The Artful Mind October 2021

OCTOBER 2021

THE SOURCE AND SOUL FOR PROMOTING THE ARTS SINCE 1994

THE ARTFUL MIND

WILLIAM CASPER SCULPTOR PHOTOGRAPHY BY BOBBY MILLER

The Fine Art of Printing Fine Art. · Giclée and Photo Printing · Digital Reproduction of Paintings · Photo Restoration and Repair

“The prints have amazing clarity and are absolutely beautiful reproductions of the original works.

Clients are amazed with the quality.”

– Virginia Bradley

Playa Santa 22 — Virginia Bradley

Drop-off & Pick-up Available in Great Barrington, MA and Millerton, NY Studio located in Mount Washington, MA l berkshiredigital.com l 413 · 644· 9663

ARTS CALENDAR Pamela Salisbury Gallery 362 1/2 Warren St Hudson, NY info@pamelasalisburygallery.com Through Nov 7, 2021 Landscape & Memory An exhibition of landscape paintings by conemporary artists and modern masters Also: Avital Burg: Journal

Elliott Green, Son of a Cloud, 2020, oil on linen, 48 x 76 inches

ART 510 WARREN STREET GALLERY 510 WARREN ST, HUDSON NY • 518-822-0510 Through Oct 24: Anna Oliver, Close Attention ARTSEE 529 WARREN ST, HUDSON, NY • 212-227-2400 ARTSEEHUDSON.COM Nov 13-Jan 15, Reception: Nov 13, 6-9pm: RyAn Turley: Then & NoW BERKSHIRE BOTANICAL GARDEN 5 EAST STOCKBRIDGE LEE RD, STOCKBRIDGE, MA • 413-298-3926 INFO@BERKSHIREBOTANICAL.ORG Sept 19-Oct 31: Portraits of American Trees : Tom Zetterstrom Zetterstrom has gathered images of innumerable species from a wide range of topographies and ecosystems. As forests ecosystems decline, he continues to search for the most memorable trees.

BERKSHIRE MUSEUM 39 SOUTH ST, PITTSFIELD, MA • 413-443-7171 Through Jan 9, 2022: Objects and Their Stories BERNAY FINE ART 296 MAIN ST, GT, BARRINGTON, MA • 413-645-342 WWW.BERNAYFINEART.COM THROUGH OCTOBER 24, 2021: Art on Paper: Featured artists include Diane Ayott, Mike Glier, Sandy Litchfield, Sue Muskat, Joe Neill, Hideyo Okamura, Dana Piazza, Nancy Simonds, Barbara Takenaga and Joy Taylor.

CALDWELL GALLERY HUDSON 355 WARREN ST, HUDSON, NY Oct 9 - Nov 21: Utopian Reefscapes: Nikolina Kovalenko 2 • OCTOBER 2021 THE ARTFUL MIND

CARRIE HADDAD GALLERY 622 WARREN ST, HUDSON, NY • 518-828-1915 Sept 29-Nov 21: FALL EXHIBIT: Dai Ban, Ginny Fox, Carl Grauer, Jospeh Maresca CHESTERWOOD 4 WILLIAMSVILLE RD, STOCKBRIDGE, MA Through Oct 25: Tipping the Balance: Contemporary Sculpture by John Van Alstine CLARK ART INSTITUE 225 SOUTH ST, WILLIAMSTOWN, MA • 413-458-2303 Through Oct 31: Claude & Francois - Xavier Lalanne: Nature Transformed; Nov 6 - Jan 30, 2022: 20th Century Japanese Prints; Groundwork, thru Oct. 17, outdoor exhibit; Erin Shirreff, Remainders, thru Jan 2, 2022 FERRIN CONTEMPORARY 1315 MASS MOCA WAY NORTH ADAMS, MA • 413-346-4004 HTTPS://FERRINCONTEMPORARY.COM/ Through Nov 28: IN DIALOGUE: Cristina Cordova & Kukuli Velarde

A photographic gallery showcasing the work of photographer Janet Pumphrey andother artists LAUREN CLARK GALLERY 684 MAIN ST, GT. BARRINGTON, MA • 413-528-0432 LAUREN@LAURENCLARKFINEART.COM Regionally and internationally recognized artists of fine art and contemporary craft in all media.

Also, custom framing MASS MOCA 1040 MASS MOCA WAY, NORTH ADAMS, MA • 413-662-2111 / MASSMOCA.ORG James Turrell, Nicholas Mosse and William Burke, Lapsed Quaker Ware, thru Oct 22 NORMAN ROCKWELL MUSEUM 9 RTE 183, STOCKBRIDGE, MA / NRM.ORG • 413-298-4100 Enchanted: A History of Fantasy Illustration, June 12-Oct 31 (online) Visit website for details on guide lines for visits to the museum

HUDSON HALL 327 WARREN ST, HUDSON,NY WWW.HUDSONHALL.ORG Sept 4-Oct 17: Four Instance, Four Hudsonbased artists

OLANA STATE HISTORIC SITE 5720 RTE 9, HUDSON NY • 519-828-0135 HTTP://WWW.OLANA.ORG THROUGH OCT 31: CROSS Pollination: Heade, Cole, Church and our Contemporary Moment: "Cross Pollination: Heade, Cole, Church and our Contemporary Moment" is a national collaborative exhibition exploring the theme of cross pollination in art and the environment from the 19th century to today, presented jointly at the Thomas Cole Site in Catskill and Frederic Church’s Olana in Hudson in New York’s Hudson River Skywalk Region.

JANET PUMPHREY GALLERY FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY 17 HOUSATONIC ST, LENOX, MA • 413-637-2777 / JANETPUMPHREY.COM

SCHANTZ GALLERIES CONTEMPORARY GLASS ART 3 ELM ST, STOCKBRIDGE, STOCKBRIDGE, MA • 413-298-3044 / SCHANTZGALLERIES.COM

FRONT STREET GALLERY 129 FRONT ST, HOUSATONIC, MA • 413-274-6607 FRONTSTREETALLERY@AOL.COM Featuring watercolor and oils by artist Kate Knapp, Landscapes and still lifes

OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2021 OPEN BY APPOINTMENT Exhibiting works by 60 artists SOHN FINE ART 69 CHURCH ST, LENOX, MA • 413-551-7353 / SOHNFINEART.COM Oct 11: We May As well Dance: Valda Bailey; Oct 15-Jan 2022: Jeff Robb: Solo Exhibition SPENCERTOWN ACADEMY THE GALLERY 790 ROUTE 203, PO BOX 80, SPENCERTOWN, NY • 518-392-3693 info@spencertownacademy.org Oct 2-31: Gabe Brown, Keith Davidson, Ron Harrington, Dorothy Sabean, Audrie Sturman, Betsy Wallin ST. FRANCIS GALLERY 1370 PLEASANT ST. ROUTE 102, SOUTH LEE, MA Ongoing exhibit.

THE PLANT CONNECTOR 48 EAGLE ST, NORTH ADAMS, MA Through Oct 24: New Artwork by Chalice Mitchell TURN PARK 2 MOSCOW RD, WEST STOCKBRIDGE, MA Through Oct 31: Chehalis Hegner & Doug Fitch.

Fitch&Hegner: Wildebeest; Uta Bekaia. The Longest Day

BERKSHIRE THEATRE GROUP 111 SOUTH ST, PITTSFIELD, MA Nov 6, 7:30-9pm: The Linda ROndstadt Expereince: The Linda Ronstadt Experience is the premier touring tribute band showcasing chart-topping smash hits such as, “You’re No Good,” “When Will I Be Loved,” “That’ll Be The Day,” “Blue Bayou” and more.

MUSIC ANCRAM OPERA HOUSE 1330 COUNTY RTE 7, ANCRAM, NY OCT 14, 1, 16, 17, 21, 22, 23, 24, 7PM: AN ILIAD, a contemporary take on the Homeric tale, recounting the brutal and intimate moments of the Trojan War. CLOSE ENCOUNTERS WITH MUSIC • 800-843-0778 MAHAIWE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, GT. BARRINGTON, MA Cafe Music: Jazz, Rap, and Grand Reopening!

Live in person: Sunday Nov 21, 4pm.

CEWMUSIC@AOL.COM

HUDSON HALL 327 WARREN ST, HUDSON, NY • 518-822-1438 Through Nov 20: A Love Supreme: Celebrating the Legacy of Alice and John Coltrane; Oct 16, 7pm: Orrin Evans Trio; Nov 20, 7pm: JD Allen Trio

MAHAIWE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 14 CASTLE ST, GT BARRINGTON, MA • 413-528-0100 Nov 27, 8-10pm: An Evening with Hot Tuna, Acoustic & Electric, plus special guest David Grisman’s Dawg Trio MASS MOCA 1040 MASS MOCA WAY, NORTH ADAMS, MA • 413-662-2111 / MASSMOCA.ORG Oct 16, 8pm: Michael Olatuja: Lagos Pepper Soup SANDISFIELD ARTS CENTER 5 HAMMERTOWN RD, SANDISFIELD, MA • 413-258-4100 INFO@SANDISFIELDARTSCENTER.ORG Oct 24, 4-6pm: Music Like a Map - Zoe Lewis

Send your calendar listings and inquiries to artfulmind@yahoo.com Join our FB group: ART GALLERY for Artful Minds Read all The Artful Mind issues:

issuu.com

EVENTS SECOND SATURDAY HUDSON GALLERY CRAWL WARREN ST. HUDSON. NY October 9: The gallerists, retail shops, and restaurants of Hudson, have joined together to launch an ongoing, citywide gallery crawl. Outside of the shops, visitors will find pop-up galleries, markets, buskers, concerts, food trucks, and community activated art programing.

BERKSHIRE BOTANICAL GARDEN 5 WEST STOCKBRIDGE R, STOCKBRIDGE, MA Oct 24, 9am-5pm: The Berkshire Woodworkeres Guild Fine Woodworking Show & Silent Auction

TALKS STOCKBRIDGE LIBRARY MAIN ST, STOCKBRIDGE, MA Oct 23, 4pm: Author Reading with Marilyn Peterson Haus, author of Half of A Whole: My FIght for a Separate Life

THEATER BARRINGTON STAGE COMPANY 30 UNION, PITTSFIELD, MA • 413-236-8888 BARRINGTONSTAGECO.ORG Sept 23 - Oct 16: A Crossing THE ARTFUL MIND OCTOBER 2021 • 3

Tom Zetterstrom

THE ARTFUL MIND OCTOBER 2021 We hope you enjoy reading this issue as much as we enjoyed bringing it to you!

ARTS CALENDAR ...2 MARTINE KACZYNSKI SCULPTOR | EDUCATOR INTERVIEW BY H CANDEE...10 VIRTUAL GALLERY OF FINE ARTISTS AND

PHOTOGRAPHERS ...16

FIGURATIVE SCULPTOR WILLIAM CASPER INTERVIEW BY H CANDEE ...26 Zetterstrom’s vintage silver gelatin photographs are in the collections of 43 museums nationally. Visit: tomzetterstrom.com to view portfolios, museum and private collections, exhibition history and reviews.

PHOTOGRAPHER SHELI RONNEN INTERVIEW BY H. CANDEE ...34

Portraits of American Trees exhibition, the Berkshire Botanical Garden Leonhardt Galleries, Stockbridge, Massachusetts Opening September 17 through October 31, 2021

TERRY TEITELBAUM ABSTRACT IMPRESSIONIST INTERVIEW BY H. CANDEE ...40

Three Gallery Talks: September 19, 1 pm, Oct 10, 11 am, Oct 24, 11 am.

