The Artful Mind ...March 2024 issue

THE BERKSHIRES MAGAZINE FOR PROMOTING THE ARTS

In Print & Online

Free Since 1994

THE ARTFUL MIND MARCH 2024

PAMELA BERKELEY Photography by Bobby Miller

KEITH DAVIDSON

Natural Embrace

www.davidsondesigncompany.net Studio appointments, please call 413-528-6945 Keith and Mary original artwork for sale Studio/gallery, South Egremont, MA

THE ARTFUL MIND MARCH Time flies when you’re making art PATRICIA CANCELO Multi-disciplinary Artist - Barcelona, Spain Interview by H. Candee...16

PAMELA BERKELEY Visual Artist PHOTOGRAPHY OF THE ARTIST...BOBBY MILLER Interview by H. Candee...26

ASTROLOGY FOR CREATIVES D.M. Musgrave - March 2024 ...43 RICHARD BRITELL | FICTION THE PRODIGAL DOG PT. 6: VALERIA’S DREAM...47

Publisher Harryet Candee Copy Editor

Marguerite Bride

Third Eye Jeff Bynack

JANE GENNARO

Distribution Ruby Aver Carolyn Kinsolving Contributing Writers Richard Britell Deanna Musgrave Contributing Photographers Edward Acker Tasja Keetman Bobby Miller ADVERTISING RATES 413 - 645 - 4114 artfulmind@yahoo.com issuu.com | Instagram FB: ARTFUL MIND GALLERY for Artful Minds 23 The Artful Mind PO Box 985 Great Barrington, MA 01230

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. All commentaries by writers are not necessarily the opinion of the publisher and take no responsibility for their facts and opinions. All photographs submitted for advertisers are the responsibility for advertiser to grant release permission before running image or photograph.

Plastic Jesus. Photograph on dibond, baby snapping turtle (not shown) Gustavo A. Madero, Mexico City. 40 x 27-1/4 in

The baby snapping turtle shall appear on this photograph on April 13th, 2024 in Hudson, New York at Time & Space Ltd.

THE ARTFUL MIND MARCH 2024 • 1

MOLLIE KELLOGG

CLASSIC FLORA, WILDFLOWER ENGAGEMENT RING

TW MCCLELLAND & DAUGHTERS CREATIVE FINE JEWELRY Tim McClelland is a fine jeweler in Great Barrington, MA known for his 20+ years as the creative hands and mind behind McTeigue & McClelland Jewelers. He has been practicing the art of jewelry making for more than 50 years.

Engagement rings from his Wildflower Collection are worn by editors of Vogue, Vanity Fair, W, Town & Country, Martha Stewart Weddings, and acclaimed by many more. TWM original pieces have graced the red carpets of the Oscars and Cannes.

Tim uses ancient and traditional jewelry making techniques to bring to life timeless, inspired jewelry. His work is known the world over by jewelry connoisseurs and those who seek out originality, beauty and quality. In his designs Tim is inspired by nature, humor, light, balance, and the materials themselves. He uses his his work to create a joyful expression in a tiny space. Most importantly Tim hopes to be of service to his community and customers.

Beginning this Autumn the TWM atelier doors will open to the public, Thurs., Fri, Sat, 11 - 5pm!

Please join our mailing list via twmcclelland.com for an invite to the opening.

Contact us directly about all things jewelry at info@twmcclelland.com or 413-654-3399.

Follow along on Instagram and Pinterest at @twmcclelland

RICHARD NELSON

I try to keep a balance between my Realist pieces and my abstract work. I will frequently do two or three “ serious” drawings, usually portraits of people who interest me, or dogs or automobiles, and then follow them up with a couple of abstract pieces. Like having a beer after work.

The focus and concentration of drawing a realistic piece followed by undisciplined, anything goes abstract piece is very satisfying to me. And it seems that the freedom of that abstract work carries over, a bit , into the realistic stuff, giving it a looser , more casual feel. Likewise, the realistic stuff helps to create a somewhat less random and a bit more focused abstract. I will at times do a little purging and draw something in great detail which touches upon something more personal and at times kind of scary, which is very cathartic, but then obscure it by exaggerating lines and shapes until the original drawing is completely obfuscated and a different , abstract image replaces it.

Better than therapy, I gotta tell you.

Now it is time for me to show my work. I hope you enjoy it.

Richard Nelson nojrevned@hotmail.com

Creative Sorceress Mollie Kellogg conjures a magickal world through canvas, film, music and dance. Her award-winning Incognito Witch Project celebrated hidden magick. Prior to the Witch Project, which launched in 2009, Mollie’s work focused on motherhood themes, and figurative magical realism. Mollie is currently working from Dalton, MA in her in-home studio on fine art commissions, commercial ad design, and interdisciplinary passion projects.

Non-essential musing: I sense that creativity is somehow channeled from the universe and everyone has the ability to tap into it — and I believe if you ignore it, or crimp off your “creative flow” for whatever reasons (personal, work, fear, family, abuse, insecurity, time…), then you may suffer over time in some unexpected way.

I hope the artistics and non-creatives alike come to recognize that they can bring creativity into their everyday activities in baby steps — such as spending a little more time coordinating an outfit, putting on makeup or styling one’s hair; humming or singing a song, or tinkering on an instrument; doodling, writing poetry, jotting down dreams, or journaling; arranging the furniture, flowers, or the knick knacks on the shelf; playing, laughing, pretending, visualizing — taking pleasure in these rituals as time permits. It doesn’t need to be a big production to get a little more creative juice flowing in your life.

Mollie Kellogg 413-242-4108 artist@molliekellogg.com www.creativesorceress.com www.molliekellogg.com www.vimeo.com/molliekellogg

Life is sometimes hard. Things go wrong, in life and in love and in business and in friendship and in health and in all other ways that life can go wrong.

And when things get tough, this is what you should do. Make good art. ― Neil Gaiman 2 • MARCH 2024 THE ARTFUL MIND

Nina Lipkowitz

"Inner World” Stoneware Collage with rattle 12.5 X 12.5 Glaze and Polychrome

OTHER WORLDS Multi Medium, Stoneware, Collages and Paintings Friday, March 1 — Sunday, March 31 Artist Opening: Saturday, March 2, 2-6 pm 510 WARREN STREET GALLERY 510 Warren Street Hudson, NY • Gallery hours: Friday and Saturday 12-6, Sunday 12-5

Ninalipkowitz@gmail.com

Ninalipkowitz.com THE ARTFUL MIND MARCH 2024 • 3

4 •MARCH 2024 THE ARTFUL MIND

Pamela Berkeley

Water Garden, Oil on Canvas, 28in x30in, 2022

Current/Upcoming Shows Naturalist Gallery, https://naturalist.gallery/ 2024 Nature Exhibition (Virtual)– 1/19/24 to 3/1924 Baker University, 615 Dearborn St, Baldwin City, KS 66006 2024 National Juried Show – 2/13/24 to 4/5/24, Opening Reception on 2/20/24, 5-7pm Rockland Arts Festival, 77 Bardonia Road, Bardonia, NY 10954 USA The Color of Skin –2/26/24 to 4/26/24, www.RocklandArtsFestival.org Virtual Reception on 3/4/24 at 7:00pm Washington Art Association, 4 Bryan Memorial Plaza, Washington Depot, CT 06794 2024 Members Show – 3/9/24 to 4/7/24, Opening Reception on 3/9/24, 4-6pm The Artful Mind at Time & Space, Ltd, 434 Columbia St, Hudson, NY 12534 Fly On The Canvas – 4/14/24 to 5/11/24, Opening Reception on 4/13/24, 5-7:30pm

Pamela Berkeley Email: therealpamelaberkeley@gmail.com Website: https://www.pberkeley.com/ (Artist videos of exhibitions are attached) Gallery: https://www.bluemountaingallery.org/ Artsy: https://www.artsy.net/artist/pamela-berkeley Cell: (413) 717-8264

THE ARTFUL MIND MARCH 2024 • 5

CANDACE EATON

ON THE FRINGE @ERIC.KORENMAN.PHOTOGRAPHY MODEL: @SHONDA_EVETTE_

DEBORAH H. CARTER LONNY JARRETT BERKSHIRE SCENIC PHOTOGRAPHY My initial memory of awakening to the creative impulse was hearing the first chord of the Beatles, Hard Day’s Night, when I was six years old. I knew something big was happening at that moment, and I had to get on board! I began studying at the Guitar Workshop, the first guitar school in America. I’ve performed music most of my life and play jazz fusion with my band Redshift.

My interest in photography blossomed as an electron-microscopist publishing neuro- and molecular-biological research out of UMASS/Amherst and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx in my early 20s.

As a lifelong meditator, martial artist, musician, and photographer, everything I engage with comes from the same unified intention toward engendering the true, the good, and the beautiful. I endeavor to capture the light that seeps through everything in landscape and nature photography.

Lonny Jarrett Community: Nourishingdestiny.com Books: Spiritpathpress.com Art: Berkshirescenicphotography.com Teaching: Lonnyjarrett.com

MULTI-MEDIA ARTIST Deborah H. Carter is a multi-media artist from Lenox, MA, who creates upcycled sustainable wearable art. Her couture pieces are constructed from post-consumer waste such as food packaging, wine corks, cardboard, books, wire, plastic, and other discarded items and thrifted wares. She manipulates the color, shape, and texture of her materials to compel us to question our assumptions of beauty and worth and ultimately reconsider our habits and attitudes about waste and consumerism.

A sewing enthusiast since the age of 8, Deborah first learned her craft by creating clothing with her mother and grandmothers. Her passion took hold as she began to design and sew apparel and accessories. After graduating with a degree in fashion design from Parsons School of Design in New York City, she worked as a women’s sportswear designer on Seventh Avenue.

Deborah’s art has been exhibited in galleries and art spaces around the US. She was one of 30 designers selected to showcase her work at the FS2020 Fashion Show annually at the University of Saint Andrews, Scotland. She has featured in the Spring 2023 What Women Create magazine.

Deborah Carter 413-441-3220, Clock Tower Artists, 75 S. Church St., Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Studio 315, 3rd floor. Instagram: @deborah_h_carter Debhcarter@yahoo.com

“It is not the language of painters but the language of nature which one should listen to, the feeling for the things themselves, for reality, is more important than the feeling for pictures.”

—Vincent Van Gogh

6 • MARCH 2024 THE ARTFUL MIND

“Each gesture is its own psychological statement...” The unfolding of the life force within me as it comes in contact with the given world about me motivates me creatively. The heart of the human experience, when it enters the numinous is beyond any style or “brand” of art and does not belong to any movement.

American Archetype and Icon Series - I am dedicated to presenting the complexities and dualities inherent in our human nature. Because my paintings function on multiple levels – social, psychological and spiritual, I have reduced the image to its most sparse. I consciously work in a fairly traditional technique, which allows me to manipulate the figure with any subtle augmentations needed to enhance a gesture. I delete all but the essential props, so the gesture dominates the often poster- like format: This frees me to delve into our human condition both psychological and spiritual, even when I use a particular current or social issue to highlight this. These Archetypes and Icons stimulate an awareness that arises when the multiple layers of reality are allowed to exist in one frozen moment, in one human being.

Jazz Horse Series - my Jazz/Horse series spring onto the canvas, where I basically control only the composition. They are muse-driven from the primal life force within each of us that can be sterilized out of us. Eros has its opposite in Thanatos.

Despite the perceived erotic overtones of many of these Jazz/Horse paintings, this very merging with the other brings us out of the illusion of isolation and time and gives us a glimpse of the eternal pulse of life outside of our temporal perception of time. They are a door to a more spirited and spiritual life; a celebration of the joining of duality and joy of being totally present when the “I” and “Thou” merge with the creative pulse of being.

Candace Eaton631-413-5057 www.candaceeaton.com candaceeatonstudio@gmail.com candace@candaceeaton.com

THE ARTFUL MIND MARCH 2024 • 7

Ghetta Hirsch Ghetta’s artwork will be on view April 13 - May 11, 2024 “FLY ON THE CANVAS” Time & Space Limited TSL 434 Columbia Street Downtown Hudson NY 413. 597. 1716 ghetta-hirsch.squarespace.com Ghettagh@gmail.com

Tree Line 2017 Oil on Canvas, 10”x10”

DARK AND LIGHT FEBRUARY 2 - MARCH 31, 2024 ———AT HOTEL ON NORTH 297 NORTH ST., PITTSFIELD, MA

MARK MELLINGER Paintings - Collage - Constructions

CLOCK TOWER ARTISTS 3rd Floor 75 South Church St Pittsfield MA 914. 260. 7413 instagram.com/mellinger3301 markmellinger680@gmail.com

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Alamogordo. Acrylic and collage, 20 x 20”

THE ARTFUL MIND Presents

FLY ON THE CANVAS “The Transience of life and the importance of cherishing every moment.”

