The Artful Mind Magazine October 2025

the ARTFUL MIND

IN PRINT SINCE 1994

O hushed October morning mild, Thy leaves have ripened to the fall; To-morrow’s wind, if it be wild, Should waste them all.

—ROBERT FROST 1874 - 1963

Interview: Rosemary Barrett

Artist: New series Lotus ... 12

Interview: Richard M. Harrington

Photograph on Cover by Julia Grey... 24

Richard Britell | FICTION

Valeria and the Ants CHAPTER 5 43

Diaries of Jane Gennaro Mining My Life AS WE CREATE - WE ARE CREATED 44

Publisher Harryet Candee

Copy Editor Elise Francoise

9 Main St. Chatham, NY OCTOBER 2025

Contributing Photographers

Edward Acker Julia Grey Bobby Miller

Contributing Writers

Richard Britell Jane Gennaro

Third Eye Jeff Bynack

Distribution Ruby Aver

CALENDAR / ADVERTISING

EDITORIAL / SUBSCRIPTIONS — 413-645-4114

EMAIL: ARTFULMIND@YAHOO.COM

Read every issue online: ISSUU.COM and YUMPU.COM / instagram

Join the FB group: ARTFUL MIND GALLERY for Artful Minds 23 THE ARTFUL MIND PO Box 985, Great Barrington, MA 01230

FYI— Disclaimer: : ©Copyright laws in effect throughout The Artful Mind for logo & all graphics including text material. Copyright laws for photographers and writers throughout The Artful Mind. Permission to reprint is required in all instances. In any case the issue does not appear on the stands as planned due to unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control, advertisers will be compensated on a one to one basis. All commentaries by writers are not necessarily the opinion of the publisher and take no responsibility for their facts and opinions. All photographs submitted for advertisers are the responsibility for advertiser to grant release permission before running image or photograph. Not responsible for photo content /copyright brought into magazine by other artists promoting other artists in editorial on these pages.

JOANE CORNELL FINE JEWELRY

COMMISSION ORDERS WELCOMED

Hand Forged Designs

Ilene Richard

Clock Tower Business Center, 75 S.Church Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201 978-621-4986 ilenerichard5355@gmail.com ilenerichard.faso.com

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. The simplicity of lines and the subsequent forming of shapes is quite liberating.

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

Leslee CarsewellPrints available, please inquire. 413-229-0155 / 413-854-5757 lcarsewellart@icloud.com www.lcarsewellart.com

CAROLYN M. ABRAMS INSPIRATIONAL AND ATMOSPHERIC SOULSCAPES

My work is about relationships. Connecting with my creative spirit and the world around me, most especially Mother Nature in all her beauty and her challenges. There is a voice in nature that touches us and connects us to one another in ways that evokes an emotion and stirs the soul. My work is about creating that connection. It is a metaphor for so many ethereal moments in life that are fleeting and bring with them a bond like no other. Using unique mediums such as oils and cold wax, I feel that relationship as I work layering, adding, subtracting, constructing and deconstructing on canvas, paper and wood panels. Mark making is a must to infuse my energy in each work and you will find each of my atmospheric "soulscapes " intuitively honors this affinity with Mother Nature. My work can be found online at www.carolynabrams.com and in the gift shops at Chesterwood and Becket Arts Center as well as upcoming venues throughout the Berkshires

If you are interested in learning more about the medium, I will be facilitating a one afternoon intro workshop at the Berkshire South Community Center in September. For more info contact me or look for sign up info late August/early September at the Guild of Berkshire Artists website www.berkshireartists.org or though the community center.

Carolyn M. Abrams — www.carolynabrams.com Member, Guild of Berkshire Artists

Human subtlety…will never devise an invention more beautiful, more simple, or more direct than does nature because, in her inventions, nothing is lacking, and nothing is superfluous.

—Leonardo da Vinci

CANDACE EATON

WarBride was created to honor all women who suffered the indignity and physical brutality of rape which is still happening in the 21st century by warring aggressors. It was a shock to me when women were brutalized in Sarajevo (the Bosnian War in the later 1990s) where not long before, the Olympics had been held. In my depiction of women, I stress their strength, dignity and indomitable spirit over that brutal ravaging. They are stronger than the terror & indignity committed to them. These Archetypes are part of my Icon and Archetype Series I have been creating for decades. I use a general ‘realistic’ style that is not part of any current realist movement to let the Image be its’ own voice. This allows me to subtly augment any gesture to emphasize a psychological statement, as it looks like an ‘established’ older painting.

I also paint my expressive, abstracted Jazz/Horse Series, a more joyful & sensuous celebration of the life force, which often involve the dance of connectiveness between the figures, anchored by the symbol of the horse which expresses the physical world where the connectiveness & melding with the Other abolishes all existential isolation in that sensual union where one momentarily transcends one’s self.

Candace Eaton

— www.candaceeaton.com candaceeatonstudio@gmail.com

The Artful Mind Gallery Through October. 2025 11 Eagle Street, North Adams, MA Thurs. to Sun. & Appt. Noon to 4:30

On view at The Artful Mind Pop-up Gallery til’ end of October 11 Eagle Street, North Adams, MA

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

LEO MAZZEO

KATHERINE BORKOWSKI-BYRNE

I studied painting at the Boston Museum School of Fine Arts when painting was king. It was when I first saw a deKooning painting, that I knew what painting could do and that I had to be a painter.

My main love is oil on canvas or paper giving the full range of marks from watery thin to luscious thick. One of my favorite teachers at art school, said, “When you paint in oils, you have the whole orchestra.”

My inspiration comes from many outside sources but my excitement comes from the process of painting when any original ideas disappear and the painting has a life of its own. My favorite pieces are those that come from “within.”

Katherine Borkowski-Byrne — www.katherineborkowski-byrne.com artborkowski@aol.com

FRONT ST. GALLERY

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

Painting classes continue on Monday and Wednesday mornings 10-1:30pm at the studio and Thursday mornings out in the field. These classes are open to all...come to one or come again if it works for you. All levels and materials welcome. Private critiques available. Classes at Front Street are for those wishing to learn, those who just want to be involved in the pure enjoyment of art, and/or those who have some experience under their belt. Kate Knapp — 413-528-9546 at home or 413-429-7141 (cell) Front Street, Housatonic, MA. Gallery open by appointment or chance anytime. www.kateknappartist.com

JULIA GREY

Julia Grey has spent the last twenty years training, photographing and painting hummingbirds; both in the Berkshires and in Las Vegas, NV. They are her great loves.

Ms. Julia Grey — She/Her/Miss www.xgender.net

UPDATE WITH THE ARTIST ROSEMARY BARRETT

Interview by Harryet Candee Photographs courtesy of the Artist

Harryet Candee: The Lotus series you've developed is a stunning body of work. The rich, deep colors envelop the canvas, drawing the viewer right into the heart of a Lotus flower and beyond into the mysterious depths of the waters they inhabit. I'm curious—what is your technique and compositional principles a little about that brings this art to life?

Rosemary Barrett: I would say that my sense of color and the fibration that color emits work in the placement and overall feel that gives power to the pieces. I have moved into a way of painting that gives me great satisfaction and perhaps this shows in the execution of these pieces. It is fascinating to me to watch the canvas come alive and the discipline it takes me to stay with it, as it has stages that one goes through that are not always that satisfying but, one has to go through to get to the other side where the reward and satisfaction reside and it is clear when it appears.

I have been developing a technique over the years that is faster and moves forward in a way that still holds the satisfaction of years of study, experimenting and practise. Composition comes to me with an innate ability that I have for space and balance and together they speak of my technique.