Four Environmental Lectures under the title Whose Woods These Are. Learn more at: berkshirebotanical.org/events/portraits-american-trees

RICHARD BRITELL | FICTION SOMETHING FOR OVER THE COUCH

CHAPTER 5

...47

COVER: William Casper Photograph by Bobby Miller

Nina Lipkowitz

Publisher Harryet Candee Copy Editor Marguerite Bride Third Eye Jeff Bynack Advertising and Graphic Design Harryet Candee Contributing Writers Richard Britell Michael Cobb Photographers Edward Acker Tasja Keetman Bobby Miller ADVERTISING RATES 413 ‐ 645 ‐ 4114 artfulmind@yahoo.com issuu.com | Instagram

Where Does the Moon Go?36” x 24” | Mixed Media on Canvas | 24x18 inches

510 Warren Street Gallery 510 Warren St., Hudson, NY 12534 Hours: Friday & Saturday 12 - 6, Sunday 12 - 5 ninalipkowitz.com

ninalipkowitz@gmail.com

4 • OCTOBER 2021 THE ARTFUL MIND

FB Open Group: ARTFUL GALLERY for artful minds Box 985

The Artful Mind Great Barrington, MA 01230

YFI: ©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. All commentaries by writers are not necessarily the opinion of the publisher and take no responsibility for their facts and opinions.

FRONT ST. GALLERY

Still life by Kate Knapp

Painting classes on Monday and Wednesday mornings 10-1pm at the studio in Housatonic and Thursday mornings 10am - 1pm out in the field.

Also available for private critiques. Open to all.

Please come paint with us!

Gallery hours: Open by chance and by appointment anytime 413. 274. 6607 (gallery) 413. 429. 7141 (cell) 413. 528. 9546 (home) www.kateknappartist.com

Front Street, Housatonic, MA

MARY DAVIDSON

Stamped Abstract Series #25 Size: 42x34 inches

wwwdavidsondesigncompany.net Studio appointments: Call 1-413-528-6945 Keith and Mary original artwork for sale Studio/gallery, South Egremont, MA THE ARTFUL MIND OCTOBER 2021 • 5

Bruce Panock

Ghetta Hirsch

“Late Day at the Bay” 8”X8” Oil on Wood Panel 2021

Home Studio visits by appointment: 413-597 1716 ghetta-hirsch.squarespace.com

bruce@panockphotography.com Title of Photograph: Grasses and Reeds

Mark Mellinger Paintings - Collage - Construction

Psilocybin Picnic 48 x 48 inches Acrylic on Canvas. 2020

100 North St Pittsfield #322 6 • OCTOBER THE ARTFUL MIND

914. 260. 7413

markmellinger680@gmail.com

RyAn Turley NOVEMBER 13 — JANUARY 15, 2021 Reception for Artist: Saturday November 13 · 6 - 9pm

529 Warren Street, Hudson, NY | 212. 227. 2400 | ArtseeHudson.com THE ARTFUL MIND OCTOBER • 7

LATE DAY AT THE BAYOIL ON WOOD PANEL 2021 MARGUERITE BRIDE WATERCOLOR BERRY POND II

MARGUERITE BRIDE COMMISSIONS Are you considering a commissioned painting for the holiday gift-giving season? Now is the best time. Paintings are always a cherished and personal gift. Commissions are happily encouraged but they do take a little time to plan and execute…and you could be the family hero. Not sure what it might involve? You would be surprised how simple commissioning a painting is.

Imagine a house portrait. If local I would visit your home and take tons of photos and do some drawings to be sure we are thinking alike. If not local, you would send me photos. There is plenty of information on my website so take a look… even a FAQ section. And besides all that…it is fun, plus quality and satisfaction guaranteed.

I am also now exhibiting new works at the new gallery in Lenox. The Art of the Berkshires is a small fine art and craft gallery in downtown Lenox, sharing a roof with The Olde Heritage Tavern at 12 Housatonic St. Their mission is to showcase the talent of Berkshire County artists and artisans. They recently had a “soft” opening in September.

As the holiday season approaches, be on the lookout on my Facebook watercolor page (Marguerite Bride Watercolors) for special limited time deals. They will be starting within a few weeks.

Marguerite Bride – Home Studio at 46 Glory Drive, Pittsfield, Massachusetts by appointment only. Call 413-841-1659 or 413-442-7718; margebride-paintings.com; margebride@aol.com; Facebook: Marguerite Bride Watercolors.

Everyone reads The Artful Mind!

Advertising rates & other info: 413.645.4114 artfulmind@yahoo.com

8 • OCTOBER 2021 THE ARTFUL MIND

BERKSHIRE DIGITAL Since opening in 2005, Berkshire Digital has done fine art printing for artists and photographers. Giclée prints can be made in many different sizes from 5”x7” to 42”x 80” on a variety of archival paper choices. Berkshire Digital was featured in last Summer’s issue of PDN magazine in an article about fine art printing. See the entire article on the BerkshireDigital.com website.

Berkshire Digital does accurate hi-res photoreproductions of paintings and illustrations that can be used for Giclée prints, books, magazines, brochures, cards and websites.

“Fred Collins couldn’t have been more professional or more enjoyable to work with. He came to my studio, set everything up, and did a beautiful job in photographing a ton of paintings carefully, efficiently, and so accurately. It’s such a great feeling to know I have these beautiful, useful files on hand anytime I need them. I wish I’d called Fred years ago.” ---- Ann Getsinger We also offer restoration and repair of damaged or faded photographs. A complete overview of services offered, along with pricing, can be seen on the web at BerkshireDigital.com Another service offered is portraits of artists in their studios, or wherever they would like, for use in magazines, as the author’s picture in a book, websites or cards. See samples of artist portraits on our website.

The owner, Fred Collins, has been a commercial and fine art photographer for over 30 years having had studios in Boston, Stamford, and the Berkshires. He offers over 25 years of experience with Photoshop, enabling retouching, restoration and enhancement to prints and digital files. The studio is located in Mt Washington but drop-off and pick-up is available through Frames On Wheels, 84 Railroad Street in Great Barrington, MA (413) 528-0997 and Gilded Moon Framing, 17 John Street in Millerton, NY (518) 789-3428.

Berkshire Digital - 413 644-9663, or go online to www.BerkshireDigital.com

GHETTA HIRSCH

Summer 2021 has been an emotional time in my life. I have a house in the Atlantic Coast of France by a gorgeous bay. I usually visit the Aquitaine region in the winter or spring. Considering that the Covid variant was threatening and that I had not seen my mother since October 2019, I decided to spend a month in Arcachon in August. I had not spent a summer there for a very long time. I have family there and many memories. It is a beautiful area of France and a very different landscape from the Berkshires.

What I paint there usually sells in France or is distributed among friends and family. However, since Covid locked us up for two years I had to plan a risky trip whatever the season. The stress surrounding travel and my caretaking duties is seen in my brush and knife work in this painting.

Covid restrictions were not easy to overcome, and tickets were cancelled many times by the airlines, but I was happy I overcame those obstacles. I had my painter’s rewards. Nature was magnificent in the summer. I was so surprised by the light and warmth of the season. I went for walks every day with increased appreciation for the colors enhanced by the heat. I made it a habit to see the bay at the end of the day as sunsets were magical and healed the turmoil of the day. Being a companion for my aging mom was a sensitive situation. Yet discovering subtle differences of tones created by the closeness of the water, the wind or the reflective quality of the sand were soothing in the evenings. I hope this painting translates for you the joyful moments of my day.

This September I return to the US to welcome you to an exhibit at Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary in Lenox, MA and I also invite you to drive to Manchester, Vermont where I show a few paintings at The Southern Vermont Arts Center. Both will exhibit my work well into the end of October.

Of course, if you are vaccinated I invite you to visit my home studio and view my current or older pieces. Just text or call. Paintings have a way to bring life and focus to your decor, and I will accept installments, Venmo, PayPal, local checks and credit. I live in Williamstown, Massachusetts.

Ghetta Hirsch - studio is opened for visitors.

Text or call 413-597-1716 to check that I am home. Visit my images on Instagram@ghettahirschpaintings, or visit my Website: GhettaHirsch.squarespace.com.

KATE KNAPP

FRONT ST. GALLERY 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. Private critiques available.

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.

Front Street, Housatonic, MA. Gallery open by appointment or chance anytime. 413-5289546 at home or 413-429-7141 (cell) www.kateknappartist.com

BIRCH TREE

BRUCE PANOCK

MARK MELLINGER

PHOTOGRAPHY

ABSURDIST ARTIST STATEMENT

I have been a student of photography for more than 20 years, though most intently for the last five years. I am primarily a landscape photographer. Recently my photographic voice has migrated to the creation of work with reference to other art forms, notably encaustic painting and ancient Chinese and Japanese brush painting and woodblock art. My intention is to create with viewer a moment of pause and reflection; a moment to digest the image and find their own story in the art.

Each image is part of a limited edition. There are several sizes available. Each piece is priced according to size. Images are unframed and printed on Hahnemuhle archival papers.

Bruce Panock bruce@panockphotography.com

My work explores the interconnectedness of Bauhausian sensibilities and Trobriand Island chants. With influences as diverse as Noble Sissle and Shemp Howard, new insights are created from both mundane and transcendant dialogues.

Ever since I was a child I have been disturbed by the essential ephemarality of space/time.

What starts out as circumlocutory vision soon becomes corrupted into a hegemony of greed, leaving only a sense of ennui and little chance of a new paradigm.

As spatial miasmas become transformed through emergent Unabhängigkeitserklärungen, the viewer is left with a catafalque for the prognostication of our future. markmellinger680@gmail.com

Carolyn Newberger DRAWING from LIFE:THE NUDE as MIRROR and MUSE

Galatea Fine Arts, Boston, MA October 1 - 31, 2021 460B Harrison Ave., #B-6 Boston, MA 617-542-1500 www.galateafineart.com

cnewberger@me.com

www.carolynnewberger.com

617-877-5672 THE ARTFUL MIND OCTOBER 2021 • 9

“Random Uncertainty” 2020 Cast Silicone Rubber

MARTINE KACZYNSKI SCULPTOR | EDUCATOR Interview by Harryet Candee Harryet Candee: Can you please describe for us the life you had in the UK and how it may have left an indelible mark on who you are as an artist, educator and person?

Martine Kaczynski: I grew up in London but my father was a German refugee who escaped the Nazi Regime along with his mother, brother, and his father who survived Sachsenhausen, a concentration camp 20 miles from their home in Berlin. The Holocaust survivors that entered England formed my community and I am a product of that environment, with its haunting history. Only recently has science caught up with what most of my friends knew at an early age - that our families’ trauma was imbedded in us. It’s left an indelible mark on who I am and how I see the world.

My work circles around issues of safety, protection, and function. I re-contextualize objects 10 • OCTOBER 2021 THE ARTFUL MIND

Photography Courtesy of the Artist

initiating a deeper understanding of them, within the means and markers of settlement. I find myself examining our environment and interpreting elements of its ordered landscape. I’m drawn to civic architecture which navigates us through our daily lives, and the structures we pass by but forget to notice. They are on the side of the road or in between places; Storage units, gas stations, broken railings, washed out signs. Discarded.

Abandoned. Invisible. At first glance the work is reassuring in its representation but deprived of its expected function or context it falls into a sense of uncertainty and doubt - quietly unhinging the stability of what we see. What prevails is a sense of dislocation, and the psychological complexities of our everyday experience. I don’t believe my work would have this focus without my history.

