The Artful Mind JUNE 2024

THE ARTFUL MIND

JAYE ALISON MOSCARIELLO

Photograph by Josie Miner

THE ARTFUL MIND

JUNE 2024

This issue is dedicated to Eleanor Lord

ARTIST INTERVIEW

JAYE ALISON MOSCARIELLO

Cover photograph by Josie Miner 12

CONSTRUCT DESIGN SHOWHOUSE / JUNE 2024

INTERVIEW WITH NICHOLE DUPONT ...16

RICHARD BRITELL | FICTION

The Prodigal Dog PART 9: THE RAGGEDY ANN DOLL & THE INVISIBLE ELEPHANT ...47

Publisher Harryet Candee

Copy Editor Marguerite Bride

Third Eye Jeff Bynack

Distribution Ruby Aver

Carolyn Kinsolving

Contributing Photographers

Edward Acker

Tasja Keetman

Bobby Miller

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RICHARD TALBERT

Richard Talbert's paintings and architecture address the complexities of form and space in a rectangular format. These forms are defined spaces and conscious “transformations” of transparent planes. These abstract images of vision are distortions and trigger an insubordinate sense of color. As a public muralist, Talbert's work can be provocative as well as reflective of daily surroundings.

Email: Richtalbert1@gmail.com

My Lenox Studio is open by appointment. 413.347.3888 richtalbert1@gmail.com website: richardtalbertdesign.com

Neon Galla Oil on canvas 42” x 72”

Mark Morgenstein

I have been creating one-line faces for about 5 years. It was just a quick way to create something on the days when you do not have the inspiration or the time to indulge with your creative inner child. Most of these are created with my eyes closed and I don’t cheat – each one is just one line. After a while I saw some amazing faces appear and I wanted to give them more attention by deciding which ones had a story to tell. They do like to talk. My hope is to take about fifty-two faces, record their stories and publish a book. I have the title written already! You can follow the queen on Instagram at: Thequeenoftheoneliners

Learn more about me at: www.elizabethcassidystudioworks.com

You can contact me at: elizabethcassidyart@gmail.com

Artist, Illustrator, Writer, Peace Lover and The Queen of the One liners

karen@innervision-studio.com

https://innervision-studio.com/collections/watercolor/products/farm-lenox InnerVision-Studio.com 413-212-1394

www.sallytiskarice.com sallytiskarice@gmail.com

Ted Shawn Theater “At Jacobs Pillow” Matted and framed 16"x20"

Farm,, Lenox watercolor on paper 2024

JAYE ALISON MOSCARIELLO

“Artistically, I go in the direction that calls the loudest for my attention - concerns for the environment, inequality of women, sexes, prejudices, socio-economic, world issues. At the end of the day all I wish for is to transmute all the hurts, anguish, tragedy, injustices into works of art that transcend the mundane.”—JAM

Harryet Candee: As we continue to develop our artistic skills, it is essential to curate our work to measure our growth. We can do this by identifying landmarks, reviewing our old art pieces, and reflecting on the art shows that were particularly important to us. With that being said, how do you evaluate your own progress as an artist? Have you noticed any significant improvements, setbacks, or a plateau in your growth?

Jaye Alison Moscariello: Wow, what a lot of great questions. I have to think. How do you sum up fifty years of being an artist? My path took a little zigzag here and there, with a few sideways steps in terms of progress. In the years when I was living and working in my studio in Santa Monica, I was completely caught up in the survival of living; working day and night, crashing every few days to sleep. I became disconnected from my whole physical body-so to speak, it’s not as if I

was a floating head, but kind of. With so many moves first from New York City to Los Angeles, Big City living and then the big move to living on the land, in the country of Northern California. At first it felt as if I had stepped back. But eventually I came to appreciate all that living rurally has allowed me to be, which is free to deeply tap into my connections to all things Nature, knowing that I am a part of the whole system and my concerns for us, our environment, our health and wellness, and so much more. The external pressures are lessened and the internal drives are stronger now. My work thematically has become more universal, and I continue to respond to whatever I sense is most critical. In the sixties I protested the war in Vietnam, and today I create art that questions our refusal to facilitate peace.

Can you compare two pieces of art you have done? One from 15 years ago and the other

from now? How has your style changed? Have your life experiences change your style?

Jaye: In 2008, while living in Santa Monica, after a breakup with my partner, Jack Nowaczynski, we are still friends by the way, a new series of works on paper emerged. They began as pen and ink drawings of a monkey type character with a long tail. I later painted them in watercolor, gouache and acrylic. I called it “Chase the Monkey” and it just kept pouring out of me, reflecting upon the plasticity of comfort. I loathed the idea of being comfortable which I interpreted as being complacent, I was working day and night, and I felt the woes of the world deeply. I found myself in a state of comfortable un-comfortability and was on the brink of a physical breakdown. I examined the work I was making and got into a dialogue with it emphatically asking “Chase, what are you trying to tell me?!” my Monkey creature answered quietly “It’s time to get back in touch with your

Interview by Harryet Candee Cover photograph by Josie Miner / Photographs Courtesy of the Artist

Photograph by Bill Taylor

body, nature, heal and then get back out into the world and speak out.” Good advice, I thought, and then acted upon it, and in the process, met my future husband who just happened to live in Northern California, he was a food farmer and composer and the rest is history. Okay, long explanation, so I wrote a book and illustrated it with the Chase the Monkey paintings. I moved up north, but opportunities to show were challenging and it took me out of my ‘city’ way of doing things, however in the process of all the change, I did get healthier, happier and more productive in other ways, and my art grew organically, like the food we produce.

“Promised,” is part of the Territories Blue series which responds to all that is happening in the Middle East, and those who historically dwelled there and fought each other for centuries. As with all of my work, these concerns get blended into my brain and I create something that expresses my deepest emotions. I reflect upon the senseless loss of lives and the recognition of how we as humans continue to make the same mistakes. One work, “Capture the Moon,” is about learning to walk gently on the earth, and the latter,“Promised” is about what remains when we don’t.

Are there times when you find painting in your

studio to be therapeutic and healing rather than goal-oriented, such as when you are trying to meet a specific deadline for an art show?

Jaye: I cannot paint in any other way than it being therapeutic and healing! If I paint other than in a way that is fully expressing what is from my heart or driven to communicate something important, it comes out inauthentic and I don’t have time for that, not anymore. I’m fairly prolific, I actually could be in several shows at once! The only thing that happens in my studio with respect to meeting a specific deadline is checking on things, like is the painting framed? Does it have the proper hardware? Does it meet certain requirements? Do I have the paperwork filled out completely and correctly?

How do you decide which paintings should be turned into a series?

Jaye: My paintings talk to me and some would argue that I talk to myself. We dialogue. Sometimes, I feel the urge to express something intangible, I don’t even know what, but it is a palpable urge that is like being at the edge of cliff and wanting to jump, an excitement like I’m going to burst, which is why I also call myself a liminal artist. When I am in that place, in my studio, I’ll rapidly, intuitively choose colors that express all

that the emotional palettes in my head and heart are calling for and I’ll begin to work. I’ll know by the amount of input, content, such as just after the Uvalde School Shooting in May 2022. I, as I imagine every feeling and thinking human being in the world, was shaken to the core and filled with such anger. How many more senseless losses of lives due to proper lack of gun control and unaddressed mental illness need to happen?! I couldn’t stop painting, and there are several of my Abstracted Memories paintings dedicated to that shooting - including “Crocodile Tears” which is a 72”x74” canvas. The impulse or drive to work until I can say no more, I think those are the cues for me.

Jaye, could you share some of your grandmother Mamie's memoirs and the lessons you learned from her that inspire your paintings?

Jaye: Ah, Mamie. I absolutely loved and feared my larger than life grandmother, who wouldn’t be called granny, or nana, she’d have none of that. She was a singer from an early age, and she’d been an opening act at the Shubert Theater in New Haven, Connecticut. I think because she had been the oldest girl in a large Jewish family, a rabbi’s daughter, and by the time my younger sister Silvia Continued on next page...

Jaye Alison Moscariello. Promised Territories Blue series, 2024, Acrylic and graphite on canvas, 20” x 20”

and I came onto the scene, she was tired of taking care of other people’s kids! She would play piano for us and sing, we were a captive audience, raised at a time when children were seen and not heard. Her husband Jayson, for whom I’m named, died about a year or so before I was born. I think she was still grieving when she was taking care of us. She possessed an enormous amount of creativity and a curious mind, she never stopped reading. She would take discarded shirt boards from the dry cleaners, and with a ball point pen, magically transform them into exotic scenes with palm trees and villages and little people. I think that I was and continue to be filled with an overwhelming sense of excitement and adventure whenever I approach a blank canvas or surface - anything is possible! I owe that to her. She also sewed her own dresses by hand and had a beautiful garden which I would often escape into. The Le Jardin sub series of the abstract memories series is dedicated to her.

In 2019, you created a journal/documentary short film called "From the Ashes." Though it has been a while since then, you are leading an active and fulfilling life in the Berkshires. However, reflecting on the film you made may help you gain new insights into the difficult time you experienced. By the way, were you going by the name Jaye Alison at the time?