ALEXANDRA ROZENMAN

JAYE ALISON MOSCARIELLO

MATT BERNSON

ANDREAS ENGEL

JEAN BLACKBURN

MICHAEL CHELMINSKI

BOBBY MILLER

JOHN LECLAIR

MOLLIE KELLOGG

BRUCE LAIRD

JONI CARRON

PAMELA BERKELEY

BRUCE MURPHY

JORDAN NOBUKO BAKER

PAMELA TUCKER

BRUCE PANOCK

KAREN J ANDREWS

POPS PETERSON

CANDACE EATON

KATE KNAPP

RICHARD BRITELL

DEBORAH H CARTER

KATHERINE BORKOWSKI - BYRNE

RICHARD CRIDDLE

DIANE FIRTELL

KATHLINE CARR

RICHARD NELSON

ELEANOR LORD

KEITH DAVIDSON

RICHARD TALBERT

ELIZABETH CASSIDY

LESLEE CARSEWELL

RUBY AVER

ERIKA LARSKAYA

LINDA MASON

SALLY TISKA RICE

GAIL GELBURD

LIONEL DELEVINGNE

SARAH HORNE

GHETTA HIRSCH

LONNY JARRETT

S.R. AIKEN

HIDEYO OKAMURA

MARCIA CLARK

SUSAN SABINO

JANE GENNARO

MARILYN ORNER

SUZANNE LACKE

JANET COOPER

MARY ANN YARMOSKY

TAMARA KRENDEL

MARY DAVIDSON

APRIL 13 through May 11, 2024 Reception for Artists: Saturday, April 13, 5 PM - 7:30 PM Time & Space LTD / TSL 434 Columbia Street, Hudson New York (518) 822-8100 • www.timeandspace.org Open Daily 12-5 PM PHOTOGRAPH BY BRUCE MURPHY

PAINTING BY KATE KNAPP

FRONT ST. GALLERY UNVEILING, ACRYLIC ON CANVAS 24” X 30”

RUBY AVER STREET ZEN

Growing up on the Southside of Chicago in the 60s was a history rich and troubled time. As a youth, playing in the streets demanded grit.

Teaching Tai chi for the last 30 years requires a Zen state of mind. My paintings come from this quiet place that exhibit the rich grit of my youth .

Movement, shape and color dominate, spontaneously combining raw as well as delicate impulses.

Ruby Aver Housatonic Studio open by appointment: 413-854-7007, rdaver2@gmail.com, Instagram: rdaver2

WHERE IS KIZER? ACRYLIC ON CANVAS 74” X 70”

MARK MELLINGER

My two careers, art and psychoanalysis, concern what can be said and what remains mute. In painting, collage and constructions of wood and iron I’m interested in the eloquence of the materials.

Avoiding a recognizable style in favor of experimentation, I explore the possibilities of the media. Our world and culture are dissolving. Art can create precious islands of meaning and joy.

Mark will be showing his work at Hotel on North, February 2 - March 31, 2024, 297 North St., Pittsfield, MA 01201 Mark V. Mellinger, Ph.D.914-260-7413, 75 S Church St, Pittsfield MA, instagram.com/mellinger3301

Pastels, oils, acrylics, and watercolors…abstract and representational…..landscapes, still lifes and portraits….a unique variety of painting techniques 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 10-1:30 pm 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 are welcome. Personal critiques are available.

Kate will be showing “My Garden” series of paintings at 510 Hudson Gallery, 510 Warren St, Hudson, NY. Feb 1- through the 25th. Reception is Saturday, February 10, 2 - 6pm.

Front Street Gallery, Housatonic, MA. Gallery open by appointment or chance, anytime. 413528-9546 at home or 413-429-7141 (cell) www.kateknappartist.com

The perfect gift to show friendship and love.

Find charms that delight and fascinate.

Hand-made beaded jewelry, plus there’s so much more to see on Laura’s online site!

— Commissioned pieces welcome —

Loopey LaLa

www.LoopeyLaLa.Etsy.com 10 • MARCH 2024 THE ARTFUL MIND

CANDACE EATON

East of the Sun West of the Moon 14” x 30” Oil | Jazz / Horse Series

The Jazz/Horse series spontaneously sprang onto my canvas after a model, posing for my very consciously controlled representational Archetype/Icon painting series, switched my classical station to a jazz station. This inspired these freeflowing and expressive works, and the acknowledged series name “Jazz”: These are Muse driven from the primal life force within each of us, and despite the perceived erotic overtones, this merging shows us a glimpse of life outside the temporal perception of time and the isolation of Self…

The use of the equine form represents the physical, powerful and beautiful carnal life force and opens a door to a more spirited and spiritual life; a celebration of passion and surrender of ones’ self to the Other - a total merging with the creative pulse of being...

They are not precomposed and I let the curves of the human body and horse shapes intermingle with one shape calling for the next in the dance between them.

—Candace Eaton

www.candaceeaton.com candaceeatonstudio@gmail.com candace@candaceeaton.com Studio: Sheffield, MA (631) 413-5057

Jazz/Horse pieces can be purchased as giclee prints on canvas. Contact Artist.

Jazz /Horse Series and ArchetypeSeries will be on view at Fly On The Canvas Art Exhibit OPENING RECEPTION: Saturday, April 13, 5 - 7:30pm through May 11, 2024.

Time & Space Ltd, 434 Columbia St, Hudson, NY

THE ARTFUL MIND MARCH 2024 • 11

Gallery

THE GUILD OF BERKSHIRE ARTISTS - presents -

“Angels of New York, Scenes of Great Barrington: A Journey of Discovery” Rachel Kaufman • Chelsea Bradway

April 11 - 21, 2024 Opening Reception: Saturday, April 13 at 5pm

Artist Talk: Saturday, April 20 at 2pm

Art on Main - Gallery 38 Main Street, West Stockbridge, MA 01266 Gallery Hours: Thursday - Sunday, 11 - 4pm For more information about the exhibit and current Art on Main Gallery Shows and hours go to our websitewww.berkshireartists.org Presented by the Guild of Berkshire Artists

12 • MARCH 2024 THE ARTFUL MIND

ELEANOR LORD

Landscape, Pastel

Carolyn M. Abrams

"Night Vision" oils/cold wax medium

Atmospheric and Inspirational Art

Please visit—

www.carolynabrams.com

www.eleanorlord.com

MEMBER GUILD OF BERKSHIRE ARTISTS

To see more of the Artist’s Landscapes, Still-life, Portraiture and more.

Intro to Cold Wax Medium class starting in April at Berkshire South Community Center More info: www.berkshireartists.org

DON LONGO

"This painting is a reflection of life. We are all on a journey that can sometimes be very challenging and at other times, it can be very smooth. This painting is about those challenging times we all have. We can get through those times with calmness and relaxation in spite of the chaos." - Don Longo

www.donlongoart.com

Facebook: Don Longo Instagram: don_longo Email: dljoseph55@yahoo.com

TRANSFORMATION Acyrlics and Enamel Spray Paint, 24” x 36”

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CLOSE ENCOUNTERS WITH MUSIC CELTIC BAROQUE BAND MAKARIS On Sunday, March 17, at 4 PM at Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in, Great Barrington, CEWM will present “Celtic Baroque Band Makaris – A Bach Family Concert with an Irish Twist”.

In his dance suites, J.S. Bach ventures into Spanish sarabandes, French bourrées, and British gigues. He and family members delighted in arranging Celtic and Scottish folk music. They will be joined by Beethoven and Haydn who also forayed into Irish folk music with their own arrangements.

Makaris formed in 2018 to explore the broad musical heritage of Scotland and the following year released its disc Wisps in the Dell, to critical international acclaim (“Absolutely wonderful… one of the very best releases of 2019 – MusicWeb International.) A makar (pl. makaris) was a royal court troubadour of medieval Scotland and the program provides a lush sampling from the ensemble’s collection. “You can’t help but feel like you’ve suddenly traveled back in time and are enjoying a tankard of old Scottish ale inside a seedy establishment.” – Classical Music Sentinel As of this season, CEWM has resumed its hors d’oeuvres and wine receptions. Audience members are invited to meet the artists and enjoy beverages and bites by Authentic Eats by Oleg on stage at the Afterglow receptions. Join us!

In addition to offering live in-person concerts, curated online performances will be available to accommodate geographically remote listeners and newly expanded virtual followers.

“CEWM patrons have learned that sooner or later they’ll be blindsided by a performance so sublime it will defy explanation.” - The Berkshire Edge Tickets, $52 for Orchestra and Mezzanine and $25 for Balcony seats, can be purchased at www.cewm.org or by calling 800-843-0778. Prorated Season subscriptions for the remainder of 2024 ($185 Regular, $160 Senior), are available until February 11 at cewm.org. We also offer a virtual option—tickets are $28 for individual programs, delivered to your email address.

DETAIL OF THE ARCHITECTURE OF HUMAN RESPONSE 2021-2024

HIGH-FIRED CERAMIC RECESSED TOILET PAPER HOLDERS, METAL, A SYRINGE MADE IN UKRAINE, AN EGG, A MARBLE, A SOAPSTONE BOOKEND.

JANE GENNARO THE ARCHITECTURE OF HUMAN RESPONSE 2021 Corona, the paper calls it A deadly virus going global; Italians are singing from balconies, Shanghai apartment buildings echo with screams of protest, Americans hoard toilet paper.

Up the block, on a brownstone stoop, a pile of junk with a cardboard sign says “Help Yourself”.

I unearth two white ceramic blocks— What the? These are high-fired ceramic recessed toilet paper holders! Uncanny.

I play with my new playthings in my studio upstate.

I stack, balance, and unbalance them.

Turn one on its side. Push out the old wooden spool.

Pop a marble that looks like planet Earth in the circular indentation that held the spool.

2022 February. Russia invades Ukraine in an escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War that started in 2014.

I go on Etsy and order vintage medical syringes made in Ukraine.

They arrive safely with a note from the seller.

“Thank you for supporting Ukraine!”

I insert the glass syringe into the ceramic block.

2023 In a thrift store, I spot a soapstone bookend.

It’s shaped like books; its partner has gone missing.

I buy it and sand off its pond-scum color which softens into an aqua akin to blue farm eggs.

2024 Stephen’s in the kitchen unloading groceries.

I grab a blue farm egg and replace the marble.

I move the marble onto a steel wedge I’ve epoxied to the edge of the white ceramic block.

I see a small blue planet on top of things that humans like me struggle to grasp.

Jane Gennaro -janegennaro.com THE ARTFUL MIND MARCH 2024 • 15

PATRICIA CANCELO

MULTI-DISCIPLINARY ARTIST z BARCELONA, SPAIN Interview by Harryet Candee

Photography Courtesy of the Artist

My parents lived through General Franco’s dictatorship and were forced to emigrate to Paris. They were able to return after Franco's death, although the post-dictatorship impact, and the effects of the civil war were still in the air throughout the country. Perhaps this is why I am particularly grateful to have been born in a democratic country—especially as a woman—where gender equality, rights, and freedom are fought for. —Patricia Cancelo Harryet Candee: Tell us a little about your artistic goals and your journey to reach this point in your artistic endeavors.

Patricia Cancelo: I consider myself an iron sculptor and also a painter. I do not define myself as an “artist” per se, but primarily as a sculptor. I have loved art for as long as I can remember.

From a very young age, any material that fell into my hands was susceptible to becoming “more.”

The fact that I went to a school based on the Montessori philosophy helped develop my creativity even further. But it would be some time before art went from being a first love to a hobby, a career, and a lifestyle. I initially studied journalism and received a master’s degree in “reporting and investigation.” I worked for 12 years in this exciting (but also very politicized) profession, taking on various positions as a television reporter, presenter, radio host, and editor-in-chief, to name a few, and this career gave me the material means 16 • MARCH 2024 THE ARTFUL MIND

to invest in my true dream eventually: art.

I studied a wide array of art disciplines, including graphic design. I worked with all materials (clay, ceramics, cardboard, wood, stone, plaster, metal casting, etc). Pictorially, I immersed myself in watercolor, aniline, acrylic, oil, engraving, drawing, and photography. You had to work with and practice all the possible materials to learn and finally express yourself in the technique you wanted. And most importantly, I knew that you had to master the technique, not allow the technique ever to dominate you. Of course, sometimes chance would bring an unexpected discovery, and just like a scientist, I would investigate new materials or ideas that sometimes lay within my heart.

It took many years of study and working in various jobs (including, in the early years, hostess, advertising model, waitress, and saleswoman) until I eventually was able to work in art galleries, where I also learned a great deal (particularly Ga-

lería H20, architecture, design and photography” in Barcelona). For the past 12 years, I have worked in art galleries, including two galleries of my own in the last four years and three that I opened on behalf of clients.

I am passionate about what I do, and I try to prioritize to be able to achieve everything, but many days there is simply not enough time to be a working sculptor while running a gallery. In the long run, the “art” will have to come first, but I get joy from representing local and emerging artists from all over the globe.

How has your cultural heritage shaped your artistic vision and influenced the way you approach your work?