Wasn't your previous series of paintings centered around boats? I was captivated by how each vessel seemed to carry its own human-like echo, resonating with distinct personalities. I'm curious—what inspired your transition from boats to this new exploration of the Lotus? That is a good question and one I have never asked myself before as it is the inspiration that I work from. In considering the question, I do see some similarities between the subjects, I am in both so it makes sense that my feelings would continue. This includes the beauty that this world offers and the inquiry of what is it about, where are we going and

with what knowledge of self do I carry and then express. These objects hold mysteries of atmosphere, isolation and the peace that comes as we move along our path. Both series have been inspiring on many levels and I love being able to express that, from my point of view.

To what degree would you consider yourself a Surrealist painter?

In a subtle way I am that. The surrealist brings the unexpected and stimulates thoughts and ideas. Although this series seems so straight forward with images of the Lotus. I have considered the history, the lore, power and mystery that it brings from the unconscious mind or dreams seeking another reality which normally we don’t tap into.

The Lotus symbolizes purity, spiritual awakening, rebirth, and transcendence. For you, it embodies commitment and optimism. What is it

Beginnings, Oil on canvas, 30” x 52”

“What rises from muddy waters and blossoms with beauty is an inspiration to the world.”

— R. BARRETT

about the Lotus that resonates with your emotions and spirituality?

The spiritual journey that I am on started many years ago and I recognise that I bring it forward in my paintings in a subtle way—guess that is the surrealist in me. Out of the muck and mire that life can bring we can struggle or go with the flow that life offers. The Lotus is a beautiful, strong enduring species which holds the truth that we will continue and the result can be stunning and inspiring.

Many people feel a deep connection to mythology, appreciating how these stories, like modern fables, serve as a means to teach valuable lessons. Do you draw upon memories from your own life to inspire your process in creating each Lotus as a unique entity, reflecting your experiences and insights?

That is a good way to put this and yes, the me that is part of this life gains much from the experiences

of others and the stories that mythology brings to us. I do have myself in each piece that I create. Sometimes I see it and other times it is part of the mystery for me. This inspires me to look forward to what could be next and how it weaves into my life.

Could you share some thoughts, memories from the early days of your career as an artist, particularly the time you traveled and worked in the Trompe L'Oeil style?

When I started to really make a living from my abilities as a Trompe L’Oeil artist there were many challenges for me. How do I conduct my business, how much do I charge, how fast am I, am I good enough? The fact that I was on display and had to go through the stages that bring a job to completion could be judging and that terrified me. Am I what I said I am and how does that measure up to my portfolio? Am I a fake or what! As time went on I

can say that I had a very successful business and I learned so much. I met wonderful people and traveled around the country and abroad. I then started teaching and that brought enormous rewards personally.

It is interesting to explore the connections and parallels between being a 2-dimensional and a 3-dimensional artist. You've worked extensively with bronze, concrete, and plaster. Looking back, how do you evaluate that body of work in comparison to your earlier thoughts, and is there a way to overlap the principles of all mediums to find a middle ground?

The period of time that I spent as a sculptor was an enormous gift. I apprenticed at St. John the Divine in New York with Gregg Wyatt, artist in residence for many years. My current medium and expression is linked to the observations of dimension, volume and space. Continued on next page...

The skill of sculpting, mold making, patinas and working within formulas was a challenge that shaped how I approach my current work today. In regards to gathering what is needed, laying out materials in an order that moves me along towards a finished painting with more ease. And the patience that it takes to see a work to its end when it doesn’t just appear and has to be worked out. The inspiration and knowing that it will just take all that I have to give can be a gift in itself. All experiences impact where we are now wouldn't you say?

That’s for sure. Among your Lotus paintings, which one do you consider the closest to a selfportrait? What does this Lotus reveal about you?

That’s another good question. I would have to say after much thought the one that resonates closest is the whisper. I don’t always come right out and say what I need to say and so as another bends and invites me I can give my all and that reflexes some of me and the courage that resides within. I am

working on a new painting that I want to show my feelings of late. It is more direct to my present being, so thank you for that question as I move on it will most likely have surprises for me and I will share it.

Since our last interview in 2019, what changes have occurred in your life that have directly influenced your perspective on the world, your art, and your vision for life?

Well that is a big question and I hope I can sum it up with words that do reflect how my experiences have put my life in perspective. That my heart, mind, family and friends are most important, as I reside on this planet. I have always been an optimistic soul and with that I am more optimistic with regards to people taking better care of one another, seeing the damage that we have brought to the world and how to make it better. I have found more love of self and forgiveness to the world as I move and take care of what experience presents itself. Art is one of the most important expressions

we have and most recognize that. Those that don’t add to the suffering as I see it and restrict our growth, happiness and joy. I am thrilled to be teaching and sharing all the knowledge that I have gathered over the years and will continue to do this as long as I can.

I'm thrilled to hear that your Lotus series will be showcased at The Stewart House in Athens, New York! "The Awakening" and a reception on Saturday, October 11, from 4 to 7pm, promises to be a good art exhibit through December. I've heard positive things about this restaurant. How do you plan to curate this show, and what can visitors expect when they come to experience your artwork?

The Stewart House has a lovely inviting room that will be dedicated to showing my work. There is always a wonderful display of things to eat and drink during the opening. The Stewart House is a generous and lively place to go and I hope to add to that environment with my paintings that generate

a feeling of peace and wellbeing. And enjoy the wonderful food that their talented chef creates!

What have you learned to cherish over the past few years that has come to light, making your life full and rich, beautiful and with an intensity and hunger for more?

A new life has emerged out of the blue as they say. Giving me faith that love is the most important thing on this planet. I am challenged to create this new life and have the courage to envision all that I know to be true. I believe in the act of creating and all that goes with it, which is always available. And when the tide turns and unhappiness shows, I have a strength that will carry me through onto the other side and again see the joys that life has to offer. Nature offers me that stillness and beauty that is rich in change, surprises and a peek into the unknown. It takes courage to express and jump into something new or to discover what hasn’t been known until the act of making art of some kind emerges. I encourage my students to do and be present to that experience, it can be so rewarding and revealing.

Have you had any interesting travels lately, abroad and close to home?

Close to home has opened to me in the form of hiking trails and traveling wooded unpopulated unknown roads to me. Beautiful places that I was unaware of right here in the Pioneer Valley, hidden gems everywhere!

How has your career as an educator been going for you? What has the past few years been like?

The joys of teaching unfold all the time with the challenges that my students come with and the satisfaction of leading them to discover themselves and the techniques that work for them. We are all different and what works for one might not for another. Although the principles of mixing paint, laying on a surface, choices of composition ,perspective and ways to navigate the process do not necessarily include a creative expression, although there might be exceptions to that!

Rosemary, where did you grow up?

I grew up in a small town in midcentral north MA., Westminster, MA

Tell us about your family.

I come from a long line of artists, musicians and makers. Shem Drown is one of our relatives that was a weathervane tinsmith and designer at the turn of the century he did the grasshopper on Faneuil Hall and the rooster on the Old North Church in Boston and Deerfield, MA. My mother, Shirley Drown, was a very creative person and encouraged us all. I have two sisters that are accomplished artists and work in their fields contributing much to the arts. We all have children that have continued the flow of art in our gene pool. Musicians, makers and creative painters are a joy for us. My daughter continues to make a living in the Tromp L’Oeil world in New Orleans, abroad and places around the U.S.

Continued on next page....

How many hours a day are you in your studio painting?

Never enough it seems! I get the most done when I have at least three days running and sometimes that is hard to come by. As I am running my household and commitments to others seem to whittle away the hours that move way too fast. My studio is my sanctuary and very important to be in touch with and have time for my own work.

