The artful mind march 2014 anniversary issue

THE ARTFUL MIND March 2014

20th Anniversary!

Monthly Berkshire Artzine

Joshua Needleman Creator and Chocolatier

Photography by Sabine Vollmer von Falken

Since 1994

Artist Eleanor Lord

A most wonderful place to meet, eat and drink!

RTE 20, NEW LEBANON, NEW YORK

Photo: Jane Feldman

one of many at

510 Warren Street, Hudson, NY www.510warrenstreetgallery.com 518-822-0510

HUDSON RIVER MAIDENS

BRILL GALLERY Ralph Brill, Director

North Adams, MA

413.664.4353 845.661.3593(cell) www.brillgallery109.com info@brillgallery109.com

KATIE ROSS ENGINE, KATIE ROSS

Western Connecticut State University School of Visual & Performing Arts

MASTER OF FINE ARTS THESIS EXHIBITIONS SPRING 2014

The Gallery at Higgins Hall March 27-April 7 Opening Reception: Thursday, March 27, 5-7 p.m.

Gallery Hours: Mon-Thurs 12-4 p.m Sat-Sun, 1-4 p.m 181 White Street Danbury, CT

Blue Mountain Gallery June 17-July 5 Opening reception: Thurs, June 19, 5-8 p.m.

Gallery Hours: Tues-Sat, 11 a.m-6 p.m 530 West 25 Street, 4th Floor New York, New York

CONGRATULATIONS, KATIE!

“I realize how human I am through my portraits.

What I care about. How deeply I love.

To face devastating loss.

I paint without censor or shame.”

“I do not hide the suffering or joy of my life.

My house is in order – I can do this, now. No limits.

Without compromise.”

“Some hold a secret … that I am willing to look at. I tell things most people strive to forget. They are contemplative.

I go inward. I own it – these emotions.

To be free.”

VAULT GALLERY

322 MAIN STREET GREAT BARRINGTON MA 413.644.0221 VAULTGALLERY.NET

MARILYNKALISH.COM

2 • MARCH 2014 Anniversary Issue

THe ARTful Mind

WHOLEPERSON MOVEMENT SHARon TRue on PilATeS APPARATuS

FLOOR OF THE CORE PILATES

Sharon True, a certified Pilates and Pfilates™ (Pelvic floor Pilates) instructor and owner of WholePerson Movement in Great Barrington, is now offering personal and group training in pelvic floor muscle conditioning called floor of the Core Pilates. The pelvic floor muscles are among the core muscles that support the spine and are key to good posture, body ease, and confident movement. While pelvic floor muscles are typically recruited naturally when doing regular Pilates workouts, when there has been trauma to the pelvic floor due to pregnancy, childbirth, surgery, or other sources, studies have shown that training the pelvic floor muscles in a targeted way is even more beneficial.

The pelvic floor is actually shaped more like a bowl or a hammock than a flat floor. The muscles connect the tailbone, pubic bone and the two “sitbones,” and they provide support for the pelvic organs. Pelvic floor muscles have a big impact on quality of life. When they are functioning well, life is good!

When they are damaged, weak, or not well-coordinated there can be embarrassing problems with incontinence, unsatisfying sex, and a feeling that one’s insides are falling out (organ prolapse). These in turn negatively impact important aspects of life such as work, travel, intimate relationships, the ability to lead an active lifestyle – and creating art!

Sharon True’s floor of the Core Pilates can help to get deconditioned pelvic floor muscles back on track. Based on Pfilates™ (pronounced fih-lah-tees), an approach to pelvic floor muscle conditioning developed by a urogynocologist in conjunction with Pilates, yoga, and fitness professionals, her floor of the Core Pilates is a three-part program. first, she offers an introductory workshop that provides an orientation to the pelvic floor and the Pfilates™ exercises. This is followed by home practice with internet support along with a few private sessions to discover an individual’s “best three” exercises. finally, there is another workshop on strategies for incorporating pelvic floor exercise into daily life. The entire program can be learned privately if preferred.

Sharon True - for a free consultation via email, contact at sharontrue@roadrunner.com or phone 413-528-2465, 9am9 pm.

AMBER CHAND ARTiSAnS foR SeReniTy SCARf

MARIGOLDS, MYSTICS AND MOUNTAINS

FRONT STREET GALLERY Self PoRTRAiT, KATe KnAPP

imagine standing at the foothills of the Himalayas and gazing up at a full moon in october. or, stepping into a world where mystics, mountains and marigolds greet you, where sunset chants touch the sky and temple bells fill the air. A world where you will light a thousand and one butter lamps to the sacred Goddess, sip tea with village women in remote mountain villages, shop in exuberant marketplaces, meander on cobbled pathways leading to the abode of His Holiness, the dalai lama, enjoy yoga and ayurvedic massages, and reside in a lovely eco-retreat nestled in Kangra Valley, the Valley of the Goddesses.

Marigolds, Mystics and Mountains, 2014 is a guided journey for women led by Amber Chand in close partnership with Jagori Grameen (Women Awaken!) a non-profit organization in india dedicated to the empowerment of women and girls. in its fourth year, this journey offers travelers a unique and safe way to experience the evocative spirit of Mother india and to engage in a deeper, more meaningful way with all her myriad manifestations.

We will arrive in the cosmopolitan city of new delhi and then fly to our Himalayan destination. An optional and supplementary 4 day trip to the Taj Mahal and the deserts of Rajasthan is also available. dates: october 12-25, 2014. Cost: $3150 (double occupancy and does not include direct air fare to india) “Not a day goes by that I haven’t thought about some aspect o the trip. It truly was a remarkable adventure, a once in a lifetime experience” R.L. Concord, Mass Mother india Awaits!

To learn more about this incredible journey, visit www.amberchand.com or email: achand108@yahoo.com

KATE KNAPP

Pastels, oils, acrylics and watercolors…..abstract and representational…..landscapes, still lifes and portraits….a unique variety of painting technique and styles….you will be transported to another world and see things in a way you never have before…. join us and experience something different.

Painting classes continue on Monday and Wednesday mornings 10-1:30pm at the studio and Thursday mornings out in the field. These classes are open to all...come to one or come again if it works for you. All levels and materials welcome.

Classes at front Street are for those wishing to learn, those who just want to be involved in the pure enjoyment of art, and/or those who have some experience under their belt.

A teacher for many years, Kate Knapp has a keen sense of each student’s artistic needs to take a step beyond. Perfect setting for setting up still lifes; lighting and space are excellent.

Kate Knapp’s paintings are also on display at 510 Warren St. Gallery in Hudson, ny. Please stop by to see all the many works of art by exceptional artists.

Front Street Gallery – Front Street, Housatonic, MA. Gallery open by appointment or chance. 413-528-9546 or 413429-7141 (cell).