PC: My parents lived through the General Franco’s dictatorship and were forced to emigrate to Paris. They were able to return after Franco’s death, although the post-dictatorship impact and

Left: Patricia in Kolding, Denmark. Photo: Dennis Marzec Right: Patricia working with iron.

Sophia Princess in Barcelona. Photo: Luis Fatas

the effects of the civil war were still in the air throughout the country. Perhaps this is why I am particularly grateful to have been born in a democratic country—especially as a woman—where gender equality, rights, and freedom are fought for. I am grateful for having access to education, to a decent and paid job, to be able to travel freely without having to depend on patriarchy and to be able to decide who I want to be with, what country to live in, and what clothes to wear without fear of incrimination or imprisonment. I am grateful for having a family that loves and supports me and friends from different cultures because this enriches me and makes me more empathetic and generous. I am grateful for having access to social security so that I can get medical care. I give thanks for all these things, for the food on my table, and much more.

I am from Galicia, which is in the north of Spain.

It is beautiful community full of green forests and

the rough Atlantic. I live in Barcelona in the sultry south, on the calm Mediterranean. This geographical mixture of ocean and sea, forest green and dusty olive, cool and hot, heightens my love of visual contrast and artistic freedom.

Living in a country full of art and architecture from different artistic periods enriches me not only as an artist but as a person. It allows me access to everything I need to continue training myself should I desire.

My works are universes, spaces open to the world, balanced architectures, square and circular worlds, and simple shapes inspired by geometry.

Iron is my material; it is my love and my inspiration.

Could you share a childhood memory that inspired your creativity, curiosity, and artistic pursuits?

PC: I remember watching my grandmother mak-

ing square-shaped cubes from fallen breadcrumbs while eating. I find it wonderful to be able to create with any material. Often, I find myself doing the same thing unconsciously while eating.

I remember waking up one day to find a handful of white stones on my pillow. I was only 3 or 4 years old. My father told me that they were stones from the moon. He said we had gone by rocket to the moon that night to gather them but that I had fallen asleep.

I remember the day I told my mother I wanted to leave my job as a management secretary to dedicate myself to art. I said it with a very small voice. In my time, any “liberal” profession (actress, singer, artist) was not considered a career.

My mother told me, “You will never lack a plate of food at home. Do what makes you happy.” My mother’s response was to give me wings and fill them with super feathers to fly even higher.

Continued on next page...

THE ARTFUL MIND MARCH 2024 • 17

Squares, metal sculpture Photo: Aquell-de-les-Fotos, Oxiterri, in Porqueres, Girona

What was the most crucial factor that fueled your artistic endeavors and kept you focused throughout related careers that were steppingstones to where you are today?

PC: The main factor was work, work, work, fueled with enormous doses of enthusiasm and belief in myself one thousand percent. Of course, there were other factors, such as courage and patience (although I am not that patient, to be honest), listening to criticism, and being brave.

Society is not always prepared for artists. We either interpret life differently or we are different.

Sometimes the light that shines within us can cast a shadow on another artist’s light, and they try to put out your flame with destructive criticism. This can be very difficult, especially for “highly sensitive” people, like me. To dedicate oneself and survive in the world of art, one must be brave and unselfconscious, authentic, unique and unrepeatable.

One day in Bilbao, I was looking for new opportunities to show my work and was knocking on art galleries’ doors. After a few days with no luck, 18 • MARCH 2024 THE ARTFUL MIND

I was standing in the Bilbao estuary, admiring the changing light on the side of the Guggenheim Museum. Due to the structure of the platinum plates on this architectural gem, it looked as if the light was painted onto the building. At that moment, I spontaneously decided to knock on the door of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. I said, “It costs the same amount to knock on a big door as on a small one.” I never could have imagined that they would order my sculptures to be turned into jewelry for their point of sale. It was wonderful!

That being said, chasing dreams comes at a very high price; sometimes, I have found myself alone, misunderstood, without money, traveling with a suitcase full of sculptures, knocking on a thousand doors, and receiving many “no’s.” I have sometimes stopped spending time with friends, family—even myself—because art has thoroughly absorbed me. But I know I will never get something if I am not there.

How do your concepts and ideas overlap in

your painting and sculpture, and what challenges does each pose for you?

PC: Most of my challenges are internal. I can be easily affected by disappointment or frustration, which can do much damage if I allow it to fester for too long.

Discipline is another challenge for me. I am hyper and want to finish everything so quickly that I try to do several tasks simultaneously. On the positive side, this high capacity helps me carry out many projects—often simultaneously—but it also creates an unhealthy high level of self-demand and an imbalanced quality of life. Now that I am older, I see how quickly life is going, and I am just starting to learn that we have to work to live and not only live to work.

As I mentioned earlier, my true passion is sculpture even though I love to paint. The one familiar feeling I share for both is being creative and inspired by the environment at different points in time as if looking through a lens and seeing the universe, the earth, the sea, etc., and breaking everything down.

PATRICIA CANCELO / MULTI-DISCIPLINARY / BARCELONA

Less Is More, metal sculpture Oxiterri, in Porqueres, Girona

When I stand in front of the canvas, I love that the fabric is white, and the bigger, the better. It presents more opportunity and creativity. I feel passionate and confident standing in front of the emptiness. I work standing up, placing the work on a table, or leaning on a wall, and I like to change the location throughout the process. I love bright and bold primary colors.

My paintings are more abstract than my sculptures as I capture what is evolving in nature and the environment using different textures and brush strokes. For example, I see the moods of the sea through textures and different strokes making analogies with the moods of human beings. I want different people to see different things from my abstract paintings and bring out my creativity.

When painting, I feel relaxed and disconnected from the world rather than passionate and excited.

I research the mixtures of materials and apply them to the paint using varying salts, minerals, oxides, gesso, sands, etc. Acrylic is my medium of choice because it dries quickly and is easier to use.

I like to combine textures and other materials and

see the results as soon as possible. This suits my impatience, though I admit that my impatience is my worst attribute in the creative process, and I am trying to learn more self-restraint.

Working on sculpture allows me to escape to a “third level.” Although I also disconnect from the world, like when I paint, I am not relaxed; it’s a different sensation—I feel tense and stressed. I feel like the iron is speaking to me and challenging me. I can relate to its qualities, oxides, etc. The loud ringing sounds like a banging hammer in my ears, and the smell of the electrodes when welding the iron gets me all fired up. The sound is never the same and there is so much heterogeneity. An electrode can sound like a symphony or the chaos of uncontrolled sparks. The physical work is grueling and exhausting, another reason you see so few women sculptors. I may go for hours and hours without food, sleep, bathroom breaks, etc, without realizing the passage of time. The iron is like a magnet; I can’t separate myself from it and it’s one of my favorite obsessions.

I came to iron almost by accident after trying

many materials. The head of the Escola la Llotja Art School in Barcelona, Josep Maria, noticed my clay sculptures and presented them to other teachers. Thanks to him, may he rest in peace; they offered me an iron monograph that I accepted with very little enthusiasm and more out of social conscience.

However, when I started working with iron on the first day of class, I connected with it magically. I made a two-meter sculpture with iron profiles inspired by Egyptian gods. The work ended up being a finalist in the Besalú Sculpture Competition. Besalú is a beautiful town, and it was there that I met my future teacher, Parés, who was 77 at the time. It was the 1990s and he refused to accept me into his workshop. At the time (and even today), few women worked iron, but I finally managed to convince him to take me into his allmale workshop. Although he did so reluctantly, he announced after I had been there for a time, “Patricia sees things in iron that the rest of us can’t see.” It is the best compliment I’ve ever received.

Continued on next page...

THE ARTFUL MIND MARCH 2024 • 19

Nature in Denmark, Acrylic Patricia Cancelo Art Gallery BCN, Barcelona. Photo: Luis Fatas

What are you currently working on?

PC: I am always working on my ironwork. I am creating a three-meter sculpture inspired by one of my first sales in Denmark, “Lunderskov’s Universe.” Lunderskov is the city where the West Station Gallery is located. It is the gallery that allowed me to exhibit my work in Denmark for the first time. I have never made a large-scale sculpture like the one I am working on now. My most enormous sculptures have ranged between one meter and a maximum of 1.80 meters because I make each individually, and I cannot make them much more significant by myself.

And, of course, I continue with my art gallery on Enric Granados Street in Barcelona, the “street of art galleries.” I rented space there four years ago, during COVID, taking advantage of the pandemic rent drops. That space initially began as my workshop. However, with all galleries and museums closed due to the pandemic, artists began to come to my space to leave their works. Like many selfemployed people, I had been without income for over three months. Out of necessity, I opened, 20 • MARCH 2024 THE ARTFUL MIND

transforming my workshop into a gallery. It was tough at that time trying to sell art to people and convincing them that it was a primary need (though I firmly believe I would die in a world without Michelangelo’s La Pieta, Egon Schiele’s The Lovers, or Chillida’s sculptures). Somehow, I convinced buyers that although we can’t eat art literally, it feeds our souls.

Solidarity is always essential in my life. I have presented the work of 18 artists from my gallery in the West Station Gallery in Denmark and we are open to receiving proposals from other artists.

I am also collaborating with the Museo Cromática (Chromatic Museum in Toledo, Spain), lauded as the second most original museum in the world, bringing together artists from my gallery and theirs to help with charitable causes.

I am also preparing for my next exhibition in June, which will be held in Germany, and finishing work for the Paris exhibition. I have been working for years with some galleries in Ireland, Paris, Barcelona, Denmark. My lifelong dream, however, has been to exhibit In New York. I feel

fortunate that Tina Kramer, who visited my Gallery in Barcelona by chance, noticed my work and connected me to you and the New York art world.

I am glad too, Patricia. So, how was your recent show in Denmark?

PC: Even though I live in Barcelona and am of Galician origin, I was unknowingly influenced by the minimalism of the Northern countries. The gallerist Dennis Marzec of West Station Gallery noticed my work and invited me to participate as a guest international artist in his gallery. The reception has been beyond enthusiastic, with robust sales, and I am overjoyed.

Since August I have returned to Denmark every two months to continue holding exhibitions. I am very grateful to this country that has opened its doors to me and shares its love of art and culture.

The company BSP, an international company specializing in iron, has graciously given me space in its workshop with 80 workers to continue working with iron when I am in Denmark. What a luxury!

I have tremendous gratitude for both BSP and

PATRICIA CANCELO / MULTI-DISCIPLINARY / BARCELONA

The Universe in Love, Acrylic, Patricia Cancelo Art Gallery, BCN, Barcelona.

Dennis Marzec. When I am in Denmark, I am so busy, that I don’t have free time for much else. I will come back one day as a tourist and go sightseeing!

Patricia, knowing that you can call yourself a visual artist, how does that make you feel?

PC: Whether I am called an artist or a visual artist has no real impact on how I define myself or how I feel about my art. I think of myself predominantly as a sculptor, which has stayed the same. I am more concerned with how the world sees artists in general. Art is still a profession that is not viewed in a professional light. It is still seen as “bohemian,” without responsibility, schedules, or discipline, as though it is not work. That is wrong since I assure you that professional artists—not hobbyists—work many hours on our art, sacrifice family time for work, pack our suitcases and travel thousands of kilometers to look for alternatives to art, trust galleries to move our work, and often support themselves with other jobs to be able to dedicate themselves to their art. I have

chosen art as both a profession and a lifestyle. Of course, I like being an artist, even if it involves many sacrifices. Art has given me the greatest joys but also some of the greatest disappointments.

What makes me feel good is not what they call me but whether I have achieved my goals. The following is what gives me sustenance: Being selected to participate in international Art Fairs, such as “Artexpo,” Barcelona; “ARTGenève,” Switzerland; “ArtBolzano,” Italy; “Maison &Object,” Paris; “Cannes art3f,” France or the modern and contemporary art “KunStart” among others.

Seeing my work in Museums such as “Enric Monjo Sculpture Museum” Vilassar. Barcelona, dd “CANFRANC underground scientific museum .” Huesca.

Being present at the points of sale of the Guggenheim Museum of Bilbao; M.A.C.B.A., Museum of Contemporary Art of Barcelona; M.N.A.C., National Museum of Art of Catalonia; Picasso Museum of Barcelona; C.C.C.B., Center for Contemporary Culture of Barcelona or La Pedrera

among others.

One of my greatest joys was a tribute I received from the “I.E.S. Mariá Perez Trujillo,” a creative institute in Tenerife, Canary Islands. They invited me to give a conference to talk about my art, but to my surprise, the students welcomed me with an intricate menu, hairstyles, clothes, and even napkins and napkin rings, all of which were inspired by my work. I am still moved to this day by the tribute they paid me.

Tell me about your art studio.

PC: I have a small space at the end of my art gallery that should be my workshop; not surprisingly, it has become a warehouse for unsold works after our gallery exhibitions. Since the building is residential, I cannot use it for welding or flammable materials, so I can only use it for painting. When I work on my sculptures, I am lucky to use space in a family business, Oxiterri, Porqueres, and Girona. They have welcomed me into their workshop since 1998 and helped me send my large Continued on next page...