Does the world news and affairs disrupt your day when you listen? How do you take charge and not let it interfere with your art making?

I have made it a practice to not start my day with the news that can leave me crying and thinking about it during the day, so I don’t go there any longer. As I have managed to avoid the news for the most part, the only thing that has changed is my state of mind and the ability to have more peace. I trust that there is little I can do unless it appears within my scope then that is different. All this reminds me about how little I know about the workings of this world, all I can affect is myself and with that I paint and take a loving stance. I listen to music or a pod cast while I am painting and I disappear and immerse myself in the work. The music can and does send me into a state that supports the flow of my painting and if I find it doesn’t then I move to change the vibration and get in sync.

To find solace and peace, there must be a spot that you can go to and be. An artist needs head room. It is a part of our nature. Where do you go to unleash and feel free, laugh, dance, spread your wings and celebrate?

That would be my studio! I have been caught dancing and singing by a student and we celebrated the joy of that moment! It just sets the tone to let go in and create, I am so grateful to have this space to feel so free and open in.

Preparing for the fall and soon, the winter, what do you need to do?

I would say that I have always enjoyed preparing for the oncoming time to be alone, with less social interaction and limited activities. An excitement has always built in me with an impending storm and with the challenges it might bring. I love to be painting and planning and watching my world cover and change before my eyes. I do love being in the Northeast. It is a time of hibernation for me I suspect, and a time of creativity that surpasses no other time of the year.

What museum, gallery, or other sort of artistic institute would you recommend students visit to gain valuable insights into art history?

I don’t feel that any one place is the go to. As much art as one can see and feel will be an inspiration if one is open to the experience. The creative person is always looking at what has been done, how it was done, does it speak to me and what part can I take into myself to drive my passion? I still visit the Worcester Art Museum as I went to school there, right in the museum, before they added a big

Continued on next page...

addition for the school. They have a great collection of many fine artists and a great education can be had there. New England is just full of great experiences in all the arts. I feel so proud of what this area has to offer.

Which specific artwork has left a lasting impression on you, and what elements contribute to its enduring presence in your memory? Additionally, how do your childhood encounters with art—perhaps from your home or television—shape your current interpretation and appreciation of those pieces?

“The False Mirror” by Magritte stuck with me for years as it emulated a dream I had as a child and when I saw that Magritte had done something similar I was intrigued and then investigated his other paintings. I was young enough to find books of his works at the library. His ideas of painting a different world has influenced me in a stubble way. Perhaps this is when the surrealist in me started to be recognized. Magritte had influence in the assem-

blage works that I did early on, as some were unexpected in the poetic and surreal nature that they spoke of. That period was a joy.

Exploring so many aspects of the construction, textures, and the found objects that spoke and turned into something that delighted or scared me. I was always hunting and looking for feathers, objects, textures, boxes and baskets of all kinds that spoke to me. And that experience still speaks to me today in a simpler voice.

What was your favorite way to spend your childhood? What activities brought you the most joy or fulfillment during that time?

My most favorite times were drawing and coloring, I loved coloring. And I spent many hours in the woods, building camps and exploring stone walls with my sister, no matter what the weather or time of year. Some of my most fond times were in the winter when everything had changed but we knew it was the same underneath.

Rosemary, Please enighten us about your quote“What rises from muddy waters and blossoms with beauty is an inspiration to the world.”

The idea that muddy waters occur in life be it trauma, exploitation or harm of any kind can be what might be needed to rise and blossom. Being fulfilled and knowing that it is important to stand where you are and let the process of being move along as it will into something beautiful. This idea gives me great hope for humanity and my life in general.

Rosemary’s Lotus series is on view at THE STEWART HOUSE

2 North Water Street, Athens, New York. Reception is Saturday October 11, 4 to 7pm. Through December, 2025 rbarrettstudios@gmail.com www.rbarrettstudios.com

RICHARD TALBERT,C, CUBA, WATER OLOR ON WATERCOLOR PAPER, 22” X 30”

RICHARD TALBERT

My Native American vision quest began in South America in Peru in the Amazon in 1997. My journey began with the sounds of the tropical rainforest while walking through thick brown mud and watching pink dolphins swim in the Amazon River. In the rainforest, I only had a machete to cut through the wild grass which paved the way for nature photographers to shoot tropical birds. Before that, I painted landscapes and photographed people in urban cities. Many of my paintings, drawings, and photographs are considered Abstract Surrealism.

Richard Talbert — richtalbert1@gmail.com

ILENE RICHARD

Ilene Richard's background in painting figures and iconic characters informs her ability to tell stories on canvas, bringing humor, warmth, and emotional depth to each piece. Her work resonates with both collectors and dog lovers, offering a vibrant and heartfelt interpretation of the loyalty and charm that dogs bring to our lives.

Ilene Richard— 978-621-4986, Clock Tower Business Center 75 S.Church St, Pittsfield, MA. ilenerichard5355@gmail.com ilenerichard.faso.com

SNAPSHOT OF YESTERDAY’S COLLAGE ON PAPER 12” X 16”

BRUCE LAIRD

I am an abstract artist whose two and three-dimensional works in mixed media reveal a fascination with geometry, color and juxtapositions. For me it is all about the work which provides surprising results, both playful and thought provoking. From BCC to UMASS and later to Vermont College to earn my MFA Degree. I have taken many workshops through Art New England, at Bennington College, Hamilton College and an experimental workshop on cyanotypes recently at MCLA. Two international workshops in France and Italy also. I am pleased to have a studio space with an exciting group of artists at the Clocktower Building in Pittsfield.

Bruce Laird — Clock Tower, #307, 75 South Church Street, Pittsfield, MA. Instagram: @ecurbart

FRONT STREET GALLERY

Painting classes on Monday and Wednesday Mornings 10-1pm at the studio in Housatonic and Thursday mornings 10am - 1pm out in the field. Also available for private critiques. Open to all. Please come paint with us!

Gallery hours: Open by chance and by appointment anytime 413. 274. 6607 (gallery) 413. 429. 7141 (cell) 413. 528. 9546 (home) www.kateknappartist.com Front Street, Housatonic, MA

JHPumphrey@gmail.com | www.JanetPumphrey.com

The fall season in the Berkshires always brings memories of a story book landscape that's alive with color. This painting came from those days growing up there. It's not based on a certain place or a photograph, just a feeling of the fall air making it's transition from warm to cool. I imagine myself sitting here being mesmerized by all the colors and enjoying my favorite time of the year.

BRUCE LAIRD

Clock Tower Artists

Business Center Studio #307

75 South Church Street, Pittsfield, MA Instagram- ecurbart

Also at— THE ARTFUL MIND GALLERY THROUGH OCTOBER 2025... Thur - Sun 12 - 430 & by Appointment. 11 EAGLE ST. NORTH ADAMS MA

RICHARD M. HARRINGTON

VISUAL ARTIST WITH A LIFELONG INTEREST IN GEOMETRY, LIGHT, AND PERCEPTUAL PSYCHOLOGY

“The origin of art lies in the discrepancy between physical fact and psychic effect.” —JOSEPH ALBERS

I thoroughly enjoyed our talk in North Adams, near your home and art studio. It was a good coincidence that you happened to walk into The Artful Mind Gallery on Eagle Street where we first crossed paths. Since you were preparing for your upcoming show, “Color Line Arc” at the North Adams Public Library, it felt like the perfect time for us to take a walk to this historical building as well to visit your studio, just around the corner.