ANNIVERSARY ISSUE! 20 YEARS OLD! THE ARTFUL MIND MARCH 2014 •3

KRIS GALLI Watch my website for details on my upcoming solo show all new paintings, coming this summer in Spencertown, NY

“Yellow”, oil on canvas, 24” x 36”

Hope to see you there!

krisgallifineart.com

JUDY FOX

A little more than five years ago, I started to seriously do artwork and over the last few

Harriette Joffe

years have compiled quite a collection of drawings. I really delight in the creative process, the unknown aspect of literally starting with nothing - no idea, no concept, no image before me and just moving my pen to paper to start.

Passages, River Jazz Series 60” x 40” acrylic on canvas 2013

HarrietteJoffe.com Great Barrington, MA 4 • MARCH 2014 Anniversary Issue

THe ARTful Mind

For more information, please contact: Lawrence Fine Art 37 Newtown Lane (in the passageway) East Hampton, New York 11937

www.lawrence-fine-arts.com lawrencefinearts8@gmail.com

Art Studio – Stockbridge, MA Website: www.jfoxartstudio.com Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/J-Fox-Art-Studio/122141541213235 e-mail address: judyfox947@gmail.com

Sarah, Queen of Light, from V’Imoteinu (And Our Mothers) Series, 42” x 30”

Wendy A. Rabinowitz

liVinG THReAdS JudAiCA

"Art for Beauty, Ritual, Celebrations, Healing and the Soul..."

405 east new lenox Road, Pittsfield, MA 01201 413-448-2397 e-mail: wrshalom@aol.com www.LivingThreadsJudaica1.com

Studio visits by appointment • Commissions welcomed

THe ARTful Mind MARCH 2014 AnniVeRSARy iSSue •5

THE ARTFUL MIND

artzine

MARCH 2014

Happy Anniversary! 20 Years old!

THE MUSIC STORE

Joshua Needleman Photography by Sabine Vollmer von Falken

Joshua Needleman Creator and Chocolatier Harryet Candee...10 Simply Sasha Sasha Seymour......15

Richard Britell: Casting Manhole Covers .....15 Planet Waves for MARCH Eric Francis.....18 Contributing Writers and Monthly Columnists Eunice Agar, Richard Britell Stephen Gerard Dietemann Eric Francis, Sasha Seymour Photographers Jane Feldman, Sabine Vollmer von Falken, Cassandra Sohn Publisher Harryet Candee

Copy Editor

Marguerite Bride

Advertising and Graphic Design Harryet Candee

Box 985, Great Barrington, MA 01230 artfulmind@yahoo.com

http://issuu.com/theartfulmindartzine/docs 413 854 4400 All submissions for April due :: March 6, 2014 (email or call)

FYI: ©Copyright laws in effect throughout The Artful Mind for logo & all graphics including text material. Copyright laws for photographers and writers throughout The Artful Mind. Permission to reprint is required in all instances. In any case the issue does not appear on the stands as planned due to unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control, advertisers will be compensated on a one to one basis. Disclaimer rights available upon request.

Serving the Art community with the intention of enhancing communication and sharing positive creativity in all aspects of our lives.

6 • MARCH 2014 Anniversary 20th!!! THe ARTful Mind

As we negotiate the Berkshires’ mid-winter symphony, we at The Music Store look forward to the pre-spring interlude at the end of the Railroad Street extension in Great Barrington.

The Music Store offers music lovers and musicians of all ages and abilities a myriad of musical instruments, accessories and gifts that will help them join in the chorus of Berkshire living. Acclaimed as one of the area’s best music stores, The Music Store specializes in fine, folk and unusual musical instruments, accessories, supplies and music motif gifts. Music lovers and professional and amateur musicians alike will find an exciting array of both new and used name-brand and handmade instruments, extraordinary folk instruments and one of the northeast's finest selections of strings and reeds.

Music Store customers enjoy fine luthier handmade classical guitars, the peerless irish Avalon steel string guitars, Breedlove , the Baden Pantheon uSA guitars, as well as guitars from other fine lines including Alvarez, Avalon, Composite Acoustic, fender, Prestige, dBZ, luna, Recording King and Takamine. Acoustic and electric guitars from entry to professional level instruments are available. famous names including consignment guitars and basses join less-wellknown brands which appeal to those seeking high quality but are on tight budgets, providing any guitarist a tempting cornucopia of playing possibilities. unusual instruments are also available, including the locally hand-made Sonic Boxes, lovely and unique Cigar Box Guitars and diddly-Bows, by our very own dr. easy. Come

in and meet him! We also carry the Sheffield-made and internationally adored fluke and flea ukeleles and the peerless and lovely Stockbridge-made Serenity bamboo and walking stick flutes. new and used student orchestral and band instruments are available, including violins from $159 to $3000.

An extensive array of international strings and reeds provides choices for the newest student to the symphonic performer.

Children's instruments, as well as a fine line of international percussion including Middle eastern and handmade African instruments along with many choices of industry standard drum heads, stands, and sticks, as well as tuners, forks and metronomes can be found as well.

All new instruments are backed by The Music Store's lifetime warranty which provides free set-up and adjustments on any new instrument sold.

And of course expert luthieryat excellent prices, as well as authorized repairs on lowden and Takamine guitars, is provided by Sean Barry for those whose stringed instruments need repair, Those in search of the perfect present for music lovers will find a treasure trove of gift favorites such as bumper stickers (“driver Singing,” “Go Home and Practice,” Tune it or die” and more), tee shirts, caps, scarves, miniature musical instruments and instrument magnets, music motif mugs, socks, totes and ties. Small bronze and metal musician statues and cuddly ‘Music lover’ stuffed animals, lapel pins and earrings add additional possibilities to gift giving customers.

A proud server of the community for over eleven years, The Music Store's warm and friendly staff are available for help in tuning, stringing or instrument repair. Help in choosing tuners, capos, mutes shoulder rests and strings is as happily given as help in selecting instruments themselves. Since our mission is to support and encourage our musical community, consultation and advice are always free. Professional musicians seeking the finest or unusual strings or accessories are welcome to call in advance. We will make every effort to satisfy the need! for capos to kazoos, guiros to congas, rainsticks to rosin, bows to bodhrans, mandolins to microphones, reeds to rods, Strats to stands, local artist's Cds and harmonicas to picture frames and music motif ornaments, instruments and more, The Music Store is the place to be.

The Music Store, 87 Railroad Street, Great Barrington, Massachusetts, open Wednesdays through Saturdays from 10 to 6, and on Sundays from 12 to 5. Call 413-528-2460 or email us at musicstr@bcn.net

Congratulations Artful Mind 20 years!

413. 528. 5523

2 Elm Street, Great Barrington, MA

www.studiodayspa.com

photo credit: lisa Vollmer

Facials • Massage • Makeup Waxing • Manicures & Pedicures Fine Perfume • Jewelry

Maria Pizzuro-Cleary Owner & Licensed Esthetician

MichAel FilMus

Mythic Silhouettes

(Silver gelatin print on layered translite,11"x14") ©Meryl Joseph

Contact:

The Studio at Chesterwood

Michael Filmus

Congratulations on your 20th!