Working in New York as a professor was a real

treat. My students came from all over the world, the classroom was an education that went beyond any written syllabus. I think I capitalized on this by bending assignments to naturally celebrate their differences. Having a difficult history and coming from another country helped students feel ok with their own experiences. My job was to encourage them to utilize that as material for their work.

Martine, is there a connection to your childhood experiences and the art that you create now?

My father loved art and we often went to museums and galleries and travelled great distances to see magical things. I saw the Pyramids at 14 and by 16 I was traveling regularly with friends around Europe and the Middle East. At 20 I was in China standing at the edge of an excavation dig

Milay Installation “Landscape Painting” 2021 Aluminum

overlooking the Xian Warriors! Both my parents were passionate about art and travel and I’m forever thankful for that. I fell in love with the monumentality of sculpture through seeing so much at a young age. I think it’s why I’m drawn to architecture and large-scale work. I’ve always enjoyed making large pieces. I’m intrigued with our connection to history, maybe it comes from seeing ancient places, unearthed pots and pillars, statues and burial grounds; but ‘I’m struck by the similarities of a Greek temple, for example, and the proportions of a 1960’s gas station. I like those connections.

I really like the silicone rubber balls in the series Random Uncertainty. Can you tell us more about this?

After collecting deflated and forgotten balls from an abandoned area in Troy NY, I left them on my porch only to find they kept rolling away in the wind. I’d find them in different places as I went about my day. Sometimes they would leave beautiful trails in the snow. The insignificant act of gathering and letting go and not controlling a situation felt poignant to me. What could be more absurd than to recast rubber balls in rubber and reenact the insignificant act?

What are you working on now?

I just finished moving my ‘Landscape Paintings’ from Art Austerlitz to Millay Arts in Austerlitz NY. Don’t be fooled by the title, they are large outside sculptures that are made of aluminum and painted to match the environment. They sit in the landscape rather than depict it. These pieces were

Austerlitz

the result of moving from the city to upstate NY. I kept asking myself ‘how does a sculptor make a landscape painting?’ Matching the foreground and background tones of their surroundings these pieces advance and retreat into the landscape itself. As objects, these “signs” are in opposition to the norm; rather than being unambiguous and fixed they appear and disappear depending on the light and time of day. They are non-directional signs; they betray the trust and obedience we typically place in such authoritative objects. I’m also working on a piece called Fence/Defense.

Although domesticated by material or color, the word ‘Fence’ originates from the word ‘Defense’;

their designs still reflect our relationship to castles, stone walls, ownership and territory. History can be seen in the displays at Home Depot, like artifacts found in a shopping mall. I think that’s great.

Martine, has being an educator been a fulfilling experience for you? What do you love about teaching?

I really enjoy understanding how people think and helping them find the confidence to speak up.

A simple question about how they see space or how they measure time or even the weather can Continued on next page...

THE ARTFUL MIND OCTOBER 2021 • 11

MARTINE KACZYNSKI | SCULPTOR AND EDUCATOR

“Cast Off” 2021 Cast Cement and Cast Silicone Rubber

“Steps and Rails” 2010 Mixed Medium

reveal an entire universe. My job is to bring that to the foreground. To give people permission to do work that’s meaningful to them rather than to please others. If I’ve done a good job, I know I’ve given them the tools to make art for a lifetime.

What was the most difficult and challenging concept in art thinking / theory that you taught?

Many years ago, when I was teaching sculpture at Pratt, I was offered a drawing class in the painting department by Donna Moran, the chair of The Fine Art Department at the time. She was curious to see what a sculptor would do with a drawing class. Back then drawing was taught as a supplement to painting, you could not major in it, and it was very traditional. I decided to teach a conceptual drawing class. The word ‘observation’ was brought into a wider context and could include drawing your thoughts. I called the class 12 • OCTOBER 2021 THE ARTFUL MIND

‘Drawing in the Expanded Field’ after Rosalind Krauss’s book Sculpture in the Expanded Field.

Thought and language were open for personal investigation. Experimenting and utilizing other drawing vernaculars, from graffiti to map making, was plausible and valid. I literally felt I was trying to change how students were thinking about art in a contemporary context. It was difficult at first to teach a new approach in that department, but within a few years the class was so full we had to offer more. Eventually Drawing had its own department and became a Major.

‘Drawing in the Expanded Field’ is still being taught today- which makes me so happy.

Can we look at your drawings and see how you have developed them into 3D art /sculpture? I am interested in how you work step by step until completion.

I draw with the view to make. Sometimes I don’t

finish a drawing until after the piece is done.

Once I get what I need I just can’t wait to start.

For large site pieces I don’t use models and I rarely use 3d programs, instead I go the other way. I draw it, cut it out, hold it up with an outstretched arm at a chosen site and move it around until it finds its place. I love doing that; its so low-tech it makes me laugh out loud.

What were some assignments to show that students were grasping the ideas you taught?

Teaching, like most things, is accumulative; it’s not just the assignments but how you emphasize and deliver them. That being said, a very quick fun sculpture assignment was ‘Bake me a Cake’.

No metaphors here, they literally had to bake me a cake. This assignment was given to new students, who are often nervous about their teachers’ expectations. I wanted them to relax and be open to new possibilities. They had to research and

“Drawing to 3D” 2017 Hanger and Cardboard

“Forest in Mourning” 2017 Aluminum, Plastic, and Paint

choose a cake, they had to practice making it, present it in an interesting way, write a statement, and document it. And finally, be judged on it. We invited faculty to come taste the results, and a prize was given for best in show. All those skills were transferable to other assignments and naturally it posed many questions about what art could be. From object to process to performance.

It was a terrific way to start a sculpture class.

Do you have a special teaching technique or style that helps students understand concepts that may be new to them?

I use humor and curiosity in equal measure and I never lie to them. If I think a piece isn’t good or if I think they are being lazy they will know it. I also encourage them all to be honest and generous with each other particularly during critiques.

I have spent years in critiques where peoples’

egos get the better of them. It turns into a public humiliation arena and I don’t stand for that.

From all the places you have had your work on public display, what was your most favorite and why?

‘Route 11’, Gallatin NY. My good friends Greg and Sarah Lock asked me to build something on their land and become their first artist in residence. So, I built a full size replica of an abandoned gas station. The piece became the inaugural installation for Rural Projects Residency, which they still run. In honor of my grandmother, who was an Opera singer, I asked two opera singers from Bard college to perform under the structure for the opening. It was magnificent! The following summer I converted it into a solar powered outdoor cinema and ran movies there. Over the years the residency has

used it for music and poetry events. It was the most physically challenging piece I’ve made, but I’m happy it stands 14 years later and is still being used. It truly looks like an abandoned site now. The evolution of the piece has gone far beyond my initial plans and that feels great. It’s also my favorite piece because it’s where I met my husband!

The gas station is an iconic structure and symbol of the twentieth century. It represents speed, mobility, and power - car culture, pop culture, and a changing landscape. For me the piece also signifies the current debate surrounding the search for alternative energy. I see them dotted along the landscape like Future Relics; soon to be abandoned or reutilized for other purposes. So it seemed appropriate to convert mine into a solar powered cinema. I carried the narrative further Continued on next page...

THE ARTFUL MIND OCTOBER 2021 • 13

MARTINE KACZYNSKI | SCULPTOR AND EDUCATOR

“Route 11” 2008 - Present Mixed Medium

Solarcinema

and advertised it for rent in the local newspaper an invitation for commerce and cultural engagement.

The mattress as a dock, “Safety Rafts” I really enjoy. Please tell us your thinking behind this installation.

‘Safety Rafts’ consisted of three floating mattresses with chrome handlebars placed in such a way as to negate the use of them entirely. They floated down the Skowhegan Lake during my stay at the residency there. These pieces mimicked the real dock that was just out of reach for me while swimming in the lake. I often feel that way towards safety - it eludes me. As an artist I see myself as a situationist; I respond and react to my surroundings. This means my work is always about a certain time and place in my life.

14 • OCTOBER 2021 THE ARTFUL MIND

2018 Music event features the musician “Ottomotty”

And another of yours I am curious about is the U-Haul project. What is going on that we see and experience?

While immigrating to America, my past and present caught up with one another. I became preoccupied with the building and moving process and the unstable nature of house and home. The work at that time was a reaction to those things that should offer a sense of security and comfort yet promoted the opposite. It’s best described by the German word ‘unheimlich’, which literally means NOT homely. My U-Haul blankets were part of a larger body of work that examined those feelings against the backdrop of the American Dream, with all its myths of freedom and success.

I recreated one hundred U-Haul blankets but altered their idealistic logos to disaster images. I displayed them on shelves in piles, with fluores-

cent lights- similar to how they’re found at the tail end of a garage; but I felt they had more to offer. This led to an urban intervention whereby I recirculated them back onto the trucks themselves only to be used by an unsuspected audience.

What other artists do you follow, and why?

I’ve always liked Andrea Zittel and Julian Opie.

Both cross-disciplinary artists that utilize design and architecture. Although very different stylistically, they hold my attention through their editing skills and post-modern vision.

What is next for you, Martine? Where from here?

I’d like to try and get some funding to ‘Adopt a Highway’ and invite other artists to make things

“Safety Raft” 1994 Mixed Medium

“U-Haul” 1997 Silkscreen on Felt

on the side of the road. I love seeing those signs that say you can adopt a section of a road – it’s a provocative use of language and an interesting space to investigate. There’s a very engaging history behind the campaign, which started in the 1980’s and brings up issues of the first amendment. I’d say it has a lot of potential.

If you can describe to us how you have mentally grown and changed over this past year, what would you say? Through the epidemic of Covid, I have been aware of people going through physical and mental metamorphosis. I have seen peoplee flourish with creativity and wanting to put their energies into something new and exciting.

In addition to the staggering loss of life, and economic crisis, the pandemic has traumatized many

people through panic, fear, and isolation. I feel very fortunate that I moved out of the city six years ago and live in the countryside, so many people I know lost their mental stability from being locked up in small city spaces.

As an artist I felt emotionally more equipped than most, being solitary is part of the lifestyle but more importantly art is a powerful force. It has a function during difficult times and I’m so grateful that I can tap into that - it has saved me many times during my life.

at the crater’s edge and all there was to prevent you from falling in was a tiny piece of rope.

What are the best ways for people to follow you?

My Instagram account is martinekstudio.

And my website is www.martinekstudio.com

Thank you, Martine!

M Please share a reflective story from your life with us.

A reflective story- I have them for sure: I stood at the top of Mount Etna, an active volcano in Sicily, when I was 6 years old. I remember it was very hot under my feet. We were THE ARTFUL MIND OCTOBER 2021 • 15

VIRTUAL ART GALLERY CLAUDIA D’ALESSANDRO MARK MELLINGER BRUCE PANOCK CAROLYN NEWBERGER GHETTA HIRSCH For art sales please contact the artist directly.

Visit us on FaceBook: ART GALLERY for Artful Minds and ISSUU.com

16 • OCTOBER 2021 THE ARTFUL MIND

CLAUDIA D’ ALESSANDRO

Fall Reflections

Winter Tangle-Brook

Apple Blossom Time

Hillsdale Blues

"Seasonal Reflections" "As the cool winds of autumn begin to blow, "Seasonal Reflections" remind us of the year that is ending, and of our world's endlessly repeating cycle of life.

All works are 24x36 inches, on Canvas and cost $299.

