Halloween Samplings

The fall season is a favorite time of year with having fresh cider, maybe picking apples, and pumpkins, home made  pies, colorful leaves everywhere, hay rides, crisp morning air, fireplace warmth and many  more memories that last a lifetime. It is  one of the busiest times too for me in creating new and different work that expresses Halloween . Once again I'll be doing the Folk Art Festival of New England at the Royal Plaza Trade Center, Marlborough , Massachusetts with a preview night Oct.26th, 5PM -9PM, Sat.. 27th 10AM -5PM and Sunday10AM-3PM. If you are unable to attend the show, here is a sampling of Halloween work to enjoy that can also be found at my studio/gallery here in Glastonbury, Connecticut. If you are interested in any of the these items, refer to the number or title and email your request to me for further information.

Gallery/Studio with work displayed on two floors and  open by appointment.

This is a wood figure, # 344/1999, measures 6" h x 2.5 w.

This 8x10 painting on stretched canvas, titled "October Blaze",  painted in 1985,  was in  my private collection of earlier work and now available. The canvas edges are tacked and antiqued so it can be displayed without a frame.

The one cent candy tin measures 4"h x 4.25w and is decorated with an original stencil design and checkered top. The tin  #228/06  has a separate house on top #14/12.

There are a few happy ghosts about to knock on the door. The tree is being taken down making for a stack  of firewood near the "tree".This pine house measures 2"L x 1.25"w x..75w and is # 157/12.

This "Trick or Treat " signboard shows the little parade marching to the open door with the welcome pumpkin flag flying measures 5.5w x 6.5h  x .5w and is # 227/11.

Halloween Folk Art Houses

October is a time I enjoy creating paintings and houses to capture Halloween. Here are a few of my latest collection which I'll be showing soon at the Country Folk Art Festival of New England which is in Marlborough, Massachusetts at the Royal Trade Plaza. The show opens Friday night October 28th then Saturday and Sunday. This is a painted copper cut out with a muslin Halloween flag and also a small branch for a "tree". .............. # 154/11 ..... 4l x 3h

This is a pine house with a painted copper scene mounted in back with a painted muslin flag. .........#155/11 ......... 3w x 4h x 1.25w When I had the studio/gallery post and beam barn built a few years ago,there were some timbers left of which I made this saltbox house painted with Halloween scenes on both front and back. It also has copper cut outs, muslin banners, laundry "drying", ghosts, a flag, old apple branches for cord wood and a an old "tree". ............#133/11 ...... 3.5w x 6.5h x 8 This house has Halloween showing but on the other side it is an Americana design. Notice the ghost coming out from the bird house. There are also copper cut outs, painted muslin banners and flags. ...... #167/11 ..... 2.5w x 6.5h x 8

These are but a small sampling of the work I'll have at the show but if you can't make the show you can always email or call for additional information.

Glastonbury Town Clock

Glastonbury is a wonderful town east of Hartford on the Connecticut River that I moved to in 2002. One of my first paintings of the area was to capture some of the points of interest that I thought made up the town. The composition shows the South Glastonbury tobacco fields along the river in the distance and where the Glastonbury/Rocky Hill Ferry is, the oldest continually working ferry in the country. The town is also well known for their apple orchards, the Apple Festival in October that attracts 30,000 people each year and the Old Cider Mill. My studio/gallery is next door to it. What I didn't show is the town clock in front of the Welles/Shipman house (yellow) on the corner because it didn't exist at the time. Prints, postcards and decorated boxes with this scene are available at Emmy Lou's, LTD.

Well, here is the Howard Post clock that our town is raising funds for that will complete the center of town at the corner where everyone will be aware of the time. It's town spirit will be for all to see and to be a part of history, and an opportunity for everyone that loves Glastonbury to be a part of it.

Simulated photo above by Peter Billard Photographer 860-633-6300

Donations are welcome by writing a check to the Town of Glastonbury, c/o Information Center, P.O. Box 6523, Glastonbury, CT 06033

Under check memo write: TOWN CLOCK

Or if convenient when down town contributions are being collected at Emmy Lou's, LTD, 17 Hebron Ave.

Marblehead, Crocker Park and a visit

I made a trip June 30th to Marblehead bringing some work for the gift shops at the Art Association and also the Historical Commission. This is always a pleasant trip to see my home town again and friends...... after leaving there 46 years ago, it still seems like yesterday despite the many changes.

