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Robin Crofut-Brittingham, artist and many more... Enjoy!
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Robin Crofut-BrittinghamPhotography by Molly Cosel
APRIL 2014 Monthly Berkshire Artzine Since 1994
THE ARTFUL MIND
St. Francis Gallery
scott taylor t
sheri steiner
S
1370 Pleasant Street, Rte 102, Lee, MA (next to fire station)
edite cuhna emily goodwin
nina rossi gina vernava
belinda lyons zuckerlarry zingale
Jürek robert houghton
paula stern ted murray
linda baker cimini philip pryjma
‘A Fool’s Paradise’
• APRIL 1st to MAY 5. 2014 •Open Friday - Monday 11 - 5pm
Jürek, Windows #1, 4” x 5.35” 300ppi
VAULT GALLERY322 MAIN STREET GREAT BARRINGTON MA 413.644.0221
VAULTGALLERY.NET MARILYNKALISH.COM
“I realize how human I am through my portraits.What I care about.How deeply I love.
To face devastating loss.I paint without censor or shame.”
“I do not hide the suffering or joy of my life.My house is in order – I can do this, now.No limits.Without compromise.”
“Some hold a secret… that I am willing tolook at. I tell thingsmost people strive to forget. They are contemplative.I go inward. I own it –
these emotions.To be free.”
2 • APRIL 2014 The ARTfuL MInd
THE ARTFULMIND APRIL 2014 •3
museums & galleries510 WARREN STREET GALLERYhudson, nY • 518-822-0510April featured artist: KAThY KORn: WORKS On PAPeR
BERKSHIRE ART GALLERY80 Railroad St, Gt Barrington, MA • 528-2690www.berkshireartgallery.com19th and early 20th Century American & european art and sculp-ture, contemporary artists
CARRIE HADDAD GALLERY622 Warren Street, hudson, nY • 518-828 1915 / www.carriehaddadgallery.comunder the Influence (of the new York School)Lionel Gilbert, JudithLindbloom, Russell deYoung and William Bond WalkerReception: Saturday, April 26th, 6-8pm, April 19, 2014 thru June 1,2014
DEERFIELD ARTS BANK3 Sugarloaf Street, South deerfield, MA 665-0123 / www.deerfieldartsbank.comGrand opening: Close to home. Artists’Reception: Sun, April 6, 2-4 pm April 6 - May 30 (Gallery hours: Wednesday - friday 1-4pm, Sunday 1-4pm, Closed Sat.)
FRONT STREET GALLERYfront St., housatonic, MA • 413-274-6607 / 413-528-9546, or cellat 413-429-7141housatonic Gallery for students and artists. featuring watercolors
by Kate Knapp (Saturday and Sunday 12-5pm or by appointment)
LAWRENCE FINE ART37 newtown Lane (in the passageway), east hampton, nYwww.lawrence-fine-arts.com / [email protected] at the Gallery: Suzanne Lafleur
NORMAN ROCKWELL MUSEUMRte 183, Stockbridge, MA .8 413-298-4100highlights from "norman Rockwell: Behind the Camera" Thru May31; Baseball, Rodeos, and Automobiles: The Art of Murray Tinkel-man Thru June 15; Wendell Minor's America; Thru May 26;norman Rockwell's 323 "Saturday evening Post" Covers.Open year-round.
SCHANTZ GALLERIES3 elm St, Stockbridge, MA • 413-298-3044 www.schantzgalleries.com. A destination for those seeking premier artists working in glass. (11 - 5 daily)
SOHN FINE ART GALLERY & GICLEE PRINTING6 elm Street, Stockbridge, MA • [email protected] / www.sohnfineart.com3rd Annual Juried exhibition March 28 - May 19, 2013Public Reception Saturday, May 17, 4:00 - 7:00. Winners will beannounced during the reception! Public can vote for "People'sChoice Award" at Sohn fine Art Gallery.
SPRINGFIELD MUSEUM21 edwards Street, Springfield, MA •413-263-6800evocative watercolors by artist Josie Vargas. The exhibit, titled fi-esta: flora and fauna from Puerto Rico, will be on display at theMichele and donald d’Amour Museum of fine Arts from Septem-ber 10 through May 11, 2014
THE AIDRON DUCKWORTH ART MUSEUM603-469 3444 / www.aidronduckworthmuseum.org [email protected] Landscape drawings and abstract paintings by Lorna Ritz“how Colors Sing!” exhibition dates: 26 April-8 June 2014. Re-ception Saturday, 26 April, 3-6 pm, with a ‘Gallery Talk’ at 4pm
music/theatreAGLET THEATRELakeville. CThigh Tea at the Lakeville Town Grove, Sunday, May 4 at 4pm.Backstage at Lincoln Center: Meet Jeff hamlin, Production Man-ager, Lincoln Center
BARRINGTON STAGE CO.Box Office: 58 union Street, Pittsfield:• 413-236-8888 / barringtonstageco.org The Other Place by Sharr White, directed by Christopher Innvar May 21 – June 14. Performances: Tues-Sat 7:30pm; Sat 4pm (ex-cluding May 24); Sun 3pm; Additional matinee on Thurs, June 12at 4pmVenue: St. Germain Stage, Sydelle and Lee Blatt PerformingArts Center 36 Linden Street, Pittsfield, MA
BLUE HORSE REPERTORY COMPANYSaugerties Performing Arts factory (SPAf)169 ulster Ave, Saugerties nY • 518 947-8248 Tennessee Williams, Straight up and Salted with a Twist, an ensem-ble performance of three short works by the two playwrights, framedby Mr. Williams' observations about life, art, and the nature of thecreative spirit. directed by Andrea Cunliffe and performed by JudyAllen*, elizabeth Breslin, Lora Lee ecobelli*, Bob hanley, Byronnilsson*, James Occhino*, Sam Reilly, and nancy Rothman*. fri-day April 25 and Sat April 26, 7:30 PM, Sun, April 27, 3pm$20 adults, $15 seniors and students.
HELSINKI CAFE405 Columbia Street, hudson, new York 12534518.828.4800 / [email protected] selections: April 11: The Budos Band; April 17: The MountainGoats with erin McKeown; May 19: The Voodoo Orchestra north
MASS MoCA87 Marshall Street, north Adams, MAMulti-disciplinary Choreographer david neumann presents a sur-vey of pivotol solo works, April 26. A co-presen-tation by Jacob’s Pillow dance and Mass MoCA.Ticket prices: $20 premium/ $15 general / $10students. To order tickets: 413.662.2111 orwww.massmoca.org; May 9: Theater: Andrewdawson: The Russian doctor;BeCK in concert, Tuesday, June 24. Ticketsavailable at 413.662.2111 x1 ormassmoca.org/Beck
NO. SIX DEPOT ROASTERY AND CAFÉ 6 depot Street in West Stockbridge, MAWAM Theatre on Sunday, April 13 at 3:00 p.m.The reading will be followed by a talkback withthe actors and director. Blue Stockings is the firstin WAM Theatre’s new fresh Takes Play Readingseries, which offers new and reimagined worksthat tell women’s stories.
SOUTH BERKSHIRE CONCERTS McConnell Theater, daniel Arts Centerwww.simons-rock.edu/eventsViolinist Ida Kavafian and Pianist Peter Serkin,Sunday, April 20, 3:00 p.m., featuring works byTartini, Schubert, nielsen, Wolpe, and Schu-mann.