Meryl Joseph Studio email: mhj48@earthlink.net Great Barrington 20 YEARS! ANNIVERSARY ISSUE! THe ARTful Mind MARCH 2014 • 7

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched, they must be felt with the heart" - Helen Keller Read

When a woman is talking to you, listen to what she says with her eyes.

-Victor Hugo

Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.

-Victor Hugo

THE ARTFUL MIND

EUCLID (323–283 BC): "The shortest distance between two points is a straight line."

VICTOR BORGE (1909-2000 AD): "The shortest distance between two people is a smile."

MAY 2012

PHoToGRAPHy By JAne feldMAn

The Artful Mind Artzine Supporting the Arts for 20 years!

~Rikke Borge, Jazmine & Hanne Borge Kesten

The arts and WAMC are synonymous.

Congratulations!

Good luck on the next 20!

-Alan Chartock 8• MARCH 2014 THe ARTful Mind AnniVeRSARy iSSue! 20 yeARS old!!

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS WITH MUSIC THe linden STRinG QuARTeT & fRiendS

SABINE PHOTO ART

every master of photography has a gift for seeing the world in a particular way. Sabine’s talent lies in choosing the subject matter, the subtleties of lighting and the nuance of the location.

Her eye for detail results in timeless imagery. it is to no surprise that she is a sought-after documentary and editorial photographer with the ability for bringing introspection to the art of life style photography. She is the interviewer, catalyst and image-maker.

Photo sessions, Workshops, Photo Art are held by appointment.

Signed copies of WoodlAnd STyle and SHell CHiC , published by Storey Publishing, author Marlene H. Marshall, photography by Sabine, can be purchased from the studio.

Sabine is a member of The American Society of Media Photographers asmp. The international Center of Photography iCP and the Wedding Photojournalist Association, WPJA. For more info please contact the Studio www.sabinephotoart.com, info@sabinephotoart.com, 413298-4933.

THE LINDEN STRING QUARTET & FRIENDS

Standouts in a chamber music landscape that is populated by exceptional young string quartets, the linden has been heard at festivals from Ravinia to Caramoor, Banff, and the ottawa Chamber Music festival, and at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Hall, collecting honors and prizes along the way. in their Berkshire debut performance, the brilliant and dynamic linden Quartet (fire and flare – The Strad) will be heard on Saturday, March 22, 6pm at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in an intensely passionate, lyrical and utterly winning program.

The centerpiece is Tchaikovsky’s Souvenir de florence, written for a St. Petersburg chamber music society as a musical souvenir of his visit to italy as he recovered from a disastrous marriage and developed an infatuation with the city that spawned the Renaissance. florence worked its magic on Tchaikovsky, and the result is one of the most delightful and charming pieces in the repertory, for string sextet. Cellist and artistic director yehuda Hanani and french violist Pierre-Henri Xuereb join the linden for this work.

Ticket information for An evening with the linden Quartet: Tickets, $45 (orchestra and Mezzanine) and $25 (Balcony), are available at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center box office, 413528-0100; through Close encounters With Music at 800-8430778; or by emailing cewmusic@aol.com. A four-concert subscription is available for $140/ $120 for seniors. Visit www.cewm.org. Performances are supported in part by a grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

Close Encounters with Music - for more information about its 2013–2014 concert schedule, visit www.cewm.org

MARY CAMPBELL WEDDINGS

A wedding is one of the most sacred and important days of anyone’s life. The ceremony is the heart of the wedding, and when well crafted, holds the potential to truly reflect a couple’s distinctive personality and love.

Rev. Mary Campbell takes special delight in helping couples celebrate their unique love as they create a wedding ceremony that honors the people and things that are most important to them and their families. Mary is an ordained interfaith/interspiritual minister and couples counselor. She has lived in the Berkshires for over 20 years, leading transformational workshops for women and creating ceremonies celebrating love and connection.

As a couple explores the myriad choices involved in crafting a truly beautiful and meaningful wedding ceremony, whether traditional or more contemporary, Mary is able to offer passages and rituals from ceremonies practiced in a wealth of traditions as well as share her extensive collection of poetry and prose.

And as couples naturally deepen their commitment to one another during the planning of their wedding, they often look toward the future and are enriched by guidance. Mary’s compassion and skill, shared through her exceptional Marriage Mentoring counseling, can provide them with a strengthened foundation upon which to build a life of joy and ever-deepening intimacy.

Create the wedding of your dreams and the love that can last a lifetime.

Rev. Mary Campbell – 413-528-6633; Mary@DiviningBeauty.com; DiviningWeddings.com

THe ARTful Mind AnniVeRSARy iSSue! • 9

JOSHUA NEEDLEMAN CREATOR AND CHOCOLATIER inTeRVieW By HARRyeT CAndee

PHoToGRAPHS By SABine VollMeR Von fAlKen

Seriously, do you eat a lot of chocolate? it depends on your meaning of a lot. i usually have cup of hot chocolate and a few tastes of chocolates we are making throughout the day. it’s not a huge amount, but it’s consistent.

Along with spending a great deal of time making all sorts of chocolates and desserts in the kitchen, you also have a wonderful café. It’s a growing success. You must be pleased.

As far as the café is concerned, i love making people happy and bringing some added joy to their life. it’s also fun to meet new people and create some special experiences for them.

What inspires you in terms of trends, resources and ingredients in the chocolate industry? i am inspired by other chefs. i’m also inspired by art, sculpture, and other culture’s traditions. i do love to go to museums and visit different countries; last year i went to see the Pastry World Cup in lyon, france, and the year before i went to Madagascar to visit a very special Cocoa Plantation.

You must have learned a lot. Josh, where did you grow up? i grew up in the small town of lebanon Springs, new york. it’s where the infor the name Chocolate Springs originated. As a child, i would drink Photo: Sabine Vollmer Von Falken spiration the spring water that was piped to my house by gravity. There are huge, beautiful sycamore tree that grow next to the spring which inspired the Chocolate Springs logo. i always loved to eat chocolate and my dutch Grandmother always gave chocolate as gifts.

What’s on the stove? I mean, what’s on the granite? i’m blessed to have a very supportive family. After traveling to Paris, france, i was fasyes, in chocolate land we pour the chocolate and ganache out on granite stone slabs. So right cinated with the idea of making chocolates and desserts, and hopefully thought that one day now, there is Vanilla Ganache as well as Green Tea Ganache. i would open my own place.

The vanilla ganache is delicious, Josh. I’m curious to know what’s the newest and latest It seems like you had an idea of what you wanted to do early on in life, is that right? of chocolate creations you’re making? i always loved to build things as a kid, such as model cars. i was interested in engineering, i came up with a special “Ah-love” Chocolate Bar. it’s my signature dark chocolate blended but their seemed to be too many reports and papers to write in order to make that happen. i with organic olive oil, organic Pine nuts, and english Maldon Sea Salt. The salt tickles really enjoyed working in the kitchen atmosphere at Shuji’s Japanese Restaurant. The handsyour tongue and then the chocolate melts quickly giving way to the olive oil notes and it on aspect of creating beautiful food excited me more than writing papers and analysis work. finally finishes with the crunch and nuttiness of the Pine nuts. i guess i usually took the path less traveled. i found myself drawn towards artistic endeavors. i used to make chocolates for my sister’s piano concert receptions and for friends and family I like the way you describe the sensation of the ingredients. Living on chocolate, are you, during the holidays. Then people began asking to buy them! i think this family continues to Josh? grow daily in new ways.