THE ARTFUL MIND MARCH 2024 • 21

Cities, painting and small sculptures Patricia Cancelo Art Gallery, BCN Barcelona

format works to my first exhibition in Mallorca at the Biel Perelló Gallery. In Denmark, I work as a guest artist at the BSP workshop or the West Station Gallery. I know that my first teacher, Parés, who eventually (if reluctantly) let me use his workshop, is still watching me and taking care of me wherever he is.

Where did you gain your practical skills in artmaking?

PC: When I was little, I was always interested in creative subjects, like theater, art, and literature, without knowing I could create. In school, science was a problem for me; I constantly failed mathematics, physics, and chemistry; they seemed like frustrating hieroglyphics. Interestingly, when I was invited to the University of the Basque Country to lecture, I discovered a mathematical basis in my sculptures that I was unaware of. It was a very reassuring experience to know that I understood math intuitively, if not on paper!

My specific academic and art education are as follows:Graduated in Arts. I.D.E.P. Higher School of Image and Design. Barcelona. Graduated in Com22 • MARCH 2024

THE ARTFUL MIND

munication. U.O.C. Open University of Catalonia.II History of Art. University of Barcelona.

Master in Reporting and Investigation.

T.R.A.C.O.R. The T.V. World. Madrid. Artistic forging. Higher School of Design and Art Llotja.

Barcelona. Sculpture course. Núria Pie ceramics workshop. Techniques applied to sculpture, module I. Universitat de Belles Arts d’Olot. Girona.

Organizing a global exhibition of your art can take time due to the different criteria of galleries and other venues. How do you handle the details when displaying your art? Has this affected your artistic perspective? Do you feel more inclined to exhibit your art in different parts of the world or prefer to stay closer to home?

PC: Organizing an exhibition is always a lot of work. Each gallery has its criteria, which sometimes differ from yours. So, when you travel abroad, as the popular proverb says, which is very wise: “Wherever you go, do what you see.” Generally, outside my “house,” I trust the professionals to display my work in their way. Usually,

there are no problems of any kind; I am already so excited just knowing that they are going to exhibit my work, so I demand nothing more than the same professionalism with which I work.

I have had a suitcase full of sculptures my whole life. Going out, traveling, and having an open mind makes you more empathetic, cultured, and generous. I like to be close to home, too, but I have traveled a lot to open new doors in my work, and if I had yet to do so, my career would not be what it is now.

Can you share your perception of life in Barcelona?

PC: Barcelona is a cosmopolitan and traditional city, open to the world, with a privileged, multicultural geographical enclave. It has mountains and sea; It has soccer fields and universities, parliament, theaters, cinemas, restaurants of all kinds, bars, museums and galleries. It has everything.

Barcelona is a wonderful city to live in, full of opportunities. Like all big cities, it has its difficulties. With all this, I am happy to live here!

PATRICIA CANCELO / MULTI-DISCIPLINARY / BARCELONA

Movement, Acrylic, Patricia Cancelo, Patricia Cancelo Art Gallery, BCN, Barcelona

Who was your true mentor in your education, family, and friends, and who continues to play that role today?

PC: My mother has believed in me from birth and still is my biggest fan.

Where do you go when you are 100% untethered and want to recharge?

PC: When I don’t have a good day or too much stress, I love to lie on the couch with my mother, doing nothing but watch a movie, bad or good; it doesn’t matter, as long as I don’t have to think.

Being with my dog took away all the evils in the world. In due time I will have to adopt another one of these 4-legged furry dogs who only understand love and only know how to give love back.

The sea always gives me a lot of peace.

PC: To be a good person and honest with oneself and others.

What is your mantra these days?

PC: I don’t have mantras. I do not use words, sounds, or anything to concentrate, nor do I use figures of speech to reinforce thoughts.I think positively, try not to lose hope, and believe in myself by learning something new daily.

What are some of your favorite films?

PC: Spielberg’s E.T., Life is Beautiful, Martin Luther King: The Man and the Dream, Moulin Rouge and Rain Man.

Please give us a quote that you share and appreciate.

PC: “If it is good to live, it is even better to dream and, best of all, to wake up.” Antonio Machado.

Do you have a suggested reading list for those interested in learning more about your country and it’s culture?

PC: “Barcelona”. (Deluxe edition), “The Ferris Wheel.” Luis Romero, “The Shadow of the Wind” Carlos Ruiz Safón, “Last Afternoons with Teresa.” Juan Marse.

What is your attitidue about being an artist?

When you’re in the U.S., where would you like

to go? Have you visited the Berkshires in Massachusetts? ….Favorite museums and galleries?

PC: My dream is to exhibit in New York, the Berkshires, and other cities across the United States.... I have been to Florida and studied and worked as an intern at “Nis Nisse Advertising” in Lakeland. It was a wonderful experience.

I have yet to visit the New York Museums in person, so I can’t choose a favorite. If I am correct, there are about 100 museums in New York alone.

I would love to visit the Solomon R. Guggenheim, which I only know from photographs. I dream of exhibiting there. I would spend time in all the larger and smaller museums I come across, but visiting it would take two entire lives.

Thank you, Patricia.

THE ARTFUL MIND MARCH 2024 • 23

elizabeth cassidy

Artist, Writer, Illustrator, Peace Lover I am one of the artists whose work will be featured in the big group show FLY ON THE CANVAS “The transience of life and the importance of cherishing every moment” April 13th – May 11, 2024 • Reception: Saturday, April 13th, 5-7:30 PM TIME & SPACE LTD. / TSL 434 Columbia Street, Hudson, NY Open Daily Learn more at: www.elizabethcassidystudioworks.com elizabethcassidyart@gmail.com 24 • MARCH 2024 THE ARTFUL MIND

THE ARTFUL MIND MARCH 2024 • 25

PAMELA BERKELEY VISUAL ARTIST

Interview by Harryet Candee Photography by Bobby Miller & Courtesy of the Artist

“To be an artist you have to know who you are. If you are an artist, you know it without a doubt.

The same is true for magicians.” - Pamela Berkeley During winter, our art studios are the perfect place to bring ideas to life. Pamela, what are you currently working on? Please share with us.

Pamela Berkeley: Winter here in the Berkshires is so peaceful and quiet. Especially out here in the woods. The light is soft and moody. Fires in the stoves and fireplace. Maybe some bulbs flowering in bowls of water. I’ve painted all that. At the moment, I’m transforming something that I had started a while ago.

What new challenges are you facing when initiating this work?

PB: The painting I’m working on is being made in a new way. It started off this summer, but because there were a lot of shows, visitors and holidays, I hadn’t finished it. I was nearly done, but the flowers had gone by and the light had changed. It’s a still life with a favorite vase. I’m in love with what it began as, but it cannot be.

26 • MARCH 2024 THE ARTFUL MIND

This is unusual for me, because I work quickly.

What new insights have you gained about yourself while working on this new painting?

PB: This may sound odd, but I almost never have not finished what I started. When I want to make something, I do it. Once the inspiration and desire are there, it’s practically done.

To finish this painting, I need to rely on memory.

This is a challenge. I don’t always trust myself to make things up. We don’t like to doubt ourselves.

I have to make changes in light, colors, tone, basically a new painting. I was blown away by the colors, deep reds and purples, of these gorgeous Hellebores that I had seen at Wards Nursery and at the Big Y. I was rescued by this vision. I don’t know if this makes sense to someone who is not an artist, but it is from these intimate and personal insights that art, real art, is born. And it is a lot of work, discipline and experience (and joy and pain sometimes) to recognize these things. I just hope

the painting turns out right, because so much is going into it. We, as artists, know that, but do we want it to be known? Maybe because we want it to be looked at and appreciated, without question.

How have your life experiences influenced your artwork and shaped you as an artist?

PB: My first husband, and the father of my older daughter, died when she was still a baby I lived in Garrison, NY, on the Hudson River.

When I was a teenager, I modeled at the Garrison Art Center drawing classes, where I also drew.

Carter Jones was a high school friend. After school, he and I would take the train to the City to take life drawing classes at the Art Students League and the School of Visual Arts. We also studied at the Westchester County Center with Stephen Peck, who taught portraiture and anatomy. Carter was a very talented artist and sculptor, even as a teenager. Still an old friend. We knew what we wanted and who we were, even as kids.

The Mussel Shoals at Duck Trap, Oil on Canvas, 16in x20in, 1979

The rest I figured out for myself. I painted abstractly for a while, because although my drawing was good, I needed to learn about paint and what it would do. I loved to manipulate acrylics, but it was more like playing; the colors were too plastic.

I could only really paint seriously in oils and occasionally watercolor.

When creating a painting, what essential principles of art do you follow?

PB: I paint from life, whether it is indoors, outdoors, any season, still life or animals grazing. I use natural light. If there is not enough time to finish the work, I’ll have to wait until the next year or time of day.

I use a limited palette: raw umber, burnt sienna, ochre, a warm and a cool yellow, a warm and cool red, a warm and cool blue, plus black & white. I do use two colors impossible to mix: sap green and cobalt violet light.

This painting, “The Mussel Shoals at Duck Trap” was done in Maine at the mouth of the Duck Trap River. I drove my truck from our farm to the beach every day to be there at low tide. Fortunately, the weather was good for the week and a half it took to paint it in late summer. You can

see that the palette is very limited; mostly earth tones and blues, with a little bit of sap green and sienna in the pine trees. I don’t believe in composition because everything in nature is balanced.

You just have to pay attention. I have been working from small sketches for larger paintings. I have dragged my French easel many places. In cold weather I look out the windows. I have been finding that I can rely on my memory, and that I can make things up after 60 years.

Spirituality and sexuality are common themes in art, whether expressed subtly or overtly.

Please share examples of how these themes manifest in your work and their meaning.

PB: Because I was raised by atheists, I equate spirituality with magic, although I’ve been spoken to by spirits, ghosts, and my life has been saved a few times by the Goddess speaking to me, I don’t believe in any heavy-handed god. I work effective magic at my altars. I have done many altar paintings. These resemble still lifes, but not quite still if you stare at them for a while. They have a life of their own and begin to move. They are inspired by nature and objects of power. The altars are a way of giving thanks for perception and abilities.

These talismans might be candles, plants, seashells, crystal balls, sometimes even live creatures like goldfish or sleeping cats.

Things of a magical nature, such as my mother’s crescent moon mirror, or my dad’s pen knife, are charged with life for me. In warmer weather, I place altars outdoors, and paint them on the porch, or on a log or a rock in the brook. Glass bowls.

Mason jars. I am especially enchanted by a vase

by Peter Hewitt, which allows the flowers or branches placed in it to look as if they are levitating.

Sexuality? I leave that to the viewer. I did enjoy painting Willem Dafoe as he lay on the floor of my studio. There is a painting of me sucking a popsicle in the background. Willem is a very sweet man.

Please tell me which of your paintings holds a special place in your heart and explain why it's so meaningful.

PB: The large painting of my daughters, Tanyth at 13 and Eleanor at 1 year old, in front of the diorama of African animals and their babies, ‘The Water Hole” is very important to me. Not just beContinued on next page...

THE ARTFUL MIND MARCH 2024 • 27

Pamela working on latest painting. Hellebores.

Photo: Bill Reed

Autum Hydrangea, Oil on Canvas, 12in x12in, 2023

cause of their images, but because I was learning to paint in a different scale after my paralyzed right hand healed after a dog bite.

Both of my daughters, Tanyth Berkeley and Eleanor Boynton are very gifted artists. Tanyth is a photographer who graduated with her MFA from Columbia. She teaches at The School of Visual Arts and co-teaches at Cooper Union. She has been in shows at the Museum of Modern Art and has been represented by commercial galleries. She has published beautiful books. Eleanor has been able to draw like Raphael since she was 10 years old. She received her degree from Parsons School of Design and has illustrated books and does the most exquisite tattoos and body art I’ve ever seen.

Look them up on the computer.

The painting of my current husband Bill playing his piano, with our dog, Elke, laying on the floor in front, a large window behind. It’s late winter.

There is a blue vase of sunflowers in the foreground, a symbol of the war in Ukraine, which had just broken out. It took quite a while to get the drawing right on the piano. If the angles and curves are wrong, they look disturbing, and it doesn’t sound right.

What comes to mind when you look back at the sketches you made in your early sketchbooks?

28 •MARCH 2024 THE ARTFUL MIND

How do they continue to influence the art you create today?

PB: After my first husband died, and my daughter Tanyth was not yet a year old, I moved to Garrison, NY, near where I grew up. I had my Afghan Hound and my Lhasa Apso, and my sketch books, and art materials. We lived on a beautiful old estate. My friend Richard, a very talented artist, moved in with us a bit later. All we did was draw.

We lived simply. I recently found one of my old sketch books, and I was amazed by how clear and good those sketches were. I had captured Richard’s profile perfectly, the subtle curl of his lips.

I’d know that hand I drew anywhere. Many drawings of my toddler in diapers or PJs; her little fingers; her smile; my sleepy dogs.