THE U ALBANY PERFORMING ARTSCENTERTuesday, April 22, 2014, earle, Sinopoli and hercompany of dancers will present alecture/demonstration entitled An Interplay ofdance and Physics at 2:45pm. In this free event,the two collaborators will show and tell abouttheir experiences. Culminating the entire project,the company will present a full evening perform-ance entitled ChoreoPhysics: Seeing the Science,envisioning the Invisible on friday, April 25,2014 at 7:30pm which includes the premiere ofearle and Sinopoli’s new work traversing the in-
tersection of scholarship and the arts. Currently untitled, the debutpiece utilizes more than a dozen laws of physics as a means to dis-cover and develop movement, patterns and motivation that deeplyintertwine the science with the dance.
eventsPOWELL HOUSE QUAKER CONFERENCE & RE-TREAT CENTER524 Pitt hall Road, Old Chatham, nY • 518-794-8811 /[email protected]: A Workshop for Change Agents, Apr11-13
workshopsHEROINE’S JOURNEY: CREATING YOUR BRAVE, NEW WORLD www.amberchand.com / [email protected] workshop series for women seeking to step into their future withclarity and confidence. date: Tuesday, April 8-May 13, 2014, 7-9:00 pm, Lenox. hosted By: The Center for human emergencenorth east. Cost: $325 To Register call 413-822-0551
SABINE VOLLMER VON FALKENPhOTOGRAPhIC WORKShOPS • 413-298-4933 www.sabinephotoart.com, [email protected]
SPENCERTOWN ACADEMY ARTS CENTER 790 Route 203 in Spencertown, n.Y518-392-3693 / www.spencertownacademy.org Presents Life Skills Workshop Series. The special workshops,“Leading Your Life: essential Tools for Professional Success andPersonal Growth”, will be led by former disney Broadway producerMichele Steckler on April 16, May 21 and June 25 at the Academy
Send in your calendar submissions by 10th of the month priorto publication for the issue of The Artful Mind artzine!
CALENDAR CALENDAR CALENDAR CALENDAR
4 • April 2014 The ARTfuL MInd
KRIS GALLI
krisgallifineart.com
Watch my website
for details on
my upcoming
solo show -
all new paintings,
coming this summer
in Spencertown, NY
Hope to see
you there!
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il on
canv
as, 3
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40”
FRONT STREET GALLERY
Painting Classes on Monday and Wednesday mornings 10 - 1pm at the Studio and Thursday mornings
10am - 1pm out in the field.Open to all.
413-274-6607 413-429-7141 (cell) 413-528-9546Gallery Hours: Saturday and Sunday 12-5 or by appointmentFRONT STREET, downtown HOUSATONIC, MA
Kate Knapp, Sicily, Italy
The
Gos
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nrm.org • 413.298.4100 open year-round
9 Rt. 183, Stockbridge, MA
The Gossips are backin town!
The ARTfuL MInd APRIL 2014 •5
MARGUERITE BRIDEWATERCOLORS
Marguerite Bride has spent the long cold winter preparingfor summer shows, stretching her scope of subjects and ven-turing from her comfort zone a bit. Mostly known for houseportraits and scenes with multiple structures, Bride has alsobeen painting nature scenes, swamps and wetlands, andseascapes. These new paintings will be “officially” dis-played at summer shows and galleries in Lenox, WickfordRI, Marblehead, MA and Pomfret CT, but you can alwayscatch a sneak preview in her studio.
A series of new paintings were recently delivered to Cel-ebrations Gallery in Pomfret, Connecticut for their springexhibit. Included are sunlit country lanes, old grist mills,some downtown village scenes and some musical subjects.
Bride is always happy to consider commission work. Asubject she particularly enjoys is painting house portraits,and has now done nearly 150 homes locally, nationally andsome in europe. Commissioning a piece is much easier thanmost people imagine. Check out Bride’s website for moreinformation, or contact the artist directly.
Bride invites visitors to her studio during “open studios”on each first friday of the month, held in conjunction withPittsfield’s first fridays Artswalk from 5-8 pm. At the nuArts Studios you will see up to 18 different artists who wel-come the public to see their working spaces and meet withthe artists. Marguerite Bride, NUarts Studios, 311 North Street, Pitts-field, Studio #5, by appointment only. Call 413-442-7718,or 413-841-1659 (cell); website: margebride-paintings.comemail: [email protected] Facebook: Marguerite BrideWatercolors.
SAINT FRANCIS GALLERYJÜREK
After few decades of exploring realism, 2013 brought asort of personal revolution to Jürek’s life. Search for that ul-timate experience has opened new doors. A series of newpaintings, “Windows” is his exploration and discovery of anew visual language on “ my new journey into…?”
Jürek, who was born and educated in post war Poland,considers his original artistic influences his Mother, whowas an artist, and Salvador dali. She introduced Jürek to arthistory, mythology, love for nature and fundamental skillsof artistic expression. One of Jurek’s early encounters withart was Salvador dali’s symbolic painting The Burning Gi-raffe, a gruesome image of a giraffe with its back ablaze asa symbol of war.
“A fool’s Paradise” exhibition runs through May 5th.Other artists in this show include: edite Cuhna, emily Good-win, nina Rossi, Gina Vernava, Belinda Lyons Zucker,Larry Zingale, Robert houghton, Paula Stern, Ted Murray,Linda Baker Cimini, Philip Pryjma.
St. Francis Gallery, 1370 Pleasant St., Rte 102, Lee, MA.413-717-5199. Open Friday to Monday 11am - 5:30pm andby appointment. www.saintfrancisgallery.com Artist con-tact: jurekart.com, [email protected]
MARGueRITe BRIde, OSPReY PeRCh
JOHN K LAWSON
OPENING RECEPTION @CHELSEA 27, NYNY
APRIL 17 - MAY 10, 2014TEL: 516 - 655 - 1000
“WHISTLE BLO
WER”
JüReK, PAndA, 5” x 5” 300 PPI
IS183SUMMER ART CAMP
This summer, IS183 Art School of the Berkshires’ invitespeople of all ages to go to ART CAMP!
for adult students, intensives, running from June 9 – 13,9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m , offer the chance to spend a week im-mersed in creativity! Learn to build a coil pot, create paint-ings inspired by edith Wharton or jump start your creativitywith a collage course inspired by yoga.
The coil pot and yoga classes are taught at a Citizens’hall in Stockbridge. The painting class will be held at TheMount, edith Wharton’s home in Lenox. IS183’s intensiveclasses allow the luxury of time – students spend a week fo-cusing all of their efforts on a particular skill or theme.
While the intensives serve as a sort of camp for adults,IS183’s week long summer camps for children aged 3 - 14run from June 23 – August 15. At art camp, kids can create,explore and especially, have fun! Register before April 30to receive a 10% discount.
for kids, IS183’s innovative summer camps are rigorous– designed to challenge and inspire - but so much fun thatkids clamor to learn more! from rock and roll to puppet the-atre, ancient egypt to imaginary creatures, each age-appro-priate camp will surprise and inspire. Children aged 3 – 4spend half a day, from 9:30 am – 12:30 pm in the summercamp program, while camps for ages 5 – 14 run from 9:30 –3:30 each day. early drop-off and late pick-up options arealso available.
IS183 Art School of the Berkshires is a not-for-profitcommunity art school whose mission is to encourage peopleof all ages, means and skill levels to enrich their livesthrough hands-on experience in the visual arts.
IS183 Art School, PO Box 1400, 13 Willard Hill Road,Stockbridge MA 01262 Phone: 413-298-5252,www.is183.org
There are few things more poorly suited to the super-seller,mass-marketing, impersonal transaction and computerized serv-ice dominated retail than MuSIC, especially in choosing a mu-sical instrument! This is why small, independent stores likeours, The Music Store, still exist; to give the consumer thechance to play, listen and ask about the instruments in whichthey are interested.
The Music Store, named the Best Music Store by the Berk-shire Record, offers fine, folk, unusual and handmade instru-ments for musicians and music lovers of all ages and abilities,including an extensive selection of accessories including strings,sticks, cleaners, reeds, and heads among many, many others.
Acoustic, electric, classical and luthier handmade guitars -including the penultimate, gorgeously voiced and darned nearindestructible travel guitar - Composite Acoustic's Cargo - nestlehappily among one of the widest selection of ukuleles in thenortheast. African, Middle-eastern and other ethnic instru-ments including drums and bells, rattles and ratchets sit besidechildren's instruments. And unusual locally made instrumentsincluding dr. easy's Sonic Boxes (wonderful acoustic and A/eCigar Box Guitars and diddly Bows) as well as the lovelyStockbridge-made Bamboo Serenity flutes, Walking Stick andCane flutes rub shoulders with elite luthier-handmade guitarsby dana Bourgeois's Pantheon Guitar Shop and Irish luthierJohn Beckett.