Well, of course chocolate keeps me going–physically, but i mix in some corn chips and some Sushi, now and then.

10 • MARCH 2014

THe ARTful Mind

20TH AnniVeRSARy!

Tell me about the schooling and training that you’ve had—your path of learning that helped you become a Master Chocolate Chef. first, i started working at Shuji’s Japanese Restaurant when i was 16 years old. i then went to university of Rochester for 1 year and then decided to transfer to the Culinary institute of America where i finally graduated with an Associate in Culinary Arts. My first job after school was at The Wheatleigh Hotel in lenox. i then had the fortune to go to Paris, france and work at a Pastry shop, Guy Savoy, and then intern with Chocolatier, Michel Chaudun. When i returned from france, i came back to Wheatleigh and then started working at Canyon Ranch part-time. i proceeded to be Pastry Chef at Cranwell Resort in lenox. The chance to work at la Maison du Chocolat then came up and i had to take it, and move to new york City. i spent three years in the city, with trips to their factory in france. After living through 9/11, i felt pushed to make my dream of opening my own chocolate café come true. i had been thinking about it for years. i finally decided it was time to go for it. i moved back to the Berkshires and opened Chocolate Springs on September 12, 2003. The adventure continues…

Yes it does! Was there ever a time you felt the desire to get away from chocolate and try to do something new and different? i truly love what i do. i feel blessed to have the opportunity to run my own business in this amazing country. My travels have always made me appreciate the awesome qualities of the united States of America. But if i had to work on something else… making a movie would be exciting.

It’s never too late to do both. Tell me, how is chocolate good for your health? I know there are some good things about chocolate despite some of the opinions I grew up with hearing, like chocolate is fattening…. You’ll get a stomach-ache if you eat too much “candy” – chocolate was always considered to be “candy”.

Sabine Vollmer von Falken, A Moment Away for Self, Photograph, Chocolate Springs, 2014

Well, as the saying goes, “everything in moderation”, right?

Chocolate is made from cocoa beans, which has an extremely rich source of Polyphenols and other Anti-oxidants, as well as stimulants, such as Theo Bromine. it depends on what else is added to the cocoa beans such as quantity of sugar, milk, cream, and other not so healthy fats found in many commercial chocolates. We sell straight cocoa nibs as well as chocolate covered cocoa nibs. We also offer organic 85% and organic 70% chocolates. The more cocoa bean concentration, the better, but it also comes down to the quality of flavor

in those beans. it’s like a fine wine making process. i have also switched to organic Sugar for all of our baked goods and as many organic nuts as possible.

How is chocolate making a form of art for you? What part of the process interests you the most?

Well, art generally involves such concepts as color, form, and texture. All these issues are present in a little chocolate but it also adds the element of flavor. it fascinates me to see Continued on next page...

“It’s like a science this chocolate making thing”, says one observer to the other while visiting Chocolate Springs in Lenox

Photo: Sabine Vollmer von Falken THe ARTful Mind MARCH 2014 20TH AnniVeRSARy! • 11

I love the café space. It’s so roomy and comfortable.

The jazz music is live. Tell me how you thought up this inviting and entertaining environment? i wanted to create warm, welcoming space to escape from the rest of the world. My sister has played piano since she was four years old and received her doctorate in music, so i initially thought it would be a nice idea for her to be able to come and play sometimes. She has since moved to indiana so it’s not very often she actually plays here. for several years now Jessica Roemischer has been playing here and she has recorded a couple of Cds as well. Sometimes people just ask to play, and it’s been a treat to hear them.

You also make very good use of the wall space with good looking art. yes, i like featuring local artist’s work.

People can watch you prepare and make chocolate through a glass window from the entrance and café.

What is it you wish people to see when they watch?

Hopefully they get to see us creating something tasty and see some of the effort that goes into making our Art.

The gift of chocolate has always been a gracious and sweet treat. When a customer asks your advice on what kind of chocolate to buys as a gift, what process do you go through in order to find a perfect match. Chocolate options unlimited here!

From Left to right: Michael Cimini, Elizabeth Witte, Joshua Needleman, Amanda Perreault.

Photo: Sabine Vollmer von Falken yes, this is always a challenge to find out what people will enjoy the most. We usually start by asking what type of ingredients people prefer, such as fruits, nuts, teas, or alcohols. Then, the next question is how much sweetness? do chocolate go from a fluid to a solid in two minutes. This process of crystallization of the they generally prefer dark, milk, or white chocolate? finally, there is how adventurous people cocoa butter allows for chocolate to be stable at room temperature. There is only a 2 degree want to get because, to quote forest Gump, you know, “life is like a box of chocolate, you temperature window where this exists, and to capture that moment and make something hapnever know what you are going to get”. However, we do offer a flavor guide booklet which pen that’s beautiful and tasteful, that interests me. it’s always a process of perfecting and rehelps in this process. ultimately, i try to have some classic flavors, then play around with fining what’s been done and seeing what is possible next. some new ones for those adventurous people.

Josh, do you have your own creation?

Going into your shop means not only buying chocolate by the box, but sitting down and i came up with the “o-yuki Chocolate” which is a Japanese yuzu ganache. it’s dipped in dark eating a pastry or bakery style dessert that doesn’t necessarily contain chocolate. People chocolate with a custom transfer of a Snowflake in three forms. The first form is written can enjoy their desserts and listen to piano music as well… Describe some of the desserts (yuki), and the next is the Japanese symbol, and finally the literal image of a small snowflake. on the chalkboard menu you offer to go along with the good coffee, hot chocolate and it was inspired by a performance by Mayu iwasaki at Ventfort Hall, called Morgan o-yuki. jazz.

We make our own Mousse cakes, cookies, cupcakes, scones, and Gelato pops - in addition to Outside of restaurant life, are you a good cook? Do you make elaborate meals for yourall the chocolates. The Gelato flavors tend to change with the season but i always try to make self?

Chocolate, Vanilla, Pistachio, as well as Chocolate Sorbet and Raspberry Sorbet for those i can cook many kinds of food, but i find myself tired by the end of the day to make too many people who cannot have dairy. elaborate things. i prefer good quality ingredients, simply prepared.

Amanda Perreault, Pastry Sous Chef.

