A Secret Country Mill

Tucked away in a remote corner of Monmouth Co. NJ is Walnford, a park with a fully functional restored mill and house. Its location is very close to busy Rt. 539, where hordes of ocean loving tourists head towards the Pine Barrens, in route to the world famous NJ beaches, but have no idea of its existence. It is lovely, functional, and museum like in its presentation of facts both historic and mechanical, thanks to the wonderful Monmouth County Park System.



I had seen it in the 1970’s, in the early years of Off the Wall Craft Gallery, my business then located at the newly restored and repurposed old mill in Allentown, NJ. The Walnford Mill was run down and the the house on the property was still being used as a residence. I visited it again in the early 1990’s with my young daughter. The house was empty, the mill was locked, but it was teeming with domestic geese. Then in 2008, after I closed that business, I had the time to go back again. Wow. All the buildings were open with guides, restored to pristine condition, inviting, and full of life. The large secluded property offered lots of privacy to enjoy some peace amongst nature.



This piece, “Life at Walnford”, depicts an accurate rendering of the building with a lot of artistic license in depicting the trees and plant life. The muddy shoreline and the geese everywhere is based on the memory of pleasant and playful times there with little Shasta.

This Friday my stained glass piece, “Life at Walnford”, will be featured in Bordentown, NJ, at the Artful Deposit Gallery’s new show, “Along the Delaware River and Crosswicks Creek”, July 13th to Aug. 19th. The opening is July 13th, 5 – 9 pm.



Here in Vermont I have tried to create a life that feels as good as those visits to Walnford.

Chicken Art in Brandon

It is a tradition in Brandon, VT to get attention as an art community by the visual impact created by generous volunteers and members of the juried cooperative group of artists exhibiting at the Brandon Artists Guild. I am very proud to be a part of this group. It is a lot of fun to interact with these talented people as we gather together for painting projects. This year we are asking the question,

 "What's Hatching in Brandon?".

 It will be a big visual impact in the town and a lot of colorful FUN!!

In addition to decorating the town, the Brandon Artists Guild will be showing and selling themed art work by the members in a variety of media. The following pictures show the progression of my piece. It started last year, when I purchased 16 baby chicks. They are my models and inspiration.

A Barred Rock and Rhode Island Red.

I named all of them, but eventually it became difficult to tell them apart.

We ordered 3 Silver Laced Wyandotte hens. I named them Barbie, Joanie, and Patty, after my sisters. When I finally figured out why they had fancy tails and crowed, I renamed them Buddy, Joey, and Patrick, and then called them the "brothers". We kept Joey, the gentlest, and found homes for the others.

I desided to use the composition of the first photo but switch the Red for Joey, keeping the chickens black and white with a contrast of "kaleido-flowers" in random spontaneous patterns.

I used all Bullseye glass that I recently purchased.

Dichroic glass has the unique characteristic of totally different color based on transmitted or reflected light.

For example a single piece of glass may be turquoise when light passes through it, and then a shimmering red when light bounces off it. Another is bright purple with light going through it, then becomes metallic gold in reflected light.


The opening for this show is May 25th at the Brandon Artists Guild

7 Center Street Brandon, VT 05733
802-247-4956

Gallery Openings & Inspiration

Artists are a community. We try to suck up enthusiasm, camaraderie and nerve from each other. On Saturday I attended the openings of 2 Allentown Art Guild members. One was in Bordentown and the other in Asbury Park.

Let me back track a little. On Wednesday night I met Sandy Sandy (yes, that's her name) http://www.sandysandy.com/ in Medford at the Chairville School Community Art Show where we were both exhibiting work for the main purpose of teaching and inspiring the children (grades K - 5). Her illustrative style work incorporates soft flowing watercolors with nature and animals. She encouraged me to use all the internet net working that is available including Facebook, blogs, and web sites. She maintains a huge list of such venues.

I had already made plans to have dinner Saturday in Bordentown City with an old high school friend (who lives in Va.) at Oliver A Bistro. Afterwards I went to the Artful Deposit Gallery, http://www.artfuldeposit.com/ to see a group show which included the work of my friend Ericka O'Rourke, http://www.elmstudio.com/. She had a series of small winter landscapes skillfully executed with a loose brush stroke style and photographs. The town was hopping and the gallery was packed. It was good to see my friend CJ, the gallery owner, whose gallery began in Allentown in the '80's, and who was the previous tenant of my space, Off the Wall Craft Gallery, at the old mill in Allentown.

Then after a quick stop in Allentown to pick up my husband, Bill, we were off to the Mattison Gallery http://www.mattisongallery.com/ in Asbury Park. What a wonderful solo show we saw of the paintings of Jude Harzer http://www.judeharzerfineart.com/. Her subject matter includes children in most of her work with interesting blocks of space, quilt like, with symbolic elements of flying like feathers, birds, wind, and so much more. Some of the pieces were very large and varied with mixed media, metal strips, and more. There was also some amazing stained glass art displayed in the gallery by Ted Ricchiuti, http://www.tedsartglass.com/. His craftsmanship is superb and his graphics and painted glass techniques amazing. I am reminded that I have a lot to learn. I should try to find out if Ted teaches. It was First Saturday in Asbury Park, and with the weather so warm, the town was full of people and everything was open. I chanced upon a shop in an old arcade building where Anthony Primo, http://www.primoglass.com/ was selling his own art glass - fused, slumped, lamp worked, supplemented with some other quality pieces, mostly glass. After some coffee and a walk on the boardwalk near The Stone Pony, where Bruce Springsteen got his start, we headed home.

Being with other artists, encouraging each other, sharing concerns and technical tips is so inspiring. Marketing work is a real challenge. The topic of making art from the soul versus making art that people will want to buy is an age old question. I believe if you stay true to yourself, success will follow. Vincent Van Gogh may disagree or maybe not?!!