Another essential, instrument maintenance and repair is avail-able as well. Sean Barry's Workshop offers expert luthiery atreasonable prices for maintenance, repair and restoration, andaccess to a private collection of used musical instruments fromthe 18th century to present day. Also, unlike super-seller chainstores, we offer custom set-up and instrument warranty workfree of charge on every new instrument that we sell, for the lifeof the instrument!
Musical motif gifts, sheet music and expert, friendly adviceand service are also available, making The Music Store your re-source for all things musical here in the lovely Berkshires, thevery heart of so much music in the northeast!
for brand names of new and used guitars including Com-posite Acoustic, Kremona, Avalon, Alvarez, Takamine,Breedlove, Loar, Recording King, fender as well as many otherlesser known brands of guitars, international and locally madeinstruments, accessories and gifts of all kinds, The Music Storeis the place to be this Spring.
The Music Store, 87 Railroad Street, Great Barrington, Mas-sachusetts. Open Tuesday - Saturday 10-6 and Sunday 12-5.Call 413-528-2460 or visit our web site: themusicstoreplus.com
6 • April 2014 The ARTfuL MInd
Richard Britell: VIVALDI .....12
Planet Waves for APRIL Eric Francis.....14
Simply Sasha Sasha Seymour......15
Contributing Writers and Monthly Columnists Eunice Agar
Richard Britell Stephen Gerard Dietemann
Eric Francis Sasha Seymour
Photographers Jane Feldman
Sabine Vollmer von Falken Cassandra Sohn
PublisherHarryet Candee
Copy EditorMarguerite Bride
Advertising and Graphic Design Harryet Candee
Box 985, Great Barrington, MA [email protected]
http://issuu.com/theartfulmindartzine/docs413 854 4400
All submissions for MAY due :: APRIL 12, 2014 (email or call)
FYI: ©Copyright laws in effect throughout The Artful Mind for logo & allgraphics including text material. Copyright laws for photographers and writ-ers throughout The Artful Mind. Permission to reprint is required in all in-stances. In any case the issue does not appear on the stands as planned dueto unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control, advertisers will be com-pensated on a one to one basis. Disclaimer rights available upon request.Serving the Art community with the intention of enhancing communicationand sharing positive creativity in all aspects of our lives.
THE ARTFUL MINDartzineAPRIL 2014
Artist Robin Crofut-BrittinghamCover by Molly Cosel
Interview by John Lawson ...8
A most wonderful place
to meet, eat and drink!
R T E 2 0 , N E W L E B A N O N , N E W Y O R K
Phot
o: Ja
ne F
eldm
an
COLLINS/EDITIONSformerly
BERKSHIRE DIGITALAfter seven years of working for artists and photographers
as Berkshire digital, we have changed our name tocollins|editions. We are a fine art reproduction service thatoffers the highest quality digital photography & reproduc-tion of paintings as well as Giclée printing on archival pa-pers and canvas with sizes up to 42” x 90”. Artists &photographers use us to create limited editions of their im-ages. Private collectors and galleries use us to documenttheir collections. Whether the reproduction needs are forarchiving, printing, books, magazines, postcards or internetuse, Bd adheres to very strict color controls along with de-livering stunning detail by using either a large format camerawith a Better Light™ digital scanning back for making gi-clee prints as well as the best dSLR cameras for publication& internet uses.
In addition to the photography and printing services,collins|editions also offers graphic design, enabling clientsto create show announcements, post cards and brochures.The website, www.Collinseditions.com has a completeoverview, lots of information and pricing.
The owner, fred Collins, has been a commercial photog-rapher for over 30 years having had studios in Boston andStamford. he offers 20 years of experience with Photo-shop™ enabling retouching, restoration and enhancement.The studio is located in Mt Washington but dropoff and Pucan be arranged at other locations.Collins|editions studio, 220 East St, Mt Washington, Mas-sachusetts; 413-644-9663, www.Collinseditions.com
THE MUSIC STORE
“Day-o! Me say Dayyy-o. Daylight come and me want to go home!”
Advertisewith The Art-ful Mind thissummer! ALLART NO Fluff
20 YEARS! ANNIVERSARY ISSUE! The ARTfuL MInd APRIL 2014 • 7
FRONT STREET GALLERYKATE KNAPP
Pastels, oils, acrylics and watercolors…..abstract and repre-sentational…..landscapes, still lifes and portraits….a unique va-riety of painting technique and styles….you will be transportedto another world and see things in a way you never have be-fore…. join us and experience something different.
Painting classes continue on Monday and Wednesday morn-ings 10-1:30pm at the studio and Thursday mornings out in thefield. These classes are open to all...come to one or come againif it works for you. All levels and materials welcome.
Classes at front Street are for those wishing to learn, thosewho just want to be involved in the pure enjoyment of art, and/orthose who have some experience under their belt.
A teacher for many years, Kate Knapp has a keen sense ofeach student’s artistic needs to take a step beyond. Perfect set-ting for setting up still lifes; lighting and space are excellent.
Kate Knapp’s paintings are also on display at 510 Warren St.Gallery in hudson, nY. Please stop by to see all the many worksof art by exceptional artists.
Front Street Gallery – Front Street, Housatonic, MA. Galleryopen by appointment or chance. 413-528-9546 or 413-429-7141 (cell).
No. SIX DEPOT GALLERYCOWS, CLOUDS & TRACTORS
Photographer Martin Albert will be showing his work at no.Six depot Gallery in West Stockbridge from April 1-May 15.An artist reception will be held on April 6 from 3-5pm.
The show, “Cows, Clouds & Tractors,” is about pieces ofthe landscape that catch your eye. The landscape is all Berk-shires. While the subjects in his work are “found,” they appearsomewhat removed, as if dropped in. his method involves agood deal of time driving: “I drive by many times—maybe 40or 50—before I take a picture. If I keep driving by it means it’sstuck with me. I begin to see it as a photograph.”
Many of the works in this show are “mug shots” where wesee both a profile and a side view of the same subject. Thetheme started with cows but it’s as arresting—if not more—with machines.
Martin has worked in the film and photographic industryaround the world for over 20 years. he lives in the Berkshireswith his wife, two beautiful girls and two crazy dogs.
no. Six depot Gallery is located in the central space of thehistoric train station in West Stockbridge. It is adjoining no.Six depot Roastery & Café, serving house-roasted coffee,breakfast, lunch and friday dinners. Seating is available in thegallery if you’d like to enjoy your coffee amidst stunning art.
No. Six Depot Gallery - [email protected],www.sixdepot.com, 413-232-0205.
TRACTOR, MARTIn ALBeRT
ANN MARIE SCOTTPLEIN AIR PAINTING COURSES
Ann Scott has a passion for nature…she grew up sur-rounded by wolves and bears in Campbellford Ontario,Canada and later moved to new York while in grammarschool. Scott has lived up and down the east Coast, and hastraveled extensively in the uS and europe. Besides paintingshe has been in TV pilots and by happy accident got a role ina movie called “everybody Wants to be an Italian”. Scott alsohad an “extremely brief” career as a Sea Shanty singer/streetperformer where she learned what stage fright really meant,hence running right back to her studio; she has stuck to paint-ing and singing only in the shower ever since.
Scott has exhibited widely over the uS and in Canada.She has been a recipient of grants from the Rochester ArtsCouncil, new York State Council on the Arts and Massachu-setts Cultural Council, enjoyed artist-in-residencies at theAmerican Academy in Rome, Pouch Cove, newfoundlandand in the dune Shacks at the Cape Cod national Seashore.She is represented by the Lyman-eyer Gallery in Province-town, MA and an exhibiting member of the Provincetown ArtAssociation Museum and Salmagundi Club in new YorkCity.