Decorating a Chocolate Mousse Cake

12 • MARCH 2014 20th Anniversary 2014! THe ARTful Mind

Photo: Sabine Vollmer von Falken

One of the hardest choices in life.... photo: Sabine Vollmer von Falken

You are married to your work, I have heard you say. Is it by choice? yes, i guess i am married to Chocolate Springs but i do hope to have a wife and family someday. it has been my choice to work a lot and sometimes even sleep over at the café. Those days are few now, thanks to my wonderful staff. it’s been a growing process and becoming more efficient but then something always comes up that seems fun to do.

Josh, do you have any other projects you’re working that you can tell us about?

Well, i’m working on a new Mobile Chocolate Truck.

That sounds like an interesting challenging!

To me, it’s all life and i’m happy to make some of my dreams come true.

Just wondering, are you fond of the movie, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory? Or, Like Water for Chocolate? i do love all kinds of movies including those, and of course the movie Chocolat. i saw that film for the first time in new york City while working at la Maison du Chocolat.

water to the world, and win a life supply of chocolate? There are probably many more simple things…but that’s one.

I wish someone would do this, if not you! ...Any last words, Josh? i want to thank this community for their support, as well as all my current and former staff.

Chocolate Springs is here today because of all of your work.

Thank you Josh. ....Now let’s pile in the car and get to Chocolate Springs for some bad-ass hot chocolate, some chocolate covered marshmallows and ganache!!

Chocolate Springs Cafe is located at 55 Pittsfield/Lenox Road, on Route 7, in Lenox, MA. The tele. number is 413-637-9820... CHoColATeSPRinGS.CoM

Josh, who is Joshua Needleman as a person? When you are outside of work and you’re just in a neutral zone, what is it you think about?

This is a very good question. Chocolate Springs is a reflection of who i am and many of my ideals. it brings me joy to create a place where people can reflect, develop, and enjoy life. life has always been a journey for me.

Happily, through chocolate i have been able to experience many things. i think the artistic mind does always seek out new horizons and is fascinated with putting new things together. i love the outdoors, bronze sculpture, paintings, and yes, fAST CARS. But not sky diving…yet.

If you were to have a contest, what would it be, and what prize would you offer?

Wow, that’s something. How about, create a way to bring clean, potable

Photo: Sabine Vollmer von Falken

THe ARTful Mind MARCH 20TH AnniVeRSARy!! • 13

MARGUERITE BRIDE

MARGueRiTe BRide, PARK STReeT in SuMMeR,WATeRColoR

WATERCOLORS

often winter months in the Berkshires are the busiest time for artists who are preparing for the next show season, which always seems to arrive in a hurry. With plans to exhibit new and exciting material, painters view this creative period with great excitement and anticipation. At least that’s how watercolorist Marguerite Bride feels about it. during these “quiet” months, Bride also gives watercolor technique lessons in her studio on north Street, Pittsfield. Visit her website for more details about commissioning a painting, purchasing a painting or fine art reproduction lessons and updated exhibit information; or contact the artist directly. over the years Bride has painted many scenes from vacations, special occasions, and favorite settings...all from clients’ own photos. These have included scenes from romantic wedding settings and honeymoon trips, Tuscan villas, vistas from fabulous hikes, exciting canoe trips, scenes from family vacations and reunions, “once in a life-time” adventures, and more.

Commissions for vacation and house portraits are welcome at any time. it’s not too soon to think about 2014 holiday gift giving…take photos now if you want a stunning winter scene in the Berkshires.

Marguerite Bride will be meeting visitors in her studio during Pittsfield’s first fridays Artswalks, held on the first friday of each month. The artists at the nuarts Studios open their studios and welcome visitors to come and see the largest group of working artists under one roof in the Berkshires.

Marguerite Bride, NUarts Studios, Studio 9, 311 North Street, Pittsfield, Studio #5, by appointment only. Call 413-442-7718, or 413-841-1659 (cell); website: margebride-paintings.com email: margebride@aol.com

THE EARTH IS OUR MOTHERS WENDY A. RABINOWITZ

Wendy Rabinowitz will be displaying her weaving/mixedmedia assemblage series, THe eARTH iS ouR MoTHeRS, at the Hillman-Jackson Gallery on the campus of Bard College at Simon’s Rock, March 4-April 6. it is being shown in conjunction with international Women’s day, the Berkshire festival of Women Writers, and is curated by Margaret Chernin.

THe eARTH iS ouR MoTHeRS reflects Rabinowitz’s ongoing dedication to actively bring forth women’s unique stories as told through her series V’I-MO-TEI-NU: And Our Mothers, combined with sacred relationship to the earth, from her series LOOK TO THE EARTH AND IT SHALL LEAD YOU. These artworks are expressed in both visual and written form using a diversity of materials and techniques: - weaving, wrapping, layering, molding, embellishment, calligraphy, etc., as well as sources from the earth. Rabinowitz’s intention, heb. kavannah, is to co-create with THE-SOURCE-OF-ALL as she works daily in her living Threads Judaica studio in the beautiful Berkshires of western Massachusetts.

Born and raised in Chicago, Rabinowitz came to the Berkshires in the 1970’s and then again in the 1980’s with her children and family. Her love of weaving began after seeing a loom at the Chicago Historical Society thirty five years ago and it evolved quite quickly into a professional path. only much later did she find that her matrilineal ancestors had been weavers in the small town of Bielsk, Poland! Rabinowitz has had her artwork exhibited at The united nations, nyC; university of Judaism in lA; The Wang Center, Boston; the White House, Washington, dC; The Jewish Women’s Research Center at Brandeis university, Waltham, Ma; Bard College at Simons Rock, Gt. Barrington, MA; The Haifa Center, Haifa, israel, and in many other gal, M.A., C.M.A., R.S.M.T. leries, synagogues and SomaticMovement Movement Therapist Therapist and cultural settings.

Somatic and TM Instructor Wendy A. Rabinowitz Certified Pilates andPilates Pfilatesand TMPFilates (Pelvic Floor Pilates) Instructor Certified w w w. l i v i n g T h r e a d sJuaica1.com and on Facebook at: “Wendy RaPrivate, Conscious Exercise Workouts for all ages binowitz” and at “Living and abilities featuring fully-equipped Pilates studio Threads Judaica”. Studio in a quiet, country setting in Great Barrington visits by appointment.

Commissions welcomed.

413-281-2399; e-mail: wrshalom@aol.com Classes at Kilpatrick Athletic Center (KAC)

SHARON TRUE

at Simon’s Rock College

Pilates Mat Class Beg/Int. Beg/Int. Tuesdays 5-6:00 PM PM Pilates Mat Class Tuesdays 5-6:00 TM Workshop for Fitness PFilatesClass - contact Sharon for current6-7:00 schedule Pelvic Floor Beg/Int. Wednesdays PM

sharontrue@roadrunner.com

14 • MARCH 2014 THe ARTful Mind AnniVeRSARy iSSue! 20 yeARS old!