Jaye: The “From the Ashes-Fire”, Survival, Renewal film project was incredible and the experi-

ence of making it will always remain with me. Our entire community experienced major trauma from the 2017 Redwood Complex Fire, in Mendocino County, which took the lives of several of our friends and neighbors, and many animals and hundreds of homes. A friend of ours Joe Nemeth and my husband Bill Taylor, both composers, lent their music to the film. Bill was actually commissioned to compose a piece for a theatre production called Fire Survivor Monologues, stories written and spoken by seven survivors of the fires, including me, (https://www.kzyx.org/local-news/201810-15/fire-survivor-monologuists-talk-about-fireand-art ) directed by Ellen Weed, who was a survivor of a wildfire years before. I used video clips from the performance in the film. Mary Buckley who helped produce the Monologues took inspiration from our survivor stories and wrote a song for the production. Throughout the community, there were so many contributions: neighbors’ cellphone images and photographs taken during and after the fire, artworks, folks granted me interviews and others helped me with getting grants to make the film. Artists Elizabeth Raybee and Nori Dolan facilitated mosaic workshops from which was created a large mural memorializing those lives lost. Through an immense tragedy we forged an incredible band of brothers and sisters. I miss them all; there were 69 artists in all who showed 171 works of art in shows that I helped to organize and curate. I guess the takeaway or insight from

this experience is that it’s important to understand if catastrophe strikes, it doesn’t matter who you voted for, what side you’re on, we are all brothers and sisters and we will do what we can to help one another, that’s what truly matters. Regarding my name, I’ve played with variations, because I felt my name was just something I inherited, I didn’t create it. I did use my full name for the film. There’s another message in the film that I feel is very relevant, and that is to fully realize that Native Americans managed this country for thousands of years and had very sophisticated yet low tech ways of preventing wildfires and other unnatural disasters, through proper land management. And as a whole they were a largely peaceful people. In California, one of the largest states in America, there were hundreds of tribes speaking 100s of languages, were able to communicate with one another, had successful trading, kept fish and game plentiful, and only about two of those tribes were considered war like. We have a lot to learn from indigenous ways. Respect all species, we are all part of one system. There is a part two to the film, in the works.

Chase the Monkey in Capture the Moon is a book you wrote and illustrated. The book is about breaking free from limited perceptions and embracing life's adventures. It is full of energy and vibrancy! Please clarify if this book is for adults or children. Also, please share the story

Jaye Alison Moscariello. Capture the Moon Watercolor, gouache, pen, ink on paper Art story book and painting

behind the making of this book, the exciting routes you took to make it successful, and how it became available to readers worldwide.

Jaye: In truth, the book has been well received by both children and adults, many after reading it say “That’s my story!” which pleases me to no end because my main objective was to have people relate. “Capture the Moon” came from a series of paintings called Chase the Monkey, about moving from being and feeling trapped by limited perceptions to getting back out there in the world and taking advantage of life’s adventures. It’s about finding your Self. I created “Capture the Moon” to help point children of all ages in the direction of mindful practice. Mindful practices assist in navigating through challenging waters and helps to self-regulate emotions. There’s a subtle suggestion of meditation. I purposely wrote it in genderneutral language and kept the faces without features so that anyone reading could project their own onto the main character. At the time, with the support of my loving community, I raised enough money through a successful Kickstarter campaign to publish the book and to donate half of them to agencies that served young Syrian refugees, child victims of domestic abuse and those living in shelters.

My book promoting came to an abrupt halt with two fires we experienced on our farm in California and then the third, the 2017 Redwood Complex Fire. I’ve sold some books here but have

been more focussed on current world issues. “Capture the Moon” is the first book in a trilogy, and I’d love to publish the other two; I have all of the material.

There is a distinct difference between commercial art and fine art, although there are various ways in which they can intersect. Some of your pattern-style paintings on canvas could translate well into textile design for home furnishings. Have you ever considered exploring this avenue?

Jaye: I LOVE FABRIC! Having grown up watching my grandmother sew gorgeous remnants of fabric into dresses, I was hooked at an early age. I sewed quite a bit in my earlier years. I think I would need an agent to get my work into those areas, and I’m flattered that you think that I’d do well with it. Maybe not so strangely, I recently designed a duvet cover and pillowcases with my art. Years ago, I did have the opportunity and designed furniture, carpeting, wall surfaces and other things in that Manhattan project. With the right licensing partnerships, I might get a kick out of seeing things unfold that way! At the same time, I’d love to see the original work find homes.

I understand that you have some paintings that have a narrative element. I believe that these paintings were created while you were living in California. Specifically, I am interested in

learning more about "My Piece of Heaven" and "Daunted at Danuta's," as they seem to have a story that you want to tell.

Jaye: Despite the fact that I paint abstractly, I consider myself to be a narrative/conceptual artist, the work always has something to say:) “My Piece of Heaven” was an accurate depiction of my 150 square foot apartment located two blocks south of Wilshire Boulevard and (LACMA) Los Angeles County Museum of Art. I’d just finished a two plus years project in New York City, an entire home art installation that I conceptualized and helped create in an upper east side penthouse apartment. It was not a work for hire. It received a lot of publicity. Neither the architect nor I were given any credit, so you could say I had a lot of contentious content that needed to come out. I designed the couch and painted the walls as you see them in the painting, everything was exactly how my own dwelling looked. I loved my little apartment - it was walking distance from my yoga center, Golden Bridge and two blocks from Mani’s Bakery. I was seriously seeking inner peace.

Daunted at Danuta’s is quite another story, still in Los Angeles, I’d met a Polish artist Danuta, with whom I am still great friends, and she was very connected to the creative LA Polish community, she would have parties and invite me. I became friends with many of them. On one occasion, at Continued on next page...

Jaye Alison Moscariello. Crocodile Tears Acrylic and latex on canvas 72” x 74”

JAYE ALISON MOSCARIELLO

Danuta’s place, our friend, filmmaker, Jerzy Skolimowski who’d previously told me how much he loved my work, was now verbally trashing it, well maybe just severely criticizing it, while my darling and beautiful friend Danuta was completely oblivious to my tortured state, and our other friend Jann Castor, a composer, who sadly passed away a few years ago, was quietly strumming his guitar in the background. All the while I was being thrown under the bus by Jerzy! That prone figure on the floor represents me, by the way. The abstract red and black painting above me represents Jerzy, Danuta is the woman in the frame and Jann is the guitar player. He later wrote a poem inspired by the painting.

The world of art is constantly changing, and many new opportunities are arising, whether online, through word of mouth, at art shows, from community art organizations, or international women's art organizations. I am curious to know which venue has worked best for you in selling your art and why you think that is the case.

Jaye: I’ve done fairly well in some galleries, including my own studio/gallery in Santa Monica, and at community events. Right now, I feel as if I am catching up as a newcomer to the Berkshires, and by being involved in the creative community through art associations. I’m meeting some lovely people. Folks are beginning to know me. I felt honored to be included in Artists from Home, a

rotating exhibit of women artists from the Berkshires, at Hancock Shaker Village. The curator, Kathleen Lynch was great to work with. Believe it or not I am very shy and have to muster up courage to go out and engage with people, but I did study a little acting. And getting back to the original question, I think I’ve been more focussed on making the art, because it is timely, relevant and important.

What are your upcoming plans for the summer in the Berkshires that has to do with you enjoying life to its fullest?

Jaye: Last year I joined the exhibition committee of the New Marlborough Meeting House Gallery and we are organizing three art shows at the New Marlborough Meeting House Gallery; Small Works , Farm and Table, New Marlborough Artists. This year I’m a volunteering on the Sandisfield Arts Center gallery committee, helping put on six art shows this season; After the Thaw-featuring Guild of Berkshire Artists, Notes from the Interior, Small Works, Unearthed, Women in Photography and the 50/50 Postcard Show. With respect to my own personal art, there is so much happening in the world today, I’ll certainly be busy because there’s a lot to say in paint! Oh and I’ll be SWIMMING in our lakes as often as I can!!! And going to Tanglewood and hopefully taking in some more music and plays. Speaking of plays, I’m the understudy for all the female parts in the play The Opening of a Door by Wa-

terbury playwright, Philip V. Benevento, Jr., starring my sister Silvia Moscariello, a wonderful actor, and featuring Poetry and Prose by another thespian, Linda Storms of Sandisfield. Did I mention that I’ll be bringing our adventurous, exotic salad mix and other goodies to the West Stockbridge Farmers Market on Thursdays, and that Bill Taylor, my husband and I host A Farm & Garden Show on WBCR-LP 97.7 FM Great Barrington public radio? (berkshireradio.org) Whew! I need to catch a breath. Two of my Le Jardin pieces are currently being shown at the Art Complex Museum in Duxbury, Massachusetts. They are part of the Massachusetts chapter of the National Association of Women Artists group show Where Do We Come From? Who Are We? Where Are We Going?

This month at the Sandisfield Arts Center, I’ll have some works on paper in the group exhibit Notes from the Interior. The opening reception is June 8, 4 –6 pm The show runs until July 7. At the New Marlborough Meeting House Gallery, I’ll be exhibiting photographic images of the farm along with a short film I made called I Left the City for THIS? in the art show Farm and Table July 26 - August 25. The reception is July 26, 5-7 p.m.

Have you traveled extensively? Can you share any artwork inspired by your travels?