Scott will be offering one and two day plein air paintingand drawing workshops starting May 1 running into autumn.These workshops are for everyone beginner and advancedalike. Contact the artist for more information and/or to signup. Ann Marie Scott - www.annscottpainting.com / [email protected]
Ann MARIe SCOTT, BeACh WeedS, 8 x 10”
John Lawson: It’s a pleasure meeting you Robin and I wouldlike to welcome you to the wonderful world of The Artful Mind.I have been an admirer of your portraiture work for quite sometime, can you give our readers some history into way you choseportraits as your form of artistic vocabulary?Robin Crofut-Brittingham: Hi John, it’s a pleasure to talk to youand to be a part of The Artful Mind. It’s true my work has been pri-marily focused in portraiture for some time. When you really try tocapture someone, to make an imprint of a particular person it oftenbecomes an imprint of yourself. I put a lot of myself into my paint-ings and that can be a transformative experience.
In my own work I am interested in the emotive qualities of singleexpressions and how facial structures can take the role of landscape.Each face has its own unique topographyand I think that can communicate an emotional landscape even whenit is the face of a stranger. The subjects of my paintings are generallyderived from found photographs- faces already captured through an-other’s lens. I myself often know very little about the context or lo-cation. I prefer to work with people whose only visual ties to history,memory or place exist in the folds of their skin. Therefore their skintakes the role of a landscape that maps their personal history. Some-times I leave the background entirely blank so that the emptinessbehind a face might inspire the viewer to connect, understand andimagine a context for the subject. I have worked primarily in wa-tercolor for several years now. I find it has the unique ability to bendand sink on paper in a way that most closely imitates the way thatskin itself falls across the face. It can be used softly in pools ofspilled value or in hard structured layers and there is always an el-ement of unpredictability in the way it dries and absorbs on paper.
I think that portraiture will continue to be my primary artisticvocabulary but I would like to push it into new realms and explorenew techniques. I am starting to work in color again and I am tryingto push myself to explore how much I can do with a face and with
portraiture as a vocabulary.
You have an interesting name, Robin Crofut-Brittingham, andcome from a family of artists. Can you talk a little about yourfamily history and how that has influenced your work?Robin: I think being from a family of artists can make it easier asyou commit to a career in the arts. In many families it would be “thatis unrealistic” or “is that sustainable?” but in my family its morelike “oh god, here we go again.” My mother, Erika Crofut, is an il-lustrator and she also teaches art at Salisbury School. Growing upin her studio and around her classroom definitely influenced me.She always encouraged me to create things and gave me the tools Ineeded to do it. She is incredibly prolific and makes things in a hugevariety of materials. She makes ceramics, prints, paintings, furniture,sculptures, and boats, among other things. I went down to her housea few weeks ago and she had made a sculpture out of snow withvines and glass bottles all over it. She is constantly creating. Herversatility and energy are often useful and inspiring for me when Iwant to try something. I went to her last year and said I was thinkingabout making an installation of birds to go with a series of paintingsI was developing. She was in her classroom and just handed me alump of clay and said, “make some birds.”
My grandmother, Susan Crofut, is also an artist and we have al-ways connected through our mutual proclivity for watercolor. Mygrandmother’s work is very thoughtful and intimate. She does mag-nificent landscapes and still lives and has incredible control and skillwith her brush. Last year the three of us collaborated for a show inNorfolk “Three Generations” which was something we had alwaystalked about doing and I think made us appreciate each other’s workin a new way.
My aunt, Anni Crofut Maliki, also lives locally is a jeweler,dancer and all around creative type as well. She has a line of mag-nificent and very artistic silver jewelry and we spend a great deal of
time talking and comparing our different approaches to process andhow to put one’s work out into the world as a creator. I am hugelygrateful to have her input as it comes from a very different but sur-prisingly related creative field.
You work in a large scale and I imagine each piece takes a whileto complete, can you describe your artistic process for us, whatimages you choose as subjects and why you work primarily inblack and white?Robin: I recently read an article about Marlene Dumas where theydescribed her portraits as “situations” that describe a mood or ahuman state. I am trying to create a similar ambience in my paint-ings. I am interested in transient emotional moments that might flashacross a face during the course of an ordinary day. I want the tran-sience of my subjects to expose something about a latent emotionalcondition that might speak for a larger audience. I work in black andwhite because it requires the viewer to further imagine and interpretsetting within the context of his or her own memories and experi-ence. Without color there is no drizzle of apricot light that mightsuggest a moment of peace nor an indigo smudge of twilight. Thosedetails are up for others to interpret as they attach their own mem-ories and moods to the strangers I have presented them and thosememories belong to their own sense of time and personal history.
Are there any artists you regard as mentors or inspiration?Robin: I have been very fortunate to be surrounded by a lot of artis-tic mentors locally. There is a very diverse, supportive communityof artists in this area. I recently went to see an exhibit of my friendand former teacher Danielle Mailer’s work at Five Points Galleryin Torrington and was very inspired. She has been a huge supporterof my work and I am a huge admirer of hers. I have apprenticed in a few artists’ studios in the area and thoseartists have been a tremendous influence on me as well. I spent fiveyears working for James Meyer, an artist in Lakeville who taughtme so much. He was the first person I got to know who reallyworked full time as an artist. Seeing his studio practice and beinginvolved with parts of it gave me a platform on which I could de-velop my own practice and take my work more seriously. There are many artists whose work inspires me. I am sure it is nosurprise that I am fascinated by the work of various portrait artists.I remember seeing a painting by Alice Neel for the first time whenI was in high school and thinking “that’s how I wish I could paint.”There is so much raw emotion in her figures. Although I haven’tbeen working in color I actually love vibrantly colorful work and Iam currently developing a series in color. Frida Kahlo has long beenone of my favorite artists- the bright colors mixed with these darkemotional moments and themes- its magical.
Can you describe an average day in your studio?Robin: I go on painting binges where I am in my studio all day,every day for a week or two. Some of the subjects I choose to paintI choose because they relate to some emotional state I am in or canrelate to at a particular moment. When that happens I get very ab-sorbed in the painting and the expression so that I feel I need to com-plete the piece before that fades. It has always been hard for me toput something down once I have started it. I become obsessed andtotally absorbed and that is a great feeling that I don’t try to resist.I try to find a balance between being disciplined and being flexibleand open to letting ideas develop. I think a certain amount of eachis necessary but if I get too disciplined I think it can hinder me cre-atively and if I get too flexible then I just descend into a state of ex-treme procrastination.
As a successful young artist living and working in the Berkshirescan you give any helpful pointers to other young artists and canyou tell us how the Berkshires effects your work?Robin: I think that the Berkshires have a vast number of resourcesfor young artists. There are many established artists here and manyof those artists are part of these small communities so they are peo-ple you can genuinely share a dialogue with and learn from becausethey are accessible. I do think about moving to a city and many peo-ple in the art world tell me that you have to “put in your time” inthe city art world at some point to stand a chance at building a realcareer. While I am living here though I am so appreciative of thethings the area provides for me. The remote, rural atmosphere iswhat many artists living in cities desperately seek as they apply forresidencies in pastoral, peaceful places to get into a state of relaxedconcentration and I have that every day here. There are also so manyoutlets for creativity here. Museums and galleries and music venuesare ubiquitous. Summer in the Berkshires can almost rival manycities with the list of cultural and creative happenings here. I defi-nitely want to live somewhere else at some point to challenge myselfbut this is a wonderful place to be. I think the most important thing
8• April 2014 The ARTfuL MInd
ArtistRobin Crofut-BrittinghamInterview by John Lawson Photography of Artist by Molly Cosel
The ARTfuL MInd APRIL 2014 • 9
is to take advantage of the intimacy and remoteness this area has.Spend time in your studio and when you aren’t there get involvedin your community and get to know people.
I find myself constantly surrounded by different kinds of creativepeople who are very supportive of one another. I share a house withan accomplished woodworker and musician. A few weeks ago I wasfrantic and preparing work for a show at the last minute. I finishedmy last few paintings the night before the show and my housemateand several of my friends stayed up half the night making framesfor them in the woodshop while the paintings were still wet. Thatkind of support, accessibility and collaboration between creators iswhat’s incredible about being here.