I appreciated your scientific explanations, which also enhanced my interest in your sculptures, paintings, drawings, and photography. The concept of Horror Vacuii intrigued me, revealing a fear or aversion to leaving empty spaces within artistic compositions. I realized its significance through our discussions about the balance of negative and positive space. It was amusing to explore why some people feel compelled to fill every inch of their wall space with objects, rather than allowing the open areas to

convey their own message. We discovered a shared appreciation for this dynamic, which added depth to our understanding of art and design.

Would you say you are a curious person by nature?

Richard M. Harrington: Curious for sure, obsessive as well. I am not a teacher, but maybe I am a learner, and a very slow learner at that. The curiosity doesn’t always result in truth by any means.

Richard, right off the bat, please explain what is Fibonacci numbers and Platonic Solids?

The Fibonacci numbers, so named for an Italian mathematician Leonardo Bonacci aka Fibonacci (son of Bonacci) who discovered the sequence of numbers where each number is the sum of the previous two, 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, … when these reach 55 and 89, their proportion is 1.618 phi. This proportion demonstrates the growth pattern of natural

sequences like the radial pattern in a sunflower, the spiral pattern in a conch shell, and innumerable others...

The Platonic solids are the most basic three dimensional objects composed of vertexes, straight edges, faces, and cells where each face is equilateral. They are the tetrahedron (four sided pyramid), the cube or (hexahedron), (octahedron) eight sided solid, dodecahedron, (twelve sided solid), icosahedron (twenty sided solid). All of the objects I build are inspired by this set.

How do you weave together elements of geometry, light, and perceptual psychology in your work?

The things I build demonstrate one very basic concept, looking at and looking through an object. The idea of a solid implies that an object is opaque. I’m interested in being able to apply a kind of stereoptic three dimensional vision to these otherwise opaque entities. Using the screen material as I do the object

then sends back a kind of noise, ie, moire patterns that, for lack of a better word add intrigue to the viewing of the work and reveal the solid as a whole.

Do you think these complex themes tend to puzzle viewers? How important is it for newcomers to grasp the scientific and mathematical concepts behind your art?

The idea is not to bewilder people in a Byzantine way with a complexity that is overwhelming, but rather to present the geometry and light in an arresting, mysterious, and paradoxical `magical` way. Paradox and self contradiction in verbal form as with a pun, or wordplay. So I guess you’d call it a visual pun. Victor Vasarely, a phenomenal Hungarian painter and sculptor, was a master of this idea.

How have you curated the space for your exhibit exhibit now in progress at The North Adams Public Library?

This is the second time I’ve exhibited at the library. It’s a fascinating place, both down to earth, and a convenient home away from home. My goal with COLOR LINE ARC is to demonstrate connections between my two dimensional computer generated studies and how they evolved and are related to and influence each other in a surprising way. There are themes that are and were important to me, 1.618 again, Morphogenesis is a word coined by the great

Alan Turing to explain the growth of cells, color gradients in the large digital prints that will be exhibited, and the contradiction of the idea of line.

What are you expecting from this exhibit—will you be debuting new pieces or showcasing a retrospective?

It’s a peculiar retrospective. The drawings are the newest in the set of things that will be shown, and, oddly, they are influenced by some of the attributes that are characteristic to software drawing programs.

Living so close to such a beautiful turn-of-thecentury library seems to reflect the neighborhood's commitment to preserving its heritage, don’t you think?

It has begun to be so in a progressive way. The city is aware of its past and its present. When I lived in Cambridge, it was life changing and inspiring to live in Harvard Square, which in an odd way is a kind of village. North Adams near the library is a village to me with significant architecture but also the incredible ability to quickly be in the woods or near the Hoosac River.

From a viewer's perspective, your work is captivating in its ability to capture light and its myriad colors. The metal you incorporate is crucial to each piece. How did you first come across this material, and how has your ap-

proach to it changed over time?

I first began assembling things from aluminium screen when I was in graduate school at Massachusetts College of Art as it was then called. Aluminium reflects over ninety percent of the light that hits it, and its minute porosity diffracts that light into the visible spectrum. When it intercepts the focused white light of a theater projector or sunlight really fascinating things happen. I began folding the material origami style and the rest, as they say, is history. The same approach can then be applied to hardware cloth, another common ubiquitous material with interesting properties too, and other crazy self contradictory things happen. The Platonic Solid, a noble entity, is then applied to hardware cloth, a material as common as dirt, and bingo wabi sabi perfectly imperfect contradiction happens. The complexity of the things that I now build is influenced by a lot of reading about mathematicians and their frequently brilliant insight.

What prior projects have influenced your current work?

Some came from work experience in digital typography at Adobe Systems and Bitstream. The letterform is a world unto itself. The orderliness and rationality of analyzing forms has definitely left an indelible imprint. I’m probably wrong, but I’d have to say that analytical thought is regarded by many as non creative thought. I think that my mindset Continued on next page...

has become analytical perhaps to a fault, ie, never being satisfied with what I’ve made.

"I began to devour books on about and by Joseph Albers, Johannes Itten, Wilhelm Ostwal, Paul Klee (still a personal standalone favorite.)"

Please explain more in-depth this sentence you had made a not to mention during our conversations.

There’s a quotation from a philosopher that I find especially galling: “Color shines and only wants to shine, when we analyze it in rational terms it is gone.”

How then does anyone who uses color make it shine? How does a painter like Rothko in particular create the glow that is paramount to his output, and the effect that it has on us? Trial and error, this worked but that didn’t. Color theory is a very profound subject. The deeper you dig, the more there is to be revealed. Color systems that have been employed over the last century and the scientific analysis where we’ve learned that one portion of the population sees color in an orange blue range while others see it composed of red green range. It is also known that women’s color vision is superior to men’s. So we’re not seeing the same thing.

Is your art also a way you enjoy life and have fun? I see your art as a way of celebrating the facets of life, the world and the universe--if we can't explain it -- why not celebrate it. It is a celebration of paradox to me.

Before diving into your art career, you were an MIT student. What were your academic goals and interests back then?

I worked at MIT for seven years, in a low level job in the department of psychology. I was never a student then. Which is not to say that I wasn’t studying and learning a lot. As an undergraduate at Massachusetts College of Art many of the most interesting professors were affiliated with MIT. And when I returned to Graduate School at Massart, there was a fluid open door policy with the Center for Advanced Visual Studies at MIT. I met and studied the work of many of them. International in outlook, overseen by Gyorgy Kepes, who founded CAVS, and my graduate advisor was Lowry Burgess. I was lucky enough to exhibit there and great things resulted. During graduate school I was an apprentice to Michio Ihara, an architectural scale sculptor who had graduated from the MIT School of Architecture. Call that a defacto something or

other academic this-or-that.

In addition to your passion for art, you mentioned developing an interest in baseball. Could you elaborate on that part of your life?

EVERY morning I wake up, have some coffee, and breakfast, work on cryptic crossword puzzles and listen to a recording of Charles Ives string quartets. What does that have to do with baseball? When I was a kid I was a decent enough pitcher to pitch a no hitter in high school, and a one hitter the following year and got an honorable mention for pitchers in Berkshire county.

The Composer Charles Ives, a native of Danbury Connecticut was a jock! He played football and baseball and then went on to be an insurance executive. But more importantly became the premier American composer whose work was admired by Stravinsky and others. My point is that the lesson learned from Ives’s New England proximity to the Berkshires meant that great art and music aren’t something remote but something that can take place here.

You participated in the Bridges 2024 Exhibition of Mathematical Art, Craft, and Design at Vir-

ginia Commonwealth University in Richmond. What insights have you gained from collaborating with other artists who have different perspectives or methods? Are there new ideas you’re considering integrating into your work? I was elated to have been accepted and to have my work exhibited by this prestigious group. I’ve exhibited with them for several years, and am always astonished with their sophistication. A few notable friends have been instrumental in communication. David Press, Phil Webster, Stephen Luecking, Robert Fathauer, Tara Taylor are such fun to communicate with.