Jaye: I love traveling! I haven’t been to as many places as I’d like, but I have been to England,

Jaye Alison Moscariello. Daunted at Danuta’s Mixed media on Arches paper, 18” x 24” Photograph: Jacek Nowaczynski

France, Italy, Poland, Czech, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, New Zealand, Mexico, Columbia, Costa Rica, Canada, and Florida-which I consider to be a foreign country, and to many of these United States. Well, the most recent travel to Europe inspired the current series Territories Blue. Being away from my studio and seeing images in the news from the war-torn cities and villages in Gaza and in Ukraine, coupled with visiting Roman ruins in Lyon, and in Fiosole, my mind kept seeing the rubble and eventually patterns began to emerge. I couldn’t wait to get home to paint what I saw. I feel as if I could work on these forever. I draw inspiration for this series from aerial views of archaeological sites and bomb-damaged cities and villages, which have similar geometric formations under the dust and rubble. Their surfaces, marked by irregular, asymmetrical grids, are painted in blends of blue, white, and earth tones, symbolizing water, air, and land. It saddens me that ancient and modern peoples have fought and continue to fight over these same elements. There are sub-series of this body of work which explore imagined passages that my ancestors (I have ties to Ukraine, Middle East, Italy and Greece) may have taken across land and sea to find “home.” I am inspired by the earth tones of the rocks and building blocks of villages, ancient and modern contrasting with azure and other blues of water, air and the whiteness of clouds and space in the desert.

What's the one lesson you've learned in life that has had the biggest impact on you? How did you come to learn it?

Jaye: For my first wedding, my parents gave me a beautiful wedding situated in an old monastery along the Connecticut River, My sister Silvia made most of the arrangements and I neglected to acknowledge them, especially my father. One might say that the lesson is to acknowledge others and to give credit where credit is due. That was a good one but that wasn’t the biggest lesson. My older sister Leslie, an artist, died suddenly of multi-site aneurisms in September 1986 at the age of 37; she’d suffered severe headaches her entire life. My father died on her birthday, July 27, 1985 the year before. I was living in New York City and friends and associates were dying left and right from AIDS. Leslie’s death was the essential kick in the pants for me, the lesson was don’t count on living a long time, do as much as you can while you are still alive, do your art NOW!” My mother who’d suffered for years with Multiple Sclerosis, died a couple of years later. These were the biggest impacts upon me. Those people you think are going to be with you while you figure things out, and become a better person, you can’t wait for it, you have to do things now. Life is too darned short! So appreciate the people in your life, even those that are pains in the neck sometimes. Appreciate Life. Appreciate those who are kind. Be kind to others. My mother’s favorite expression was “Life is to enjoyed, not endured” and my per-

sonal motto was “if it isn’t fun, don’t do it!” I love what I do and if it ever became something I hated, I simply wouldn’t do it, I’d become a dancer. But seriously, there are words with which I resonate, written by Viktor Frankl, “If there is a meaning in life at all, then there must be a meaning in suffering. Suffering is an ineradicable part of life, even as fate and death. Without suffering and death, human life cannot be complete.” Frankl was a Holocaust survivor. As oddly as it sounds, I remember telling myself to feel all the grief, the pain of all of that loss, that it was real, and to feel was real and it was rich to be able to feel every sensation, that was part of what it meant to be alive..And all those deaths; my family, my friends dying of AIDS made me fiercely want to live even more, to be alive for them, to make a difference with my work because their lives made a difference to me. My youngest sibling Judi, also an actor, died shortly before we moved back east, and this time with the help of a wonderful therapist friend, a loving family and work have helped me process the grief. I have a different life now.

Can you tell us about the Natural World series? The horizontal canvas works because it creates tension and mood. You must have felt great joy hearing and participating in the conversation and drama between the atmosphere and the earth in each of these. What challenges did you want on this journey, and what was the Continued on next page...

Jaye Alison Moscariello. My Piece of Heaven Gouache, pen and acrylic on Arches paper, 18” x 24” Photograph: Jacek Nowaczynski

JAYE ALISON MOSCARIELLO

Alison Moscariello: Natural World series

Dawn Breaking over Central Valley (Top) “Riding on a train, coming back from Tijuana where I get my braces adjusted, I could not sleep. Luckily for me the sky was just opening up, with the barest hint of light coming through smokey black and grey clouds. My heart stood still. My hands and brain took stock and immediately painted.”

Cloud Worship (Middle) “As an air sign, Aquarius, I guess that clouds and the skies that hold them transfix me. Guilty.”

Rothko Sunsetting (Bottom) “A fan of Mark Rothko's work, and just seeing this collection of color appear in the sky, I immediately felt connected to him too. It is the scene I chanced by coming home one evening at just the right moment.”

Jaye

underlying meaning behind it all that you may feel doesn't have to be told but discovered?

Jaye: The series emerged organically when I moved with my soon to be husband to the coastal town of Elk up in Northern California. My second floor studio overlooked the sea, and I would watch the constantly changing ocean view out my window. It filled me with such emotion, and I was overwhelmed by its vastness, having left in some ways an insular life living in a white cube for years in Santa Monica. I decided that I would paint only the best part of what I saw, just what I could process of the magnificent beauty, so I chose to paint a slice, a thin, horizontal slice. It was the return to what I felt was my true mother, Mother Nature, the sea from whence we came. My heart in many ways is still there by the oceanside. As a child I was fortunate to have my bedroom overlook the Long Island Sound, and I remember falling asleep to the sound of waves. I loved the sea. I was a nerdy kid, reading books all the time, pretty much alone, except for taking care of my sisters, and the water soothed me. Being in Elk was a joyful return. As I reconnected to the earth, sea and fresh air, I became even more sensitive to our environment and fearful that something might destroy it. I had a kind of doomsday feeling that it could all vanish at any time, and that I had to paint as much of it as I could, as fast as I

could. When we moved to an inland mountainside farm on 200 acres, mostly oak savanna, in Redwood Valley, I had the same feeling, I had to bear witness to what I was privileged to see, the glorious California landscape.

Dawn Breaking over the Central Valley-came about while I was riding on a train, coming back from Tijuana where I got my dental braces adjusted, I could not sleep. Luckily for me the sky was just opening up, with the barest hint of light coming through smokey black and grey clouds. My heart stood still. My hands and brain took stock and immediately painted. It happens to be one of my favorite paintings.

I love clouds, I think that God or whatever greater power than myself, is the most magnificent creator. Sometimes the skies are so awe inspiringly magical, I’m an Aquarian and it’s a wonder that I am not a pilot, I get so transfixed by them. Cloud Worship is about that, painted from life, which all of my Natural World and Ocean Series were. I love the immediacy of working with wet media and painting like mad, almost in a wild trance, to capture something so breathtaking as the shifting light cast on turbulent waters, or fast moving clouds over a mountain - oh Mother Nature. I wonder if I answered your question? That painting is now in our former California neighbor’s collection.

Can you tell us how Rothko inspired you in this series Natural World?

Jaye: Actually I do love Rothko, but it was on one particular day when we lived on a mountainside farm, where the sunset was just these absolutely deliciously thick bands of rich oranges, blues, turquoise color, very much like a Rothko color field painting that inspired that one particular piece Rothko Sunsetting which I happily sold.

I've been looking at many pieces of your work and found one painting that really stood out. “Completely’ evoked a strong emotional reaction in me that accurately aligns with your description of your body of work: “Envisioning emotional connections between objects, time, memory, and experience.” This particular piece seemed more complex than others.

Jaye: Most of the time I dialogue with my work as I paint, I do consider them my children, please don’t tell my family. In this piece, as my inner world unfolded onto this canvas, a 36" x 36" expanse of acrylic and latex paint, I listened to my creative child's instructions, adding grid-like patterns and vibrant colors - blue, green, yellow, and pink-whatever it wanted. The painting called out for a circle to represent the cycle of life, and I obeyed. My creative child's demands grew more Continued on next page...

Jaye Alison Moscariello Completely Acrylic, latex, graphite, color pencil on canvas, 36" x 36"

insistent, asking for ellipses and more circles, and I happily obliged. With the last brushstroke, my painting told me she was complete, a testament to the cycle of life and the creative process. Which is why I named her “Completely”. The process of creating always informs me of what’s been tucked away in my mind. It is a piece that is also informed by the abstracted early memories of my childhood raised by a creative and domineering grandmother.

Have you ever had artist’s block? What creative solutions did you come up with?

Jaye: Funny you should ask, during the same time period - late 80s, when my mother started her decline following my father’s and sister’s deaths, a dear friend Alexandra Carmel and I designed a program for blocked artists, because we were really blocked creatives; psychologically thrown by the events of our past, present - whatever! Over her kitchen table in her loft down under the Manhattan Bridge, we created Breaking Out, Breaking Free ™. I was the first test subject, and then it was her turn. We tailored exercises to what each of us needed, what would be a stretch for us, and we created a series of exercises that could be used by

many. Then we facilitated small groups of artists and folks around NYC. It was very effective. One simple suggestion I can offer those of us here in the country is, when you feel blocked, simply take a fresh air/nature break, five minutes or so, then get back into the studio and free write, do not go right into the canvas and paint, but write, don’t try to be clever, just write whatever is going on for you. Set the timer for 5 minutes and just write, even if it is only BLAH, BLAH, BLAH. When the timer signals five minutes have passed, drop the pen. Just stop writing. Do this with a pen or pencil unless you are physically unable, in which case use a computer. Try it for a week solidly and see what happens. Another thing I did to ease out of a creative block, while living in New York, and you can do it here too, was to just try another discipline for a little while to take the heat off. I took acting classes at HB Studios on Bank Street. I would study my lines, go to class, speak my monologue, and then return to the studio renewed and with fresh ideas. It’s kind of exciting, that acting thing, here you were worried about a painting that was troubling you and next thing you’re up onstage having to remember lines! The worry about your original issue dissipates. There’s more

to the course but that would take awhile to explain.The essence it’s giving yourself permission to explore and try new things and to neutralize the negative self talk or critical monkey mind.