COLLINS/EDITIONS formerly BERKSHIRE DIGITAL

After seven years of working for artists and photographers as Berkshire digital, we have changed our name to collins|editions. We are a fine art reproduction service that offers the highest quality digital photography & reproduction of paintings as well as Giclée printing on archival papers and canvas with sizes up to 42” x 90”. Artists & photographers use us to create limited editions of their images. Private collectors and galleries use us to document their collections. Whether the reproduction needs are for archiving, printing, books, magazines, postcards or internet use, Bd adheres to very strict color controls along with delivering stunning detail by using either a large format camera with a Better light™ digital scanning back for making giclee prints as well as the best dSlR cameras for publication & internet uses. in addition to the photography and printing services, collins|editions also offers graphic design, enabling clients to create show announcements, post cards and brochures.

The website, www.Collinseditions.com has a complete overview, lots of information and pricing.

The owner, fred Collins, has been a commercial photographer for over 30 years having had studios in Boston and Stamford. He offers 20 years of experience with Photoshop™ enabling retouching, restoration and enhancement. The studio is located in Mt Washington but dropoff and Pu can be arranged at other locations.

Collins|editions studio, 220 East St, Mt Washington, Massachusetts; 413-644-9663, www.Collinseditions.com

“Start where you are.

Use what you have.

Do what you can.”

– Arthur Ashe

Casting Manhole Covers PART 2 BRiTell

By RiCHARd

during those walks after dinner, i was often lost in thought about what was so important to me back then, making plaster casts for my sculpture class. i had succeeded with the cast of my hand, and had also done my foot but now i was trying to think of something more interesting. on my walks i was noticing all the interesting shapes in the road and got the idea to make a cast of one of them. i considered casting a sewer lid, and a sewer grate, and also those square metal covers over electrical connections in the sidewalk. i considered casting a form of the stamps the masons use in the sidewalk, but i made up my mind to do one of those big round steel plates that cover electrical terminals in the road, the ones about three feet wide with all the embossment and lettering. i got together all my equipment and i went to the cover i had picked out, but couldn't go through with it. i was sure that if anyone saw me casting a manhole cover they would think i was crazy. on Saturday i told Mrs. festini about my problem. i wanted to cast the manhole cover in plaster but couldn't because i felt too self-conscious. in the art room there is a bookshelf with a collection of art books and she got down a book on the artist

Albert P. Ryder. She read the part that explained how Albert, to get ideas for his paintings would go out walking all night long, and would “Soak up the moonlight” to use in his work.

What Mrs. festini was suggesting was that i make the cast in the middle of the night when there was nobody around to bother me. Going out all night for your artwork must have been fine for Mr. Ryder, but i still felt odd about doing it.

Mrs. festini said, "if anyone asks you what you are doing just say it is a project for an art exhibit at a museum. As soon as they hear that they will go away and leave you alone, you will see."

"And why would that be Mrs. festini"? i asked.

“Because art exhibits in museums make most people feel stupid and ignorant so they want to get away from such things as soon as they possibly can. As a matter of fact, any exhibit that does not make ordinary everyday people feel ignorant and stupid is hardly worth anything, take my word for it." She was in a bad mood when she said that.

What Mrs. festini said could not have been true, but i could tell she was going through a difficult time ever since her still life painting had been rejected from the museum show by the curator from detroit. After the rejection of her painting she started to make frequent trips up to detroit to see art exhibits in galleries up there, and after each trip she would be in an angry mood. She felt that her paintings would never be in a museum because they only wanted bad art. i don't know what she was looking at up there; i have never been to detroit. in our art room at the museum were some art journals and from the pictures in those magazines i got a feeling for what was bothering her, but for her to say the exhibits were intended to make people angry was going too far. it certainly looked peculiar to me, but they must have had their reasons, i'm sure.

Anyway, i took Mrs. festini's advice and started to go out late at night to make plaster casts of manhole covers and sewer grates. The first night i painted the latex mold material onto a manhole on a side street, and on the next night it was cured and ready to be removed. i made many molds this way. A policeman did stop me and asked what i was doing but i did not take Mrs. festini's advice, i just said it was an art project for the museum art class, and i did it at night so as not to be disturbed.

The same policeman drove that neighborhood every night and he invariably stopped to see how i was doing and how the project was coming along. i suppose being a policeman on a night route, and having nothing to do, having someone to talk to was interesting for him. i would work on my mold making and he would stand behind me and ask questions, one after another.

Bob (that was the policeman’s name) wanted to know a lot of things. “Will it be bronze when it is done? How does the mold stay flat when you put the plaster in? is it heavy when it is finished?” Bob was full of questions but i could tell he was not really interested because he never listened to my answers.

He was just killing time. one night he was there when i pulled the latex mold up from a manhole cover and he was very interested to see the result. i turned it over and showed it to him by the light of the street lamp. "This is interesting," he said, "look at the letters, they are all backward, don't you think it will look odd if the lettering is backward?" he wanted to know. i was stumped and confused, it never crossed my mind that the mold would be backward looking, and i didn't know what to say. "i'll have to ask Mrs. festini about this right away", i said. i had to put my project on hold for a time till i figured things out. i tried to remember if my hand was backward when i cast it in plaster, was it a left or a right, i didn't know. i was so upset about this i called Mrs. festini at home the next day, but she knew all about it. "you're not thinking", she said, "only the mold is reversed, when you pull the form out the cast it will be right reading.”

"Just consider,” said festini over the phone, “the face you see in the mirror every day is reversed and it doesn't bother you, you never notice it, and when you see someone you know reflected in a window you would never even notice it's reversed unless they had a license plate attached to their forehead, then you would see it instantly. Because a license plate is so much more important than a person's face isn't it Mr. Bretelsby," she said.

-Richard Britell

Simply Sasha Food is Medicine!

by Sasha Seymour

I recently went to see a nutritionist here in good old G.B., because I wasn't feeling up to par. I am now on a two week journey with no bread and no cheese, which is not an easy task for me.

However, I am feeling good about this new venture, and I have discovered many new and delicious vegan recipes that I have been sampling. This is one that I am super excited about, and I wanted to share it with all of you Artfully Minded folks! Peace & Love to you!

– 1 medium eggplant – 2 garlic cloves (minced to a paste) – 1/4 cup tahini – 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil – 1/4 cup lemon juice – 2 Tbsp sesame seeds – Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400. Lightly grease baking sheet.

2. Place eggplant on sheet and poke holes in it with a fork.

3. Roast for 40 minutes, turning occasionally or until soft.

4. Remove from oven, and Place in a bowl of cold water. Peel the skin off.

5. Place eggplant, lemon juice, tahini, sesame seeds, and garlic in a blender and purée.

6. Transfer mixture in a bowl and slowly stir in the olive oil.

7. Refrigerate for 3 hours, and then dip a carrot into it!

Enjoy!

AniVeRSARy iSSue! 20 yeARS old! THe ARTful Mind MARCH 2014 • 15

Congratula

ind ar tful m for The

tions on y our 20th W hat an acc omplishm

ent

Th an ks

ard.co m b u a r g l u a www.p chase.co m n e r a .k w w w

Where Science Meets Art Inspiring Innovation

Congratulations to Harryet and The Artful Mind for 20 years of promoting creativity!