Of all the exhibits you have been involved with, were there any that particularly stands out in your mind? Can you tell us why?

About eight years ago Finite Infinity was an exhibition in North Adams at Gallery 51 the MCLA. I did an installation that had about ten polyhedral mobiles suspended in a large room where I could control the light. It was precisely installed, the behavior of the projected color from a single theater light was very compelling and well received. The letter ‘P’ was a symbolic link among people who attended of which there were many. People came

from Providence, Portland, OR, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia. When I publicized the show on a science website I got a message from Kendria Krick, a woman from Portland saying that she was coming. OK I thought, how many times have I heard that? But then after the show was up for about a week, a woman came in with her family. Her cousins, husband, her brother, and their kids all in all about 7 or 8 of them. They loved it, it was astonishing and gratifying. I knew the name Crick and asked her, are you? Yes, she said, I am the granddaughter of Francis Krick, the co-discoverer of the double helix. But that ain’t all folks, that same afternoon a rep from MCLA came to the exhibition with two women from the Massachusetts Cultural Council. They loved it, they asked for contact information, they sent the info to the MIT Museum, and I was invited by the MIT Museum to participate in the Cambridge Science Festival. A separate afternoon was when a representative from the Fogg Museum at Harvard acquired two prints for their permanent collection.

How might your work on human perception of texture lead to a better understanding and appreciation of the world around us?

We aren’t separate from the world around us, we ARE the world around us and vice versa. Touch and vision are part of the same hierarchic continuum of sensation.

What are the boundaries and limitations you find captivating to challenge or transcend in your artistic practice?

The tyranny of the frame in particular.

I’m also curious about the various mediums you’ve experimented with, particularly with photography. How do these different forms meld together in your creative journey? Show and Tell time, Richard!

It’s the one discipline that I attribute to the influence of Gyorgy Kepes, who was a protege of Moholy Nagy. The Hungarians are to my mind so fluid to seamlessly doing so.

A. Is a so-called cryptic alphabet projected onto a screen octahedron assembled from hardware cloth. The ‘letter forms’ are the left over dividers from a cryptic crossword puzzle. The influence of a brief career in typographic design is unmistakable.

B. Octahedral pair is composed of the two separate Continued on next page...

stack

light projections onto the same object where one is imported from a separate file.

C. Edgerton refers to Harold Edgerton’s image of a bullet penetrating an apple. In my instance it is light passing through two solids assembled from screen material.

D. Stellated Polygonal Quartet is somewhat influenced by Noguchi who was a master of seemingly defying gravity, these objects and their shadows appear to be sliding down the wall.

E. Stellated Icosidodecahedron is perhaps the best example of a clear interplay between an object and its cast shadow.

F. Large Stellated Dodecahedron by far this is the largest of this series of explorations of the Platonic and semi regular solids.

G. Ogma. digital Iris print on Somerset watercolor paper 22 in. by 24 in. Collection of the Fogg Art Museum at Harvard University. Entirely digitally generated it was inspired by principles of color theory that I mentioned previously. Contrast of secondary complementary colors and gradients created by attributes of the software.

H. Twin Crystal exhibited at The Cambridge Science Festival and sampled by an attendee. This is the clearest example of the learning and partici-

pating feature of what the festival is all about. The event is about learning with no barriers thousands of learners experience and remember how great it can be. Also, it was another instance of my longtime collaboration with my friend Matthew Belge, who took the photo, being so inspired by what was happening before his eyes.

What do you do on your free time away from the art, or, not so away from the art. How long is the leash from human to beast can we comfortably allow!

Walk and hike, doing Cryptic Crossword puzzles, drinking Peet’s dark roast Sumatra, having a beer, pretzels, chips and what have you after life drawing with friends on Tuesday nights.

What are some of your favorite experiences you have encountered while living in this town?

Safely walking the RR tracks to look at the abundant flora and fauna at the edge of the meandering Hoosac River and thinking about the fascinating geology of the area. The apex of this experience is seeing Great Blue Heron and other waterfowl, and more recently a fisher cat, gamboling about its business.

Why did you choose to settle in North Adams? Necessity, and I suppose homecoming. I am from this area, born in Pittsfield, raised in Adams, attended high school in North Adams, then it was onto the larger world, a Dickensian naif with a lot to learn.

What are some of your most favorite places, notions, historical facts you find most fascination about North Adams and its surrounding area? GEOLOGY, GEOLOGY, GEOLOGY. Its connection to the Appalachians, realizing that 500 or so million years ago, New England was in the southern hemisphere, Mt. Greylock and other mountains in the Appalachians were about the height of the Himalayas.

I am experiencing this art community. Its thriving! What do you think most of the community would like to see happen and not to happen in this pioneer-like cool town?

Continuous steady incremental progress. Eruptive change is dangerous, a lesson that this or any town ought to bear in mind. Eruption’s aftermath is often catastrophic.

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Do you enjoy visiting the wonderful art institutions around North Adams, such as MassMoca and the Clark Art Institute in nearby Williamstown, MA? I love both but rarely visit either. I am elated that the work of James Turrell has made its way here. It’s almost unimaginable to me that the work of this giant is only about a 10 minute walk away. I also very much love the architecture of Ando the architect of the addition to the Clark.

Just think, you will be getting more attention on your art as the art community grows with more cafes and galleries and living and working spaces! Will you be an active participant in its growth?

I am elated, that said though, I am a bit of a hermit.

Have you had the chance to travel much?

Not really, because I am inclined to panic attacks. I’ve exhibited and visited European and American cities, Wales, Great Britain, Denmark, Austria, Canada, and the Netherlands. Loved them all. If you took a very complicated mathematical

theory, say, one you understand, and find you need to have it explained to a nine-year-old boy who loves the sciences. What would that theory be, and how would the narrative go? If you recall the ways your father explained things of the world to you, do you have that same special touch of explaining complicated and puzzling ideas?

I am that nine-year-old boy! Two experiences from the Cambridge Science Festival stand out: Explaining the Euler Equation V-E+F-C= 0 to a young guy about that age, and seeing the light bulb go off! Another instance where an Israeli family comes to the installation. The mother is the only one who speaks English. The two sons and their dad ask a question in Hebrew, the mother translates the question to me, I answer her and she translates the answer back to them. That kind of thing happens a lot.

What is your reaction to those that have supported and influenced you along the way in your art career?

I am astonished and gratified when people such as yourself and others gasp when I can get the ideas across, because the ideas aren’t always especially clear. And I’m not always able to recognize my own pretentious flat feet.

Richard, could you share a thought that can tie up this interview?

Two of them actually: “I really didn’t say what I said” —Yogi Berra.

“Plagiarize! Plagiarize! Don’t forget why the good lord made your eyes!” — Tom Lehrer

JANE GENNARO

Jane Gennaro is an artist, writer, and performer based in New York City. Jane’s work has been widely exhibited, performed, and broadcast. She has been featured in the New York Times, New York Magazine, and NPR among others. Her illustrated column, "Mining My Life” appears monthly in The Artful Mind magazine. Jane’s art studio is in Claverack, NY.

Jane Gennaro — www.janegennaro.com shop.janegennaro.com https://performingartslegacy.org/

LEO MAZZEO

As a long time advocate for the arts, New Ashford based artist Leo Mazzeo has served on regional boards and acted as a catalyst for many arts related projects. He works primarily on paper, using diverse media and techniques appropriate for each piece’s theme. Initially, he establishes a broad concept, which evolves into a narrative as a piece progresses.