What is the secret to living a successful life as an artist?

Jaye: Stay curious.Before going to bed each night I silently ask myself these questions: Was I able to do what I’m here to do? Did I do my best work? Did I pour as much of myself as I could into my work? Did I express all that I needed to say in it? Did I do something for someone other than myself? If the answers to these questions are YES, then I consider myself successful. If you believe in a power greater than yourself, trust that God or the Great Creator wouldn’t give you the desire to create if you couldn’t do it. Allow people to understand your work, invite them in. Do know that you are braver than you think you are, okay, so I was raised on musicals, does whistle a happy tune ring a bell? And when you have a little bad spell, know that it’s just physics; what goes down has to come up again! And if you have a REALLY BAD spell, it’s still physics. Love what you do and choose to do what you love. I measure suc-

Jaye Alison Moscariello Le Jardin II Acrylic, latex, graphite, 26” x 19”

cess by how happy I am, and happiness is a choice. I also have a new mantra, and I’m happy to share it with you. Recently I had a really bad spell when the critical monkey was on sabotage overdrive. I finally couldn’t take it. After a few days of this horror show I woke up and said, enough is enough -and here comes the mantra: “I consciously choose to love myself.” Simple choice. Also remember to drink lots of pure water, eat nourishing healthy foods that make you happy like squash, greens and other good things, because some of us will generate our best art when we’re100. Remember, it’s never too late to be an overnight success! So, take care of yourself; exercise, smile more, help someone else do something and don’t get crazy about what another artist is achieving, but do stand up for yourself, say no when you need to. Importantly ensure that you get credit and acknowledged for your work and focus on cultivating Your Own Voice. As the musical group, Aztec Two Step sang There will always be a faster gun, but there’ll never be another one like you…

Tell me about the experience you’ve had with the old-fashioned phone, Jaye.

Jaye: Shortly after my father died, in 1985, I’d just moved to Carol Gardens in Brooklyn. My first husband had left. I was sleeping and I heard the phone ring, it was an old-time ring, bring, bring, bring. I got out of bed and the air was thick with something otherworldly, ectoplasm is all I can think of. I walked slowly to my telephone that was making the weird sounds. I picked up the receiver and the voice at the end of the receiver sounded like the old operator recording saying “the number you have dialed 623-1079 has been changed, the new number is_____________” and the voice paused. And then it repeated itself four times. Chills ran down my back. That number was my parents home phone number. My mother was still living in their house in Windsor Locks!

In that moment I understood that I had received a message from my father, whom despite our differences I loved very much. My mother ended up moving four times after his death and I believe he was trying to prepare me for that.

Speaking of phones, I do love them, especially the old-fashioned ones. I feel that a certain kind of intimacy has been lost with cellphones. There was a wonderful safe feeling of holding the receiver and being able to talk in a fully concentrated way

that I don’t think we have with mobile phones, and sometimes you know the cellphone is listening and will start typing a response to what you are saying to someone. It’s too weird. Big Brother in 2024. I love working concentratedly without several things playing at once; music in the background, radio, television, et cetera. I have enough going on in my mind and I want to hear the rhythm of my own drum.

In this photograph, I am imagining that an art dealer has just called and informed me that my new series of work has been acquired and I am excited!

Thank you, Jaye!

jayealison.com

Jaye in her studio when an interesting call came in...Bring! Bring! Bring!

Photo: h. candee

CONSTRUCT DESIGNER SHOWHOUSE

CASSILIS FARM NEW MARLBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS

NICHOLE DUPONT PROJECT MANAGER

Construct, Inc. is a nonprofit organization that provides affordable housing and supportive services to residents in the southern Berkshires. Their Designer Showhouse, which will be open every weekend in June, features the work of 15 award-winning regional designers as well as landscape architects and visual artists. The Showhouse will take place at the historic Cassilis Farm, where each exhibitor will have a dedicated space to display their interior design vision based on the theme “Nature in the Berkshires.” Construct, Inc. and the New Marlborough Housing Development Committee have purchased and renovated this 20-acre estate to create 11 affordable housing apartments. The Designer Showhouse celebrates the power of creativity and community to transform lives and create a brighter future for all. Construct strongly believes in the power of community and creativity to bring positive change to the Berkshires.

Harryet Candee: I recently had the opportunity to meet with Laura Jordahl, one of the organizers of the Construct Designer Showhouse and a member of the Construct board of directors. I was excited about this opportunity since I live close by and have always been curious about exploring this vast Gilded Age estate, its gardens, and barns and learning more about how the lives of those who lived here in the past and present intertwine.

I am talking with Nichole Dupont, Project Manager for the Designer Showhouse, and she will satisfy my curiosity by answering some questions that have popped into my mind since I visited Cassilis Farm.

Nichole, art can positively impact and heal our lives, and every form of art has its unique way of doing so. Have you noticed how Cassilis Farm has come to life due to the attention, work, and art brought to the property for this event? In what ways have you sensed this

change, and how do you see nature having a role?

Nichole Dupont: Oh, Cassilis has come to life for sure during this entire process. When I first visited the property in winter, it was freezing and gray and felt, honestly, a bit forgotten. Still beautiful, but forgotten. But then, as designers came to take measurements and start preparing their spaces, and as plumbers and painters and curious volunteers started to make their way there, and often, and as the days got longer…it’s true colors began to shine through. Literally. Beautiful vignettes began popping up in the rooms and people in their full creative mode were filling the place with that energy, all as the grounds of the property woke up from the long winter and became the main character and the backdrop for the work. Birds arrived, the magnolia trees bloomed, the little creek filled and flowed. And yes, the woodchucks woke up, the turkey vultures set up shop, and other critters made themselves known. Everything and every-

Interview by Harryet Candee

Photographs Courtesy of Nichole Dupont

Annex Entry Room

one started to make themselves at home and that has been the whole point from the beginning. This is going to be a home for many people. They are going to drive from work, along Rte 57, pull in the sloping driveway and see nothing but fields and trees and birds, and walk up to the entrance to this magnificent place which is also their home.

It’s fantastic to see Construct, Inc. achieving such a significant milestone. It truly highlights what can be achieved when public, private, and nonprofit organizations work hand in hand towards a common goal and invest their time, resources, and talents to meet local needs. Construct has achieved a remarkable feat by acquiring this property. Please fill us in on some of the challenges they are taking on in order to officially make this a reality.

Nichole: I couldn’t agree more. From the beginning, when Richard “Stebbie” Stebbins from New

Marlborough’s Housing Development Committee brought this property to Construct’s attention they’ve seen such incredible investment from purchasing the property at auction with the vast majority of funds raised from the Town of New Marlborough and the amazing people who live there. They are investing so strongly because they trust the way Construct will work with them. That’s so humbling and makes Construct redouble its efforts to make sure that they provide the very best homes New Marlborough residents can afford. The challenge of redeveloping a property like this is huge and they have an amazing construction team, amazing staff led by June Wolfe, Construct’s Housing Director, and such a fantastic board of directors. We all really see this as a chance to help people see affordable housing in a completely new light.

What initially sparked your interest in this project? Have you ever worked on a similar

project before?

Nichole: Hinda Bodinger, who is a co-chair alongside Laura, approached me somewhat out of the blue in the late fall, about being the Project Manager. Her enthusiasm when she approached me and the follow up onslaught of emails and vintage photos was contagious. I have always been a supporter of Construct’s mission, and when I saw the list of the participating designers, it was too impressive to pass up. My mother is an interior designer and I’ve had the great fortune of working with her on jobs. And watching her work, watching the process begin and the space transform into a livable work of art. I have such respect for that process and for these designers. It’s the perfect mix of artistry, community engagement, deep respect, and, honestly, its new territory for the affordable housing conversation happening here in the Berkshires.

Continued on next page...

Mood Board for Wingate LTD’s whimsical homage to Cassilis Farm’s history as a “horse property” at the height of a refined era

Have you found that the creative aspect of your work here serves as a bridge to new ideas that have emerged in your thinking recently?

Nichole: Not surprisingly, I have been thinking about nonprofit development and bridging gaps in perception. Just in the time that we have all come together to plan and create this Designer Showhouse, I’ve noticed and been surprised by the organic cohesion of all of these groups working together towards a common goal, but with very unique ways of getting there. The building of these strong community groups for some reason seems even stronger because there is a thick thread of creative energy and artistry that runs through this type of project. Artists and their supporters, designers, and their teams, it’s rich with artistry and quite simply, from that perspective, the end result is an interpretation of what is beautiful. That’s something that I think needs exploration in community building. As a marketing consultant, I work with many clients in creative industries, and they are very inspiring, passionate

people. The same can be said for nonprofit staff members. And for the people who volunteer countless hours to support very important causes. That’s a lot of energy to work with if we are open to it.

