibition culminating her life’s work as a ceramic artist.

Haan Mansion Museum 920 E. State St., Lafayette, Ind. April 7 to July 8 765-742-6449 info@haanmuseum.org

52 • Homes & Lifestyles of South-Central Indiana • April 2017

Homes & Lifestyles

Color Corner

Are You Assertive with Color?

By Laura Brzegowy

S

electing the perfect color palette can be a daunting task. Yet making decisions in a systematic manner, based on a timehonored system, works every single time. That’s why, WAIT, my proprietary method for selecting colors is invaluable. With it, you can replicate the results of a professional.

In the last issue of Homes & Lifestyles, we looked at the “W” in WAIT — where you prefer to use color.

The “A” in WAIT is how assertive you desire your color to be. The assertiveness of a color palette is determined by the amount of contrast found in its hues. It makes no difference if the contrast is created by varying depths or wildly different colors — the amount of variance dictates how assertive a palette will be.

Highly assertive palettes employ complementary colors. These colors sit directly across from one another on the color wheel and provide a strong counterpoint to one another. Because of the vast difference in the two hues, bold statements can easily be achieved.

Tetradic color schemes use four colors evenly spaced on a color wheel to create moderately assertive color palettes. The four hues are actually two sets of complementary colors, yet the final affect is less aggressive than a straight complementary palette. This is due to the fact that the additional two hues help create less contrast.

The least assertive palettes utilize monochromatic or analogous colors. Monochromatic schemes employ lighter to darker versions of a single color, creating a soft look in a room. For those desiring a tad more variation, analogous palettes start with one hue and utilize the colors to both the left and right of it on a color wheel.

With your newfound understanding of the assertiveness of color, it’s time to determine which type you prefer. Your answers to the following questions will bring clarity to your color assertiveness preferences.

Answer with A if you mostly agree, B if you somewhat agree, and C if you don’t agree.

1) The rooms I am most drawn to incorporate strong colors.

2) I feel most at home in rooms that incorporate soft whispers of color.

3) I truly enjoy living with color. In fact, the more colors the better.

4) I know I’m highly affected by color and feel best when I’m not surrounded by bold, stimulating color.

5) I love how color energizes me and enjoy utilizing multiple colors for a truly unique look.

6) Color definitely affects my mood, and I enjoy rooms that are decorated with highly energetic colors.

7) Colors frequently appear garish to me and even agitate my mood.

8) I like all colors, and enjoy pairing multiple, and sometimes surprising, hues together.

9) Why use color if it’s not to ignite the “wow factor” of a room?

If you primarily answered A to questions 1, 6, and 9, you have a strong love for bold, highly assertive color. If the As you selected were in response to questions 3, 5, and 8, you enjoy living with multiple hues, and have a preference for moderately assertive color schemes. If the bulk of your As came from questions 2, 4, and 7, you long for the colors of a soft, assertively low color palette.

With this knowledge you now know how assertive you like color to be. In upcoming issues of Homes & Lifestyles, we will delve into the “I” and “T” points of the WAIT method to give you a well-rounded approach to selecting color schemes you’ll enjoy for years to come.

Laura Brzegowy is a color consultant at Bloomington Paint & Wallpaper. She has helped hundreds of local people understand color theory and design custom color solutions.

April 2017 • Homes & Lifestyles of South-Central Indiana • 53

Photos courtesy Julia Livingston.

54 • Homes & Lifestyles of South-Central Indiana • April 2017

Life in 100 Cups Pottery project traces artist’s evolution and life philosophy

By Jackie Sheckler Finch

J

ulia Livingston had created 93 cups in an amazing 100-cup pottery project when she was blindsided by a cancer diagnosis. Determined to finish the remaining seven cups while she faced cancer, the artist successfully achieved both of her goals.

Five years later, Julia is free of Stage 3 endometrial cancer and her 100 cups are now ready for a major art exhibit.

“When you’ve been told that you might not have a future, it is very frightening,” she says. “Now I feel light and open to the future and very happy to be alive.”