Richard had just graduated from the Yale Art School, and knew a lot. He taught me more than anyone I had known, no matter how accomplished and famous my ex-husband or later friends were.

They didn’t know or impart what Richard knew.

It would have been 1971 when for various reasons I had to tell him to leave.

Life experiences often contribute to what and why we paint. Please share with us some memorable moments that were purely inspirational and fuel for the art you have made.

PB: When I moved to Maine, to the old house with my second husband, I did many paintings. It was very beautiful, with 40 acres of hayfield, mowed by our neighbors with their horses, and 160 acres of ancient woods. The enormous barn where we had our studios had 2 buggies and an old sleigh. An ell led from the house to the barn, with a summer kitchen. A wood cookstove. A big oak kitchen table. Rock maple floors. A spiral of fly paper hanging from the ceiling. I’m still proud of the painting I did of that kitchen. Many paintings in the garden of mason jars & water, and the windows, my daughter’s attic room overlooking the fields, with a hand painted bed with a crazy quilt. Many paintings. I loved that place.

Imagine a world where no constraints limit you, and you can explore any path you desire.

Where would you be, and what would you be doing if not for art?

PB: Do I get to look at art? Then museums!

I guess I’d be reading. I re-read most things that I like. I’ve read all of Zola, mostly in English. All of Trollope, except for the travel books. E.M. Forster, Faulkner many, many times, especially “The Hamlet” (because I’m from Mississippi), Barbara Pym, Barbara Tuchman, Jane Austen. My beloved friend, Deanne Stillman’s books; very important.

PAMELA BERKELEY VISUAL ARTIST

Tanyth & Eleanor at the Water Hole, Oil on Canvas, 48in x72in, 1982

Dylan Thomas, Hardy, Tolstoy of course, Robert Graves, and James Joyce. I’m reading “Ulysses” for the 3rd time. It is so beautiful, but you need to read it a lot, because you can’t get it otherwise.

My husband Bill got us the complete “The Thousand Nights and a Night”.

Also, shopping. I love clothes and cooking stuff.

Gardening a bit. Sitting in the brook. Being in New York to see my children and our grandkids or course.

How has art helped you in your life?

PB: I have to think about that. Has it helped me?

I don’t really know how to do anything else. It has certainly helped my concentration, like a meditation. I don’t know much about meditation, but have noticed that when I’m painting more deeply, magic and psychic stuff is stronger. More coincidences. More visits from parents and others that are gone. More serendipity. People show up.

People I like. Things work faster. Things are more clear. I know that it has saved my life several times. It has awakened me to something that I know exists.

You are a creative individual who desires multiple platforms to express your artistic voice. I understand that you have worked extensively

as an actor and artist on the set. Can you share what you did in those years and what you believe you learned from your experiences?

PB: Many of us are multi-talented (My parents never discouraged me, or told me I should learn something to get a job). I never wanted a “job”.

I did enjoy teaching, but it was disruptive. I refused to learn to type because I knew if I did, I would never be an artist. Making art can be really hard. Being in a studio alone for hours can be isolating and reclusive. As much as it’s inspiring, beautiful and rewarding, it can get oppressive.

By the way, I really resent it when people say that artists are crazy. Many artists I know are more clear sighted and grounded than most other humans. Except for a few (including the one I was married to), they are kind and insightful people.

I believe I needed to study acting because I really felt the need to interact and still be creative. I did some commercials, but it was too much like work, and time consuming. Also, I was raising my daughters.

If you had the opportunity to act in a film or on stage currently, would you feel compelled to participate? What would attract you?

PB: I don’t know… I do occasionally do some of my monologues from when I studied at HB Stu-

dios. Just because it feels good to slip into another character. Like shape shifting. I remember when Willem was posing for me, he would kind of wiggle a bit to “be fresh”.

When you lived in New York City, you met many actors who lived nearby and attended the same art events and parties. Did you form any lasting friendships from your time in NYC? PB: I did meet wonderful actors; many posed for me. And several were multi-talented and wrote or painted as well. John Malkovich was working on a play at the time he posed for me. He was writing about Jack Kerouac’s girlfriend, Joyce Johnson, who had lived in my loft.

My friend Deanne Stillman is a brilliant writer of non-fiction, comedy, film, plays, and we go back a long way. She wrote for SNL, and several of her actor friends became my friends, and posed for me.

Mark Metcalf, who notably played Neidermyer in “Animal House”, posed for the fly fisherman in my painting “Song of the Wandering Aengus”, which will be in the upcoming “Fly on the Canvas” show in Hudson. He lives out West now.

Brilliant actor. I must call him to let him know about the show. Continued on next page...

THE ARTFUL MIND MARCH 2024 • 29

Our Kitchen in Montville, Maine, Oil on Canvas, 18in x24in, 1977

The Serenade, Oil on Linen, 30in x36in, 2022 30 • MARCH 2024 THE ARTFUL MIND

PAMELA BERKELEY VISUAL ARTIST

The Subterranean, Portrait of John Malkovich, Oil on Canvas, 48in x72in, 1989

I haven’t seen John Lurie and others since moving up here to the Berkshires 22 years ago.

What did they teach you that would have been challenging to learn independently?

PB: Alex Katz would come to look at my work and would comment on my paintings. He liked them, and put me into various exhibitions, like the Invitational Academy of Arts and Letters. I was with very good company in that show. Gabor Peterdi, Mercedes Matter, William T. Wiley, Herbert Ferber, and Chuck Close; some very accomplished artists. He also bought some of my paintings.

Red Grooms loved my work and posed for the painting “Rommel Drives On Deep Into Egypt” (title taken from the Richard Brautigan book of poetry by that name), with my other red haired painter lady friends. We had a great time drinking beer and being half naked. I received several awards because of Alex’s and Red’s recommendations, including The National Endowment for the Arts for Painting, and the New York State Council for the Arts grant for painting.

Don Perlis was a good friend who was influential also.

Did they teach me anything though? Not really. It was just good to know that they liked my work and came by to watch the progress.

Did you and your actor friends grow together and reach the stars? Who do you think had the best acting abilities?

PB: Theresa Russell! Extraordinary, beautiful actress, who I was introduced to by Harvey Keitel.

She had been married to Nick Roeg, and she appeared with Harvey and Art Garfunkel in Nick’s film “Bad Timming: A Sensual Obsession”. I highly recommend it. She and I were friends for several years, and she posed for two of my large paintings. My favorite actress ever. Very talented.

I have not seen her for a long time.

Some of the galleries that exhibited your work in New York City in the 1980s are no longer in operation but were instrumental in launching your career as an artist. They instilled in you the confidence to move forward. After obtaining a formal education, you produced quality art that critics praised. Can you describe what those galleries were like at the height of their success in the 1970s-80s..90s. before they slowed down and began closing their doors?

How does today's gallery scene, of which you are a part, compare to that of the past?

PB: I was very fortunate to have been in the exhibition “Artist’s Choice: Figurative Art in NY” at Greene Mountain Gallery, Prince Street Gallery, Bowery Gallery, and other Co-Op galleries

in SoHo in 1976. I was honored by being mentioned by Hilton Kramer in the New York Times, along with other artists of note: Neil Welliver, Jane Freilicher, Paul Georges, Jane Fish, Yvonne Jacquette, Catherine Murphy, Herman Rose, Lennart Anderson and my then husband Rackstraw Downes, and Bill Sullivan. I was invited by Gil Einstein to be part of his stable of artists in his gallery, G.W. Einstein. Gil had the reputation for being the most honest person in the art world. He and his manager, Riva Blumenthal, and later his wife, Anne MacDougall, did everything that a great gallerist should do. He arranged the solo and group exhibitions, the receptions, sold to collectors and museums, brought in the critics, and knew everyone. He was conscientious, funny, supportive and kind, arranged for commissions, and sold almost everything of mine. When I was attacked by a dog, and my hand was bitten and paralyzed just before my third show with him in 1981, he put aside everything on hold until a few years later when I had healed and completed new paintings.

Many of the critics who wrote reviews for me were poets, as some are now. The art world was so much smaller in those days. Everyone knew each other, supported each other, fought with each other, married each other, had affairs with eachContinued on next page...

THE ARTFUL MIND MARCH 2024 • 31

Rommel Drives On Deep Into Egypt, Portrait of Red Grooms, Oil on Canvas, 72in x96in, 1987

other, and were mostly close. There were some arrogant and crooked gallery owners, but they were known, and still around and at it. Dealers had degrees in art history and were well educated, and mostly respected.

In the 90’s things started to slide. There was a lot of cocaine, Yuppies were wheedling their way into the scene and into our bars and hangouts. Lofts were becoming expensive. Too many boutiques and fancy restaurants. Then there was a stock market crash, and many galleries closed or moved to Chelsea, close by each other. Especially the artist run galleries. When Gil’s gallery closed, a friend of mine, Susan Bolles, a great Production Designer and artist, invited me to paint sets for films, TV and plays. I eventually joined the United Scenic Artist Union, Local 829. Saved my life.

Have you ever had an art exhibit outside of the USA? I know you have traveled extensively and spent significant periods living in exotic locations. Can you share some of those interesting places and how they have influenced your art?

PB: I don’t think I’ve had an exhibit outside the US that I remember. Maybe in Amsterdam in the 60’s.

My first husband, Peter Berkeley, and I lived in Casa Blanca for a while with a family. I did drawings there, but those are lost. Interesting because the family lived in the old way. The men lived in 32 • MARCH 2024 THE ARTFUL MIND

their house, and the women and girls lived in the Harim. The girls waited on the men. Under their hajibs the women wore harem clothing like belly dancers; hennaed hands, jewels, tattoos on faces, kohl around the eyes. They were gorgeous. I went to the women’s bath house, which were classic mosaic steaming pools. All ages, all naked, like orientalist paintings by Delacroix or Gerome. The Kasbah in Tangier was where we lived for a while.

Very mystical, strange, Café Hafa, Ex-pats, Allen Ginsburg, Paul Bowles, hashish.

We lived in Amsterdam, Paris, and Dublin. I worked in a very cool restaurant where the Abbey Theatre actors hung out after work. It was great to be 19 and drinking port with Peter O’Toole until 4am!

I would like to hear about your experiences when you first moved to the Berkshires. How did you settle in and adapt to the new environment, including nature and the people living in the area?

PB: I must first begin with a few things that brought me to the Berkshires. I haven’t said much about magic yet, but I believe that led me here.

When my first husband died in 1970, I was living in Garrison, NY with my little daughter, and nearly died from a macrobiotic diet. She and I went to live in Southern Colorado on my friend Carolyn’s Barford’s goat farm. That was at an altitude of 9,000 feet, below Mount Blanca (14,000

feet) in the San Luis Valley. Very beautiful and very haunted place. Carolyn’s mother was visiting from New York, and we were in the kitchen of the old adobe house. I was washing the dishes in the sink while we chatted. Storms at the altitude can be violent, and there was one raging all around us.

I was told later when I came to that the lightning bolt that came through the open window hit my hands, throwing me across the room, where I hit the refrigerator and collapsed. I only remember the jolt. They had wrapped me in blankets and given me wine. I felt very peaceful for a few weeks, but otherwise was OK. We went back to my parents’ home in NY because my daughter and I were getting ready to move to Providence, RI, so that I could go back to Brown and RISD. I was again struck by lightning while rescuing my sister’s dog from a thunder storm. He was on his chain lead out in the yard attached to a clothes line run. I was again knocked out and couldn’t hear anything for a few days. Lightning still follows me around.

On the night after the Towers fell, my daughters and I and our friend Deanne Stillman were in our apartment on the Upper West Side of Manhattan Island. My Great, Great Grandma (who was a Creek or Choctaw Indian) came to me in a dream and said “What are you doing on an island?

There’s no good hunting on an island. Follow the river north, so that your children can follow you.

Find yourself a good wood lot, a fresh flowing

PAMELA BERKELEY VISUAL ARTIST

The Fighter Still Remains, Portrait of Willem Dafoe Oil on Canvas, 36in x30in, 1990

Winter Narcissus, Oil on Canvas, 17in x14in, 2010

brook, and a place with good chimneys and you’ll be OK.” My friend Alex Swann called and said “Come up here! I’ll call a real estate agent, and we’ll find a place you like.”

Of course, not having a car, I took the bus North and met them in Sheffield. The agent said that she hoped I would take a look at this cottage in the woods, and maybe I’d like it. We drove a couple of miles, and as she turned up a dirt road, I felt a shock go through my body. I don’t remember walking through the house or the fireplace and wood stoves. I was in shock. I went outside and sat by the brook and knew that this was the place my grandma was speaking of. I offered them their asking price, went back to the City, painted my apartment and put it up for sale. There was a bidding war, and I probably could have gotten a lot more, but I didn’t care. Within a few months I was living in my cottage in the woods, with my two German Shepards, five cats, fish, and my lovebird Pepper.

I heated only with wood for 10 years, 10-12 cords a winter. There was 12 feet of snow that first winter. It was perfect!