What role do you play in making this project come to fruition? Does it stop at the Designer Showhouse, or are you also involved in planning the 11 affordable housing units?

Nichole: Who knew that a Designer Showhouse would have so many moving parts? And so many excel sheets. Currently, that is my art medium, Google Sheets. The Showhouse planning committee has been absolutely outstanding in enacting all of the things that need to get done. I am the main point of contact and essentially keep track of all those “things.” Getting ads in on time, working with Andreas Engel, the very patient graphic designer, addressing the ideas and concerns of the designers, continuously updating budgets, getting invitations out in time, meeting with the press or

pitching to the press, editing copy for all of the promotional elements. What has been revealed to me early on is the vast array of talents of the committee — property maintenance, event planning, community engagement, historical research, fundraising — the skillsets are endless and invaluable. As far as the housing apartments, my involvement, quite by chance, has been to look at all of this through the lens of providing the correct information and dispelling myths and trying to break through old barriers and frustration surrounding the affordable housing conversation in the Berkshires. That has not been a deliberate focus but has ended up being a priority with this project. People tend to believe what they want to believe, or a whisper they hear on the wind and nowhere else. Old thinking leads to the same cycles of doubt and polarization when just the opposite is true when I look at this massive effort to renovate Cassilis Farm into affordable apartments. New residents who have made the Berkshires their home, longtime residents who were born

Dawn Trachtenberg and the Staged Ryte team prepare a whimsical child's room

here, business owners, the entire New Marlborough community, the designers — we all see the necessity and the value of these types of projects. Period. I hope that collaboration will pave the way for the larger Berkshire community.

What have you found to be the most enjoyable and challenging aspects of working on the Designer Showhouse and with Construct, Inc.?

Nichole: The messaging. How to bring this to the public in a way that will elevate the very important mission of Construct and the very high-end work of the designers. It’s definitely a balance that there is no playbook for.

The amazing opportunity we have here is to show that in so many ways we care about the same things regardless of our financial situation. It’s why we all lean so heavily on the Maya Angelou quote: “The ache for home lives in all of us. The safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.” For some, that comes with a designer price tag. For others, it comes with a housing sub-

sidy and a warm, safe place to live. But as neighbors in the Berkshires, we’re in this together! I have found this over and over again, yet the perception is that we work at cross purposes, but I just have not found that to be true and the Designer Showhouse is such a great way to artfully, beautifully show the connections.

Engaging media and industry veterans, consulting with other organizations nationwide who have done Showhouse fundraisers, making connections with the Garden and Historical societies and the local 5 village businesses who will be directly impacted by this renovation (in a positive way), with the businesses who have shown so many tiers of support via sponsorships and raffle donations, partnering with volunteer groups — this entire endeavor has so wholly enriched and invigorated the groups and communities that are involved. When I think of all of the hard work and the vision that has gone into this Showhouse…it’s a little overwhelming in the best possible way.

How did the Designer Showhouse all unfold and take shape?

Nichole: Three members of the Construct Volunteer Committee — Hinda, Laura, and Betty Farbman — were brainstorming about how to get folks involved. Many people in the community have reached out to volunteer with Construct, but the needs are so very specific. An event provides an opportunity for many people to participate, and Laura (Designer Showhouse Co-chair, Site Supervisor and Construct Board Member) came up with this idea. We were quite relieved to find the estate in as good a condition as it was. The floors are in great shape, and while a ton of work still needs to be done (insulation, heating, electrical and plumbing systems, code updates), it was clear that the buildings have great bones.

Can you tell us about some of the exciting approaches that the designers have taken to incorporate the “Nature in the Berkshires” Continued on next page...

IRWIN FELD, Owner/Creative Director: The first piece of furniture comes in. My Sutton Bench from my bespoke collection CF MODERN has arrived.

Custom wallpaper by Tillett Textiles for “Strawberry Fields” room

Window dressing prep for the Designer Showhouse

theme into their vision for their designated space?

Nichole: One of the most incredible things about being the project manager for the Showhouse is watching the vision of each designer take shape. The participating designers are Barrington Outfitters, C. Herrington Home + Design, Carly Jane Design, Danielle Sweet Interiors, Gallery315home, Germain Interiors, Hammertown, Harry Heissmann, Irwin Feld Design, Jennifer Bianco Design at Scout House, Jess Cooney Interiors, Pryor & Peacock, Staged Ryte, Tillett Textiles, Tune Street, and Wingate Ltd. Each one brings such vibrant energy to the Showhouse. As they started submitting their mood boards and room themes, we got an inside look into how the process of inspiration takes shape in wildly unique ways. Harry Heissmann (in partnership with Tillett Textiles) submitted a watercolor image of his room. He painted it, of course. It’s a Swan Nursery. He was inspired by a news story he read in the Berkshire Eagle about mute swans who had

taken refuge on Onota Lake. Another designer, Irwin Feld, leaned into the very Berkshire activity of picnics at beautiful places. He took the theme further to capture a Picnic Under the Stars motif and his attention to detail on it is a delight, right down to tiny ants, brass turtles, botanical accessories, and layers of textiles. The team at Jess Cooney Interiors has brought to life an overgrown library that pays homage to the passage of time and seasons at Cassilis, and the persistence of the natural world in the history of the estate. Watching these concepts and mood boards come to life is stunning. I feel lucky to have a glimpse inside the process of these brilliant people.

Do you think this project can become a trendsetter and an example of what the world needs more of in every community?

Nichole: Yes, and well beyond a trend, this should be a countywide, top priority institution of creative collaboration to solve practical community problems. Art heals. Having a home heals and

strengthens. These two meeting in the middle to solve problems is unique and can be a natural fit, especially in a creative community like ours. In some ways, Construct has done this before. The Attorney General’s office has an abandoned buildings project that the organization has now twice used to create affordable home ownership. However, doing a similar redevelopment in a Gilded Age estate like Cassilis is in a class of its own and might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Truthfully, it’s so much more expensive to redevelop a property like this than build new from the ground up. While Construct loves taking existing properties and breathing new life into them, it takes a special community to make it happen. We would love for New Marlborough to be seen as a leader in finding a way to provide homes that the town’s essential workers can afford.

What challenges do you think the architects and planners for affordable housing have reContinued on next page...

Hammertown transforms the dark entry space with textures and textiles

garding satisfying the codes for living conditions while preserving the historical architecture of the estate and other buildings on the property?

Nichole: Construct has a great build and design team that works closely with the town and state governments to make sure they’re hitting every mark. Led by Construct Housing Director, June Wolfe, architect Robert Harrison, engineer Brent White, and attorney Pete Puciloski have been with Construct every step of the way. They all listen and collaborate closely, doing their absolute best to balance safety and aesthetics to achieve a lasting testament to the property’s history as well as meeting the needs the town has for future generations to be able to live affordably in New Marlborough.

As you explore the interior of Cassilis Farm or its surrounding grounds, have you ever wondered about the secrets lurking behind the sealed walls? Who might have roamed these halls during the Gilded Age or even still be

dancing in the grand ballroom? The Berkshires have a reputation for being a place of folklore and hauntings, and it’s easy to get swept up in the mystery of it all. Perhaps you’ve felt a chill run down your spine or heard an unexplained creak while wandering through the estate. Despite your beliefs, it’s hard not to be captivated by how these old estates connect us to the past and allow us to glimpse another era. Thoughts, please. Nichole: Look how ghost tours have popped up in the county at these storied estates. People want to explore these buildings so badly and get a look inside and feel some kind of connection in long hallways or see a shadowy figure in a window. Of course, most of the mysteries of Cassilis are things like “who put carpeting over this wide plank flooring?!” Or “where on earth did they find that wallpaper? And that paint color?” I think the decorating style of the 1970s is what really haunts the estate right now! We know for certain that John and Yoko wandered the halls of Cassilis alongside artist George Maciunas. I will say there’s a pres-

ence at Cassilis. Maybe it’s the layers of history that surround the estate and the people who have lived there. It’s mostly a feeling that visitors get, especially when it’s a foggy day and the grounds are covered in mist. There is a lot of energy and connection there. I think the same can be said for the town of New Marlborough. The whole place has this artistic, subdued but persistent feeling. I love it. I know why people want to live in that beautiful little town.

Tell me a little bit about what you’ve uncovered regarding the history of Cassilis Farm. Nichole: We believe the three-story Georgian Revival mansion was built in 1890 for Colonel James Hyde, whose ancestors were longtime residents of New Marlborough. In 1898, as New Yorkers began to discover the Berkshires, Dr. and Mrs. Everett M. Culver of Long Island purchased the property.

Twelve years later, J. Macy Willets and Gladys Bloodgood Willets took ownership and named the estate Cassilis Farm. Mrs. Willets’ father built

Watercolor rendering of “Swan Nursery” by Harry Heissmann Inc. and Tillett Textiles

Mepal Manor (now the Center for Motivation and Change); Mr. Willets’ father built Gedney Farm. The Willets raised prize-winning Hackney ponies, Jersey cattle and other farm animals. The couple added a second building connected to the mansion by porte cochere.