Being able to travel as much as I have has also definitely helpedsustain my passion for the Berkshires. Having a stable home studiobase has given me the freedom to go off on some fantastic adven-tures. Two winters ago I went to South America and spent a fewmonths travelling around Argentina and Chile. I spent a large por-tion of the trip in Buenos Aires where I met quite a few artists andgot to see some fascinating work. After Buenos Aires I went andlived in a permaculture community where I learned about sustain-able building and farming. I kept a sketchbook during that time andbeing out in the country and speaking another language all the timeput me in a headspace where I was able to develop some ideas. Lastwinter I travelled to Ghana for a month and worked at a home forrefugee orphans. Most of my time was spent working on a muralwith the children that was painted on the walls of their courtyard. Ihave always loved that high that comes from being in a foreignplace and feeling totally shaken up and excited by everything thatyou see. It also makes you see your home with new eyes when youget back and you bring so many experiences and ideas home withyou. Traveling also shows you the capacity of art as a universal lan-guage. You can connect with so many different kinds of people andplaces through a mutual interest in art and expression. I have beenreally lucky to take the trips that I have and I hope I can continuedoing it for as long as I can.
Is there a defining moment in your life when you decided youwere going to pursue a career as a visual artist?Robin: It has been a process but I think I always knew this was whatI would end up trying to do. I have always had a variety of intereststhat pulled me in. A few years ago it all came together and I realizedthat all of the experiments and experiences I was involved with out-side of my artistic pursuits were eventually all feeding back into myart-making process. Art-making is a discipline like any other in thatit involves a process of observation, realization, translation andcommunication. The whole process is informed by so much morethan what you are making so it can be a vehicle for inquiry into re-ally any realm.
There is always the reality of trying to make a living as an artistbut I think if you make sure art is part of your everyday world therest will start to fall into place. I try to do things involving art asmuch as I can. That doesn’t mean everything I do is on the cutting
edge of my creative vision and therearen’t times when it is difficult to justifywhat I’m doing, but art is consistentlypart of what I do or informs what I doand that satisfies me. I do remember theday when someone asked me what myprofession was and I started saying “Iam an artist.” I think that was the turn-ing point because once I started sayingthat out loud I realized I needed to makesure I was putting my actions behind it.That was when my studio practice be-came much more disciplined and Istarted to think about my work in thebigger picture of my life.
Do you listen to music when you areworking in your studio? Robin: I like to listen to books on tape.That is one of the things that inspiredmy art when I was young. I would listento various books and try to draw the sto-ries I was hearing- I did hundreds of il-lustrations. My mother is an illustratorso I spent a lot of time in her studioworking on my own little table by herdesk. I actually had a show of my illus-trations at The Norfolk Library when Iwas about 12. Its funny because some-times I look at my illustrations fromwhen I was really young and wish Icould inhabit the space I was in mentallyat that age. The drawings were incredi-bly colorful and detailed. When you areyoung you rarely worry about makingthings look as they appear in reality orwhether things “make sense” and thatfreedom makes for some wild ideas andpowerful creativity. Now I sometimesfeel pressured to make things that ap-pear a certain way to an audience andthat can be stifling to creativity. That’ssomething I am working to break out of.I would like to do some radical experi-ments, make work that is nothing likewhat I am doing now and see what Icould find through that experimentation.
I do think my fascination with storieshas stayed with me and continued to in-fluence the development of my work. Iam now trying to illustrate moods andemotions and the histories they implyfor different people. I would like to seewhat would happen if I incorporatedmore literal historical clues into mypieces.
You are currently in South Africa. Can you tell our readers whatyou are doing there?Robin: The opportunity to come to South Africa came out ofnowhere this December. I had just wrapped up a show of my paint-ings and was finishing a few other projects. A friend of mine is thecoordinator for a program based in a small town in South Africathat seeks to improve the lives of young girls through sports. Manyof the young girls in the area have to contend with huge adversitiessimply because of their gender. Before the program was startedyoung girls were being raped and becoming pregnant and they didnot have the opportunities of their male peers. The program,SheWinS was developed to provide these girls with a safe space togo when they were not in school and with mentors to help them de-velop confidence and self respect. The program is primarily a sportsprogram and I am coaching soccer and track and field to girls fromkindergarten to seventh grade. However, as part of the program eachvolunteer brings their own skill set and develops projects basedwithin that. I am working on several mural projects- some of whichwill be at the school the program is based at for the children to enjoyand one larger mural where I am staying- in a co-housing commu-nity founded by two retired Americans who spent their lives work-ing across Africa for the United Nations and who developedSheWinS- among several other non-profit organizations during theirretirement. When I am done with the program I will have a fewweeks to travel to other parts of the country and see some of thework of contemporary artists here.
You are also an accomplished poet. I find your poems filled withimages relating to color. Can you perhaps describe how you re-late your poetry to your visual work and would you be so kindas to share some of your poetry with our readers? Robin: I studied poetry in college and I have always loved to write.I consider my writing and my painting highly related. An extensivepoetry project grew out of ideas I developed while reading Lu-cretius’s tome of a text, On the Nature of Things. He presents ideasthat are to be one at a time dissected and examined. He seemed tobe describing the basic ebb and flow of life: the vacillating tides ofthought and self that wind and encircle themselves about the eavesof time. This led me to wonder about how everything in time is con-nected and how I might think about this for myself. This is some-thing that has been done before. Philosophers, painters, scientists,thinkers of any sort imaginable have tried to answer these big ques-tions and perhaps some of them found some satisfactory answersfor themselves. I wanted to make a text that was my own inquiryinto these large ideas and explore moments of transition in peopleand things. During that same time I started painting faces and I al-ways seemed to gravitate toward faces that were between expres-sions, or in a kind or transitive state- as if they have been capturedthere and you are a kind of voyeur to a moment that would havebeen unnoticed. This was related to the types of moments I was try-ing to articulate in my poetry.
Continued on next page...
ROBInCROfuT-BRITTInGhAM, “MAn WIThSquInTInG eYe” WA-TeRCOLOR On ARCheSPAPeR. 27 x 35
ROBIn CROfuT-BRITTInGhAM, “MAn WITh WIde hAT” WATeRCOLOR On ARCheS PAPeR. 27 x 35. 2012.
ROBIn CROfuT-BRITTInGhAM, “WOMAn WITh SWIRLInG hAIR” WATeRCOLOR On ARCheS PAPeR. 27 x 35
10 • April 2014 The ARTfuL MInd
A professor of mine once looked at my poems he suggestedthat they were like individual scientific observations. Some ofthem as though I were looking at a wound on my body and de-scribing the way the blood pooled and dried in the open wound. Ithought that was a fascinating way of thinking about them. Thepoems are observations about time and flesh. I wanted to explorethe way time manipulates things. I want to explore how facesstretch and sink to reveal character.
I will share with you a small part of a larger poem:
sky is spilled outsoft bruised pools of cadmiumveins of tress stretched into light divergent capillaries of darknesscold has left wounds in the air where the fruit should be wet leaves dangle in their placestorms comegrass shriekstumbling thunder turnsfills the valley with a low hush sky boilsdecoction of starswarm erosions of ochre spread like inkdilute the fleshy cadmium blackthoughtssilted into memory and striations of timefall back into the ground they rest below the earth fertilized by the evening rain when lighting strikes the tree at the rootetches the topography of its voice in a crooked line of blackness that paints the night alivethoughts are pushed out of memoryback into timeby the stormlightning breaks the stillnessstrikes and shakes the veins of the treeknots at the topvessels filled with warm sap tangled in air where they drainand pull fill with smoked skythe fruitsorgans of the treedrop back to the earth like gods pushed from empyreanlimp mortals chained to the dirtsoon to become flesh of the ground rotted into the pulp of historywhere they will rest until fertilized againfleshleft picked of its fertility
fades back into the mossstretched across the skin of rockspoured out between the mountains by the gods whosketched us here among the treesthe gods rest dormantcoiled obliquely somewhere in the brainthey perform their rituals in the chest cavitycarving cave drawings into the fiber but the body heals them overintent on its own wisdomthose gods can never grow back
Are there any other closing comments you would like to tellour readers?Robin: It was a pleasure to talk with you John and I am thrilled tobe a part of The Artful Mind. As we have discussed, the Berkshireshave a wonderful and very supportive community of artists andcreators, and The Artful Mind has a long history of bringing themtogether and exposing them to one another. I feel very fortunateto have the opportunity to be a part of that. Thank you for all ofyour time!