Mazzeo sketches from life, reference images, and imagination, assembling compositions almost as a collage artist would. Symbolism is key, and characters and objects often have repeating roles. His themes are sociopolitical/psychological, often surreal, reflecting personal perspectives and offering therapeutic benefits.

Leo Mazzeo — l-mazzeo@hotmail.com

RUBY AVER

Growing up on the South Side of Chicago in the 60’s was a history, rich and troubled time. As a youth, my 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, dominates, spontaneously combining raw as well as delicate impulses. I was honored with the exhibition of my abstract painting (inspired by Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring) in the Amsterdam Vermeer exhibit 2024 . Ruby Aver— Housatonic Studio open by appointment: 413-854-7007 / rdaver2@gmail.com Instagram: rdaver2

Whimsical Sculpture by Jeffrey Bynack made from found metal parts & objects. Welded and mechanically fit. Perfectly suitable for indoor and outdoor enjoyment.

BRUCE PANOCK

I am a visual artist using photography as the platform to begin a journey of exploration. My journey began in earnest almost 14 years ago when I retired due to health issues and began devoting myself to the informal study of art, artists and particularly photography. Before retiring I had begun studying photography as a hobby. After my retirement, the effort took on a greater intensity.

My world had changed for reasons outside of my control and I looked for something different in my work. I wanted to do more than document what was around me. I wanted to create something that the viewers might join with me and experience. Due to my health issues, I found myself confined with my activities generally restricted. For the first time I began looking inward, to the world that I experienced, though not always through physical interaction. It is a world where I spend more time trying to understand what I previously took for granted and did not think about enough. The ideas ranged from pleasure and beauty to pain and loss; from isolation to abandonment; to walking past what is uncomfortable to see. During this period of isolation, I began thinking about what is isolation, how it can transition to abandonment and then into being forgotten. The simplest display of this idea is abandoned buildings. They were once beautiful, then allowed to run down and abandoned, soon to be forgotten. After a while they disappear. Either mankind knocks down these forgotten once beautiful structures, or remediates them, or Nature reclaims the space. Doesn’t mankind do the same with its own?

My work employs references to other photographers, painters, as well as sculptors. The brushwork of Chinese and Japanese artists is appealing for both its simplicity and beauty. Abstract art has its own ways of sharing ideas which are jarring and beautiful at the same time. Black and white and color works each add their own dynamic. My work is influenced by these art forms, often using many of them in a single composited image.

Bruce Panock— Panockphotography.com bruce@panockphotography.com Instagram @brucepanock

DINNER BELLS

Upcycled Wearable Art

@deborah_h_carter

PHOTO: ERIC KORENMAN

MODELS: EDEN HOOD. JORDAN ALIJAH

REPRESENTED BY THE WIT GALLERY

CLOCK TOWER ARTISTS

DEBORAH H. CARTER

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 her materials' color, shape, and texture to compel us to question our assumptions of beauty and worth and ultimately reconsider our habits and attitudes about waste and consumerism.

Since she was eight, Deborah has been a sewing enthusiast, and she 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 been featured in the Spring 2023 What Women Create magazine.

Deborah H. Carter has been featured in The Artful Mind, Berkshire magazine, and What Women Create magazine and was a finalist in the World of WearableArt competition in Wellington, New Zealand, 2023.

“Sending Messages” on display at Hancock Shaker Village, 34 Lebanon Mountain Rd, Hancock, MA. Through November 30th. Deborah H Carter — 413-441-3220, Clock Tower Artists

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

Instagram: @deborah_h_carter Debhcarter@yahoo.com

RICHARD (RICK) NELSON

Recently, I attended the opening reception of IN GOOD COMPANY, at The Artful Mind Gallery; the newest, hottest art venue around. It was certainly an honor to be included in such a prestigious group of artists. I met some wonderful people there, it was awesome!

Getting there required a four and a half (+/-) hour drive. A beautiful drive. We have mountains in PA, but not like our Northern neighbors! We decided to turn it into a vacation. The GPS was taking us on all manner of back roads; mountains, REAL mountains, lots of tiny towns, each with its own individual charm and two covered bridges. We spent the last three days camping in the woods in upstate New York. All in all, a rejuvenating experience.

This was my third ever art reception, so it still has that newness. My first reception was for a show that centered on me and my sister in law. At the time, I was doing large, somewhat feral, deconstructed monoliths on sheets of Masonite. Connie was doing photorealistic pencil drawings of her sisters and college apartment. Hung side by side, my monstrosities and Connie’s delicate drawings actually worked really well together. The reception was a major event in our quiet little Pennsylvania community.

Hosted by New Yorker Ed Meneely, who owned the gallery, it was THE event of the moment. My family was upset by my art, a woman demanded an explanation; it ruffled some feathers. I consider that was a success. After that, reality prevailed, and my attention shifted to running the family business.

I had been in a rut, my drawing felt uninspired and forced, even my music was lacking, but I’ve been rejuvenated and ready to go! So, thank you, Artful Mind. Cheers!

Richard (Rick) Nelson — nojrevned@hotmail.com

Rick Nelson on FB

WALL MURAL, MIXED MEDIA JANET COOPER THE ART OF FIGURING OUT WHAT KIND OF ARTIST I AM

Fabrics, anatomy, stitches, colors and bricologue are words, imbued with intense emotionality for me, a maker, collector and lover of objects and places.

My first love was clay, so basic, earthy and obsessively compelling, I adored making pottery shapes and objects, resembling torsos. A period of fascination with vintage tin cans, bottle caps and junky metal discards followed. Metal was sheared, punched, riveted and assembled into figurative shapes. I began to use fabrics with these works and eventually abandoned metal for hand stitching doll sculptures, totems and collages, all with second hand or recycled fabrics.

Janet Cooper— janetcoop@gmail.com www.janetcooperdesigns.com

DAWN NELSON

Dawn Nelson lives and works in North Adams’ Eclipse Mill, where she has had a studio since 2008. She grew up in the Midwest, and graduated with a B.F.A. from Illinois Wesleyan University and an MEd from Lesley University. She has been a working artist for her entire adult life, exhibiting extensively.

For 30 years, Dawn was a middle school Art Teacher in the public schools of Weston, MA, and lived in Jamaica Plain, MA. She was active in the arts in both communities; Jamaica Plain and Weston. Dawn was part of the group that initiated Jamaica Plain Open Studios.

Since retiring from teaching in 2014, Dawn has transitioned to living full time North Adams, and has since become involved in Future Lab[s] Gallery, First Fridays Organizing Committee, and the Eagle Street Alive initiative.

Dawn Nelson— dawn.leslie.nelson@gmail.com www.dawnneslon.org

THEA KNAPP-BAKER

I have been a practicing artist since I was fice. I always loved looking at nature, animals, trees, etc. and then to replicate that vibrant energy and vision was quite a fun challenge! An artist translates tears, laughter and curiosity itself.

For me, art has been a lonely means of creativity, escape, and reflective communication. I love the quote: “My art is a way of praying and crying at the same time...and the highest expression of love and solitude.” - Guayasamin

Thea Knapp-Baker — www.theaknappbaker.com

Email: lppanding12@gmail.com

MARY ANN YARMOSKY

GHETTA HIRSCH

October in the Berkshires brings all the colors we crave for!

I continue to paint our Berkshires even though I look closely for details in the landscape. As I do, I develop a closer link with our environment. More and more I feel our connection to nature and sense a silent communication which enriches my thoughts, feelings and well being. I touch rocks and trees with reverence and awe. I thank their beauty around us and I am honored to paint their forms, texture and colors. We are poor artists in front of Nature’s paint brush. Enjoy our coming Fall and walk the fields and forests to feel the peace. Take your shoes off to feel the ground! Brush your hand on the bark of a tree and sit on a rock! I hope you feel or hear Nature’s whispering to us. It gives hope. I promise you.