In 1976, famed Lithuanian-born artist George Maciunas bought the property, intending to establish an artist colony. Maciunas was an early promoter of the art of Yoko Ono, who visited Cassilis Farm along with her husband John Lennon and son Sean in 1977.

Maciunas died in 1978, and the house was purchased in 1980 by Jane Carpenter who lived there until her death in 2017.

The property nearly became the new home for the John Dewey Academy (formerly housed at Searles Castle in Great Barrington). When that deal fell through, Construct bought the property at auction for $685,000 with Town of New Marlborough ARPA funds and generous individual contributions.

I would like to know what condition the barns at Cassilis are in and if they are also included in the plan for renovation and productive use that might have something to do with farming and animals?

Nichole: Some of the outbuildings are in better shape than others. Of course, THE priority is creating homes for new neighbors who will enhance the growing little neighborhood and Construct already has its hands full with that alone. They are already in the process of getting the two additional houses ready for occupancy but have no obvious use for the other outbuildings. The soil isn’t suitable for agriculture and the septic system puts limits on other expanded uses. They also have to weigh the safety of having underutilized spaces that can become attractive to young children, so the hope is that, as with existing items in the mansion that can’t be of use in the renovation, Construct can find new homes where they can be enjoyed with a second or third life. One example of a third life would be the middle section of the annex. It was formerly a house from

Deerfield, MA that got sandwiched between the old greenhouse and staff quarters. Cassilis Farm has had many iterations to be useful to its current occupants. We hope to continue that tradition.

Visual artists included in this project are Laura Christensen, Kathryn Freeman, Ann Getsinger, Pops Peterson, Kate Knapp, Gail Gelburd, Shawn Fields, Robin Tost, and Bob Watkins. How were they selected for this exhibit? They are all highly skilled, imaginative fine artists, and to be shown in a group, is truly a powerful experience for viewers.

Nichole: Thank you! Each artist was referred to us by folks who knew these talented local artists, and who felt that their work aligned with the Designer Showhouse theme, Nature in the Berkshires. We are delighted by the mix of styles and especially thrilled that Tune Street is providing customized, gallery lighting for each piece.

Much praise goes out to the landscapers inContinued on next page...

Wingate LTD. adds rich elegance and lighting to one of the curved staircases and the hallway above

Custom-made couch by Pryor & Peacock. Photo by Luca Shapiro

The interior of the artist studio, transformed into the "Glass Conservatory" by Pryor & Peacock. Photo by Luca Shapiro

volved in this as well: Helia Land Design and Whalen Nursery. Is there anything in store for what they might be working on?

Nichole: Much praise is due to the landscapers who’ve agreed to participate in this event! Like the interior designers, they aren’t used to committing to work that is temporary, and given the live elements that make up their designs, they have the challenge of transporting, and then creating a hospitable place for their plants that in less than two months will be vacated, with the plants returned to their nurseries for some TLC. Given all of this, we have ensured Whalen and Helia that their plants will receive the care they need during their stay at Cassilis Farm. As for their vision, Whalen Nursery is providing the structure within the two planting beds flanking the front of the porte-cochere, while Helia Land Design is completing the beds with their native perennials. An emphasis on plants that complement the Gilded Age facade,

while also paying attention to southern orientation and blooming time during the Showhouse are priorities of both landscapers.

Have there been times when the designers and artists have casually assembled on the grounds during their break time, and you maybe witnessed capturing moments when they were all enjoying themselves as a group, talking shop and feeling the beauty of the Cassilis estate and property?

Nichole: The Design community is a small one, as is the contractor community. There is a palpable sense of warmth and camaraderie as folks working on different rooms greet one another. People know each other! They have history together. It has been the best energy to experience. While the conditions at the property have been somewhat challenging — unheated, longer drying times for paint on all those rainy days, did I men-

tion unheated? — there’s been a great deal of graciousness between designers. They’re all very busy, and at different places in their careers- but all seem to assist one another, lean on one another.

Thank you to Jane Ralph, Hinda Bodinger, Laura Jordahl, and Lisa Beede for their contribution to this interview.

constructberkshires.org

Custom mural of vines and books for Jess Cooney Interiors’ ethereal “Willet’s Trophy Room”

STAMPED ABSTRACT SERIES #35

MARY DAVIDSON

This body of artwork, “My New Hat Series” presents colorful, geometric, large scale feminine forms, that are mysterious, bold, dramatic, captivating and complex. The many elegant, amorphic, intricate shapes which flow through out, keep the eyes moving. These playful, dynamic, creative works, give the viewer a chance to pause, lifting your spirit to a happy place.

Stamped Abstract Series #35 is my latest work. Mary Davidsonmdavidsongio@aol.com www.davidsondesigncompany.net

DEBORAH H CARTER

DINNER BELL UPCYCLED WEARABLE ART

@DEBORAH H CARTERPHOTO: KORENMAN COM

MODEL: @BROOKE E ROY

DEBORAH H. CARTER 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.

SALLY TISKA RICE BERKSHIRE ROLLING HILLS

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.

“I believe in art that is connected to real human feeling, that extends itself beyond the limits of the art world to embrace all people who are striving for alternatives in an increasingly dehumanized world.”

– Judy Chicago

Deborah H Carter has been featured in the Berkshire Magazine, What Women Create magazine and was a finalist in the World of WearableArt competition in Wellington, New Zealand 2023. SHe will be showing her work at St. Francis Gallery in Lee, MA from May 25 through Deborah H Carter413-441-3220, Clock Tower Artists

75 S. Church St., Studio 315, 3rd floor. Pittsfield, Massachusetts

Instagram: @deborah_h_carter Debhcarter@yahoo.com

Also, 51 Park Restaurant & Tavern in Lee, MA Berkshire Rolling Hills Art, 75 South Church St, 3rd Floor, Studio 302, Pittsfield, MA. 413-4468469.

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

BAR DOOR, 16” X 20”

MY NEW HAT SERIES,#15

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 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

LESLEE CARSEWELL

My artwork, be it photography, painting or collage embraces a very simple notion: how best to break up space to achieve more serendipity and greater intuition on the page. Though simple in theory, this is not so easy to achieve. I work to make use of both positive and negative space to create interest, lyricism, elegance, and ambiguity. Each element informs the whole. This whole, with luck, is filled with an air of intrigue.

Breaking up space to me has a direct correlation to music. Rhythm, texture, points of emphasis and silence all play their parts. Music that inspires me includes solo piano work by Debussy, Ravel, Mompou and of course, Schubert and Beethoven.

Working with limited and unadorned materials, I enhance the initial compositions with color, subtle but emphatic line work and texture. For me, painting abstractly removes restraints. I find the simplicity of line and subsequent forming of shapes quietly liberating.

Lastly, I want my work to feel crafted, the artist’s hand in every endeavor.

Leslee Carsewell413.229.0155 / 413.854.5757 lcarsewellart@icloud.com

MOLLIE KELLOGG

Incognito Witch works reveal the subject’s hidden psyche, suppressed to meet society’s expectations. Mortals become magickal beings adorned with jewels/nature elements, messy lipstick, and a signature flash of color under the eyes. Universal connections are symbolized in stars, and dream-like metallics. Figures evoke a Mother Nature archetype of power, strength, attraction, empathy, pain, and vulnerability. I view the current phase of the project’s development as an opportunity to see where these magickal beings will run off to play (or cause mischief) when given permission. You are magick!

Mollie Kelloggwww.molliekelloggcreative.com www.molliekellogg.com artist@molliekellogg.com f: @artwork.molliekellogg i: @incognitowitch

VESTIGE NO: 1

WHERE MY MIND WANDERS MIXED MEDIA, ACRYLIC, WATERCOLOR POWDER, GLITTER, STAR CONFETTI, MAGICK, 30” X 60”

MARGUERITE BRIDE WATERCOLORS

With nature bursting all around us, it only seems right to include paintings that are “inspired by nature”. Canoe Meadows in Pittsfield is one of my favorite places to trek. This particular scene really caught my eye..so very peaceful and beautiful. Here is my version of Canoe Meadows Spring 2024 in watercolor. I’m guessing I will be doing many more.

If you have a special occasion in your future, consider commemorating it with a painting. A new home? An old home that you are leaving? A special vacation scene? It is nice to create longlasting memories with a painting. A custom watercolor painting of a wedding venue, a home or other special location is always a treasured gift for any occasion. Commission work is always welcome.

And stay tuned for news of my annual Home Art Sale, happening this July in Pittsfield. Marguerite Bride –413-841-1659

margebride-paintings.com

margebride@aol.com

Facebook: Marguerite Bride Watercolors

KAREN J. ANDREWS

Honing her eye as a photographer, Karen Andrews has been developing her skills as a watercolor painter for the last twenty years. Her sense of color and composition as well as emotion and spiritual connection remain constant throughout both mediums.

Karen’s interests span a wide range of subject matter, including landscape, figure & face, dance & movement and the built world. She often uses her own photographs as references and is “here to capture the fleeting beauty of the moment.”

“I feel like life is always speaking to me through the things I see… I want to open people up to their inner vision.”

Inner Vision Studio is also the name of her personal gallery space located next to her home in West Stockbridge/Richmond. She plans to host several OPEN STUDIOS this coming summer and fall, exact dates to be announced.