Thank you, Robin!
ARTIST ROBIN CROFUT-BRITTINGHAM
ThIS IS A PhOTO Of SOMe Of The ChILdRen I WORKed WITh In GhAnA STAndInG In fROnT Of A ZeBRA We WeRe PAInTInG In STRIPed ShIRTS
ThIS IS A PhOTO Of Me In GhAnA duRInG The COuRSe Of The MuRAL PROJeCT. ALL Of The IMAGeS WeRe AfRICAn AnIMALS ThAT The ChILdRen PICKed OuT. I AM WeARInG A T-ShIRT WITh MY deSIGn On The BACK.
ShAROn TRue On PILATeS APPARATuS
The ARTfuL MInd APRIL 2014 • 11
WHOLEPERSON MOVEMENT
FLOOR OF THE CORE PILATESSharon True, a certified Pilates and Pfilates™ (Pelvic floor
Pilates) instructor and owner of WholePerson Movement in GreatBarrington, is now offering personal and group training in pelvicfloor muscle conditioning called floor of the Core Pilates. Thepelvic floor muscles are among the core muscles that support thespine and are key to good posture, body ease, and confidentmovement. While pelvic floor muscles are typically recruited nat-urally when doing regular Pilates workouts, when there has beentrauma to the pelvic floor due to pregnancy, childbirth, surgery,or other sources, studies have shown that training the pelvic floormuscles in a targeted way is even more beneficial.
The pelvic floor is actually shaped more like a bowl or a ham-mock than a flat floor. The muscles connect the tailbone, pubicbone and the two “sitbones,” and they provide support for thepelvic organs. Pelvic floor muscles have a big impact on qualityof life. When they are functioning well, life is good! When theyare damaged, weak, or not well-coordinated there can be embar-rassing problems with incontinence, unsatisfying sex, and a feel-ing that one’s insides are falling out (organ prolapse). These inturn negatively impact important aspects of life such as work,travel, intimate relationships, the ability to lead an active lifestyle– and creating art!
Sharon True’s floor of the Core Pilates can help to get decon-ditioned pelvic floor muscles back on track. Based on Pfilates™(pronounced fih-lah-tees), an approach to pelvic floor muscleconditioning developed by a urogynocologist in conjunction withPilates, yoga, and fitness professionals, her floor of the Core Pi-lates is a three-part program. first, she offers an introductoryworkshop that provides an orientation to the pelvic floor and thePfilates™ exercises. This is followed by home practice with in-ternet support along with a few private sessions to discover anindividual’s “best three” exercises. finally, there is another work-shop on strategies for incorporating pelvic floor exercise intodaily life. The entire program can be learned privately if pre-ferred.
Sharon True - for a free consultation via email, contact [email protected] or phone 413-528-2465, 9am-9 pm.
SABINE PHOTO ARTA master of the subtleties of lighting and the nuance of
background, sabine’s eye for detail provides imagery to betreasured for a lifetime. Assignments are tailored to meet herclient’s needs- a remembrance for a special occasion or a logoimage, which creates an authentic professional online pres-ence. It is to no surprise that she is a sought-after publisheddocumentary and editorial photographer with the talent ofboth: interviewer, provoker and image-maker.
The Artful Mind has showcased sabine’s work since 1994,the very beginning of the monthly Berkshire Artzine. Stillyoung at 20 something, sabine’s studio has become a brandfor contemporary, unobtrusive, relaxed photography in theeuropean style. did you have a “Sabine” experience? Itmight be just the time for you to book your first sitting.
Photographic workshops are scheduled for this summer: VIeW LIGhT WITh A CRITICAL eYe explore the beautiful light of the Berkshires by taking a week-end photography workshop. In this workshop participantslearn how natural light can create drama and subtlety. de-signed for serious learners who are interested in improvingtheir artistic eye. All participants are asked to bring a digitalSLR camera. event dates: May 24 and 25.
Photo Art and signed books by appointment: “WOOd-LAnd STYLe” and “ SheLL ChIC “, published by StoreyPublishing, author Marlene h. Marshall, all photography bysabine can be purchased from your nearby book stores.Signed fine art prints are directly available through sabine’sstudio.
Sabine is a member of The American Society of MediaPhotographers asmp. The International Center of Photogra-phy ICP and the Wedding Photojournalist Association, WPJA.Sabine Vollmer von Falken Photography Studio -www.sabinephotoart.com, [email protected] / 413-298-4933.
Congratulations for twenty years of publishing The Artful Mind!
It has been so valuable in keeping the community informed of what is happening in the arts.
-Margo Trout
Margo Trout, “Corner of a Field, Early Spring”
MARGO TROuT
INDIAMARIGOLDS, MYSTICSAND MOUNTAINS
Imagine standing at the foothills of the himalayas and gazingup at a full moon in October. Or, stepping into a world wheremystics, mountains and marigolds greet you, where sunset chantstouch the sky and temple bells fill the air. A world where you willlight a thousand and one butter lamps to the sacred Goddess, siptea with village women in remote mountain villages, shop in ex-uberant marketplaces, meander on cobbled pathways leading tothe abode of his holiness, the dalai Lama, enjoy yoga andayurvedic massages, and reside in a lovely eco-retreat nestled inKangra Valley, the Valley of the Goddesses.
Marigolds, Mystics and Mountains, 2014 is a guided journeyfor women led by Amber Chand in close partnership with JagoriGrameen (Women Awaken!) a non-profit organization in Indiadedicated to the empowerment of women and girls. In its fourthyear, this journey offers travelers a unique and safe way to expe-rience the evocative spirit of Mother India and to engage in adeeper, more meaningful way with all her myriad manifestations.
We will arrive in the cosmopolitan city of new delhi and thenfly to our himalayan destination. An optional and supplementary4 day trip to the Taj Mahal and the deserts of Rajasthan is alsoavailable. dates: October 12-25, 2014. Cost: $3150 (double oc-cupancy and does not include direct air fare to India)
“Not a day goes by that I haven’t thought about some aspecto the trip. It truly was a remarkable adventure, a once in a life-time experience” R.L. Concord, MassMother India Awaits! To learn more about this incredible journey, visit
www.amberchand.com or email: [email protected]
ViVALDiFrom
“No Cure For The Medieval Mind”PART 1
by Richard Britell
When I was a child, my father worked for the great composerand violinist Antonio Vivaldi in Venice. It was his job to copy outmanuscripts and prepare them for the engravers. My father wasan adequate violist, and sometimes he had the pleasure of perform-ing in Vivaldi’s works if one of the regular musicians was absent.In Venice at that time there was an institution called the Conser-vatorio dell’Ospedale della Pieta. It was an orphanage, but unlikeits usual counterparts for the destitute, it was opulent and extrav-agant. It was an orphanage for the female offspring of the aristoc-racy.
Who the parents of these girls were was not known; they weredelivered to the institution in secret, in the dead of night. In a dark-ened street in a wall, there was an opening large enough for an in-fant; the child was placed in the niche, the door was closed, and aturntable rotated bringing the child inside.
even though the parents of these children never saw or ac-knowledged them, they nevertheless provided them with an insti-
tution suitable to their origin. But it was an orphanage run by nunsand priests and their manner — when it comes to the bringing upof children — was repressive to say the least.
Vivaldi was priest, but a priest of a very unusual sort. In Veniceat that time there were ambitious artists, composers and musicianswho knew that their only possible patron was the Roman CatholicChurch, so they took their vows and became priests in clothingand name only. These priests often became wealthy and successful,lived like lords and enjoyed the best food and wine. When it cameto the fair sex they indulged themselves to the fullest. One suchpriest was Antonio Vivaldi.