I was painting goldfish bowls in the brook, narcissi in that bowl with snow outside behind it, magical altars. There were friends here that I’d known for 25 years. I had some lessons to learn, but it was fine. My ex-husband and kids came to visit and help. I planted gardens and stacked wood and painted. I worked magic and read Tarot cards.

It was good. My mother came to live with me the last three years of her life and died here at 88 years old. She taught me the proper way to stack wood and the best way to make gumbo. A tornado went through the woods the night she died. I inherited a bit of money, and put in two propane furnaces, built a screen house by the brook, and made various repairs to the cottage.

How do you believe that relationships affect and shape our lives? While we can have a good relationship with our bristle paint brush, wrestle with stapling canvas to a wood frame, and adore our pets, human relationships are an entirely different realm. Do you share this perspective? People. Who are they?

PB: I had been married to a famous artist, who I finally had to leave after five years. He was English, was well educated, and came from a wealthy family, but suffered from Bi-Polar manic-depressive disorder, and was very paranoid. Although he could sometimes be quite romantic, he would also try to belittle and bully me. He had been institutionalized at one point. He refused to take medication because, he told me, he was smart and didn’t need it.

My friend, Lady Carolyn Blackwood had been married to Lucian Freud and the poet Robert Lowell. When I spoke to her about his paranoia and attempts to degrade me, while always flattering anyone who could help him in his career, Car-

olyn put a name to it: “Manic Cunning, a clinical term” she said.

When we were together, I had to work as a waitress because he always said we were poor. Even his lawyer tried to warn me about it. I had to stand up to his bullying; I stood up for myself. I left, taking nothing for myself and my daughter.

Living in a beautiful home with a great life partner now, what more can you possibly want from life?

PB: My husband is my fourth, and the best. My home is in the woods, and quiet. We are healthy, and enjoy life, and agree on most things. We have two Coon Cats and a sweet, smart German Shepherd, gardens, woodstoves. I would like a barn and a larger studio. More time to go to the city, to read, and to go back to places I’ve lived before in Europe: Dublin, Amsterdam, France and Scotland. I’d like to spend more time on Lake Michigan. I’d like to buy back my house and lands in Maine. An electric car would be nice. I’d like to see my children and grandchildren more often and have them here.

Do you really have a fiery, energetic spirit?

What contributes to this? Where did you grow up? Tell us about your early beginnings.

PB: I guess maybe I might come off that way. I grew up in Yorktown Heights in Westchester County, NY, near the Croton Reservoir. It had been a small town like Sheffield, MA, where I live Continued on next page...

THE ARTFUL MIND MARCH 2024 • 33

PAMELA BERKELEY VISUAL ARTIST

Elke At Plum Cove, Oil on Canvas, 16in x20in, 2023

now, with dairy farms, apple orchards, and corn fields. 1,200 people lived there, and everyone knew each other. Most people don’t know that the town was built on a glacial lake, which was drained in the 60’s to build five shopping centers.

The farms became housing developments. 70,00 people live now in the town that was very small.

My sister and I sold the house we’d grown up in because we couldn’t stand to be there surrounded by people we didn’t know.

My parents were bohemian and wonderful. My mother could do anything. She was a gorgeous blond from Biloxi, MS. She sewed all our beautiful clothes, was a terrific gardener, and a great cook. Mom had a Masters in Nursing, but didn’t work until my sister and I were grown. She cared for all animals; pets, farm animals, and the wild ones. Birds would fly down and pluck her blond hairs for their nests. She taught us to fish, and clean what we caught. And she could draw. There are many accomplished artists on that side of the family.

My dad had several college degrees. One in Forestry, in various sciences, and a Masters in Education from NYU, He helped develop the Environmental Studies program for high schools in NY. He went to Yale, and taught aerodynamics to the Army Air Corps fighter pilots in Biloxi dur34 • MARCH 2024 THE ARTFUL MIND

ing WW II. He taught all the sciences at our high school, and at one time was the only male teacher besides the coach. My parents were very warm, congenial and kind, smart, and in love with each other.

What are your connections with Paris? Tell us about that. You did mention the resistance. But I know there's more to just that.

PB: I have cousins and friends who live in Paris and other parts of France. My cousin Andre (my father’s first cousin) fought in the French Underground Resistance in WW II. He had been a medical student at the Sorbonne when the war broke out. Several of that family were killed by the Nazis. He married his wife, Marie, who had hidden him in her garden. Their son, Jean-Jacques, is my age. I haven’t seen him for several years. I do miss France, my friends and family. My grandmother told me that when I had my Bat Mitzvah, she would take me to Israel. I asked if she could take me to France instead, she laughed, but I think it hurt her.

If you could be portrayed in a famous painting, which would you choose, and how would you see yourself? Which painting that exists would be best to fit who you are?

PB: I have to say, I’ve been painted several times

by Alex Katz. He painted me and my ex-husband, Rackstraw Downes in 1976, sitting at the lobster pound in Lincolnville Beach in Maine. Quite a lovely painting. I was told that it sold at Sotheby’s last summer for nearly three million dollars. I just wanted to mention that because Alex has always been a good friend and liked my work. Red Grooms also did some beautiful drawings of me.

I would have loved to be painted by Vermeer, because I have learned so much about light and paint application from looking at his work. And that they are rare and perfect. I would like to be that girl with the pearl earring. Also, Manet’s and Sargent’s women are so fabulous. Wouldn’t it have been wonderful to speak with those men and be adored by them in paint.

This was a very fun question to think about. How much fun it would have been to know those guys!

Thank you, Pamela! www.pberkeley.com G

THE ARTFUL MIND MARCH 2024 • 35

THREE. COSMIC GEMS GLAZED AND POLYCHROME STONEWARE 2-3”

NINA LIPKOWITZ Nina Lipkowitz, an artist who is known for experimenting with different mediums is unveiling a few new surprises in her latest exhibition. She will be showing her new kinetic, abstract, clay collages; some rattle when moved. This new body of work will be shown along with multi-medium work on paper and canvas.

Lipkowitz has circled back to her earthy and earthly beginnings. She began her career carving stone, exploring form and surface before moving onto clay; both hand built and wheel thrown.

Later she discovered her passion for line, color, paint creating wild iPad prints. Her most recent body of work combines it all; form, surface, line and color. Her hand built Clay Worlds are heavily textured, glazed and polychromed, some in vivid, some in subtle color reminiscent of her multi-medium work on paper and canvas. Her forms seem to take on a metaphysical significance. Each piece is both a meditation and a work of improvisation.

This new work is once again inspired by and mined from Lipkowitz’ rich, unconscious, creative world.

OTHER WORLDS — Friday, March 1-Sunday, March 31 510 Warren St., Gallery Hudson New York Artist opening, reception, Saturday, March 2, 2-6 Closing reception Saturday, March 30, 2-6 Gallery hours: Fridays and Saturdays 12 to 6, Sundays 12 to 5 ninalipkowitz.com / ninalipkowitz@gmail.com

Fantasy, abandoned by reason, produces impossible monsters; united with it, she is the mother of the arts and the origin of marvels.

—Francisco de Goya

BLUE DRAGON, ACRYLIC ON STRETCHED CANVAS

SALLY TISKA RICE

MARGUERITE BRIDE

BERKSHIRE ROLLING HILLS

JAZZ VISIONS II

Born and raised in the captivating Berkshires, Sally Tiska Rice possesses artistic prowess that breathes life into her canvases. As a versatile multi-media artist, Sally seamlessly employs a tapestry of techniques, working in acrylics, watercolors, oil paints, pastels, collages containing botanicals and mixed media elements. Her creative spirit draws inspiration from the idyllic surroundings of her rural hometown, where she resides with her husband Mark and cherished pets.

Sally's artistic process is a dance of spontaneity and intention. With each stroke of her brush, she composes artwork that reflects her unique perspective. Beyond her personal creations, Sally also welcomes commissioned projects, turning heartfelt visions into tangible realities. Whether it's capturing the essence of individuals, beloved pets, cherished homes, or sacred churches, she pours her soul into each personalized masterpiece.

Sally's talent has garnered recognition both nationally and internationally. Her career includes a remarkable 25-year tenure at Crane Co., where she lent her hand-painted finesse to crafting exquisite stationery. Sally is a member of the Clock Tower Artists of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, the Guild of Berkshire Artists, the Berkshire Art Association, and the Becket Arts Center. Follow on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.

Sally’s work is on the gallery walls of the Clock Tower, Open Monday-Friday 9:00-5:00 pm for self-guided tours.

Sally Tiska Rice - Berkshire Rolling Hills Art, 75 South Church St, , 3rd Floor, Studio 302, Pittsfield, MA. 1-413-446-8469.

SallyTiskaRice@gmail.com; www.sallytiskarice.com https://www.facebook.com/artistsallytiskarice, Fine Art Prints (Pixels) - Sally Tiska Rice, Twitter - Sally Tiska Rice, LinkedIn- Sally Tiska Rice, Instagram - Sally Tiska Rice, YouTube - Sally Tiska Rice TikTok - Sally Tiska Rice.

April is celebrated nationally as Jazz Appreciation Month, an initiative of the Smithsonian Institution and recognized by Congress. Often called “America’s classical music,” Jazz is also celebrated locally with events and art openings, including the updated and expanded exhibit of Jazz-oriented paintings by Marguerite Bride.

“Jazz Visions II” will be on display in the Lobby Gallery at Hotel on North in Pittsfield during the months of April and May. The opening reception will be held on Friday, April 5 from 5-7 PM. What better time than the first Friday of JAM to open this exhibit?

Bride has been a co-partner with her husband Ed in living a jazz infused life since they met and married in the late 60’s. In fact, their first dates were the Newport Jazz Festivals, so the signs were written on the walls way back then. It seemed only natural that her painting career would eventually become jazz infused as well.

Some of the paintings were first introduced in 2016 during the first Jazz Visions exhibit, a duo painting/photography exhibit which included the fine art jazz photography of Lee Everett. There are approximately 25 paintings in this exhibit, watercolors on paper and canvas, plus a few fine art reproductions. The collection of paintings has since expanded to include portraits of known and loved jazz greats (Duke Ellington, Nat King Cole, Phil Woods, Nina Simone, Billie Holiday and more), local and famous haunts (Mission, The Apollo, Bohemian Cavers, Cotton Club) and even paintings of many of our local talented jazz musicians.

Additionally, first time offered, the original painting called “The Master’s Hands” personally signed by Dave Brubeck during his last visit to the Berkshires is included in this show. The profits from the sale of this painting will benefit Berkshires Jazz, Inc. Visit the artist’s website for additional information regarding this exhibit and other art-related activities.

Marguerite Bride – Home Studio in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Call 413-841-1659; margebride-paintings.com; margebride@aol.com; Facebook: Marguerite Bride Watercolors.

ARTFULMIND@YAHOO.COM 36 • MARCH 2024 THE ARTFUL MIND

NINA, WATERCOLOR

Matt Bernson

portrait painter • caricaturist matthew.bernson@gmail.com • Instagram @MattBernson.Art

Matt Bernson will be in FLY ON THE CANVAS • RECEPTION SATURDAY APRIL 13 • 5 -7:30PM TIME & SPACE LTD. TSL • 434 Columbia St, HUDSON NY APRIL 13 - MAY11, 2024

THE ARTFUL MIND MARCH 2024 • 37

ON WEST ROAD ENTERING THE VILLAGE, ALFORD, MA INK DRAWING

STEPHAN MARC KLEIN

I have been sketching and making art on and off since my undergraduate education as an architect in the late 1950s. What interests me at present about creating art, besides the shear visceral pleasure of making things, of putting pencil or pen or brush or all of them to paper, of manipulating images on the computer, and of making models, is the aesthetic tension generated in the borderlands between the abstract and the representational, between uniqueness and reproduction, and between analog and digital processes. I am also interested in art that engages the social, the political and the visual. Since my wife, artist Anna Oliver, and I made our home in the Berkshires six years ago, I have been entranced by its beauty.

My work is, in part, a visual rhapsody to the area.

Stephan Marc Klein stephanmarcklein.com, smk8378@gmail.com

ZINNIAS, A NEW BEGINNING, 18” X 24”

DONALD LONGO

The beauty of fresh fallen snow brings with it a postcard setting but also the winter season. I have always loved the natural beauty of it all.

As a young man, after a fresh snowfall, I would put on my boots and winter clothes and take a walk in the woods at the end of my street. I was always alone with nature. I often took my camera to remember those days. Fresh snow didn't last long in the woods due to animal and human footprints, fallen branches and the heat of the sun melting the snow so I tried to go there as soon as I could so I could remember these special times.