The culmination of Julia’s life work as a ceramic artist, the exhibit “100 Cups – One Artist’s Journey” will open April 7 and continue through July 8 at the Haan Mansion Museum in Lafayette.

April 2017 • Homes & Lifestyles of South-Central Indiana • 55

56 • Homes & Lifestyles of South-Central Indiana • April 2017

The Inner Critic

Julia was born in New Castle, Pa., and remembers that one of her earliest ambitions was to become an artist.

“No one in my family was an artist. My dad was a minister but at age nine I asked my parents to buy me an easel and one of those books on how to draw.”

However, Julia’s inner critic told her that she didn’t have artistic talent. “So I gave up.”

It wasn’t until her senior year at Anderson College that Julia decided to pursue her interest in art.

“I wanted to make something, to do something real,” she says. “I was studying sociology and psychology but it was 1968 and I couldn’t imagine myself doing that and joining the ‘establishment.’ I was very lucky that the art professor allowed me to join the pottery class with the art majors.”

Learning how to make pottery on a potter’s wheel, Julia discovered her love and her future.

“The first piece I sold was a cup for $3.50.

It was kind of clunky and brown with a crude handle,” she says. “But I stopped making cups very quickly because I realized that it took a lot of time to put a handle on a cup and cups sold for very little … I had to make a living.”

Instead, Julia began creating decorative pieces which she sold at art fairs and galleries.

She moved to Bloomington in 1983.

“By the late 1990s I was burned out. Making and selling pottery as a total source of income is, physically and emotionally, very demanding.

My body and spirit were both exhausted and broken. In 2003, I stopped totally and left my studio intact, absent me. Cobwebs expanded as spiders worked their way around my wheel, decorating tables, kiln and the remaining pots.”

Rediscovering Cups

Entering a new phase of life, Julia began working as a psychotherapist. She also met and married James Hart. Then in January of 2010, Julia felt the urge to get back in her pottery studio. Although she didn’t know what she wanted to make, she knew that she didn’t want to create anything to sell. Surprisingly, she was drawn to the idea of making cups — something she had avoided for almost a quarter of a century.

After making 10 no-two-alike-cups, Julia realized she needed a goal.

“Standing in the shower it came to me. I’ll

make 100 cups with no repetition and just see what happens.”

Julia also joined a creative writing group and found words to describe the conceptual core of her project — “Each one the new one, in each one the last one, from each one the natural next.”

As she worked on her project, Julia wanted to share the results with friends.

“I had heard of blogs but was unsure what a blog was. I asked my son (artist Amory Abbott) if it would be possible to construct one and post a photo of each new cup so that friends could follow along with me.”

With the help of her son, Julia posted her first cup to the blog on March 13, 2010. So it went until, as 2011 was coming to a close, Julia sensed something was wrong with her health.

“It was getting difficult to go to the studio.”

A biopsy revealed cancer. Surgery was scheduled for March 26, 2012.

“I felt strongly the need to finish the project before surgery,” Julia says. “I did not know what would be found during the surgery or what my life would be like after it. These final seven cups made visible my own changing internal landscape along the way through this very frightening time. They are also the cups that hold the most meaning for me in the project.”

Just four days before surgery and the chemotherapy she would later undergo, Julia sat down with cup 100.

“I felt so much pressure to end the project in a fitting way,” she says. “It was not possible to work for many hours. ‘End Point’ became the name of the last cup, marking the end and pointing to an unknown more.”

The cups will always remain one collection.

“They are not for sale individually,” Julia says.

“Each of the cups is a separate unique work and the ‘100 Cups’ is itself an art work which is a unity of the individual pieces, forming a continuous fluid whole that took shape in a life-affirming process. Each cup points to the next and the experience of the earlier ones are at work in shaping our perceptions of the present one as well as those to come.”

As to what any future project might be, Julia says she is open to whatever comes along.

“I don’t know if I will return to making pottery,” she concludes. “My studio is still there.