Since he was an employee of the church, he was given the as-signment of composing music for a girls’ choir, a choir consistingof the occupants of the Conservatorio dell’Ospedale della Pietaorphanage. If you listen to some of the compositions Vivaldi wrotefor this girls’ choir you realized that he must have composed themwith a feeling of frustration because he was already a famous com-poser.
But since he was also a priest, here he was condemned to com-pose simple scale and arpeggio exercises for young girls, musicof no consequence to anyone. Added to that, since they were allyoung girls, and Vivaldi was very similar to myself (here the musictutor tapped himself on the chest) those girls started to tormentAntonio in that special way music teachers are always tormented.“They put oil into his flute, they put lard on the pegs of his violin,they touched the strings of the harpsichord when he tried to tuneit, in short they did all the things you girls have been doing to meall these weeks.” now the music tutor stopped speaking and gavehis students a look. It was certainly a shock and a surprise to dis-cover he knew all along what they had been doing, but then hecontinued.
The reason I know all the things you have been doing to me isbecause they are the exact same things I did to my music teacherwhen I was young, and the same as my father did to his teacher.You girls think you have made all of this naughty behavior upyourselves, but the truth is all of these things have been going onfor years and years. And if you have the misfortune to have toteach music when you are older it will happen to you also.
The persecution of the music teacher is a grand tradition thatgoes back thousands of years, and you may wonder why it is thatthe bad children engaged in these pranks are not caught and pun-ished. The answer is very simple. The music teacher looks on witha blind eye because he is kind, because an unkind person cannotmaster the discipline of music; and secondly, because when onesees children playing the same pranks we played as children itgives one great pleasure.
But now back to my story of Vivaldi. Since it was achoir he had to compose and conduct for, it was whenthe girls were singing that they gave him the most trou-ble. I say “singing,” but the word really should be “mum-bling.” no matter how he encouraged the girls, they weretoo shy and awkward to try to really sing.
If Vivaldi resorted to having them sing the common
tunes of the street they were familiar with he had better luck, andthose tunes, since the girls sang in unison, went very well. But assoon as he tried to get them to sing more complicated works,works involving part-singing, they resorted to near silence. Justlike myself, he resorted to threats and reproaches and it sometimeshappened that they would manage to sing some work of his withadequate feeling.
But then fate took a hand in the affairs of Vivaldi. As I said be-fore, the orphan girls were all the offspring of aristocratic parents,and so it often happened that expensive gifts were received anony-mously at the orphanage, one of those gifts included tickets to theopera for all of the girls.
The girls went to the opera, and they were not impressed. Theopera that night was not good, and the singing was not up to par,but what impressed the girls the most was the forced ridiculous-ness of the entire production. The garish badly painted sets, thedramatic gestures, and the overuse of stage make-up all combinedto create a comic impression, and when everyone died at the endbecause of innumerable stabbings it was all they could do to keepfrom dying of laughter.
In the days that followed, two of the orphanage girls began toentertain the other girls with mock presentations of the opera theyhad seen. These two girls named netochka and Simmona procuredthe music for the opera from the music library, memorized severalof the duets, and then, late at night performed these works for theother girls in their dormitory. The purpose of these performanceswas to reduce all the other girls to hysterical fits of laughter.
But netochka and Simona were playing with fire. As they gotbetter at doing mock presentations of the opera they graduallybegan to develop real singing voices. All of the girls were affected,and little by little this prank evolved into complete childish pro-ductions of operas, with costumes contrived from bed sheets, car-ried out in the middle of the night. Meanwhile, when they wereback in the music classroom with Vivaldi, none of this was in ev-idence. All the girls would do was look down at the floor, mumbleinstead of sing, and watch out for opportunities to irritate theirteacher.
netochka then said to Simona, “Since he is always complainingthat we won’t sing at all, let’s shock him tomorrow and sing thestonmitz out of whatever he gives us to sing.” Apparently ne-tochka was from Austria originally, hence the use of the word ston-mitz.
The music Vivaldi picked out for the day’s lesson was one ofhis own works, it began with a solo by one of the girls, and wasfollowed by a chorus in unison. About halfway through the chorusnetochka and Simona began to sing with more intensity, and to-ward the end of the piece the girls were singing with as much pas-sion as they could muster. The effect of the girls singing like thatwas contagious and all the other girls joined in. The music roomechoed with the intensity of their singing. Vivaldi thought theywere going to blow his powered wig from off his head.
When the lesson was over, Vivaldi asked the two girls who hadstarted the commotion to remain after class. Since what they had
done was intended as a prank, and tothem amounted to ridicule of Vi-valdi’s music and of opera in general,what they were expecting was somesort of punishment. Vivaldi was notone to inflict punishment but they ex-pected to be reported to the head mis-tress, who would then confine themto a monastery room for a week ortwo.
The girls stood at his desk, helooked at them with his baton in hishand, “Thank you girls, thank you forthis glorious day, do the same tomor-row, and the day after,” he said tothem. The girls left the music room,suffering from a confusion of mixedemotions.
Vivaldi went immediately to themusic library to find a piece of musicthat now stirred in his head, some-thing he had heard years ago, a workby Monteverdi with a title like“Agamemnon.”
~ Richard Britell
For Boys and Girls
Sizes starting3 months
Tiny butTough!
12 • April 2014 The ARTfuL MInd
The ARTfuL MInd APRIL 2014 • 13
I will be offering one and two day plein air painting and drawing workshops starting May 1st into Autumn.
For more information and to sign up contact [email protected] workshops are for everyone beginner and advanced alike.
Let’s get outside and paint!
WWW.AnnSCOTTPAInTInG.COM
Ann Marie Scott, Brambles #3, 14 x 20”, w/c and paste
“The universe is real but you can’t see it. You have to imagine it.
Once you imagine it you can be realistic about reproducing it.”
-Alexander Calder
14 • APRIL 2014 The ARTfuL MInd
April is the peak month of the '2012 phenomenon'. I know2012 supposedly ended a couple of years ago, but in fact theastrology that began that year is now coming to its peak. Bymy reckoning that happens the last week of April. With lim-ited space there is only so much I can say, however the clear-est message I can offer is this is the time to get real aboutwhat you've been saying (perhaps for years) that you'vewanted to get real about. This is the time to not be dictatedto by your fears, especially your fear of change, and yourfear of vulnerability. Our whole society seems bent on avoid-ing these two things, and we will individually and collectivelyneed to get past them so that you can become who you trulyare -- and contribute to the world in the ways that you knoware necessary. This may not be the month you complete yourmission but it could surely be the month that you begin.
ARIES (March 20-April 19)You are prone to intense reactions, though I suggest you keep agrip on yourself this month. Your emotional energy has morethan double its usual power, and the planets are set up in a waythat, for everyone, lends itself well to chain reactions. Your ownplanetary picture suggests that you may make judgments basedon a mistaken sense of being unworthy of others' love. I stronglysuggest you research the facts of the situation and account foryour own struggle with self-worth before over-reacting or evenresponding to something you perceive. Between the potentialfor misunderstandings and for things going out of control, itwould be wise of you to put everything on a one-week delay be-fore you make any accusations or decisions.
TAURUS (April 19-May 20)You can be the voice of balance and reason in a group environ-ment because you understand how the dark side of people canemerge when they get together. While most humans fail to no-tice or choose to look away from this (mostly out of laziness orfor fear of being cast out), the fact that you are aware is the bestinsurance against problems arising. And if they do arise, yourunderstanding the scenario is essential toward finding the solu-tion. here is a clue: In groups where you might expect there tobe a collective gain in intelligence, there is often a collectiveloss. The whole can be equal to less than the sum of the parts.This is of course the opposite of whole-system thinking, andwhere your awareness and leadership will become extremelyhelpful.