Donald Longo Facebook – Don Longo, Instagram – don longo Email - dljoseph55@yahoo.com www.donlongoart.com

SERIOUS HOT OR ICED CHOCOLATE GOURMET GELATO AND TREATS HAND CRAFTED IN THE BERKSHIRES OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

Escape into Chocolate

™

55 PITTSFIELD/LENOX ROAD ROUTE 7, LENOX MA 413-637-9820

chocolatesprings.com 38 • MARCH 2024 THE ARTFUL MIND

MATT BERNSON FIGURATIVE ARTIST AND PROVOCATEUR

Born and raised just north of Boston, Matt Bernson is a dynamic and provocative figurative artist known for his bold and playful take on the human form. A graduate of Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt), Bernson boasts a BFA in Animation & Painting, a duality that is evident in the fluidity and vibrancy of his work.

After a decade of honing his craft, Bernson made a significant move to the Berkshires in 2020. This transition marked a new chapter in his artistic journey, offering fresh inspirations and opportunities. Matt’s passion for community and collaborative creativity led him to join the Future Labs Gallery Co-op in 2023, a platform that has hosted his art since 2022.

Bernson’s artistry reached new heights in September 2023, when he shared the spotlight in a two-person show at Future Labs Gallery. Known for his wit and irreverence, his artist bio for the show was a cheeky one-liner: “Wanna see some butts?” This encapsulates Bernson’s ethos perfectly, a fearless artist who invites his audience to share in his delight and fascination with the human form.

Bernson’s work is far from conventional, and it’s this daring and distinctive approach that sets him apart. With every piece he creates, Bernson continues to push boundaries, challenge perceptions, and infuse a sense of fun and freedom into the world of figurative art. Additionally, in October 2023, he started a figure drawing group at Future Labs Gallery, fostering a supportive community for artists.

Matt has worked as both a caricature artist and as a tattoo artist. And completed an artist residency in May 2023 where he completed two 20”x24” paintings within a week and showed them at Dacia Gallery in New York City.

Matthew Bernsonmatthew.bernson@gmail.com Instagram @MattBernson.Art

MARY ANN YARMOSKY “Each person I meet intrigues me with their different stories and life experiences. My paintings are a dance of spontaneity and intention based on observation. With each stroke of my brush, I try to create a feeling, a story, a challenge to the imagination of the viewer.”

— Mary Ann Yarmosky _______________________________ FLY ON THE CANVAS Artist Reception: April 13 , 5 - 7:30pm Time & Space LTD. TSL 434 Columbia St, HUDSON NY Through May 11.

Time Flies Mixed media on Canvas 12” X 12”

The demise of the Fly Acrylic on Canvas 16” X 20”

Lady in Waiting Acrylic on Canvas 18” X 24"

maryannyarmoskyart.com | maryannyarmoskyart.shop THE ARTFUL MIND MARCH 2024 • 39

Ruby Aver

KATE KNAPP, WINTER SCENE 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

That Night in Chinatown Acrylic on canvas 20”x 24”

rdaver2@gmail.com Instagram: rdaver2.

Housatonic Studio open by appointment: 413-854-7007

Front Street, Housatonic, MA

Berkshire Falls, Watercolor on 300 lb. cold press paper

Sally Tiska Rice BERKSHIRE ROLLING HILLS ART CLOCK TOWER ARTISTS Studio 302, 3rd floor 75 South Church St, Pittsfield, MA (413)-446-8469 www.sallytiskarice.com sallytiskarice@gmail.com FLY ON THE CANVAS Artist 40 •MARCH 2024 THE ARTFUL MIND

Patterns Get Serious 24”w x18”h

Bruce Laird Clock Tower Artists Business Center • Studio #307 75 South Church Street, Pittsfield, MA FLY ON THE CANVAS Artist April 13 - May 11, 2024 Reception: April 13 , 5 - 7:30pm Time & Space LTD. TSL 434 Columbia St, HUDSON NY THE ARTFUL MIND MARCH 2024 • 41

THE HOUSATONIC IN FLOOD OIL ON CANVAS, 12” X 24” 2018

PAMELA BERKELEY I make paintings from close and direct observation of nature, and combine still life objects, landscape, portraiture of people and animals. I don’t have backgrounds in my work. My main preoccupation in painting is the tension between the still objects close to the picture plane and the distant imagery that is farthest away. Foreground and what is behind are of equal importance, painted at the same time, side by side, locked into each other. In fact, in a work of lace curtains, sometimes only the holes are made of paint, not the threads.

As tightly drawn as my work is, there is an underlying influence of my love of abstract painting, all shown in the love of color, paint and brushwork.

I have painted so many things! My works are done in oil on canvas or linen, and range in size from 8 In. x 8 In. to 6 Ft. by 8 Ft. Besides landscape and interiors of Maine, Massachusetts and New York City, I made a series of portraits of actor and artist friends arranged in odd environments.

I have been a professional artist for over 55 years, exhibiting with G.W. Einstein gallery in SoHo for 20 years, nationally in many venues, including 12 major museums. I lived and worked in New York City and in Montville, Maine from 1975 to 2002, then moved to Sheffield, MA. Grants and awards include National Endowment for the Arts, New York State Council for the Arts, Academy of Arts and Letters and Robert Rauschenberg Foundation grant. I exhibit at the Blue Mountain Gallery in NYC, and throughout the US. Pamela Berkeleywww.pberkeley.com therealpamelaberkeley@gmail.com Artsy: https://www.artsy.net/artist/pamela-berkeley

VINCA, 14” X 21”

TIME RESISTANCE

MARY ANN YARMOSKY BLUE, 21” X 29”

KEITH DAVIDSON A native of the Berkshires, Keith has been painting for the last 20 years, motivated by the natural beauty of his surrounding environment. Keith shares a studio with his wife Mary, at their home in South Egremont.

Keith’s dazzling collection of colorful, creative, “fish” paintings are inspired by his love of fishing and boating. He also has a tree collection, flowers and vibrant experimental paintings by combining objects in nature with geometric forms.

Keith has had many paintings juried into the Housatonic Valley Art League summer shows, receiving six “Best in Show,’ eleven “Awards of Excellence,” and seven “Honorable Mentions.”

Keith is an artist who has had regional influence, and many of his paintings hang in private collections throughout the tristate area.

Keith considers himself to be a self-taught artist, although he has participated in classes at BCC and IS 183. His medium of choice is acrylic paints, used in a very watery base like watercolor. Paintings are framed under acrylic glass and double matted.

Keith Davidson 413-717-2152 kjdavidsongio@aol.com www.davidsondesigncompany.net

ARTFULMIND@YAHOO.COM DONT BE SHY — GIVE IT A TRY 42 •MARCH 2024 THE ARTFUL MIND

We long for a way to be heard from the moment we are born. For some, words suffice; for others, there needs to be a deeper form of expression.

That is how artists are born. Where one might send their message through an instrument in the form of music, another might write poetry or prose. Still, others speak in something more tangible through painting, photography, pottery, or sculpting. Words only bring us so far…art is the language of longing…a longing never fulfilled.

I have always found expression through art. At age five, I began speaking through the piano that sat waiting expectantly in our den, an instrument that brought me peace throughout the years. Later I took to creating through fashion design, dreaming up and constructing costumes for the Boston Opera Company and outfits for the fashionable elite of Newport, Rhode Island. From there, my path took many twists and turns as I lived as a wife, mother, caretaker, and professional career.

When my youngest son passed away unexpectedly several years ago, my longing to be heard returned with a vengeance. Words did not suffice. There are no words to express grief and hope for what is lost. On that journey of anguish, I met other women who had or were experiencing their style of pain. I marveled at their resilience and ability to go on despite different types of loss or simply dealing with the uphill complexities of life’s challenges. I began to recover my voice through paint and a bit of canvas, but it was not just my voice. The women I create in paint are a composite of the many amazing women I have met and continue to meet. I paint their humor, joy, hidden heartbreak, and longing. These women do not exist except on canvas, and their stories are yours to imagine. Hear them.

Mary Ann Yarmoskymaryannyarmoskyart.com maryannyarmosky.shop

ASTROLOGY FOR CREATORS Aries The eclipse for you on the 25th will be in the 7th house. Be prepared for a major beginning or ending in a relationship, friendship, or business partnership.

Throughout the month there will be a lot of energy in your 12th house of the unseen, karma, trauma, the subconscious and spiritual experiences. If a significant relationship is ending, it is right for you to spend time in solitude to process it.

Astrology for Creators Astrology for Creators (March 2024)

Keep Smiling (WESTERN TROPICAL ASTROLOGY. TIME ZONE EST/EDT)

D. M. Musgrave Looking back: As I write this on January 30th, 2024, I am reflecting on Uranus going direct on the weekend of the 27th – 28th and how soup was thrown at Leonardo DaVinci’s “Mona Lisa.” This connects back to what I wrote in the October 2023 column (available online) where I connected the movements of Uranus in Taurus to climate activists throwing pink paint at Tom Thompson’s “Northern River.” Uranus is associated with rebels, protestors, and humanitarian causes whereas Taurus is aligned with food, security, the environment, beauty, and art. It is quite a literal interpretation of Uranus in Taurus to have soup thrown at the Mona Lisa to protest sustainable food. I advise all major art galleries to take extra care of security until Uranus is out of Taurus after July 7th, 2025.

Overview: March is about processing closures brought forth in January and becoming aware of the new beginnings found in February. It is also preparing for a new world that will be defined by this month’s and April’s eclipses. I anticipate that this will likely have to do with initiating events that will diminish peace with a focus on the US. There is also a lot of energy in Pisces which might bring a focus to boundaries in the sea, and bring more energy to the arts.

There is a lot of positive energy in the first week of March to assist with creative endeavours. A positive day this month will be around March 1st as the Sun in Pisces will still Sextile Jupiter in Taurus. This is an abundant energy that could bring forward opportunities. On March 8th Mercury in Pisces Conjuncts Neptune in Pisces which adds energy to creative projects and imagination. This would be a good day to spend in the studio. On the 10th We will have a Pisces New Moon which will invite new creation. On this same day Mercury in Aries Sextiles Pluto in Aquarius which will add passion to the ideas you are weaving into your creations. The day after on the 11th Venus Enters Pisces which amplifies the arts but, also relationships and harmony. This would be a good period to build networks and relations with those who can help you in the artistic business.

The highlight of this month will be the Lunar Eclipse in Libra on the 25th. On the world stage, I feel something will happen that will lessen peaceful relations. For you, on an individual level this might bring and ending or new beginning to relationships and how you get along with others. This will also impact each person differently based on personal natal charts but, don’t worry, I cover how this eclipse will impact you below in my Rising Sign Analysis.

Taurus The eclipse for you on the 25th will be in the 6th house so, be prepared for a major beginning or ending around work, coworkers, your health, routine or with small animals. Throughout the month there will be a lot of energy in your 11th house of friends, future dreams, goals, followers, and networks. Look to your friends and larger community this month to assist you with any major changes to your daily life.

Gemini The eclipse for you on the 25th will be in the 5th house so, be prepared for a major beginning or ending in romantic relations or with your children. It could also be something significant with your creativity.

Throughout the month there will be a lot of energy in your 10th house of career, legacy, and public image.

If you are struggling with emotions around children or a romantic interest, throw yourself into your career to assist.

Cancer The eclipse for you on the 25th will be in the 4th house so be ready for a major beginning or ending around the family, your mother or something having to do with your home or private life. Throughout the month there will be a lot of energy in your 9th house of long-distance travel, life philosophy, teachers, and higher learning If you are struggling with the changes to your home or family, travelling or expanding your mind with learning might assist.

Leo The eclipse for you on the 25th will be in the 3rd house so, be prepared for a major beginning or ending with a sibling, neighbour or simply the way you speak to yourself and others. Throughout the month there will be a lot of energy in your 8th house of shared experiences and resources. If a significant relationship with a sibling or neighbour is ending, it is right for you to focus on things you share with others.

This could be as simple as examining your taxes/mortgage with a spouse or as enjoyable as a focus on sex!

Virgo The eclipse for you on the 25th will be in the 2nd house so, be prepared for a major beginning or ending around the way you make money or how you value yourself. Throughout the month there will be a lot of energy in your 7th house of relationships. If you are struggling with a loss or the stress of beginning a new way of making money, turn to your spouse or business partnerships to assist.

Libra The eclipse for you on the 25th will be in the 1st house, so be prepared for a major beginning or ending around your body, identity or self. Throughout the month there will be a lot of energy in your 6th house of daily routine, work, pets and health. If you are struggling with the changes to the self around the eclipse, it might help you to become passionate about your health regime. A coworker or pet might also offer assistance.

Scorpio The eclipse for you on the 25th will be in the 12th house so be prepared for a major beginning or ending that could impact your mental health or spiritual realization. Throughout the month there will be a lot of energy in your 5th house of joy, romance, children, or creativity. If you are struggling with your mental health, creating art might assist.

Sagittarius The eclipse for you on the 25th will be in the 11th house so, be prepared for a major beginning or ending with a friend, community, network or letting go of a dream. Throughout the month there will be a lot of energy in your 4th house of mother, family, ancestry, home, and intuition. If you are struggling with a change to a friendship, seek support from family or find solace within the home.

Capricorn The eclipse for you on the 25th will be in the 10th house, so be prepared for a major beginning or ending in your career or how the public perceives you.