Visit: https:/www.dalessandrophotography.com 413-717-1534 THE ARTFUL MIND OCTOBER 2021 • 17

MARK MELLINGER

Ocean Series Acrylic on canvas. 4-12" x 12" 2020

Contact Mark Mellinger: 914-260-7413 markmellinger680@gmail.com

18 • OCTOBER 2021 THE ARTFUL MIND

BRUCE PANOCK

Branches and Light

Abstract Rock Wall with Flowers

For this body of work, everything starts with the search for shapes and patterns in the landscape. When I get back to the computer I then mask out what doesn’t add to the subject. This could take days of effort. When the shapes and patterns have revealed themselves, Then I begin thinking about the background, the colors and the textures.

It all evolves….or fails magnificently.

—Bruce Panock Reaching

Each image is part of a limited edition. There are several sizes available.

Each piece is priced according to size. Images are unframed and printed on Hahnemuhle archival papers.

Visit Bruce Panock: www.panockphotography.com bruce@panockphotography.com 917-287-8589 THE ARTFUL MIND OCTOBER 2021 • 19

CAROLYN NEWBERGER

Yokun Brook Cascades Watercolor, 18 x 24”

Papoose Watercolor and pastel, 16 x 5 1/2”

Visit Carolyn Newberger: www.carolynnewberger.com cnewberger@me.com 617-877-5672 Commissions Upon Request 20 • OCTOBER 2021 THE ARTFUL MIND

Tiny Mycena Mushrooms on a Log Watercolor, 8 x 5 1/2”

GHETTA HIRSCH Two Perspectives On the Natural World Paintings by Ghetta Hirsch and Carolyn Newberger The exhibit will be open Thurs-Sunday from 10am-4pm and other days by appointment through October 31, 2021.

Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary 472 West Mountain Road, Lenox, Massachusetts

Pike’s Pond Oil on canvas, 18 x 24”

Reaching Over Oil on canvas, 11 x 14”

Spring Rivulets Oil on canvas, 24 x 30”

Visit Ghetta Hirsch: Ghetta-Hirsch.squarespace.com Instagram@ghettahirschpaintings ghettagh@gmail.com Please text or call 413-281-0626

THE ARTFUL MIND OCTOBER 2021 • 21

SOLDIER IN THE STREAM

CLAUDIA d’ALESSANDRO CHRISTMAS MORNING: LA FONDA 48 X 36” ACRYLIC ON CANVAS

NINA LIPKOWITZ In October, 2019 after returning from a magical trip to Ireland Nina was inspired to begin painting portraits of the people she met along the way. This new and different body of work hung, basically sight unseen at the Gallery at 510 Warren Street in Hudson, NY. After temporarily closing due to the pandemic in February 2019.

By the time it reopened 5 months later in July, 2020 Nina had begun painting abstract meditations in mixed medium on paper and canvas.

Hopefully this portrait of the Irish Troubadour, Larry Beau (Declan Burke) a mysterious, long legged, whistling Irishman will be seen again in the not too distant future.

Please visit my web site- ninalipkowitz.com

MAPLE AND CHERRY 1994 CT. (VERSION 3)

PORTRAITS OF AMERICAN TREES THE PHOTOGRAPHY OF TOM ZETTERSTROM Fine arts photographer Tom Zetterstrom, will exhibit 36 vintage gelatin silver photographs from his Portraits of American Trees portfolio at the Berkshire Botanical Garden, Leonhardt Galleries, in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, September 17-October 31, 2021.

In a series of talks entitled Whose Woods These Are, Zetterstrom will describe projects that have effected positive change to protect native plants and trees in natural and in community forests. In addition he will give 3 gallery talks about the art and horticulture of black and white tree photography.

For more gallery information visit: www.berkshirebotanical.org/events/portraits-american-trees To see the tree collection, please visit: http://tomzetterstrom.com

Offering private cooking nutritional consultations and the 21 day restorative cleanse

www.elixirgb.com

22 • OCTOBER 2021 THE ARTFUL MIND

As the cool winds of autumn begin to blow, it is a time for many of us to reflect on the year that is ending. Like a flame, nature’s colors flare, then fade to dark earth-tones, browns and greys as leaves fall and denuded landscapes appear laid bare in their stark, deep colors.

This is the time of year when I design my yearly calendars (see my ad in THIS ISSUE for how to order yours!). Choosing the shots - and pairing them with a seasonal quotation for each month - is a particular nudge for me to reflect on the joys, sorrows, surprises and travails that each month has presented in the past year.

As they progress, the seasons represent the endless circle of life, death, growth and senescence that governs all life on earth. Even as the time of growth fades away, I remember that it will, soon, begin again: a progression that in my older middle age I find especially inspiring.

As always, in this beautiful issue of the Artful Mind, I am honored to share some of my “Seasonal Reflections.”

Nature’s images remind me of the magnificent beauty that surrounds us - the mighty power of the natural world which we inhabit. Air, earth and water serve as my canvas. I hope that you will share my appreciation of “Seasonal Reflections.”

“Claudia’s photography touches our souls with deep joy!” ~ CHR “She sees with her eyes and feels with her heart.” ~ DKAH For more information on purchasing these, or other prints, - please email me at: cdalessandro26@gmail.com, - visit me at https://www.dalessandrophotography.com, or - follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cdalessandrophotography/ and on Instagram as: dalessandronatura.

Don’t forget to mention The Artful Mind for Preferred Customer pricing not printed here!

Cheers to all for a safe, healthy and inspiring autumn!

“Don’t think about making art, just get it done.

Let everyone else decide if it’s good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.”

– Andy Warhol

VIRGINIA BRADLEY STAMPED ABSTRACT SERIES # 23

MARY DAVIDSON Mary Davidson has been painting on a regular basis for the last 16 years. Davidson’s paintings are a two-dimensional decorative visualization of line, color, design, shape, patterns, and stamping.

As you begin to study the paintings, you will find the foreground and background tend to merge, with overlaid patterns. “I love the intense complexity and ambiguity of space and dimension.”.

The effect can be startling: the longer you look at the piece, the more you see.

With style more design than literal, she hopes to convey lightheartedness, playfulness and whimsey. “One of my favorite art teachers along the way used to say, ‘It is only a piece of paper and/or canvas. NO RULES’. Painting is a way to express my creativity. I always work in a series, which keeps me focused. I work with acrylic paint because it is so forgiving.”

Davidson’s New Hat series consist of 70 paintings. “I start with a basic drawing, building with color and shape, coming to life with gesture and flow. As the title suggests, the hats are important, and the millinery designs emerge. There is much joy in their creation and my passion for playful designs is reinforced by their bright colors, linear rhythms and patterns leading our eyes around and through the painting. My newest series is even more abstract, with an even stronger emphasis on design. I do like to use stamping, along with painting, because I love the result. When I finish with a painting, I adhere the canvas with mat gel to gator board, creating a nice tight surface. My paintings are always framed.”

In addition to an Associate Degree in Fashion Design from Newbury College in Boston, Davidson has taken many classes in drawing and painting, and participated in many art workshops. “I feel as though I have developed my own unique style at this point. I am a member of three local art clubs, along with two other clubs not so close to home.”

Davidson’s biggest accomplishment was to become a juried member of the National Association of Women Artists, NAWA, New York, NY. She has also been juried into many art shows in New England, since 2007 and in some of the shows has won awards.

Mary Davidson - PO Box 697, South Egremont, Massachusetts; 413-528-6945, Cell 1-413717-2332; mdavidsongio@aol.com, marydavidson83155@gmail.com, www.davidsondesigncompany.net.

EYE OF THE TIGER

CAROLYN NEWBERGER WATERCOLORS Carolyn enters the Berkshires forest with watercolor paints and notebook in her fanny pack and a folding stool on her back. She works in situ, recording in images and words the hidden treasures that she finds. Now on view in the barn at the Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, Carolyn’s paintings convey her sense of rootedness in the natural world, sweat dripping, insects buzzing, the loamy, messy, splendid richness of it all.

Carolyn Newberger - WWW.carolynnewberger.com, cnewberger@me.com, 617-8775672.

CATENA SERIES In March 2021, after being vaccinated we ventured to our winter studio at Playa Santa in Puerto Rico. I took eight 20” x 16” canvases on my journey from the snowy Berkshires to sunny Puerto Rico. As I swam and dove into the Caribbean Sea, I found the same “inter-connected moments” that had emerged in the large Catena pieces created in my Berkshire studio during the pandemic lockdown. Catena 8, 9, 10 and 11 strike a more colorful and playful tone but search for the same moments of solace and mystery of life and the sea.

As Jacques Cousteau said, “The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.” I searched for this “net of wonder” as I created these paintings - layer by layer.

Virginia Bradley - studio visits by appointment, www.virginiabradley.com, virginiabradleyart@gmail.com, 234 Long Pond Rd, Great Barrington.

THE ARTFUL MIND OCTOBER 2021 • 23

ELIXIR Hello Friends of Elixir!

As the summer sun begins to wane and the seasons begin to change, many people can begin to feel a sense of melancholia.

While I am writing this, we are in the season that Traditional Chinese Medicine refers to as “Late Summer” and this gives us a chance to slowly get used to the changes that are upon us.

This is my favorite season perhaps because I was born during this time, and perhaps because I love the wild foraging that is abundant now with Black Trumpet, Chicken of the Forest, and Oyster mushrooms everywhere, fields of waving Goldenrod, branches heavy with Elderberries, Hawthorne Berries, and Rose Hips just waiting to be harvested, dried and made into teas and tinctures.

Part of the reason we feel saddened during this time is because the family gatherings are coming to an end, many are heading back to work or school after some weeks of “freedom” from a schedule, the nights are getting cooler, and yes, the days of slowly decreasing sunlight all have their effect on us.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, each season has an element, a color, an organ, a tissue, a taste, and an emotion associated with it. This is a guide to help us stay aware of possible imbalances in our system and ways to strengthen ourselves as we move through the transitions between seasons.

24 • OCTOBER 2021

THE ARTFUL MIND

By the time this publication comes out, we will be in Autumn, element: metal, color: white, organ: lung/large intestine, tissue: skin, taste: pungent, and emotion: sorrow.

There are daily practices as well as delicious medicinal foods and teas to bring us into balance and strengthen us for this season, and in preparation for the next. Brisk walking to get fresh air into the lungs, plenty of fiber in the diet in the form of whole grains and dark leafy greens, to tone the large intestine, with pungent foods such as onion, scallion, radish, & garlic as well as the pungent spices for tea made from turmeric, ginger, & pepper to get the blood circulating through the body and in the digestion, all help in reducing accumulation in the body.

This is essential in strengthening our immune system for the colder months ahead. When we add these things to our daily routine and diet, we create physical and emotional balance. Then we have more energy and an overall sense of wellness.

What could be better than that for enjoying the beautiful Berkshire Autumn? Let’s all take good care of our health as we head into this winter! Contact us for more information on healing foods, private cooking & well-being consultations.

Elixir - organictearoom@gmail.com; www.elixirgb.com. Follow us on Instagram: elixirtearoom; Facebook: elixir.

TOP: BOBBY MILLER, PHOTOGRAPHER PHOTO BY JOHN LECLAIR BELOW: MARK ALLEN, WRITER AND ACTOR PHOTO BY

BOBBY MILLER My teacher, master photographer Lisette Model, taught me that the secret behind a great portrait is the relationship between the photographer and his subject and the artistic capture of the moment. In my studio in Great Barrington, I do hair, make-up, styling, lighting and photography, thereby creating a finished portrait that tells a story even in its simplicity. I believe in incorporating both the classic tools of the camera and newer technologies like Photoshop. In that way my portraits correct the small flaws that nature has bestowed on us. I create images that show us not only as who we are but who we can be as well. So, if you feel daring and inspired to have a portrait that defines you at your very best, I encourage you to come sit before my camera.