I took a seven year break the last time so I’ll just see where life leads me.”

See Julia’s cups at 100cupsblog.blogspot.com.

April 2017 • Homes & Lifestyles of South-Central Indiana • 57

Dignified DIY

Hudson home has do-it-yourself elegance

By Alexandra M. Lynch

T

he home of Marty and Cecy Hudson is one big do-it-yourself project, but it all looks professionally done. Most of the work was Marty’s, whose amazing variety of skills helped him tackle a wide array of tasks around the house. Cecy arranged the furniture and added special touches of her own. Together they renovated what had been a dated house. It is now a showpiece.

This home in Hyde Park brings together three cultures — Chinese, Mexican and American — and they all work together so well.

Cecy and Marty Hudson moved here from

58 • Homes & Lifestyles of South-Central Indiana • April 2017

San Diego in 2015. Cecy is a graphic designer and Marty is an engineer working in the medical industry. Since the move, they have been renovating everything from cabinets to light fixtures, floors to tile mosaic work — and there is much to admire at every turn.

The couple owned two homes — one in San Diego and one in Mexico. Some furniture was kept from each house, and it just happens to fit perfectly in the Hyde Park home. They didn’t purchase any new furniture.

Cecy leads the home tour, starting in an entryway with ceramic tile and a wood diamond design, opening into the great room — a twoplus story space with a fireplace and the dark wood that is the style of the home. Marty and Cecy’s mosaic tile work surrounds the fireplace.

The hearth appears to be one large piece of marble, but Cecy and Marty found five pieces of travertine that fit perfectly. Marty installed a challenging light fixture hanging from the peak of the great room ceiling, as well as about 20 other light fixtures in the house. Large doors open to a roofed screened in porch.

“You will see furnishings from our three cultures. So, here, you see a Mexican art object on a Chinese table,” says Cecy, standing in the great room. Cecy’s Chinese and Mexican heritage shows throughout the home. “You will also see my husband’s more modern taste. It’s cultural fusion.”

Their dining room is fit for royalty, with tall, stately chairs surrounding a dark wood table.

Above the dining room is unusual tri-crown molding, a great effect.

Photos by David Snodgress.

April 2017 • Homes & Lifestyles of South-Central Indiana • 59

Finding the Right Fit

When they were looking for a house, Marty and Cecy saw more than a dozen houses, but this house was their favorite. They loved the house for its spaciousness — 4,400 square feet — and the layout that seems to flow from one room to another. With four bedrooms, it was the perfect family home. At the moment, their 4-yearold, Keiden, has one of the bedrooms and a huge play area in the basement.

The master bedroom on the main floor is beautiful and filled with light as you step into the adjacent charming little sunroom. This is Cecy’s favorite place in the house. It features a large upholstered Chinese chair in a spot just right for sipping cocoa and looking out at spring in the back yard.

The wildlife includes deer, birds and squirrels.

As we walk, Cecy explains that when they started on the house, they

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were determined to do all possible work themselves. Marty’s engineering background, familiarity with tools, and wide array of construction skills made him the man for the task of updating this home. Cecy’s design skills helped with decorating, painting, tiling and sewing.

We enter the master bath. A stylish glass mosaic border goes around the room — yes, the work of Marty and Cecy. The same mosaic border appears in the kitchen. They painted the cabinets, which had been a yellowtoned oak wood. Now they are a deep brown with new hardware.

Sharing the main level is a formal living room, cozy and colorful with large sunny windows and a stainedglass piece. And, of course, there’s the kitchen, large and bright, with quartz countertops and totally refinished cabinetry — not to mention the custom tile mosaic accent like the one in the master bath.

April 2017 • Homes & Lifestyles of South-Central Indiana • 61

62 • Homes & Lifestyles of South-Central Indiana • April 2017

Gracious Spaces

Upstairs is the boy’s room and a magnificent guest suite with a bed, bedside cabinet and a wardrobe in dark wood, intricately carved with flowers and leaves. A full bath and walk-in closet complete the welcoming guest quarters.