The art exhibit at The Artful Mind gallery, 11 Eagle Street in North Adams are still going on. You must see the array of style among all our Berkshire Artists! You can see some of my oil paintings there. The Gallery is open Wednesday to Sunday noon to 4:30. If you need an appointment call 413-645 4114.

I will have OPEN STUDIO in my place— 30 Church Street, Williamstown, MA on the following dates: October 5 and October 12 from noon to 5pm.

If you need to visit my studio at another time reach me by text or phone at 413-597-1716.

Williamstown attracts visitors with The Clark Museum, so if you are around, let me know. Ghetta Hirsch—

Website: ghetta-hirsch.squarespace.com

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 multimedia 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 brush stroke, she composes artwork that reflects her unique perspective. Beyond her 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 Tiska Rice will be the featured artist at the Hotel on North, located at 297 North Street, Pittsfield, MA through September 1, 2025. Set in the heart of downtown Pittsfield, this beautifully restored boutique hotel blends 19th-century architecture with sleek, contemporary design—and is the perfect backdrop for Sally’s richly layered, lightfilled artwork.

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

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

JJ (JAY) TOBIN

“I primarily use house paint because it is acrylic and mixed with artist's paint. The canvas from the life net is thick and coarse. You can't stretch it so that I will use it as collage material.” —JJ Tobin

What were some of your most memorable experiences working as a full-time artist?

JJ: Twenty years ago, I took a course in painting using fresco, which is pigment in wet plaster. The Sistine Chapel is probably the most famous. It was given at the Frelinghuysen-Morris house in Lenox. I painted a large mural using fresco at East Coast Refinishing on Industrial Drive in Pittsfield. It was great making the plaster and painting such a large piece. (10ft x 20ft). Looking at it now, I would change a lot.

When creating your black-and-white paintings, what challenges did you set for yourself to test your skill and ability to produce aesthetically pleasing work?

JJ: I have been doing black and white paintings on and off since the late 1970's. At Umass, I had John Grillo for a painting class. I did a black and white painting that he thought was awful. He told me about an artist he knew who used black and white almost exclusively. His name is Myron Stout. Stout has had a big influence on my work. I try to set up these paintings so the black shape or negative space and the white positive space are "nice looking shapes," as Grillo called them. I try to get the black and white shapes to play off each other. One isn't more important than the other. Certain objects lend themselves to just two colors. A firefighter's facepiece or a drop of liquid, for example.

To read full interview, please plug in this link: https://issuu.com/theartfulmindartzine/docs/the_a rtful_mind_.._nov_2024_online

A woman’s name raises doubts until her work is seen… I will show your illustrious lordship what

—Artemisia Gentileschi

a woman can do.

JJ will be in The Artful Mind Group Exhibit, In Good Company, at 11 Eagle Street September and October. Reception date: september 13, 58pm. Please visit the gallery.

SARAH HORNE

I find myself drawing and painting primarily from nature. I am an abstract painter and I don't look to copy nature so much as I want to evoke the feeling I have about the subject. I want to capture a moment that has affected me.

The images I paint first come under my own looking and investigating, usually done with drawings and photographs. That done to my satisfaction, I let all of that initial process go. Then, I can paint with freedom and without over-thinking.

Sarah Horne — sarahhorne29@gmail.com

LORI BRADLEY

Lori Bradley is a contemporary painter working primarily in oil and acrylic on canvas and wood panels. She describes her style as alternative realism—a blend of storytelling and whimsy grounded in the natural world. While inspired by the traditions of past and present realist painters, her work integrates modern themes, bold colors, patterns, and design elements, creating a dynamic synthesis of classical and contemporary painting. Much of her imagery is rooted in nature, reflecting her fascination with the mysterious connections between humans and the natural world. Through her paintings, Bradley explores visual mythologies and narratives that reveal both the wonder and complexity of our relationship with the environment. Lori Bradley— loribradley@comcast.net http://www.loribradleyart.com

Sally Tiska Rice

Studio 302, 3rd floor 75 South Church St, Pittsfield, MA (413)-446-8469

www.sallytiskarice.com sallytiskarice@gmail.com

BOBBY MILLER

Bobby Miller is a poet and photographer who lived and worked in New York City for thirty years. He has also the author of 23 books including — Fabulous! A Photographic Diary of Studio 54, A Downtown State of Mind: NYC 1973 – 1983, Wigstock in Black & White:1985 – 2005 and Queer Nation

Bobby has published three books of poems, Benestrific Blonde, Mouth Of Jane and Rigmarole and is included in several anthologies: Aloud: Voices from the Nuyorican Poets Café, Verses That Hurt, Pleasure and Pain from The Poemfone Poets and The Outlaw Bible Of American Poets. Bobby’s work has been shown in New York City, Provincetown, MA, Palm Springs, CA, Seattle, WA, Hudson, NY and the Berkshires, MA. Bobby Miller — troubleblonde@comcast.net

CANDACE EATON

CANDACE EATON www.candaceeaton.com | candaceeatonstudio@gmail.com (631) 413-5057

ALEXANDRA ROZENMAN

Alexandra Rozenman’s narrative about identity, search for belonging, and journeying to a foreign land forms the core of her work. She says, “my approach to beauty and wonder came with me from Russia and has kept playing a big role. I am always working with it or against it.” Her paintings tell stories and invite viewers into her world of images, symbols, historical events, and the lives and work of famous artists. Rozenman’s work touches in personal ways on issues of artistic influence and dialogue, emulation and creativity, and continuity and discontinuity in contemporary art. She shows us how we are all part of a larger story. In her most recent work, mainly done after the invasion of Ukraine, Rozenman uses trauma (e.g., floods, fires, emptiness) as subject matter, asking the viewer to think about the meaning of even the darkest things around us.

Rozenman was born in Moscow and emigrated to the U.S. in 1989. She was classically trained in the Soviet Art Academy and with well-known artists from Moscow’s underground movement. She lived in New York City in the 90s and was part of what later became Artists Alliance Inc. on the Lower East Side. Rozenman holds a BFA in Painting from SUNY and an MFA from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts. She has studied with artists Gerry Bergstein and Robert Ferrandini. Her paintings and drawings blend the styles and symbols of folk art, illustration, Russian Underground Conceptualism, and Jewish Art. Rozenman exhibits nationally and internationally at venues that have included Lichtundfire Gallery in New York, Trustman Art Gallery at Simmons University, Hudson Gallery in Gloucester, MA, Flinn Gallery in Greenwich, CT, French Cultural Center of Boston, The Ann Loeb Bronfman Gallery in Washington, DC, Gallery 360 in Minneapolis, MN, The Painting Center in New York, and Moscow Center of Contemporary Art. Rozenman was a MacDowell Fellow in 2006. She leads her own art school for adults and teenagers in Somerville, MA called Art School 99. She is a member of Fountain Street Gallery since 2016.

Alexandra Rozenman — artschool99somerville.com www.alexandrarozenman.com alexandra.rozenman@gmail.com

FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT COLLAGE, CRADLED WOODEN BOARD,

JAYE ALISON

"I was really anxious because we were pretty much snowbound in our homes, being in a particularly cold 2025 winter. I had moved many of my art supplies to my studio in Southfield, and had begun organizing works. The idea of playing with them, cutting some of the ones to which I felt drawn to do so, this had been playing around in my mind for a looooooong time, but this weather allowed me to take advantage of the opportunity- I couldn't go anywhere, so I could just focus and play."