Karen has also become obsessed with creating beautiful, affordable functional art products out of her watercolors: placemats, charcuterie boards, aprons, scarves, yoga pants and more. Her fine and functional artwork is available online at InnerVision-Studio.com as well as at Inner Vision Studio in West Stockbridge (open by appointment) and local/regional crafts events.

Karen J. Andrews413-212-1394

karen@innervision-studio.com InnerVision-Studio.com

“I didn’t want a completely passive viewer. Art means too much to me. To be able to articulate something visually is really an important thing. I wanted to make work where the viewer wouldn’t walk away.”

– Kara Walker

ARTFULMIND@

YAHOO.COM

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

CANOE MEADOWS, PITTSFIELD, MA, WATERCOLOR

NIGHT PARKING, WATERCOLOR

MARYANN 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, challenge to the imagination of the viewer.” — Mary Ann Yarmosky

Beach Beauties Acrylic on canvas 11” X 14”

A Day at the Beach Acrylic on canvas 11” X 14"

ELIZABETH CASSIDY

Artist. Illustrator. Writer.

Peace lover and The Queen of the One liners

I have been creating one-line faces for about 5 years. It was just a quick way to create something on the days when you do not have the inspiration or the time to indulge with your creative inner child. Most of these are created with my eyes closed and I don’t cheat – each one is just one line. After a while I saw some amazing faces appear and I wanted to give them more attention by deciding which ones had a story to tell. They do like to talk. My hope is to take about fifty-two faces, record their stories and publish a book. I have the title written already. You can follow the queen on Instagram at: Thequeenoftheoneliners

Elizabeth Cassidywww.elizabethcassidystudioworks.com elizabethcassidyart@gmail.com

THE ARTFUL MIND Magazine for the arts.

In-depth interviews focusing on today’s artists in all mediums living in the Berkshires and across the board.

Thank you for all the support continuously given to the artists and services in this publication.

arfulmind@yahoo.com

413. 645. 4114

GHETTA HIRSCH

This composition developed on my easel recently and surprised me. In early April, I was sitting on a rock outside and started sketching what I saw around my feet. I was enthralled by the details of the smallest twig or dried grass as spring was starting around us. For the first time I was not looking at our favorite Berkshires mountains on the horizon, but at the small mysteries in our soil. I was rewarded by the complexity of forms, colors, and value in this small earth sample. When I moved on to pigments on canvas, the discovery continued and the design which appeared abstract to others was real and tangible to me. I am sharing this with you today as this painting seems to begin a new exploratory artistic step in my life.

This is exciting and encouraging as I move on to new horizons. You will find in this magazine information on a new Gallery, GALLERY NORTH, which is opening in North Adams, MA. I have been invited to be part of a team of artists who will be showing their work in this gallery. The Opening Reception is on June 1, 4-7 pm but we will welcome you during the gallery hours as follows: Monday-Friday 3-7pm, Saturday 1-7 pm, Sunday 1-4pm.

The address is 9 Eagle Street in North Adams, Massachusetts. Eagle Street appears to attract many visitors these days as there are Art Galleries and Art Studios opening up all along its narrow sidewalk. As this historic street is being remodeled to fit the needs of this growing artistic community, you will find interesting ongoing events not far from MASS MoCA. I encourage you to drive north in the Berkshires to North Adams museums, restaurants, stores and social life.

I will continue to give you events information on my website and I invite you to inquire about Gallery North at 802-379- 0759. My own studio in Williamstown is open for visits on Thursdays and Sundays. Just call 413-597-1716 if you wish to visit.

Ghetta

Hirschghetta-hirsch.squarespace.com

MARY ANN YARMOSKY

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

THERE’S NO STOPPING TIME ACRYLIC ON CANVAS, 16”X 20”

“TRACES” OIL ON CANVAS, 20” X 20”

RICHARD TALBERT

I am an Abstract Surrealist Painter and Architect. I’m also Celebrating the 100-year centennial of Surrealism.

Neon Galla is part of a Series of mixed-media wall constructions in a rectangular format. These abstract images are triggered by flat color and images that shift, move and dance with electric neon lights.

Medium: Oil painting on linen canvas and Electric Neon Lights. Neon Galla was 1st exhibited at the Bonwit Teller & Co., Atrium Gallery, 9700 Collins Avenue, Bal Harbour Shops and Indoor/Outdoor Shopping Mall in Bal Harbour, Florida.

My paintings and architecture address the complexities of form and space in a rectangular format. These forms are defined spaces and conscious “transformations” of transparent planes. Sometimes these abstract images of vision are distortions and trigger an insubordinate sense of color. As a Public Muralist, my work can be provocative as well as reflective of my daily surroundings. Yet, I am always conscious of Current American Landscape Painting, the Great Mexican Muralists of the 1940’s as well as Ancient Peruvian Textiles.

One man exhibitions include: Gallery Des Artistes, 533 Clematis Street, West Palm Beach, Florida, 33401. Bonwit Teller & Co., Atrium Gallery, Bal Harbour Shops, 9700 Collins Avenue, Bal Harbour Shops and Indoor/Outdoor Shopping Mall, Bal Harbour, Florida. 33154. Richard Talbert -

My Lenox Studio is open by appointment: 413-347-3888 richtalbert1@gmail.com, Website: richardtalbertdesign.com

BERKSHIRE DIGITAL

Since opening in 2005, Berkshire Digital has done Giclée prints/fine art printing and accurate photo-reproductions of paintings, illustrations and photographs.

Giclée prints can be made in many different sizes from 5”x7” to 42”x 80” on a variety of archival paper choices. Berkshire Digital was featured in Photo District News magazine in an article about fine art printing. See the entire article on the BerkshireDigital.com website.

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

“Fred Collins couldn’t have been more professional or more enjoyable to work with. He did a beautiful job in photographing paintings carefully, efficiently, and so accurately. It’s such a great feeling to know I have these beautiful, useful files on hand anytime I need them. I wish I’d called Fred years ago.” ---- Ann Getsinger

We also offer restoration and repair of damaged or faded photographs. A complete overview of services offered, along with pricing, can be seen on the web at BerkshireDigital.com

The owner, Fred Collins, has been a commercial and fine art photographer for over 30 years having had studios in Boston, Stamford and the Berkshires. He offers over 25 years of experience with Photoshop, enabling retouching, restoration and enhancement to prints and digital files. The studio is located in Mt Washington but drop-off and pick-up is available through Frames On Wheels, 84 Railroad Street in Great Barrington, MA 413-528-0997 and Gilded Moon Framing 17 John Street in Millerton, NY 518-789-3428. Berkshire Digital413-644-9663, or go online to www.BerkshireDigital.com

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS WITH MUSIC

A Gala Concert: Great Piano Quintets will happen on June 9 at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center.

Dvořák’s sublime Piano Quintet in A Major occupies a lofty place in the chamber music canon, at the same elevation as Brahms’s Piano Quintet in F minor, op. 34. Simply put, both works are majestic, symphonic in scope, and invite the listener into a lost world of powerful beauty, profundity, and nobility of sentiments, peppered with folk tunes and polkas.

Dvořák admired Brahms, Brahms encouraged and mentored Dvořák. The combination of string quartet and piano lends the quintet a sonic grandeur as it joins two self-sufficient forces in an ideal partnership.

An all-star ensemble that shares the stage with artistic director Yehuda Hanani includes Max Levinson (“a brilliant American pianist…who touches the listener deeply and often—Los Angeles Times) and violist Jordan Bak (“a bright commanding presence…a rising star”—Boston Musical Intelligencer) making his CEWM debut. So concludes Season 32 of Close Encounters— bookended by the most miraculous output of Johannes Brahms and with Dvořák’s folkloric genius, spontaneity, and vitality.

Featured performers are Max Levinson, piano; Ara Gregorian and Hye-Jin Kim, violin; Jordan Bak, viola; Yehuda Hanani, cello. CEWM -

Tickets can be purchased at www.cewm.org or by calling 413-528-0100. We also offer curated online performances that are available to accommodate geographically remote listeners and newly expanded virtual followers.

”I’ve always had quite a rebellious and contrary attitude. The more I feel I am being pushed into a mold, the more I feel like going in the opposite direction.”

– Mona Hatoum

NEON GALLA

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

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@mellinger3301

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 —

CANDACE EATON

These paintings are from my Archetype and Icon paintings. They represent both the Myth and current Reality in our society, The Artist embodies both the given world around us and the creative mythic worlds within our collective unconscious which mingle and get born through the creation of Art. Creative Expression comes from within our psyche and is colored through our worldly experiences and often blends these visions from the depths of that collective subconsciousness with our personal reactions and reflections on the given world about us... this is the creative expression and expressive exchange the Artist gives to the world.

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

UNVEILING, ACRYLIC ON CANVAS 24” X 30”

WHERE'S KIZER? ACRYLIC AND PIGMENT STICK ON CANVAS 2022. 65" X 65"

CANDACE EATON AT EASLE WITH ABCD & Y

AMERICAN REFUGEE

Champagne Czech Glass

PAINTING BY KATE KNAPP FRONT ST. GALLERY

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

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.