S.M.ART SUMMER PROGRAM This summer celebrating our 30th year!

June 30th - August 1st for children ages 5 - 14

16 • Anniversary issue 20 years old! MARCH 2014 THe ARTful Mind

www.FlyingCloudInstitute.org

New

READERS * Designed by Linda Clayton for the artist in all of us.

Available: JWS in GB and Vlada's in Stockbridge

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*These readers glow in the dark

congratulations to harryet candee

For 20 Years of Orchestrating The ARTFul MiND With many more to come

Eunice Agar

Wolfe Farm from Seekonk Crossroad, 20 x 26, oil on linen

wwweuniceagar.com

“Thank you, Harryet, for all you do for all us!

Roselle

Chartock Artist and Writer

Vivienne in Velvet, Roselle Chartock, 8 x 10”

roselle.chartock@gmail.com 413. 528. 4199 THe ARTful Mind MARCH 2014 AnniVeRSARy iSSue 20 yeARS old! • 17

Planet Waves

By eric francis

ARIES (March 20-April 19) you seem to be holding onto a lot of energy that you absolutely must express. i don’t mean a modest amount of energy; i mean on a volcanic scale. energy always finds a way into manifestation. Given what you’re working with you must take up the power of directing it in a constructive way. That’s not a given, and there are no guarantees.

The closest you can come is a commitment to yourself to be aware from moment to moment where you focus your mind, particularly in your intimate relationships. you may need some time away from a partner, or space to experiment in entirely new ways. Any relationship is likely to either feel the stress or come along for the journey, though i suggest you not try to push or drag anyone into what is inherently about you alone. if you value the relationship, be honest about what you’re experiencing and negotiate the space you need.

At the heart of the matter seems to be an experiment in emotional independence for the purpose of exploring and experiencing life in ways you may have long dreamed of. This will not be a predictable process, and once you admit that it’s happening, you will be on a journey with a life of its own. or rather, a journey of discovering, perhaps once again, that you have a life of your own.

TAURUS (April 19-May 20)

you may feel like you’re trying to fit your ideas about yourself through a tiny opening — as if it’s impossible to have enough context to make a real decision about who you are or what you want. The tight space you’re going through will help you prioritize and focus.

Think of what you’re doing as making micro-decisions, and consider any choice or adjustment a microcosm of the whole. it’s not merely that small choices add up to larger direction. Rather, each stems from a larger idea of what you want. There is tremendous power contained in reckoning these details and seeing their relationship to who you are. it’s easy to think that our lives hinge on the huge decisions we make. yet even the most monumental changes of direction require many small adjustments to make them real. Therefore, you can think of each little observation or maneuver as an affirmation of who you are and what you want. This can involve the details of what you eat, how you spend money, how you spend your time (especially that) and where you invest your emotional energy. your charts suggest you’re at a major crossroads that may not come across as such. you

may have no specific validation — yet. Therefore, live well and live consciously, and trust that you’re coming around one of the most significant turns in many years.

GEMINI (May 20-June 21)

Situations that were puzzling or seemed impossible will start to make more sense — in direct proportion to how weird they seemed before. in particular the last few days of february into the first few days of March may have that sensation of walking on the ceiling, playing music backwards looking for the secret messages or waking up being able to perform magic tricks that you don’t remember learning. or, alternately, if you find yourself in a crunch point where you feel like you have no clue how to handle yourself, pay attention to how quickly your environment is changing. Then, adapt from moment to moment. That’s your speciality anyway, but usually you do this in autopilot mode. The challenge of the moment is doing everything manually, taking each breath consciously, and noticing the unusual openings that may come in the most mundane transactions. Many of those will be interior. The adventure of Mars retrograde in your 5th house makes possible a creative and sexual self-discovery experience like nothing you’ve ever felt. your ability to experience life from both sides of the coin, your curiosity about the dynamics of desire and power, and a rare moment when you will allow yourself to say anything, well, it will all add up to a bold few months — as bold as you want. in fact, you may open doors that you’ll never want to close.

CANCER (June 21-July 22)

With all the activity now unfolding in Aries and libra, you may feel like your life is hanging in the balance. yet you have plenty of influence over which way things go, you are protected by forces that may seem too large to see, and best of all, you are opening up to the people close to you. one theme that stands out of your charts is making peace with women, and if you are a woman, you may include making peace with yourself. There appears to be a trust issue that has been pushed beyond the point where you can ignore it, or live peacefully with the question unresolved. Part of this involves trusting yourself.

Part is about trusting people to be transparent about their agendas and true to their own values. Bear in mind that the chaos and confusion so many people are in is not of their own making. it was imposed on them. yet as a person comes of age and attains both adult power and responsibility, the option to step out of that pain and turbulence opens up. if your life is in the balance, it’s over the question of whether you can admit your deepest truth to yourself. That is, you may cycle through a diversity of desires, ideas and feelings which may at times seem to conflict. Actually each is a different facet of the same truth of who you are.

LEO (July 22-Aug. 23)

your most intimate relationships are in transition, which means you’re being called upon to be especially flexible and resilient. one particular idea comes under the microscope — that of ‘the perfect marriage’. i believe there is such a thing,

18 • MARCH 2014 Anniversary Issue 20 Years Old! THe ARTful Mind

March 2014

indeed i have evidence that there is. The perfection comes not from the static quality of the relationship but rather from its ability to grow, to change and to transform with the people involved. There must be a mutual commitment to healing; mutual respect for each person’s physical and psychic integrity. With that includes recognition of free choice in all matters, especially relating to the partnership itself. i recognize this violates most of the commonplace definitions and concepts of marriage, which seem to be focused around rigid concepts and presumption of ownership. That model is not going to survive the onslaught of the 21st century, and your life is too full and too rich to be constrained by any factor not of your choosing. Here is the challenge: when established structures change, there needs to be a new set of ideas and guidelines to replace them. Those are best if driven by what the people involved agree to as their bottom-line, most essential values. Any relationship between two people will either be based on a dominant-submissive model, or based on consensus. Consensus is based on mutual values. That is the starting point and that is the destination.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) you must focus on the question of what is real and what is not. This will not be as obvious as it seems. i suggest you not assume you have this one right, no matter how confident you feel. indeed i suggest you not assume anything, and make careful note of the facts of the situation. opinions can be deceiving, and it’s essential to recognize them when you experience them. facts are statements that can be documented and proven true or false. They are not about an emotional rationale or persuasive feeling; whether a fact stands up comes down to the data that supports it, preferably collected over time. The first area of your life to go over carefully is your relationships with loved ones, friends and partners. do you have any outstanding commitments to them? is there anything that got lost in the shuffle of the past couple of busy months? is there anything you need to clear up? if you have made yourself invisible or have gone below the radar, if you’ve left facts out of the story or are avoiding anyone, now is the time to engage with them in a meaningful way. As you do this review, i suggest you consider the way in which your self-esteem may be influencing you. Consider how you act toward others when you’re feeling good about yourself and when you’re not. your observations may surprise you.