Bobby Miller Studio, 22 Elm St, Gt Barrington 508-237-9585. By Appointment Only.

FOOD AS MEDICINE LAKSHMI’S GARDEN SUNDAY, DECEMBER 12 @4PM THE ROARING TWENTIES--BERLIN, PARIS, NEW YORK.

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS WITH MUSIC LAUNCHES 30TH SEASON Close Encounters With Music launches its celebratory 30th season with a signature mix of innovative programs – live, in person and with a virtual option.

Café music kicks off the reopening with the upbeat classical jazz fusion medleys; escape to the twenties of the former century in roaring prewar Berlin, Paris and New York. Take a Da Vinci code adventure through secret symbols buried in ancient manuscripts with Grammy-nominated A Cappella Skylark singers; head to Havana for Flamenco Dance and much more. Plus, a fireside concert; collaborations and celebrations throughout the season.

Embarking on its 30th year of presenting outstanding chamber music with lively commentary, Close Encounters With Music presents a season that sizzles and sparkles with the widest swath of genres, styles, composers and instruments—and of course, the great performers who share their brilliant artistry. Upcoming guest participants include the most recent Van Cliburn Competition Gold Medalist; first oboe of the New York Philharmonic; a Tchaikovsky Competition award-winning violinist; opera, lieder, and choral vocalists; a hip-hop artist; Flamenco and classical guitarists; dance diva; and returning favorites on piano and strings.

CEWM supports the renaissance of the Southern Berkshires by presenting six concerts this season at the landmark Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center. Situated in the heart of Great Barrington’s historic district, the Mahaiwe offers modern comfort in the nostalgic atmosphere of a 100-year-old theater. A seventh performance is held at the acoustically superb Saint James Place.

Tickets, $52 (Orchestra and Mezzanine), $28 (Balcony) and $15 for students, are available through the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center box office, 413-528-0100 and mahaiwe.org.

Subscriptions are $250 ($225 for seniors) for the series of 7 concerts (a 35% savings!). Season subscriptions are available on the Close Encounters With Music website, cewm.org.

Home remedies are probably the oldest forms of practiced medicine in the world. When I was a child, I recall, my mom putting a peppermint candy in whiskey to help move mucus out of my chest. I also remember her putting eucalyptus drops in a pail of hot water and having me inhale the vapors for a stuffy nose. While I would find another option for the former example of a remedy for my daughter today, I do appreciate the fact that she introduced me to options other than pharmaceuticals whenever possible. Actually, I can recall being given antibiotics only once in my youth. Food however, was a different story.

Growing up in south Louisiana meant that some form of meat was in every meal. And if vegetables did show up on your plate, it was likely that you would not recognize them. Unfortunately, nutrition was not as valued as home remedies. Or possibly nutrition was simply misunderstood.

My desire for a greater understanding of how foods affected the body led me at the age of 27 to use food and herbs as a cleansing vehicle. By altering the foods that I ate, and ingesting certain herbal formulas, I lost 35 pounds in one month.

More important to me, however, was the amount of mucus that disappeared, and the mental clarity that presented itself. This experience changed my life and opened my eyes.

Science has proven that digesting fruits and vegetables creates a less acidic system. Although some fruits initially are acidic when they enter the system, they are ultimately alkalizing. Beef, dairy, and processed food are acidic in the body.

In a healthy body, diet does not affect acid-alkaline blood levels. However, overly acidic blood levels in unhealthy individuals have been proven to lead to diabetes, lung disease, cancer, liver and kidney issues, and heart problems, just to name a few.

Just as food can be medicine, so can herbs.

Both work to gradually change the body’s chemistry, unlike pharmaceuticals, which can shock the body into change. The thing to remember about food and herbs as medicine is that you have to be consistent and persistent. If you’re choosing the natural way to heal your body, by avoiding pharmaceuticals, redirecting the body’s chemistry is like turning the titanic - it’s a slow and methodical process.

Over the course of the 21+ years that I’ve lived here in the Berkshires, I’ve been blessed with an amazing wife and child, and now a flourishing business. Kimberly and I have taken our creation of Lakshmi’s Garden and turned it into a resource for anyone to create health in one’s life. All it takes is a call.

Together, we have over 50 years of knowledge and experience in Ayurveda, Yoga, Massage, Herbs, Cleansing, and Nutrition. We know and believe that good health is achievable, as long as one gives their mind and body a chance. The trick is in the understanding of one’s mind and body.

Terrel Brousard- Ayurvedic Practitioner and Herbal Bodyworker: 413-329-5440

If I create from the heart, nearly everything works; if from the head, almost nothing.”

—Marc Chagall

THE ARTFUL MIND OCTOBER 2021 • 25

WILLIAM CASPER FIGURATIVE SCULPTOR Interview by Harryet Candee Photographed by Bobby Miller

26 • OCTOBER 2021 THE ARTFUL MIND

Alan

Harryet Candee: What principle key points are essential that you follow when creating a sculpture from start to finish?

William Casper: Establishing the pose and the message(s) to be delivered is certainly key to any pose. From a technical standpoint I always establish the center of gravity of the pose – where is the weight distributed? Determine the proper angles and proportions to establish the believability and integrity of the sculpture.

Create a support armature to carry the weight and establish the physical boundaries of the piece. I find that successful sculptures are created by hand building all the parts of the sculpture equally, without focusing on only one part to the exclusion of other elements.

As you create from sculpture to sculpture, what can you say you have discovered that may not have existed in your mind from the

previous work of art?

When I started sculpting, I was focused on becoming technically able to represent what I saw.

As I became more competent, I realized the importance of the message in the pose and the sculpture: What am I imparting to the viewer?

What do I see, what is in my heart, and what do I want the viewer to feel and understand about the sculpture? Can I capture some essence that resonates with the viewer that says: Come look at me!

What is it about sculpture that you find satisfying? Have you ventured into other mediums and felt similar?

Three-dimensional art is deeply satisfying to me. Although I sketch my poses, the direct manipulation of clay with my hands, and the use of tools feels elemental and more natural to me.

I use tools that give me interesting shapes:

Front and Back 14”x19”x9”

kitchen knives, old coping saw blades, dental instruments, and even sanding blocks. I fully expect to begin metal sculpting next, but I have not yet ventured much into other artistic mediums. I have so much to learn and grow with my current art.

Can you open our eyes to something that viewers do not normally see when looking at your sculpture?

I believe sculpture should be physically touched by the viewer to understand the characteristics of the work: the angles, contours, shapes and surface treatment. I must put my hands in my pockets whenever I visit a museum to prevent me from reaching out to experience what a sculptor has made. I am always flattered when a viewer wants to touch my work, and I encourage them to do so (without damaging it of course) Continued on next page...

THE ARTFUL MIND OCTOBER 2021 • 27

WILLIAM CASPER | FIGURATIVE SCULPTOR

Camel Yoga Pose 16”x5.5”x10”

How long does it take you to go from concept to fruition? Maybe you can tell us the steps involved.

My idea for a pose can sometimes take the longest time. I have been sculpting yoga poses for a while because they highlight the human form so beautifully yet require coiled strength and repose at the same time. After deciding on a sculpture pose I start by building an armature out of various plumbing parts and armature wire to form a supportive structure for the clay, a process that usually takes a few hours. I need to bend the armature so that when I begin the sculpture I have a firm start on the proper weighting and positions of the of the pose. I prefer to work with models for about 10, 2 to 3 hour sessions, and then finish on my own for another 10 hours or so.

I use an oil impregnated clay that never hardens and is not meant to be fired. I finish each 28 • OCTOBER 2021 THE ARTFUL MIND

sculpture with a rubber mold, which is then used to make an exact copy in either bronze or resin cast. The original clay is then reused for additional sculptures.

Artists who study the human form on paper, learn their gestural skills allowing them to capture the essence of the body in movement and anatomical accuracy. Do you work the clay material in any similar ways?

Early in my career (about 45 years ago) I started with water-based clay and quick sculptural poses. I now use a mixture of drawing and photographs to begin the process of determining a pose. Capturing the essence of the body movement is necessary, and anatomy classes and books also help to inform the pose.

Is there a particular kind of body type you like to work with? When drawing from the

model, for example, many people prefer heavier people for their roundness, while others go to thin models for their sharp angles. Do you have a preference?

A good question. The human body comes in all shapes, sizes, and muscularity, and I like them all. My yoga models tend to be strong and lithe.

But I find my eye is also drawn to fuller and rounder human shapes because their contours and folds are so expressive.

What would be a difficult pose that you like to take on?

I find it difficult to sculpt stationary, rigid positions, where it is hard to depict external physical movement, and internal emotional energy. I try to establish body positions with twists and turns: Contrapposto positioning of contrary weight distribution and planes yield much more interest.

Lord of the Fishes Yoga Pose

Hands and feet are considered the hardest anatomical part to capture. Do you find that to be the case with sculpting?

Hands and feet are certainly difficult to capture correctly and take a lot of effort but can be very expressive. I like the challenge of portraying them correctly in my work but agree that they are probably the hardest parts to capture.

Wondering, when working with clay and bronze— there is not a full palette of color, but do you see more color in your work than meets the eye?

My goal is to capture movement in a static sculpture. Texturing the surface of the sculpture captures and reflects light thereby enhancing the feeling of movement, inner tension, and emotions. The light changes and moves as one goes around a piece. Therefore, surface treatment and lighting are the most important factors to

imparting movement and dynamism to a sculpture that is motionless.

What artists can you say have influenced your creativity?

There are so many master sculptors whose work I admire. One of my favorite sculptors is Sir Jacob Epstein, whose sculptures during his figurative period indelibly capture the personalities of his subjects (see for example Isobel). Of course, I only have to go as far as Stockbridge to view works of Daniel Chester French. Such master sculptors capture their subjects’ integrity, grace and majesty with incredible technical precision. I can only hope to strive towards that level of achievement.

What would you say was one of your most favorite sculptures you have made, and why?

I feel like my art is improving and my best is yet

15”x18.5”x14”

to come. That said, I think my Camel Pose sculpture presents an intense feeling of strength, flexibility, and purpose to this difficult yoga position.

Is anything you work with or use a potential hazardous?

Really, nothing hazardous, other than accidently cutting myself with my own tools.

What point are you at with your work now?

I prefer to work with models and Covid has limited my interaction over the last 18 months. I was working on a totem pole of different yoga poses using a yoga instructor as a model just prior to the spread of Covid. It has been difficult to be in the same enclosed space with a model, but I am hopeful that conditions will improve so that I can be in the same space again. I have Continued on next page...

THE ARTFUL MIND OCTOBER 2021 • 29

WILLIAM CASPER | FIGURATIVE SCULPTOR

Moment Front and Back 12”x13”x9”

C-Curve-On-The-Ball 21”x6.5’x9”

30 • OCTOBER 2021 THE ARTFUL MIND

Surrender 20”x25”x11”

completed two abstract busts without using models with some success, but my preference is to continue with my previous work with models.

William, tell us more about yourself, please.

I started actively sculpting as a senior in college when I wanted to create a portfolio for architecture school in the mid 1970’s. Although I didn’t attend architecture school, I continued to take sculpture studio classes and learn from others in the field. Professionally, I have been in the affordable housing for seniors and families arena since the late 1970’s, and I am presently president of an affordable housing nonprofit corporation (since 1995), owning and operating more than 600 units. Sometimes there aren’t enough hours in the day.