CAROLYN M. ABRAMS COLD WAX MIXED MEDIA ARTIST

Visit me at The Guild of Berkshire Artists’ Invitational art exhibit, “Alchemy, - An exhibit of Transformation”, July 5 - July 30, in the Welles Gallery located in the Lenox Library, Main Street, Lenox. The opening reception is July 5 from 3-5 pm. The Gallery is open during library hours Tuesday through Saturday 10 am - 5 pm.

I am one of seven Berkshire artists who will come together to display their individual perspectives and creative processes in expressing light and color in “Alchemy - An exhibit of Transformation.”

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

Alchemy, a seemingly magical process of transformation, creation, or combination seems to be hard at work with the artists as they transform ordinary art materials into one of a kind “golden” works of art. Many mediums including watercolor, gouache, acrylic, encaustic, oil and wax, fiber and photography will be exhibited in the show.

Participating along with myself are artists Michael Coyne, Lear Levin, Sarah Morrison, Amy Pressman, Susan Sabino and Bruce Shickmanter. The Guild of Berkshire Artists - www.berkshireartists.org

WATERFALL, OILS/ COLD WAX, 8” X 10””

An Invitation from the Faerie Queen

A timeless traveler from a magical realm

I am happy to announce that I shall return

To the Berkshire Mountains Faerie Festival

On Saturday, June 15th, 2024, 10 am - 8 pm

At Bowe Field in Adams, MA.

Tickets sold at the gate

Please come in costume if you wish To celebrate the arts and creativity

The admission is $12 for adults

Ages 6 - 12

$5

Children Five and Under Free

There will be storytelling

A Faerie Village

Music and puppets

Merchants and artisans

Enchanting Delectables

And so much more!

Come to my Queen's pavilion

And I shall send you on a quest

For faerie wings and other things

And tell you ancient stories

From our faerie lore.

Portrait of the Faerie Queen by Deirdre Flynn Sullivan

ARTFUL MIND

The Prodigal Dog

PART 9

The Raggedy Ann Doll and The Invisible Elephant

The Itinerant Duck had set his mind to reconciling Otis the dog to five year old Valeria and an obvious solution instantly suggested itself. The Duck had often seen Otis and the rooster perform their fights before carnival audiences. How, he wondered, could even a small child be afraid of a dog who is terrified of a rooster.

So the Duck, taking the place of the rooster, staged a combat in full view of Valeria, but although she watched the fight from a distance, she still ran inside as soon as the fighting ended. She even, oddly enough, began to be afraid of the Duck himself. Why the child became afraid of the Duck I can't say for sure, but I think this detail of her childhood is incorrect. I think she became suspicious of the behavior of the Duck, seeing in his actions, attempts to deceive her.

But the Duck did not give up. Shortly after the failure of his combat with Otis, he happened to see in the distance, a farmer leading an injured horse by a rope, across a field. He noticed in himself a concern for the lame horse, and he thought, ‘Why yes, obviously, pity for an injured animal is so automatic, so predictable. If Otis can be convinced to simply hobble around on three legs, and be induced to whimper and complain, that would surely work.’ Otis reluctantly agreed to the idea, and walked back and forth in the distance tilted slightly to the side, and not only favoring and holding up a paw, but even inserting long pauses in between his steps. The Duck, watching him, was filled with sorrow, even though he knew it was just an act, so effective is the power of theater to deceive.

But it was a failure, it had no effect on Valeria, who, though she watched from a distance, still walked backward till her heels bumped the stair of the trailer, and then, as before, went inside and watched Otis from the window.

Now the Duck felt himself to be a total failure. It was a Wednesday, the slowest day of the week for the carnival. It was a silent, and overcast day, and he took himself off to the circus tent, and sat down alone in the bleachers. He sat there a long time lost in thought, but there was a break in the clouds and sunlight cast a beam of light through the opening at the top of the tent, and lit up a patch of the bleachers just a few feet from where he was sitting. There in the sunlight he beheld the perfect solution to his problem, a Raggedy Ann doll, left there by some child at the end of the carnival performance.

I think it is very easy to perceive a form of divine intervention in the illumination of the doll. Many scholars of Valeria’s life have even gone so far as to state that it was obvious that God was pointing to

the doll with a ray of light, exactly like a finger. Those writers who refer to Valeria as Saint Valeria, are especially inclined to interpret almost everything in her life from that point of view, and I will try not offer any opinion about it.

But though I might try to keep silent on this important question, I feel compelled to say a few words about it, against my better judgment. First of all I think it is both stupid and absurd that God in his infinite wisdom, and with so many things to be concerned about in the present, and in the future world we have to live out our lives in, would take his precious time to concern himself with some rag doll left at the circus by some child. And, to be sarcastic about it, as He was rescuing the doll, perhaps at that very moment two hundred people might be plunging to their death because of a railroad accident somewhere in India. All those people, screaming in terror as their railroad car fills up with the waters of the Ganges, (holy water as I am sure you know,) will be ignored because of the Raggedy Ann doll, which must be saved from being thrown into a dumpster. No cosmology, no theology, can accept the actions of a Deity that places a rag doll above the fates of those poor people, innocent of any wrongdoing, condemned to die for no reason.

And the doll is not even animate, it is just a bundle of rags stuffed with straw, put together to resemble a child. So you see, I think divine intervention in human affairs, from the saving of dolls, to the parting of the Red Sea, and even to the raising of Lazarus, is an idiotic idea. And yet I, as the writer of this chronicle, believe it in my heart and soul, and I believe some rag doll is more important, sometimes than the entire population of some coastal city about to be inundated by a tidal wave. I am not going to try to prove it to you. I would not attempt to prove such an absurdity even to myself. But I firmly believe that when I look back on it one thousand years from now, it will be just as obvious as four cupcakes, and equally obvious to all the people in the train who had to drown while Raggedy Ann was rescued. Also, I think the doll herself would understand the truth of it. Because as we all have so often been told, the Lord works in Insidious ways.

Please forgive me for that pointless interruption. The next day Otis appeared in the distance with the doll hanging from his jaws. Valeria, seeing him in the distance beheld the terrifying apparition of the dog in the act of abducting a child. She was so terrified at that moment that she was unable to move or even to cry out. Otis, following the Duck’s instructions, headed slowly and directly for the child. The Duck expected that Valeria would run inside, but she was so hypnotized she couldn't even move. Otis got about ten feet from her and dropped the doll on the ground, and then took a few steps back and sat down. A few moments later he turned suddenly and ran off into the distance.

As soon as the dog was out of sight, Valeria picked up the doll and went inside. The doll had three punctures, one in her cheek, and two in her arm. Valeria knew exactly what to do, she dabbed mercurochrome on the wounds, and then bandaged her new child, and put her to bed, and while the doll slept she sat by it.

The next day Valeria’s life was changed markedly, she had a child to take care of, but more importantly, a new companion, Otis, who for many years to come would often be seen by her side.

But now Valeria was fourteen, and she had been

expecting the visit from Otis for a long time. Although they had never talked about his leaving, and he had even avoided thinking about it in her presence, still she had divined it because of his thoughtful and distracted behavior, and besides, the Tarot cards left no doubt in her mind.

Previously she told him that he was not who he thought he was, and now she elaborated. “You are not a dog Otis, the truth is you are actually a wolf, a wolf in dog's clothing. It has always been your destiny to run wild. So you are not running away from anything, you are running to your true self. And we will not even miss each other that much really.” At this point Valeria, who you recall was only fourteen, wanted to say something profound and significant to Otis. For a brief moment she thought about how wolves howl at the moon; about how she sometimes would look with wonder at the moon at night. She pictured a moment some time in the future when, at the same instant they would both be looking at the moon, it would be the very same moon and it would be the same instant, the same exact instant. And since it was the same moon, and the same instant, then they would be… as if…they were looking at each other, and so, in this way they could never be parted. But she was unable to express these vague thoughts and impressions. She tried to speak, but couldn’t.

Otis saw all of her vision in his own mind's eye, and understood what she wanted to say. He looked at her with that look dogs always have, the look of excited expectation, as though something good and wonderful was just about to happen, and then he turned and ran off. Valeria watched him till he disappeared into the distance, and Raggedy Ann waved from the window.

After Otis left she went into her room, threw herself on her bed and cried bitterly for a long time. She had not wanted Otis to see how she really felt, bereft of his protection and friendship, feeling that it would interfere with his destiny.

When she was done with crying she went to see her elephant friend, to see if he might be able to cheer her up, and she was not disappointed. The elephant already knew that Otis was gone, and said to Valeria. “So your protector has fled into the woods. He was a fearful fellow, and just imagine what would have happened to anyone looking to abduct you. But don't worry my child, as I have my eye on you. I also will protect you. And though dogs can tear a person to bits with those fangs they have, we elephants work in a different way. We crush our enemies to death with a simple inadvertent gesture, as we continue to munch on grass.”

“But Elephant, you can't always be with me to protect me.”

“Child, did you have a dream of flying? And was there an elephant in that dream of yours? That was your elephant, your invisible elephant, which I represent. He will go wherever you go, and even in your dreams he will inadvertently, and as if accidentally kill all your enemies.”

“But why,” Valeria asked, “ am I so important that I have to have a special elephant to protect me?”

“Yes, you are special, but don’t ask me why, “ he said, and for an instant he had a notion to talk of Joan of Arc, but he bit his tongue and said nothing more.

— RICHARD BRITELL, MAY 2024