GEMINI (May 20-June 21)You may need to push your message a little in order to be heardor even noticed. don't go so far that you threaten your own cred-ibility, but rather make sure that your presentation is colorfuland clear enough to cut through the static. Communicate in per-son where possible; that will save you plenty of energy andallow you the opportunity to come across in an emotionallygrounded way. That detail will skip the need for the bright colors-- you personally possess them. So short of getting on an air-plane (unless the matter is of top-level importance, particularlyto your career), show up in someone's presence and explainyourself, making sure to convey your enthusiasm and love forwhat you are doing. That is the main selling point.
CANCER (June 21-July 22)The best professional advice anyone ever gave me was to getmy ego out of my writing. By that, I understood that the personmeant not to be so invested in the seeming success or failure ofmy work; and mainly, to be open to changing my own ideas. Inother words, don't be so attached to a concept that it's not subjectto revision and improvement. The more you open up to this no-tion, the more of that improved vision will come to you. Theless you proceed with emotional attachment to what you wantto accomplish, the easier it will be. True, this takes some skill,but the bright side is that emoting consumes energy. You willbenefit from redirecting that energy into creative options, ofwhich you have many -- both personal and professional.
LEO (July 22-Aug. 23)You may be uncertain whether to be in a total panic or to haveunflinching faith in yourself. I am certain that there is no middleground here; that if you're going to take a guess, go right to theside of faith. You have experienced the effects of crippling self-doubt enough to know that it gets you nowhere. That alonemight be enough to convince you that it's useless, but there'salso a spiritual issue involved: whether you think God loves you.If you have any doubt, I would propose that it came from some-body else. It was given to you, rather than being something in-nate. Your faith and your confidence are your actual property;an innate part of your character. The more time you spend there,the more obvious this will be.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sep. 22)There's a potent mirror effect going on, though it's essential thatyou make sure that the reflection you're seeing is clear and nota distortion. When some element of your character is shown toyou by someone else, or through someone else, there will al-ways be a loss of clarity. Therefore, don't take what you'reshown purely at face value. engage it in a dialog. By that I meanthe people and circumstances that seem to be pressing somepoint, or not letting you escape some concept about yourself. Itmay be true in some form, and I suggest you be open to how itmay not be valid. Weigh truth and validity against the values oflearning and growth and you will clarify your understanding ofthese very interesting pictures.
LIBRA (Sep. 22-Oct. 23)Creative process is often seen by outsiders as something hot.That's usually how it's portrayed when dramatized in a movieor on TV -- as driven by passion or pathos. While there is alwayssome fire contained within the creative drive, and while it mayhave the occasional solar flare, I've found that it's necessary tobe cool, methodical and focused in order to actually get some-thing done. That's what you've got going on right now, if youwant it. Yet there's also plenty of heat and glare to distract you;there's as much controversy and emotional complication as youcan imbibe. Yet the actual creative productivity thing -- that'sabout being laidback, alert and self-aware. The risks involvedare subtle. Wholesome progress is more likely to come overtime, not as the sudden and/or stunning breakthrough.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 22)Your fantasies will tell you a lot, especially about who and whatyou want. So I suggest you open the spigot and really let in the
images, feelings and information and not worry about whetherit's right or wrong. There is deep healing potential in being hon-est with yourself and equal potential for damage when you denyyour desires. The purity campaign associated with both desireand fantasy is a ruse. There is nothing pure about it, though theclosest you come to purity is when you're absolutely real withyourself. Yes, it's also true that the bridge from your imaginationto reality might open up -- and if it does, it will be for a verygood reason, which is specifically about healing something deepand long-denied. And that will feel good.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 22)don't mistake emotional confusion for misery. On our planet,to feel at all means to feel some pain -- that is why feeling is sounpopular. That said, it won't help to drink your feelings away.You might feel good for a while, but you'll miss the opportunityto address something that may on one level be troubling, butthat on another level is of profound meaning to you and whichholds a key to happiness. I suggest you not cut yourself off fromcontact with yourself, especially when yourself is trying so dili-gently to make contact with you. You're not necessarily the 'gethelp' type but this would be a good time to have some compe-tent, non-attached feedback and guidance, from someone whocan perhaps assist in figuring out what you're feeling.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 20)Was there someone in your past who left you with the feelingof being unloved? I am talking about before the age of seven.The way you'll know that I'm describing what you may be feel-ing is that it comes with little onslaughts of an irrational senseof worthlessness. You are old enough, and strong enough, to rec-ognize that this is not a feeling that reflects your current reality.however, if you experience anything like this, it may be com-pelling enough that you believe it means something. That mightbe an unresolved childhood situation, of which we humans usu-ally carry around a few. This particular one is coming into focus,which is an invitation to set yourself free. use your mind. useyour spirit. Consider the issue when it's not bothering you.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19)You seem to be working with devotion to set yourself free fromsome perceived authority. I would ask: when you reach a pointof breakthrough, do you feel any different? There is a seemingexternal source of power that seems to be casting a shadow overyou. Then there is what looks like an inner haze that has thesame feeling but is not as solid. The two are related. I suggestyou focus on your inner sensation rather than on strugglingagainst any outer circumstance. here is one thought to be alertfor: the idea that you must organize your feelings a certain wayin order to be lovable or free. Other elements of your chart sug-gest that if you let go of trying to organize your feelings, youwill taste the experience of inner freedom.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)You are becoming aware of many things that you've known fora while, but which are taking shape as being immediately rele-vant and truer now than ever. I would propose that among theseis the power of belief to shape and even direct the flow of yourlife. Whether something is true or not, whether it is valid or not,whether it has any basis in reality, is secondary to the fact thatyou might or might not believe it. I suggest you recognize thispower, and set out to determine what is true for you, and honorthat. When you get to that point of honoring, you may notice afeeling of rebellion, though I suggest you work with that in anunderstated, cautious and serious way. Be a conservative rebel.do only what you must so that you can be free to do what youwant.
~ Read eric francis daily at PlanetWaves.net
Planet Waves Eric Francis April 2014
The ARTfuL MInd APRIL 2014 • 15
Simply Sasha by Sasha Seymour
The Crazy Coconut!I love coconut oil! It has replaced olive oil in all of my cooking recipes, and I wanted to share one of thesesuper meals with you all. As always, you can add or subtract any of these vegetables, grains or greens to suityour own tastes. Cut up a sweet potato and roast it if you'd like! Replace the almonds with walnuts if it ticklesyour fancy! This is a basic list, so play around with it and have fun! That is what life is all about! Peace andLove to you!
~ 2 large beets, cut into squares~ 1 cup of Brussels sprouts, halved~ 3/4 cup of chick peas~ 3 Tbsp coconut oil~ 1tsp cumin and salt ~ 1 bundle of kale~ 1 cup quinoa~ Almonds~ Sprouts~ Dressing of choice (I like homemade dressing!)(Preheat oven to 425 degrees
1. Toss beets, brussels sprouts, chick peas, cumin, salt, and coconut oil in a foil lined baking sheet
2. Roast for about 30 to 40 minutes, or until tender3. Meanwhile, cook quinoa4. Chop kale and put in a bowl5. Place roasted vege mix over kale, quinoa on the side, and dust with almonds and sprouts6. Sprinkle with dressing
Enjoy!
SHARON TRUE, M.A., C.M.A., R.S.M.T.Somatic Movement Therapist and
Certified Pilates and Pfilates TM (Pelvic Floor Pilates) Instructor
Private, Conscious Exercise Workouts for all ages and abilities featuring fully-equipped Pilates studio
in a quiet, country setting in Great Barrington
Classes at Kilpatrick Athletic Center (KAC) at Simon’s Rock College
Pilates Mat Class Beg/Int. Tuesdays 5-6:00 PMPelvic Floor Fitness Class Beg/Int. Wednesdays 6-7:00 PM
Somatic Movement Therapist andCertified Pilates and PFilatesTM Instructor
Pilates Mat Class Beg/Int. Tuesdays 5-6:00 PMWorkshop for PFilatesTM - contact Sharon for current schedule
ArtistEleanor Lord
One of many at...
510 Warren Street, Hudson, NYwww.510warrenstreetgallery.com
518-822-0510
16 • The ARTfuL MInd APRIL 2014