Throughout the month there will be a lot of energy in your 3rd house of siblings, neighbours, and the way you think and communicate. If you are struggling with the change to your public image turn to a sibling or neighbour for assistance.

Aquarius The eclipse for you on the 25th will be in the 9th house so, be prepared for a major beginning or ending around your learning, what you believe or even with a relationship with a mentor or teacher. Throughout the month there will be a lot of energy in your 2nd house of money, values, and possessions. If you are struggling with an ending to a mentorship or learning opportunity this month, treat yourself by purchasing a luxurious item.

Pisces The eclipse for you on the 25th will be in the 8th house about things that are shared. Be prepared for a major beginning or ending around things like taxes, mortgages, intimacy, sex, or shared spiritual experiences. Throughout the month there will be a lot of energy in your 1st house of self, identity, and body.

If there is a change to the way you share this month and you are struggling, throw your energy into your body and self. This could look like going to the gym or trying a new look!

I would love to hear how these predictions manifested for you or what you noticed in the world that aligned with the planet’s transits. Please share them on the Facebook group “Astrology for Creators” (URL: www.facebook.com/groups/astrologyforcreators/). It helps me to know what you would like to receive in my column. Do you prefer it when I focus on world predictions, horoscopes for the rising sign, or both?

If you would like to offer feedback, please email me at: astro_dee@yahoo.com Please join the discussion at: www.facebook.com/groups/astrologyforcreators/ D.M. Musgrave is an artist, energy worker and hypnotherapist. You can contact her through her email and websites at: astrodee@yahoo.com www.artisthehealer.com

THE ARTFUL MIND MARCH 2024 • 43

CHELSEA BRADWAY

BRUCE LAIRD

I am an abstract artist whose two- and threedimensional works in mixed media reveal a fascination with geometry, color and juxtapositions.

For me it is all about the work which provides surprising results, both playful and thought provoking.

From BCC to UMASS and later to Vermont College to earn my MFA Degree. I have taken many workshops through Art New England, at Bennington College, Hamilton College and an experimental workshop on cyanotypes recently at MCLA. Two international workshops in France and Italy also.

I am pleased to have a studio space with an exciting group of artists at the Clocktower Building in Pittsfield.

Bruce LairdClock Tower Business Center, Studio #307 75 South Church Street, Pittsfield, MA

ELIZABETH CASSIDY

Artist, writer, creator of the Odd Sisters, peace lover. I am an award-winning mixed media artist who believes that the world is imperfect. I am imperfect. My art is imperfect.

But my messages are clear and precise.

A dear friend asked me in April 2022, “ Where do I come from?” I thought for a minute and wrote back, “I come from my art: peaceful and messy. Hidden and in your face. All the colors covered up by B&W. That is where I am hiding.

Ready to jump out and bring you in.”

The abstract world seems to fit me best because I strive to see things in a slightly different way.

When life or the universe is bringing me down, I grab a brush or a pen and paint the world in a way that will lift my spirits.

Elizabeth Cassidy www.elizabethcassidystudioworks.com elizabethcassidyart@gmail.com.

EDWARD ACKER PHOTOGRAPHER

Time Flies • Get Pictures EdwardAckerPhotographer.com

413-446-8348 44 • MARCH 2024 THE ARTFUL MIND

RACHEL KAUFMAN

ART ON MAIN GALLERY RACHEL KAUFMAN AND CHELSEA BRADWAY The Art on Main Gallery is open for the season.

Our first show, “Angels of New York, Scenes of Great Barrington: A Journey of Discovery” welcomes artists Rachel Kaufman and Chelsea Bradway. The exhibits runs April 11 – 21.

Chelsea Bradway is a New England photographer who grew up in the Berkshires. She is drawn to photograph people in situations that bring the viewer’s awareness of their strength, beauty, and everyday struggles. Born in the Berkshires and holds her master’s degree in Special Education.

Her degree has given her the ability to meet people where they are and pull out their best representation of themselves. Bradway has a studio in Southborough, MA, Apothecary Artist’s Studio that she shares with two other artists.

Growing up in the rural Berkshires, Chelsea has always found NYC a bit daunting. It wasn’t until her son’s 13th birthday when he asked to go to New York that she fell in love. Gone was her fear and in came an explosion of wild excitement.

This is where the photographic journey of the Angels of New York series began. These photographs depict an angel doing ordinary things amidst the hustle and bustle of New York. The viewer is drawn into noticing the magic of walking through the streets of New York and being noticed with a pair of 6-foot angel wings. And there is also something to be said for not being noticed wearing 6-foot angel wings. People hurrying by on their way to work, chatting away on their phones, plugged into a playlist, or their minds racing with thoughts as they drift on by in mundanity not noticing an angel is among them.

Rachel Kaufmann is a contemporary oil painter, who depicts scenes and life around her.

She began this body of work, interested in what it meant to currently live in the small town of Great Barrington. She takes photographs on the street of Great Barrington and then translates these photographs into oil paintings. She is interested in depicting mood and connection.

Art on Main 38 Main Street, West Stockbridge. Gallery hours Thursday - Sunday from 11am - 4 pm.

Spring Spirits Oil on canvas, 48” x 36” 2023

Jordan Nobuko Baker FLY ON THE CANVAS

April 13 - May 11, 2024

Reception: April 13, 5:00 - 7:30PM

TIME & SPACE Ltd. / TSL 434 Columbia Street, HUDSON New York

Open Daily 12 - 5

THE ARTFUL MIND MARCH 2024 • 45

SCENES FROM THE BERKSHIRES AND BEYOND

LONNY JARRETT FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY Berkshirescenicphotography.com 413-298-4221 Lonny@berkshirescenicphotography.com Lonny’s photography will be in FLY ON THE CANVAS • RECEPTION SATURDAY APRIL 13 • 5 -7:30PM TIME & SPACE LTD. TSL • 434 Columbia St, HUDSON NY APRIL 13 - MAY11, 2024

46 MARCH 2024 THE ARTFUL MIND

The Prodigal Dog PART 6

Valeria’s Dream Valeria’s dream began like so many movies begin, with a road. It was a dirt road, and she was looking down at it as it passed by, as if she was floating in the air. Then, at the bottom of this moving picture she noticed the front of a tire. It was the very front of her bicycle tire, and so she realized that she was riding her bike down a dirt road. It was very specifically her bicycle, the one with no brakes, and no kickstand, and she recognized it because the front wheel was just slightly bent, and so, for each revolution it scraped slightly against the fork.

She was looking at the tire, as it gently wove its path between the sides of the fork, but then, looking up she saw she was coasting right up the wooden ramp directly into the elephant's house. She put both feet down together to stop, but she was on the wood ramp, so her sneaker brakes failed to stop her and she rolled straight into the space between the elephant and the steel wall of his home. It was the exact place Mr. Masters had explained she must never be, but here she was, as the saying goes, “Between an elephant and a hard place.”

She came to a stop because the handlebars got caught between the wall and the elephant's side and she thought, “If only the doors don't shut.” The instant she thought about the doors, they shut with a clang. Inside the container it was entirely black as night, and silent, but although there was no light, she could see clearly. It was entirely silent, but she could hear what she supposed was the clicking of raindrops on the roof. She remembered that the container had big holes in the walls through which she might be able to see out, and sure enough, the holes in the walls appeared, and standing on her toes she was able to look out.

Then there was an interlude, as often happens in vivid dreams, and she became a spectator at a parade. She was looking down on the parade, as thought from a high balcony. First came cheerleaders with batons, and then a marching band. Then came tanks and cannons pulled by horses, and then ambulances with their sirens on. After the ambulances came wounded men being pushed along on gurneys, and doctors sawing their arms and legs off.

With a scream she woke up.

She didn’t actually scream, she was trying to

scream, you might call it a closed mouth scream.

Valeria was extremely happy to be able to say these words to herself, “It was only a dream.” But she was unable to divest herself of an uncomfortable feeling of dread, and so, lying there in her bed in the middle of the night, she said a prayer. It was her own special prayer that she had made up herself, I can’t tell you what it was, because it was a very private thing. I only know that it involved lying on her back, arranging herself in the shape of a five pointed star, two points for her feet, and two points for her hands, and the top point for her head, and it ended with the words, "God likes me.”

Valerial went right back to sleep before she was even able to press her face firmly down into her pillow, and so found herself back in the elephant's house, and in the same situation, because it was a determined dream, and it did not like being interrupted.

Like before, it was raining, and the rain drumming on the metal roof sounded like thunder. There were holes in the roof, and water started to drip on Valeria’s head, the water ran down her face and got into her eyes. Looking outside through one of the air holes, she saw that it was raining so hard that she could not even see across the road.

Then rain began to pour down inside just as hard, even harder than outside. She looked down and saw that the water was up to her knees. “Only my knees,” she thought, but then, the evil intentioned dream made her see that it was now up to her chest, and then, up to her neck. She stood up onto the seat of her bicycle and from there she scrambled up onto Bruno’s back, and then up to the top of his head.

Finally the end came for little twelve year old Valeria, as there was only a few inches left between her mouth and the rusty ceiling of the container. Valeria, in the last seconds of her life, (in the dream that is) began to say the Lord’s Prayer. The Lord’s prayer was, in this instance, a better choice than her homemade prayer, because the homemade prayer was for going to sleep, and that was not what was needed.

She only got as far as the words, “Which art in,” and the walls of the container burst apart with a tremendous roaring sound.

Some people say that the container split apart because of the prayer, and others say it was because a steel packing container can't stand the weight of so many tons of water, and that it was a miracle that it had held together for such a long time. Others claim that Bruno realized what was happening, and simply took a deep breath and the expansion of his ribcage blew the container apart, but it was a dream so how is one to know?

Valeria woke from this second dream in the early morning, She did not need a clock to tell her that it was about five in the morning, because the small window next to her bed had that subtle silver glow windows have, just before dawn. Just before the sun comes up is the best and easiest time to fall back to sleep, a sleep often unclouded and untroubled by care. Valeria felt that she had escaped from death at the last instant, even though it was only a dream.

She felt a tender love for her friend, the elephant, and made up her mind to go and have a chat with him later that day.

But the strange dream was not yet done with Valeria, and as soon as sleep had overtaken her she found herself standing on the dirt road next to her bicycle. It was still raining torrentially, and the dirt road was a quagmire of mud. She was only able to move her bike by pushing it with all her might, be-

cause the wheels were stuck in the mud, and the tires made a sucking sound as they moved. Then, after a considerable distance, she found that the road was now dry and she got up on the seat and began to peddle. With great effort, standing upright, and using all of her slight weight first on the left side and then on the right, she was able to move along the road just fast enough to keep from falling over. As the mud disappeared from the tires and the spokes she began to go a little faster, and so was finally able to sit herself down on the seat, and sometimes even coast a distance with no effort.

The sun came out and the dirt road became completely dry and dusty. She felt a wind pushing on her back and the road began to go uphill, gradually at first, and then steeper and steeper. Now Valeria was going uphill very rapidly and she was pedaling as fast as she was able, but it was not at all necessary, because the bike was rushing along as if propelled by an irresistible force. She felt inspired in her heart and soul, and extended both her arms and legs straight out. LIke when praying to fall asleep she assumed the shape of a star, and in that pose she arrived at the very top of the hill, and at its crest she flew up into the air.

She was utterly shocked to find that she was flying on her bicycle, and was overcome with fear and exhilaration, but caution ruled the day, and she began to reason along these lines. “It is wonderful to be flying on my bicycle, and if I crash or fall off I most likely will not be hurt, but what if the bike and I go high up, what if I go up into the sky among the clouds?”

And then the bicycle with her on it flew right up into the sky, so that the landscape took on the appearance of a multicolored quilt thrown out over the land way down below, with houses the size of match boxes, and streets and rivers like silver threads. She was surrounded by brilliant sunlight. It seemed so natural to be flying in the sky that she almost lost her fear and succumbed to a feeling of bliss. She said the herself, “This is the most sublime moment of my life, nothing could be more wonderful, but as if to simply contradict her, the dream caused her to ascend still higher so that now the scattered clouds were far below her, and the air and the sky were no longer blue but a suffused combination of silver and gold.

Valeria said not a thing to herself in her mind, because where she was, and what she was experiencing was a thing beyond words and even beyond feeling. Finally she came to herself, placed her feet on the pedals and with her hands firmly on the hand grips, she turned her attention to the question, ‘How will I ever get down from here?’

How she managed to extricate herself from such a dangerous situation we shall see next month. It is the elephant who will save her, because he was having almost the exact same dream.

—RICHARD BRITELL, MARCH 2024

THE ARTFUL MIND MARCH 2024 • 47

RICHARD NELSON D I G I TA L A R T nojrevned@hotmail.com

Deborah H Carter Bottled Up Upcycled Wearable Art @deborah_h_carter @eric.korenman.photography Model: @joyderose.music Clock Tower Artists Pittsfield MA Represented by the WIT Gallery