In the hall, along the balcony looking down on the great room, is a feature that may be unique to this home.

So that guests could find their way at night, there are airplane lights in the floor. The white lights are embedded in the grooves of the wood flooring and add a festive mood to the hall.

From the balcony, we admire stained glass around the front door. The design is a tree, but originally only its trunk had color. Cecy decided to paint the leaves in the design, and selected rich colors in a special stained glass paint. The tree now frames the door in a new and dramatic way.

So what brought them to Bloomington from San Diego? It was Marty’s work, and after visiting, they decided this was the right place. Within three weeks their possessions arrived and they were unpacking.

“We love Bloomington. It is as friendly as my home town in Mexico,” says Cecy. “It has art and culture and diversity.”

And we are lucky to have this lovely and talented young family in our community.

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Homes & Lifestyles

Take a Trip

64 • Homes & Lifestyles of South-Central Indiana • April 2017

Chang and Eng

A long way from Siam, original ‘Siamese Twins’ lived and died in North Carolina

By Jackie Sheckler Finch

Tanya Jones is a descendant of Chang and Eng. Photos by Jackie Sheckler Finch.

O

n a cold winter night in 1874, Eng Bunker knew he was going to die. Lying next to him in bed was his dead brother Chang.

“Then I am going,” Eng cried in anguish.

A doctor was summoned.

“But the doctor arrived too late,” says Tanya Jones.

“Eng Bunker died shortly after his brother.”

The brothers were 62 years old. Cause of death for Chang was pneumonia. For the relatively-healthy Eng, cause was given as “fear.” The world’s most famous conjoined twins died as they had lived — together.

When I was a child, I thought the name “Siamese Twins” was used to describe all conjoined babies. I didn’t know there actually were two brothers born in Siam with a band of flesh connecting them at the chest.

I also didn’t know the brothers ended up in Mount Airy, North Carolina, where they attended the Baptist church, married sisters, fathered 21 children, died on Jan. 17, 1874, and are buried in the local church cemetery. Each year, descendants gather for a family reunion in Mount Airy on the last weekend in July.

My reason for visiting Mount Airy was to write

about native son Andy Griffith, so I was surprised to learn about the twins. Tucked away on the lower level of the Andy Griffith Playhouse is a fascinating exhibit on the Bunker brothers. But the real treasure, I discovered, is the director of the Surry Arts Council — Tanya Jones, great- great- granddaughter of Eng Bunker, and a wealth of information about her ancestors.

Defying the Odds

Born on a fishing boat in an impoverished village in Siam (now Thailand), Chang and Eng entered this world on May 11, 1811.

“They were born face to face but their mother worked with them, stretching the band until they could stand side by side,” Tanya says.

One day, an American sea captain saw the brothers swimming and decided he could make money charging the public to see the twin oddities.

“He offered their mother what would have been a large sum of money to take the twins for four years,” Tanya says. “He told their mother that they would return at the end of their four-year contract. Chang and Eng never did return to Siam.”

April 2017 • Homes & Lifestyles of South-Central Indiana • 65

At left, young Chang and Eng are pictured in a cutout inside the museum. At top right, a photo of the brothers’ wives, who were sisters and the daughters of North Carolina Quakers.

The middle photo shows a figurine honoring the brothers, part of the museum’s memorabilia. At bottom right, Chang and Eng are pictured in their later years.

Leaving their home on April 1, 1829, the Siamese Twins traveled the world.

“They weren’t kept in cages where people paid to see them,” Tanya says. “People would pay to come into a room where they could see and talk with Chang and Eng. The twins were tutored because the more entertaining they were, the more money people paid to see them.”

Charming and intelligent, the twins became popular celebrities. Doctors requested to examine them and the brothers always sought advice on how they could be separated, how the 5 ½-inch bond about the width of a child’s arm could be severed.

“At the time, it was thought such a surgery would be too dangerous. They probably both would have died,” Tanya says. “Today, it could be safely done.”