I sat at the wharf having my lunch where the lobster boats still come in to unload their catch. The traps though are all metal now and not the wooden ones a lobsterman might have made in the winter months. In 1981 I wrote a small illustrated book call A Lobster Tale, which is still available, and in it my friend Arthur, made his lobster traps in the winter. That was my one day of ever lobstering and I made drawings of it for a calendar back then.

A short distance from the wharf is Crocker Park and looking inland you'll see the famous landmark in town, Abbot Hall, where the Historical Commission gift shop is. Most well know too is the original painting of the Spirit of "76, which is very inspiring to see. I think it measures about five by eight feet.

The stage was getting set up for the entertainment coming with thousands of people to watch the harbor illumination and fireworks. The harbor views are always spectacular but even more special on the Fourth. Some things never change, the rocks, views, and days of summer with swimmers on the float to the lower right.

I did this painting depicting Crocker Park when I heard the 1812 Overture being played before the fireworks began. Here is the Boston Pops, on a Victrola, conducted by Arthur Fiedler, firing of the cannon, and the pig, Pops, wagging his tail to ring the bell. I had a surprise call on the Fourth of July from an old classmate, MHS'63. He came by after leaving Marblehead returning to his home in New York. It was Charlie and his wife Machiko and I found out they won the bid for the buoy I did for the Art Association's silent auction. Never thought I'd see the lobster buoy again.

This was a Fourth to remember and I hope yours was as well.

Antique Autos visit

Last January I was asked if I would be interested in hosting the first stop of the antique auto tour called the "Autoneers Tour" on June 11th. It was 80 miles of a set course around Glastonbury an area of which my studio was the first stop. As it turned out there was five feet of snow when it was first planned at that time but unfortunately it did rain that morning.
So because of the rain, many didn't show and only those that had top covers did because all the autos were made before 1915. I prepared a welcome notice on the black board by the barn door complete with my early iron toy car displayed on the shelf. My father found two of them in the attic floor boards of a Marblehead house our family lived in on Pleasant Street. I never knew what happened to the larger one but that was about 60 years ago.
The hum sound of the first car came and it was that of the Stanley Steamer. Having to top off the water it then maneuvered closer to get to the hose. Very exciting to see and hear. This auto parked near the Hemlock Trees, looked the same as it would have a century ago. When it was time for the Stanley Steamer to leave, you knew it as the clouds of steam filled the air

One by one they were gone only to leave a memory and these images. I wonder if they will ever be back? Maybe on a nice sunny day?

The Stanley Steamer sure did leave a cloud of steam vapors in the air for others to experience and a big blast of it's horn sounding like a steamship leaving port.

Changes at the Wayside Inn

It was late last winter that I heard there were going to be some changes to the Inn ...... outside dining in the front! There were a lot more changes to see when I visited recently and wanted to share them with you. The long narrow walk on the board planks with hedges on either side are no more. There is now a brick walkway edged with granite, wonderful stonework and new plantings that will mature in the years to come.
In this "old" photo shows the corner door where it will be open for you to step into a different dining experience at the Inn. Roberta, from the gift shop, celebrated her birthday with the Innkeeper and others for a few minutes which was also her first time on this new patio. One can still have a pleasant relaxing time just sitting in front of the Inn. Let your mind wonder about the many visitors that walked up to the front door and know their enjoyment would probably be the same I'm sure.
Maybe there would have been a few more verses to the poem written in Longfellow's Tales of the Wayside Inn?

Flowers for the Studio/Gallery guests

After the winter, it's exciting once again to see the blooms of many flowers in the yard and the days ahead of shopping for more annuals. A favorite flower to see is our beautiful yellow rhododendron bush and I enjoy seeing the buds develop in the spring with a tint orange.

The witches broom flowering shrub took a real beating last winter and I wondered if the many yellow flowers would bloom again. I had to tape up many branches and propped them up from the weight of the snow, but they made it again. The cat's eyes against the stone wall bloom every morning and then close up in the heat of the day. The familiar purple rhododendrons seem to grow more each year. There's always the trip to the local nursery to get annuals needed to complete all of the spring accents needed. This particular place we found was called Flower Power and it reminded me of when I did paintings in 1970 and called that brief period of time the same name. I outlined in black bold bright colors of not only flowers but other compositions.

A short time ago we hosted a Chamber event for the Creatives Group where several members explained what type of work each did. It was a goal to get the flowers planted to make the place look it's spring best for all. Everyone enjoyed the talks including some instructions from the Fred Astaire Dance Studios. If planning a visit this summer there will be plenty of flowers still to see along with many works of art in the gallery.