As a boy, what interests did you have that might havebeen carried into your adulthood

and artistic career?

I was and remain very mechanically inclined. I took apart and (usually) reassembled whatever I could get my hands on. Fortunately, at home I was encouraged to build lots of physical projects, including arts and crafts. I was always working with my hands. I built hifi equipment from kits, wired up my bedroom with lights and bells, had a chemistry kit in the basement, and tried to fix anything that was broken. My father sold lighting fixtures to furniture stores in New England. Whenever a fixture was broken or defective he would bring it home to me so that I could fix it (wiring gave me curly hair). I have always been active in sports, having grown up at my uncles’ summer camp in Maine starting at 6 years old. Baseball, basketball, swimming, golf – I was always ready. In those days I was never tired.

Now, I find I am most happy being engaged and active. I spend a lot of time cooking – a

great way to be creative.

I am not allowed to visit my adult daughters’ homes without bringing my toolbox. We now have 9 grandchildren, with a 10th on the way.

How do you like living in the Berkshires?

How has it been good to you in terms of being an artist?

We lived in the Boston area for 33 years, frequently coming to the Berkshires. Now that we live here, we realize what we were missing.

We truly feel blessed to live in this most beautiful part of the country. I sold my assisted living business as we moved to Great Barrington 5 years ago. I can now focus much more extensively on my art. I have been fortunate to have been selected for number of local art shows including the Berkshire Museum, and some local galleries. The Berkshire community loves art!

Continued on next page...

THE ARTFUL MIND OCTOBER 2021 • 31

WILLIAM CASPER | FIGURATIVE SCULPTOR

Give Me A Chance Front and Back 9”x16”x8”

Robin 28”x9”x13”

What was involved in choosing the pieces that were in the last art exhibit you participated in?

My last show was at a studio open house with my dear talented friends Virginia Bradley and Chris Malcomson in August. I selected 14 representative sculptures of yoga poses, busts and whimsical seated and standing poses showing some of the breadth of my figurative work. A few of my sculptures show fine facial detail (such as Here I Come), while in others I try to evoke the feeling of stress in the pose (C Curve on the Ball), or ephemeral longing (as in Surrender).

32 • OCTOBER 2021 THE ARTFUL MIND

Have you done much traveling in your life?

Where did you go that you loved the most?

My wife and I began travelling just before Covid began. My most memorable trip was to Japan in November 2019. The art, the food, the housing, the style of clothing, and the cleanliness was inspiring. I truly appreciated being exposed to another culture. Unfortunately, our travel plans have been upended due to the pandemic. Planned travels to central Europe, North Africa, and New Zealand & Australia were all cancelled.

What is next for you in terms of your art making?

I am anxious to get back to my routine of working with models, trying some new metal sculpture, and travelling to experience art from other countries and cultures.

Thank you, William

williamcaspersculptures.com

M

Bobby Miller Photographer

Portraits | Headshots | Character Pieces | Hair & Make‐up

Studio | 22 Elm Street Great Barrington 508. 237. 9585 By appointment only

THE ARTFUL MIND OCTOBER 2021 • 33

Muscovy Mandala

PHOTOGRAPHER

SHELI RONNEN Interview by Harryet Candee

Harryet Candee: Sheli, can you describe what it was like to work in a dark room that was originally made to be a local bomb shelter in your village, in Jerusalem, Israel? Tell us about this experience.

Sheli Ronnen: It was actually quite comforting and exhilarating… I knew I didn’t have to go anywhere in case of an air raid siren. I knew I was in the safest place possible. Shai was a wonderful teacher and as long as there were no sirens it really just felt like a darkroom. I was learning “magic“ in a very safe place. We were in a small storage section as the rest of the shelter was used for different activities in peaceful times. Occasionally movies would be shown there. A lot of James Bond movies.

I could see how this might sound strange, but to me, and I imagine, to most Israelis bomb shelters feel like a safe place. Most homes have 34 • OCTOBER 2021 THE ARTFUL MIND

individual ones or the very least what’s called a safe room against biological attacks. I’d rather have one then not.

You mentioned working for the Jerusalem Post, what was that like?

I absolutely loved working for the Jerusalem Post. There wasn’t an aspect of it that I didn’t enjoy or learn from, not to mention all the wonderfully talented people I got to work with.

I worked in any department that would have me, starting at the bottom, pasting articles into binders and eventually winding up as the assistant features editor. Each department had its own charm and was instrumental in developing different skill sets. I was even the soccer “medic/coach’ for the paper’s team. I loved every minute of it, and occasionally I was allowed to stand in for a player.

Tell us about the village you grew up in, what was it like? What was it like for you? Do you know if it has changed much?

I grew up in a village in Judaean Hill’s just outside of Jerusalem. It was a small village where we all knew each other for the most part. No stores, no traffic lights. Vegetable trucks came through as well as dairy, for anything else you had to go into Jerusalem.

It was beautifully set into the hillside with many different fruit orchards and open fields.

At first glance, one may mistake it for the Italian countryside, as the terraces built into the hill are very reminiscent of Italian landscapes. One of the central streets in the village was lined with carob trees on both sides. Let’s just say we never went hungry— there was always a tree to climb up at your heart’s desire. There was never a reason to stop playing and go home for lunch.

Above and Below

Alternatively, there were many prickly pear bushes, and the sweet taste was worth the battle to get them.

Growing up, the men of the village would patrol it. It always scared me as a child when I would see my father in uniform.

Sadly, it is changed… No more open fields.

Buildings everywhere. My old home is unrecognizable. Still, it is a paradise in many ways though not the paradise I grew up in.

cartoonist and eventually, editor in chief. He was Israel’s leading cartoonist for the country’s largest Hebrew daily as well as the Jerusalem Post.

My mother is very artistic. She is a dealer of contemporary art. One of my sisters is an exceptionally talented photographer; another was a world class weaver. My younger sister is a brilliant book publisher, and my brother is a very artistic and talented vegan chef.

Israel is a country where politics is a daily I am curious to know about your family. event. We were raised to develop our own feelWhat was the family’s general philosophies ings and opinions about events and/or situations on living and being a part of Israeli society? happening around us.

I think at this point in my life, I would say Are you religious?

I came from a family of artists and art lovers in I’m more spiritual than religious. many mediums. My father was an artist in his own right in addition to having several positions What fascinated you and drew you into phoat the Jerusalem Post as an art critic, political tography?

The universe as well as my mother planted deep within me an un-ending love for animals. As a child, I fantasized about being a National Geographic photographer. That was the beginning, the idea. The Jerusalem Post exposed me to many photojournalists which intrigued me as well, and then I saw my sister’s work— I felt it, and understood it instantly. It was clearer than ever that this was what I needed to do. I love the creative process. I love the way the imagination works when I am putting a piece together. The only thing that comes close to it is photographing wildlife and the intimate interaction and privilege the photographer has. I love the ability to freeze a moment in time; to tell a story through it and to just bring joy through color and shape.

Continued on next page...

THE ARTFUL MIND OCTOBER 2021 • 35

SHELI RONNEN | PHOTOGRAPHER

Around the Pond

era at the very least goes with me everywhere!

Now I wonder, Sheli, how did you end up living in Pittsfield, Mass? Is there a story you can share about your journey from one country to another? What was your first year living here like?

To make a long story short, I ran out of gas just before the Lee exit on my way to Boston. The rest is history. Certainly, it’s been a learning experience living here. The initial year was a type of adjustment, but overall, I think I’ve adapted well.

Most people would say I don’t have an accent, but culturally it’s very different. It’s something I remind myself of frequently. I still think in Hebrew, and occasionally, I dream in Hebrew and other languages.

How do you work with the photographs that you artistically manipulate to your liking?

I photograph for color rather than form when I know I’m going to digitally alter an image.

Do you travel back to Israel often? Does your camera come along with you?

I don’t go back as often as I’d like to. One cam-

What is involved in the procedure and technique?

Generally speaking, when I capture the shot I

36 • OCTOBER 2021 THE ARTFUL MIND

Tell us about the photography work you do in the Berkshires?

I largely work on or around bodies of water. The majority of my work is captured from the kayak.

There are so many different angles and colors that one is able to achieve using reflections and the water in diverse ways. The kayak offers a unique proximity as well as angles that otherwise would be unobtainable.

have already visualized what I want to do with it, and from there it’s just a matter of running it through the right program or several, if necessary.

How do you see yourself evolving as a photographer?

I think anyone who is evolving as a human being can’t help but evolve in their art. Art and meditation go hand-in-hand for me.

How would you explain the ways you are growing and changing?

I was a bit too much of a perfectionist when I initially started. Now I just allow the creativity to flow. I have learned not to be too black-andwhite and to see all the shades of gray which only enrich every experience.

What are you wanting to further explore in

Grandmother’s Case

general and with your photography work?

Looking forward to whatever the world intends to bring my way in these uncertain times. Just grateful to be out there and doing.

I’ve developed an interest in night photography that I am very much looking forward to furthering my skill. Universe willing, I’m also working on a book.

Good luck with the book! You will have to tell us more down the line when you get closer to it’s fruition! Do you enjoy shooting in black and white, or are you very involved in color?

About a year ago I started doing black-andwhite again. I had forgotten how much I loved it. It was my initial love, especially in the dark room!

What have you found in your life and your

art to be most challenging for you?

The most challenging things in life, I believe, are change and growth. Through these we experience a myriad of challenges. Ultimately, necessary in both life and art.

How did you spend your time during 2020 during Covid? Did you find it to be much different for you than before Covid hit?

Aside from not being able to show, I continued to photograph and create. The only real difficulty I encountered, was finding people outdoors, and too close to all my wildlife spots— but who can blame them with all this beauty around?

What other interests do you have?

I’m a huge music fan and play the flute and the recorder. I will listen to anything from April to rap. I am an extreme animal lover, same with

kids. Very much enjoy cooking and gardening but I don’t get to do much of either.

Did you know how to speak English before you came here, or was English a learning curve for you after you settled into the US? My mother was very diligent and forward thinking in teaching us both languages from the word go. I am completely bilingual, though I think in Hebrew. English is one of the more difficult languages one can learn, I think. It has never made much sense to me, and consequently, I still cannot spell to save my life— it’s a work in progress.

Sheli, what have you still explore in the great outdoors?

I would love to explore more of the Green River in South county.

Continued on next page...

THE ARTFUL MIND OCTOBER 2021 • 37

SHELI RONNEN | PHOTOGRAPHER

Graceful Landing

Stockbridge Bowl Parallel Universe

38 • OCTOBER 2021 THE ARTFUL MIND

Zinia Field #2

Who in the art world has influenced and inspired you? What is it about their work, or themselves that you connect with?

On the photography front, I don’t have to look far: Michal Ronnen Safdie, Alberto Melis, and of course, I am a huge fan of Paul Strand. Artistically, I was always very inspired and immersed in the abstract world. I grew up with a lot of colorful abstract art and was very fond of art that had movable pieces. So, I will add to my list of those inspiring ot me: Agam, Diaz, Glatfelter, Vasarely, Dali and Picasso.

Give us a few Hebrew lines of your favorite poem, please.

If I am not for myself who will be for me?

If I am only for myself what am I? And if not now, when?

—Rabbi Hillel

Is it possible for you to define yourself as an artist?

I’m not sure I want to define myself as an artist yet, as I don’t want to limit my growth, if that makes any sense.

How would you describe your personality?

My personality... I have been told—is kind, genuine, helpful, funny, caring and strong.

What significance does the Mandala have for you?

For me, it represents the impermanence of things, as well as the continuous movement and circle of life.