At the end of their four-year contract, the 21-year-old twins declared independence from their agents and set off on a life of their own. A North Carolina doctor who had become their friend invited the brothers to visit him.

“Chang and Eng liked to hunt and fish,” Tanya says. “They were tired of traveling and one-night stands and thought it would be nice to have a home and that North Carolina 66 • Homes & Lifestyles of South-Central Indiana • April 2017

would be the perfect place.”

In 1939, the twins applied for U.S. citizenship, took the last name of Bunker in honor of a friend and became farmers.

“That was a big deal,” Tanya says. “Chang and Eng were the first Buddhists to enter this county and the first Asians to become citizens of this country.”

Family Life

The brothers married two sisters — Adelaide and Sarah Yates, daughters of North Carolina Quakers.

“The big concern at that time was not that they were conjoined but that they were Asian,” Tanya says. “Interracial marriages were very frowned upon.”

The brothers and their wives lived in one house for 12 years until the family outgrew it.

Building another nearby house, Chang and Eng alternated spending three days in one house where Chang would be master, then three days in the other house where Eng would be boss.

To earn money to support their families after their assets were lost in the Civil War, the Siamese Twins went back on the road. It was on returning from Liverpool that Chang suffered a stroke, partly paralyzing his right

side. Eng’s health seemed unaffected by his brother’s declining body the last two years of their lives. Museum photos taken after Chang’s stroke show Eng seeming to support his brother’s slumping body.

With Chang’s multiplying health problems and affinity for alcohol, an arrangement was made for a local doctor to separate the two if Chang died. But things didn’t go as planned.

Chang and Eng are buried in White Plains Baptist Church Cemetery near Mount Airy.

One of the interesting museum items is the twins’ will.

“I encourage people to look at their will to see the essence of what they were,” Tanya says.

During their lifetimes, the brothers made sure their daughters were educated, which was unusual for the times. In their will, they also left money for Chang’s two deaf children to attend a special school for the deaf.

“The Siamese Twins may have been famous and unusual,” Tanya says, “but they worked very hard to maintain their dignity and live good lives. They loved their families just like other fathers.”

For more information, contact the Mount Airy Visitors Center at 800-948-0949 or visitmayberry.com.

Homes & Lifestyles

Recipe

Dark & Tart

Double dark chocolate brownies are packed with toasted pecans and bourbon-infused tart cherries.

Recipe and photo by Shaylan Owen

“Wet” ingredients: 3/4 cup vegetable oil 3/4 cup brown sugar 3/4 cup granulated sugar 2 eggs 1 egg yolk 1 tablespoon water 2 teaspoons espresso powder 2 teaspoons vanilla extract “Dry” ingredients: 3/4 cup flour 3/4 cup cocoa powder, plus extra 1/2 teaspoon salt Mix-in ingredients: 1 cup dark chocolate chunks

1 cup pecan halves 1 cup dried tart cherries 1/3 cup bourbon 2 tablespoons orange juice Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9 by 9 square baking dish by coating it with cooking spray and lining it with a piece of parchment paper that covers two opposite sides and bottom. Leave sides of parchment long for easy removal after baking. Spray parchment with cooking spray and dust interior of pan with extra cocoa powder, then shake out excess.

Combine dried cherries, bourbon and orange juice in a microwave-safe vessel and microwave until nearly boiling, about 2 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and

set aside for about 30 minutes, then drain when cooled. Lightly toast pecan halves in a skillet over medium-low heat. Allow to cool, coarsely chop and set aside.

Combine wet ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer until evenly mixed. Slowly add dry ingredients with mixer at low speed until just combined, then add chocolate chunks and chopped pecans and mix until incorporated. Batter will be quite thick. Using a wooden spoon, carefully fold drained cherries into batter and transfer to a prepared baking dish.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, rotating pan halfway through, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely. Free sides of brownies from pan with a knife. Using parchment paper, gently lift brownies from pan and cut to desired sizes.

April 2017 • Homes & Lifestyles of South-Central Indiana • 67