LIBRA (Sep. 22-Oct. 23)

Mars is about to station retrograde in your sign. That spans from March 1 to May 19. The retrograde process actually reaches back to early december, when Mars first entered libra. So if you notice any shifts, changes or shakeups in the coming week or two, take the story back to late last year. The theme of this retrograde is profound selfdiscovery, though it may seem at first that others are the forum for what you learn, and you are the forum for their learning. That will work for a while, as you explore your inner dynamics within the context of a relationship. yet as the retrograde progresses, you may feel the need to have certain experiences on your own. The forces in-

volved are too powerful to cling to anyone or anything. if you feel a need, desire or obligation to maintain a connection or commitment, make sure you proceed in a way that is open and honest, and most of all, that works for you. if your personal needs require you to shift the pattern of relating, do so in a way that preserves trust and your options in the future. Said another way, you can live your life without burning your bridges — something you would come to regret. your emotional involvement with someone may be intricate and delicate, and that calls for special handling, high awareness and always — always — remembering who you are.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) fear is a fact of life on earth, the planet of eat or be eaten. How you handle your fear is not a given; you have many options. How you exercise them will make a difference. let’s start with the basics: fear is a form of energy and it points to a deeper energy source. if you treat it that way, and seek understanding of what is not immediately obvious, you will learn that fear does not need to be debilitating, and that in fact it can be empowering. The first thing to do is let your fear speak. Get the message of what it’s saying. Translate it into terms that are clear, and that lend themselves to decisions. you’re likely to feel the most panicky when you feel like you lack the power to choose. Therefore, information that leads to a state where you can decide what you want and what you need. indeed, we could call this the theme of the entire Mars retrograde. This is a set of transits intimately linked to you because both of your ruling planets — Mars and Pluto — are so directly involved. When this fully takes shape in late April, you are likely to feel some serious pressure to make progress on many things you have set aside or left for the future. The thing to remember is to get the information you need in order to make an informed decision, and then another.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 22)

don’t worry if you think people don’t like you, or if you’re having some difficulty managing your social relationships. i suggest you take the events of the next few months as an extended opportunity to learn where you really stand with people, and also to learn how to build your overall standing in the community. i don’t mean your popularity — i mean real things like trust, dependability, loyalty and the willingness to stand up for what you believe in, even if it’s going to piss off some people. Though you have it in you to be the supreme diplomat, you are also a Sagittarius, and your sign is equipped with

a sharp edge. Still, it may be necessary to err on the side of asserting yourself. do that firmly, directly and with understatement. Be a keen observer for passive-aggressive tendencies in yourself or in others.

The ‘passive’ part is just a ruse for the ‘aggressive’ part, so get underneath that if necessary and suss out the source of that energy.

Meanwhile, any relationship or encounter can lead to contact with anyone. That’s a good incentive to say friendly things about people, and a reminder that in your life, the usual seven degrees of separation between you and any other person is about to be reduced to one or two degrees of separation. The world is small, and it’s getting smaller.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) you will be summoned to leadership in the coming months, perhaps immediately. events and your own desire for integrity and achievement will give you the opportunity to exceed your current abilities and expectations of yourself. What you must be cautious of is any moment when you’re doing something that cannot be reversed. This could be applied to many different situations, but i really mean decisions from which there is no going back. despite that, you will need to be bold, and i suggest you assert that by listening to people you respect and taking what they say under advisement. That does not mean ‘take all advice’, it means consider what people say. This is basic politics and it’s also common sense. Speaking of politics — know who your allies are, and put them to work for you. Seek their assistance, and make sure they know how much you appreciate their contribution. leadership is not all about the leader — it’s all about the people who surround and interrelate with that person. you want one or two people who are not afraid to disagree with you, assuming you have determined they are intelligent and respectful. When life is coming at you from all corners, make sure you have those corners covered. At the same time, you will command respect by standing on your own and never shrinking from a decision.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19)

There are those moments when you’re sure it’s the dark night of the soul — when you have no sense of direction, and when you doubt whether you have the strength to go on. But lately, you are experiencing these junctures as something more like a nearly impossible alchemy of transformation. This process goes as deep into you as anything ever has. no matter how challenging your inner life may seem (speaking of the next three months or so), or how isolated you

may feel from time to time, you have a truly amazing phase of your life approaching when you can change everything by changing yourself. or rather, you will be given all you need to make deep inner changes, which will manifest in your seemingly outer life. you may feel like you’re making only slow progress on your journey to selfknowledge and personal healing. yet with these things, what you have is less important than what you do with them. if you use the self-knowledge you have gained, you will inevitably build on it. if you trust the process of your healing and allow that commitment to guide you in all of the decisions you make, you will advance your healing dependably. As you move through this territory, i have one suggestion. Be bold, and keep no secrets from others. Then be even more daring and keep no secrets from yourself.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

This monthly column marks my 20th anniversary as an astrologer and my 50th anniversary being on the planet. i’m happy to have made it half a century, though i am equally grateful to have devoted two decades of my life to daily study of, writing about and teaching astrology. i’m especially grateful to be a Pisces astrologer, because to me that means i have an understanding of all the rivers (that is, the signs) that flow into the ocean. The Sun is now in Pisces, and is making conjunctions to neptune and Pisces in our birth sign. That means the waters are flowing freely at the moment, and it happens to be the season of your birthday. This setup means that you have equal access to intellect and intuition; to creativity and healing ability; to your expressive gift and your ability to receive and to listen.

Make sure you put all these factors consciously into the mix of your life. don’t leave anything out. you know you’re on a mission, and i suggest you give this everything you have, and make sure you collect the rewards of your efforts as you go. you are the specialist at longrange planning and deferred gratification. i suggest you adjust that slightly, focus on bringing what you’ve worked on forever to fruition, allow it to feed you and continue to learn whatever you can from anyone who is successful. ~Read Eric Francis daily at PlanetWaves.net

THe ARTful Mind deCeMBeR 2013 •19

FRONT STREET GALLERY

Kate Knapp, Bird Feed in Winter, 24” x 24”

Painting Classes on Monday and Wednesday mornings 10 - 1pm at the Studio and Thursday mornings 10am - 1pm out in the field.

Open to all.

Laurie Donovan, Blue Tourmaline, Imperial Topaz Pendant

413-274-6607 413-429-7141 (cell) 413-528-9546 Gallery Hours: Saturday and Sunday 12-5 or by appointment FRONT STREET, downtown HOUSATONIC, MA

GOLDSMITHS FINE JEWELRY GEMS Fine Contemporary Hand Made Jewelry.

The most outstanding collection of colored gemstones in the Berkshires.

20 • MARCH 2014 Anniversary Issue! 20 Years Old! THe ARTful Mind

81 CHURCH ST. LENOX MA Idonovan@lauriedonovan.com www.lauriedonovan.com 413. 637. 1589 FAX: 413. 637. 8275