Each number of replications has a significance. The same applies to color; I don’t always know the feel or mood I’m going to generate when I capture the image it may change as I work with it. Color and shape always speak volumes to me.

Where can we follow you and your photography work?

Currently there is a public page on Facebook where I can be found with a small selection available on Fine Art America. By the New year at the latest, I will have a new site up and running.

Oh Lord my God I pray that these things never end The sand and the sea, The rustling of the water, The lightning of the sky, The prayer of man.

The sand and the sea, The rustling of the water, The lightning of the sky, The prayer of man.

— Hannah Szenes

Thank you Sheli! M

THE ARTFUL MIND OCTOBER 2021 • 39

TERRY TEITELBAUM ABSTRACT IMPRESSIONIST Interview by Harryet Candee

Harryet Candee: You have made an outstanding career in the fashion/textile design world.

I am interested in what grabbed you the most about it and what your profession in this field focused on through the years?

Terry Teitelbaum: As a fashion designer, starting in the 60s, I was surrounded by fabrics exploding with color. This time period of psychedelic colors and tie-dyed fabrics was a huge influence on me as a designer, and now as an artist. Art was bold, music went electric and fashion was dictated by my generation. Although I originally designed children’s clothing, life took me in a new direction. I left Manhattan for upstate New York. I eventually started working at Bennington College in the theater department creating costumes with the students for the dance and drama productions.

We created some outlandish and wild looking costumes. I got great satisfaction using my imagination and skills as a pattern maker.

40 • OCTOBER 2021 THE ARTFUL MIND

Photographs courtesy of Artist

Attention was paid to the overall effect the costumes had on the stage set. In fact, they were an integral part of the stage design. I did this for over 20 years while also running my custom decorating studio. Use of fabrics in both cases immersed me in color and texture with thousands of yards of textiles. I simply traded one art form for another.

Noting your fluid, uncontrived brush strokes, catching the continuous flow of what nature offers, capturing the subtleties in layers working with an endless palette of color, all this and more, I wonder how much of your skilled techniques working with textiles emerged, appearing in your paintings?

Just like a house needs a good foundation, all artists acquire a skill set during their careers.

The years of playing with the texture and color of textiles provided me with a rich library of images to transpose onto a painting surface. Mem-

ory of the textures, the weaves, the sheerness, and the opaqueness are still vivid to me. The easiest way for me to explain it is that these images of color and texture form the composition of my work showing up in the layers.

The reconnection of layers of fabric with folds draping off a mannequin are visible to me in the clouds, the hills, and the water that I paint.

Some people say they see fabric in my artwork.

“I see woven colors in the leaves” How would you suggest the best way for an artist to begin incorporating color into their art in a comfortable way?

I generally start out with an underpainting. Then I start applying layers of color as my painting develops. It just builds from there, one color working off all the others. I believe my color palette is different from most artists who strive for color sensitivity and harmony. My palette is experimental in nature. My art is impression-

Terry Teitelbaum Evening Light 8 x 11” Pastel

istic and abstract, sometimes with a touch of realism. Others have commented that they recognize my work whether it is oil medium or soft pastel.

It is hard for me to advise other artists, for me, my paintings are an emotional experience.

I break the rules as I did years ago in my former career.

“Evening Light”, one of your paintings, is a beautiful landscape. Do you find yourself working with your intuitiveness in ways to guide you through a work of art such as this?

The pastel landscape “Evening Light” is my impression of a field I see often as sunset nears. I love to capture the softness of fading light and the solitude at dusk. This painting and many others are intuitive reactions to what I see in life and the memories of places that I have visited.

Some of your art is realistic, impressionistic,

while other works are more of an abstract nature. Tell us more about these two directions.

To date, most of my pastels comes from photos I have taken and are impressionistic in nature, while my oils tend to be more abstract. I like merging the two directions on occasion.

I’ve recently started exploring the process of painting more abstractly with my soft pastels, creating vibrant sunsets and fields stirring in my imagination. “Something Magical” shows my love of magenta and green playing off the yellow and red pastels.

I believe you are celebrating freedom and passion for life in your art. Though that is my observation, maybe you can show us with a painting you have in mind, one that relays what you are feeling?

The greatest gift of expression that I have ventured into at this point in my life is painting! It

is hard for me to believe that I started painting three years ago. The passion I feel for my art and the freedom to explore it keeps growing.

“Breezy Beach” to me is a painting that takes me out to another place. It is a combination of the vegetation in the foreground before one encounters a distant ocean with a warm orange sky. It works for me! I love this painting!

What I see and what I imagine are all there. As another artist said when she saw it, “Black water! Only you could make it work!”

Do you find you face challenges with the creative process you undergo when making a painting? How would that unravel for you?

Yes! Oil paintings are a particular challenge for me.

Drying time between layers plays a big role in the way I work. The drying process encourages me to start multiple pieces at one time.

Continued on next page....

THE ARTFUL MIND OCTOBER 2021 • 41

TERRY TEITELBAUM | ABSTRACT IMPRESSIONIST

Breezy Beach 24 x 40” Oil/mixed media

Something Magical 5.5 x 13.5” Pastel

Even though I photograph the progress of a piece, finding the many layers can present a challenge. Sometimes I struggle to find the color I am looking to uncover. Often the painting just takes another direction, finding a new voice with an added color palette. I am not afraid to push the work away from where it was headed. I feel there is a spontaneity in the look of my paintings. There is an element of mystery to me when I paint. And of course, when to stop! I have gone too far with a painting, as many artists have done, and then I have regretted it.

I remember making a dramatic change to the work in progress on “Through The Window”. I now find myself looking deeper into this work each time I see it. Breaking loose, finding new direction and experimenting helps me grow as an artist.

Travelling is a way that builds one’s visual memory. You say you have travelled to Eu42 • OCTOBER 2021 THE ARTFUL MIND

rope and have camped out in the wilds of nature. How much of a direct influence has this had on you as an artist? Where have you gone that you thought was sensational?

Trips to Europe years ago, living in hostels and on the beaches of Morocco, with friends shaped my love of freedom with so little restrictions.

Later, my travels with family to France and Italy to take in museums and great food enriched me with a love a both. Other trips cross country opened my eyes to visual landscapes I continually dream about. I would say the Southwest has had the greatest influence on me as an artist.

The warm vibrant color, the vast openness with the distant horizon has captivated me.

I have a deep love and spiritual attachment to the Native American reservation at Canyon de Chelly in Chinle, Arizona. From my first visit there, when I saw the sculptured sandstone passages carved out that make the deep canyon walls, I felt a spiritual connection to the land.

The eroded formations with the dark varnish

stains of manganese and iron oxide on the walls leading down to the cliff dwellings are apparent in my painting “Impasse”. Windblown sand polishes the blue-black stains and creates a glistening patina which reflects the changing light.

Water travels through the canyon floor, where native people continue to live and farm the land.

Is there anyone from your travels, education, work, that has been a strong influence on you as an artist?

My artist friend, Leslie Parke, was the most influential person for me as an emerging artist.

She is someone I admire her for her dedication to her art, as she truly has great imagination and follows her vision. She encouraged me to submit my artwork to an exhibition when I first started painting. To my amazement the jury accepted me, and it turned out to be a successful venture.

The advice she offered to me about framing, pricing, exhibiting artwork were immeasurably

Through The Window 8 x 20” Oil/mixed media

Impasse 10 x 24” Oil/mixed media

helpful. I am grateful for her honesty, her depth of knowledge, the generosity of her time, and most of all her friendship.

I have watched Leslie’s work evolve over the decades. I marvel at the risks she has explored and the evolution her work has taken. I value her advice. The most important tip she gave me was to “paint what you want to paint”. “Just go for it”! When I got word of my solo show for May 2019, she said you will need some larger artwork on the wall in your gallery. I was leaving for Costa Rica at the time and upon returning, I painted “It Happened” and “Breezy Beach”.

Have you enjoyed the selling art market?

How do you find your way to art shows and marketing your work?

I love sharing my art: it is my voice. I am fortunate that I have had so many opportunities as an emerging artist. My paintings have found new homes across the country.

As an artist friend mentioned, “you jumped in with both feet and skipped 30 years.” I was lucky to garner solo shows in my first two years of painting. This will be my fourth year juried into the ASA “Landscapes for Landsake“ Exhibition. My first opportunity for a solo exhibition was a private music event at Maple Ridge Gallery, Cambridge, NY and I have exhibited there several times.

I began showing my artwork in 2018 at Southern Vermont Art Center in Manchester. I was juried into a Solo Show at Yester House in the spring of 2019. It was a thrill to have a gallery space to hang my own work in.

As a member of Saratoga Arts Center, I have participated in Art in Public Places for three years. This wonderful program is dedicated to providing local art that can be viewed by adults and children who may not have necessarily visited a museum or an art gallery. The venues are libraries and other public buildings. I was honored to be juried into the three artists group ex-

hibition, PERCEPTIONS, at Saratoga Arts Center in the fall of 2020.

Over the past several months my pastels have been juried into national and international Pastel Societies in New York, Massachusetts, and Maine. I am a member of the Pastel Society of America and the Adirondack Pastel Society.

A large part of my time is devoted to submitting my work online to art centers and galleries. This is the most effective way for my art to be seen around this region. My paintings are part of invitational group shows. My paintings are available for viewing and purchasing on both my website and at my studio.

People that buy art sometimes do not care about the artist, just the work in front of them. I find it gives more depth and meaning to have an idea who the creator is. Do you make it your business to meet the people that buy your art?

Continued on next page...

THE ARTFUL MIND OCTOBER 2021 • 43

TERRY TEITELBAUM | ABSTRACT IMPRESSIONIST

It Happened 124 x 40” Oil/mixed media

Across The River 10 x 24” Oil/mixed media

One of the biggest thrills as an artist is to see the excitement a collector has when they first view one of my paintings. I love the opportunity to share my inspiration with them. I can see their appreciation and connection to the piece grow as we talk.

During Covid, I was one of the 3 artists at Saratoga Arts Center’s Perceptions Exhibition.

With limited hours and no opening reception, I planned to be at the center every Tuesday to meet people there. On one occasion, a visitor from Miami entered the center and headed straight to one of my paintings exclaiming how much he loved it. When I told him I was the artist he was elated to learn more about the artwork. “Across The River” is a painting emerged out of COVID isolation. During the pandemic, I was making cloth masks for family and friends when I heard of the dire need for supplies by the Navajo Nation in Arizona. I made and donated 2000 masks to their health 44 • OCTOBER 2021 THE ARTFUL MIND

services. The cutting of hundreds of masks left remnants of scraps in many colors which showed up on my cutting table and then in my paintings. I did not realize the symbolism of crossing the river and the plateau in the distance until my husband brought it to my attention.

The coincidence of meeting a collector at Southern Vermont Art Center when she was buying my painting gave me the opportunity to tell her about the piece she loved. She commented how she always likes to meet the artist of the work.

When you have time away from the studio, what do you enjoy doing?

The time I spend with my family - my husband, my kids, and my grandkids are at the top of my list. To see the family, Andy and I must travel to Maine, New York, or New Mexico. It is the pleasure of my life to be with them. I only wish we could get together more often. COVID has

been especially hard for all of us this year. My daughter, in NM has not seen any of the family for two years. We are all making plans to visit her this fall.

I look forward to my monthly meetings at The Fire Pit Circle with other women artists.

After a year of isolation, a Saratoga artist decided we should get together outside on a regular basis. We are enjoying each other’s company as we sit by the fire to share our stories and ideas.

To escape the New York winters, Andy and I love to vacation in Costa Rica (or other warm destinations). I find inspiration and rejuvenation every time we travel.

Gardening has been a big part of my life for over 40 years. I see parallels between my love of gardening and my love of art. Both activities give me satisfaction beginning with a blank canvas and enjoying the journey of their development.

Presumpscot River Preserve 8 x 11” Pastel

What in life gears you up and motivates you full force?

I always want to paint, garden and enjoy nature.

I am constantly searching for the magical light.

Light! Light! Seeing it, capturing it, and using it.

Where I live in the woods, light streaming through the trees inspires me. I enjoy the sparkle on the leaves, the glow of the mountains in the distance, and the shadows on the ground. I love the changing seasons, the early spring colors, the summer sunsets, the autumn brimming with radiant light, colorful foliage, and the glistening light on the snow in winter.

The beauty around me are my palette and inspiration. I never tire of the rolling hills and the landscape I call home.

Can you describe to us what your childhood was like?

I grew up with my sister and a working mother

and my grandmother’s occasional visits were the highlight of my life. Childhood was lonely and there was little to do. We did not own a car and lived in upstate NY with no mass transportation.

My grandmother lived on a farm where she had vegetable and flower gardens, farm animals and cats that I adored. She cooked & baked delicious food and made braided rugs, crazy quilts, and clothing. She taught me how to sew by hand at age 6 which led me to making my own clothes. At age 11, I was brave enough to take my mother’s sewing machine out of the closet and taught myself how to sew.

Soon, I was making my own clothes. I would cut out patterns and change the style. By the time I was ready to apply to college, I took a suitcase full of these designs to my interview.

Luckily for me, the head of the pattern making department at Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC interviewed me, and I was awarded a

full scholarship in the in the fashion department.

I credit the woman who gave me my first after school job when I was 12 for encouraging me to follow my passion and to go to college. I did not have any sports, music, museums, or art influence in my life as a teenager. Leaving home as a young adult, and moving to New York City, opened up a new world to me.

Presumptscot River Preserve is a beautiful landscape. Sunlit is another one I really like.

It seems like you enjoy working with water reflections and sky. What do you enjoy capturing in these paintings?

My walks in a nature preserve near my home rejuvenate me and continue to source inspiration in my life. Again, light plays such an important influence in my artwork. My painting “Sunlit” is my vision of light captured and my desire to save and share the way this special place makes me feel. Continued on next page...

THE ARTFUL MIND OCTOBER 2021 • 45

TERRY TEITELBAUM | ABSTRACT IMPRESSIONIST

Sunlit 8” x 11” Pastel

Many of my pastels are memories of unique places that I have visited. I can’t explain exactly why I am so fascinated with the reflections in the water. Perhaps It goes back to my work with fabric where I see ripples of texture, and the softness of fabric in the layers of the landscape.

“Presumptscot River Preserve” was painted after a trip to visit my son and grandkids during COVID. This was our first trip hiking in the preserve and the mid-day light reflecting on the water was a memory that I wanted to capture.

I’ve always had a fascination with light reflecting on water.

What is next on your schedule, Terry?

Where can we follow you?

This fall I am participating in a number of exhibitions. Some galleries are open and some exhibitions are virtual only. The Saratoga Arts ART IN PUBLIC PLACES program is in-person and online. Most pastel shows are virtual including the PASTEL SOCIETY OF MAINE and the CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS PASTEL SOCIETY. The ADIRONDACK PAS46 • OCTOBER 2021 THE ARTFUL MIND

TEL SOCIETY show in Glens Falls is in-person this fall.

The ASA LANDSCAPES FOR LANDSAKE exhibition is a hybrid of in-person Columbus Day weekend and online for a month.

SOUTHERN VERMONT ART CENTER will be open for the two month member show ending in December.

You can also follow me on social media and by appointment at my studio in Cambridge, New York.

Email: tjteitelbaum@gmail.com Website: www.ttartist.com What do you think are some of the most common issues artists are facing today with Covid?

Unfortunately, we are still going through Covid and our minds are distracted with trying to stay safe. I am wondering if we can safely go to openings. Artists want to socialize now more than ever after isolation. Viewing art online will be part of the future; I think we will have limited access to some galleries. A big part of art is the shared experience with the physical piece

of work.. Covid has limited this. I look forward to a time when we are no longer restricted by this pandemic.

What would you say is your favorite quote you would like to share?

“She’s got everything she needs, She’s an artist She don’t look back She can take the dark out of the nighttime And paint the daytime black” —Bob Dylan

Thank you, Terry

M

SOMETHING FOR OVER THE COUCH PART 5

“My Mother Didn’t know Who Rothko Was” RICHARD BRITELL

The doctor did purchase my brother’s couch painting, and he did hang it over his couch.

The previous painting that had occupied the space was left for many months leaning against the wall behind the couch. It was easy to see why my picture was preferred, because the previous object on the wall was a sentimental print in a Mexican baroque frame, depicting a knight returning to a dining room in a palace. It had been selected by the doctor’s former wife, whose taste in art, furniture, literature, cinema and anything else was apparently so bad that it provided an endless stream of cruel remarks from Hanna, the doctor’s present wife, my adopted art teacher. Hanna’s ridicule of the tastes of the former wife was harmless, except as fuel for the hatred the doctor’s sons felt for their new mother.

They especially resented being forced to agree with remarks such as, “Who would be able to live with that rug she put in your room?”

I can say these things because two months had now elapsed since the doctor had purchased my painting. Two months during which, if you had been watching these occurrences from the outside, you would have witnessed a near total transformation of one person into a different one, like when the scene shifts in a movie and a new character, somewhat older, steps in to play the main character. I, however, did not realize what had happened to me. I had become the favorite of my new household. The doctor loved me because I mowed the lawn and was interested in his model train collection, which filled half the basement.

The twin boys liked me because I had the outrageous motivation to criticize their stepmom, when I thought her criticism of their mother went too far. And Hanna loved me because I was an artist, and so was a connection to her past life.

My criticism of Hanna came about in this way. She was saying, “The woman didn’t even know who Rothko was.” She had been explaining how the former wife knew nothing about modern art.

As I was listening to her, I was thinking about how I did not know who Rothko was and neither did my mother. I was sure my brother, who knew everything, could tell me. But absent-

mindedly I said, “I don’t know who Rothko is, and neither does my mom.” This created a sudden silent, awkward moment at the dinner table, and affected ever after my relationship to “the twins.”

They now loved me because I had come to the defense of their mother, although that was hardly what I had intended.

That happened at the dinner table. I had taken to eating almost all my meals with the doctor’s family. It was like an adoption. I had been taken in, like a stray, like a mongrel, who is the favorite of every family member but yet remains a dog. At first I kept finding excuses to be at their house when the maid made dinner, but later it became an accepted fact, and my place was set at the far end of the table facing the doctor, with Hanna on my left, and the twins to my right, and I might have been taken as the head of the family, even though I was the least of them.

But my relationship with my adopted art teacher was more complicated. I grew angry with her and argued with her, and so at times felt alienated from her, when the truth was the opposite.

I asked my brother about Rothko, and my brother treated me like Hanna treated the twin’s mother, as if such ignorance was not even possible to believe, and as an answer to my question he sent me to the bookstore, which was on the ground floor under his apartment. He told me to read a book on modern art, and said, “Don’t come back here till you know who Rothko is, and Pollock also.”

The wall over his couch still did not have the painting I had promised, but only a poster of an abstracted face by an artist named Klee. The owner of the bookstore was an art lover whose tastes often changed, and so furnished various rejected posters my brother retrieved from the trash and hung over his couch.

I read a book titled, “Introduction to Modern Art.” I kept my opinions to myself, but the book gave me a new understanding of my art teacher. I said nothing to her about my newfound knowledge, fearful of appearing stupid.

I began to participate in the dinner conversation in the home of my new family almost as an equal, but I could tell they thought my ideas and opinions to be of no account. This I knew, because if I ventured to say anything, they all became silent and turned to me to listen to what I might have to say, the way parents pay attention to a five year old, whose mispronunciations and naivety are cherished long after as tender family heirlooms.

They all had precise and even angry opinions about everything, and frequently argued about political things I knew nothing about. I never attempted to enter these conversations, because of ignorance. They argued about civil rights and Martin Luther King, and in one conversation they began to suspect that my silence might possibly indicate some contrary opinion. At one point, Hanna turned to me and asked me point blank, “What do you think of what Martin Luther King is doing?” It was like a question on an important exam, and I could see that for all they cared about me, their ignorant, amusing family pet, the wrong answer would have surely resulted

in an expulsion from my new family. When I took too long to answer my position became tenuous, but finally I blurted out, “I like Malcolm X, and I like the Black Panthers and wish I could be one, and I would never fight and risk my life to join a club that did not want me as a member.” After that they began to call me “The Radical,” and they began to treat me with a grudging comical respect.

I did not know if I had opinions of my own. I was aware that many things I thought were extensions of my older brother’s ideas and opinions. My ideas were often my brother’s thoughts, exaggerated and magnified and made nearly absurd, so that my brother’s explanations of how it was impossible to determine whether God existed might be transformed in my mind into my saying in argument, “If God exists then he needs to be killed.” It was reasoning and argument driven by an intense anger, so that I usually had the good sense to stay silent so as not to alarm anyone.

My position in my art teacher’s family was established, and I often had dinner with them, but Saturday was quite different. My mother tolerated my constant absence from the dinner table all week, but she made a rule that on Saturday and Sunday I had to respect dinner with the family. Saturdays were different in the doctor’s house also. I was not allowed to have dinner on the weekends, apparently for some religious reason. On Saturday I mowed the lawn in the morning and then had lunch with my art teacher.

Hanna spent a lot of time and thought on these lunches we had together, and often I had to be reminded to express my appreciation for her cooking skills, because I suppose if she had put out dog food on a plate I might not have noticed.

On Saturdays at lunch it was just my teacher and myself. The doctor was in his office, and the boys were out driving around in the family convertible getting speeding tickets. The conversation after lunch usually began when Hanna pushed her chair back from the table and lit a cigarette. Then she might say, “Now Richard tell me something…” My answers to her questions and her replies at first would take just a few minutes, but as the Saturdays went by the conversations got longer and longer, until it became difficult for me to leave even when the cook started Saturday dinner.

And what did we talk about? Her former husband and why she left him. Her life in New York, married to an art dealer. What I thought about the “Catcher in the Rye,” and why I had to read “The Idiot.”

She told me about how she hated her husband, the doctor, and his children, and why divorce was out of the question. Then one day, after lighting a cigarette she said, “Now Richard, I know that you smoke, but you pretend that you do not. Why is that?” By way of an answer I took a cigarette from her pack, lit it and said, “Want to hear a funny story?”

—Richard Britell

Parts 1 through 4, at spazifineart.com (short stories) THE ARTFUL MIND OCTOBER 2021• 47

Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary | Lenox, Massachusetts presents

Two Perspectives on the Natural World: Paintings by

Ghetta Hirsch and Carolyn Newberger

September Forest 2019 | Watercolor, 5 1/2 x 16 inches

Pike’s Pond | 2019 Oil on Canvas 18 x 24 inches

Through October 31, 2021 This exhibit will be open Thursday through Sunday from 10am-4pm and other days by appointment through October 31, 2021

Located in the barn at Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary 472 West Mountain Road, Lenox, Massachusetts 48 • OCTOBER 2021 THE ARTFUL MIND

EDWARD ACKER PHOTOGRAPHER

Time Flies D Get Pictures EdwardAckerPhotographer.com 413-446-8348