Jaye Alison harnesses water-based mediums like acrylic and watercolor, influenced by a creative upbringing and artistic journey. Through abstraction and intuitive color selection, she captures the interplay between forms with lines that articulate deep-seated emotions. Her art resonates with joy and upliftment, transforming personal and worldly complexities into visual harmony.

The artist is passionate about creating art, painting on flat, smooth surfaces, and using environmentally friendly materials.

Alison’s work has been exhibited nationally and internationally and has appeared in print, film, television, the web, and Off Off Broadway.

Transforming personal and worldly complexities into visual harmony. In celebration of Jaye's new studio, enjoy 10% off large paintings and 30% off small paintings.

Jaye Alison — 310-970-4517

Studio visits by appointment only: Pond Shed (behind the Buggy Whip Factory), 208 Norfolk Road, Southfield, Massachusetts jayealison.com jaye.alison.art@gmail.com

STEPHAN MARC KLEIN NORTH FOLK SKETCHBOOK

I have been making art on and off since my undergraduate education as an architect in the late 1950s. I rarely leave the house withut a sketchbook and pen or pencil.

In the summer of 1999, my wife and I rented a house in the village of Mattituck on the North Fork of the East End of Long Island, in Suffolk County, New York.

Unlike the South Fork, whose farms and forests over the years have been mostly subdivided and turned into vacation home communities, the North Fork has remaine agricultural, and we were surprised and delighted by how farm-like the landscapes were. For me, they presented endless invitations to draw.

On many mornings during our summer in Mattituck, I would take my bike with my sketchbook strapped down to the luggage rack and go off exploring—and drawing. I am always experimenting with different sketchbooks but had not used a square format before. I was intrigued by the geometry of the square and how it could both influence, and be affected by, the placement of shapes within it.

Stephan Marc Klein — stephanmarcklein.com | smk8378@gmail.com Member 510 Warren Street Gallery, Hudson, NY

YANA VAN DYKE

Yana van Dyke is a Conservator at The Metropolitan Museum of Art since 1999, specializing in the conservation of works of art on paper and parchment. Connoisseurship, scientific study, art historical research, and practical matters intertwined in caring for and preserving works of art fuel van Dyke’s investigations into artists materials and techniques. Curiosity, experimentation, and a passionate pursuit of knowledge guide her own creative process.

Yana Van Dyke — vandykeyana@gmail.com

CENTER COURT

DRYPOINT ENGRAVING, 8” X 9” 2025

MARK MILLSTEIN

Mark’s work is shaped by the convergence and conflict between natural forms and human cultural and architectural constructs. His images are meant to invite extended looking, revealing new details under close observation.

A central theme in his practice is the parallel between Brutalist architecture and drypoint engraving—both defined by precise forms animated by surfaces marked with irregular, tactile traces. In a similar way, Mark’s process begins with a structural framework, a foundation upon which imagery and patterns accumulate as a theme emerges. By alternately creating and disrupting perspective, he constructs shifting planes of imaginary space, seeking to capture pockets of both calm and chaos within planned environments and forgotten landscapes. Mark Millstein— mmillstein@umassd.edu / www.markmillstein.com

JOANE CORNELL FINE JEWELRY

At my bench now, with night closing in fast. Working on a premier piece/necklace, that will certainly be, possibly, for only a select few, that will be able to carry it off without a blink. The majority of my designs are large, and not all customers are comfortable with the sizes. Quite a few will admire, even ohhhh and awww, but can be hesitant to believe they can actually wear my designs on a casual, day to day basis. BUT!, we are warriors at this point in our lives, and DESERVE jewelry that will balance our formidable personalities. So give yourselves the gift of feeling great in your own skin, and break out of the old mold, and live a little!! Express yourself with the things that will bring you joy. Maybe with a bold piece of custom made, one of a kind jewelry item! Oct-Dec will reveal new inventory in my boutique. Take a trip to Chatham NY. It’s a lovely town, on the precipice of new and wonderful things coming, 2025-2026 and beyond.

Joane Cornell Fine Jewelry — 917-971-4662 9 Main St., Chatham, NY joanecornellfinejewelry@gmail.com Instagram https://issuu.com/theartfulmindartzine/docs/the_artful_mind_june_2025 Commissions welcome!

MARY ANN YARMOSKY

My work is a collection of a variety of people, a collection of experiences and expressions. It’s about understanding their history, understanding the power of their history, the power of their power, the power of their vulnerability, the power of transformation, and the power of purpose.

My works are abstract in nature, but aren’t we all pieces put together by our life experiences? Who is to say what is real when we look at a person. Don’t we always project onto them some characteristic we think we see, some fleeting feeling that crosses their face, or some mannerism that indicates their comfort or discomfort?

I work mainly with acrylic on canvas, paper or wood and often add fabric, thread or other artifacts that seem to belong. My process unfolds unintentionally since my characters dictate what needs to be said. I invite you to weave your own story into my works. You can decide what is held in an expression, a certain posture or the clothes they wear. I hope you enjoy the adventure as much as I do.

Mary Ann Yarmosky — instagram: @maryannyarmoskyart

JANET PUMPHREY PHOTOGRAPHY

Janet Pumphrey’s traditional, representational photographs span the genres of portraits and street photography, vintage and sports cars, travel, landscapes, and wildlife. While photography is a representational medium, Pumphrey also moves beyond the inherent realism in traditional photography to see the world in a new and more creative way. Her work is painterly, sometimes abstract, sometimes impressionistic. Each piece is a unique, creative interpretation of a realistic image. Currently, Pumphrey shows her work at the 510 Warren Street Gallery in Hudson, New York. From June, 2020 until October, 2024, Pumphrey showed her work at the Janet Pumphrey Gallery in Lenox, Massachusetts. Previously, she showed her photographs in many galleries in the Berkshires and in the Hudson Valley. Janet Pumphrey —

An interview with Janet Pumphrey is in the July 2020 Artful Mind: https://issuu.com/theartfulmindartzine/docs/the_artful_mind_july_2020_issue_enjoy and an interview and tour of her gallery is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYHhXtSWl-g Facebook - Janet Pumphrey

BERKSHIRE DIGITAL

Since opening in 2005, Berkshire Digital has done fine art printing and digital scanning for artists and photographers. Archival Inkjet/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 (PDN) magazine in an article about fine art printing. See the entire article on the BerkshireDigital.com website.

Berkshire Digital does accurate digital scans of paintings, illustrations and old photographs that can be used for archival prints, books, magazines, brochures, cards and websites.

Berkshire Digital also designs and produces books printed by Blurb.com

“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 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

Valeria and the Ants CHAPTER 5

THE RETURN OF THE SPIDER

Soon after Bruno the Elephant bellowed at Valeria, and told her he would not be her friend if she persisted in her acquaintance with the Ant Syracuse, Valeria went directly to the ant, and told him all about her situation. She explained how her relationship with Bruno was very important to her and she simply could not imagine how talking to an insect could make him so angry.

Syracuse listened to the explanation of her predicament, and, as I have mentioned before the ant did not seem to be very intelligent, and Valeria had noticed that his vocabulary was extremely limited, nevertheless at the word, “elephant,” his entire manor changed completely, and he seemed to be suddenly ‘all ears,’ to hear what Valeria had to say. And so the Ant Syracuse explained the situation of ants and elephants to Valeria, and subsequently she explained it to me, sitting at the picnic table, and eating our fried dough. This is what she had to say.

“Animosity exists between the ants and the elephants, and has existed for a long time, many years in fact. Animosity is really not the correct word, hatred is really more accurate. The ants hate the elephants intensely. They hate human beings also, but not as much.

The ants divide humans into three distinct groups, there are those who will avoid stepping on an ant on the sidewalk. Then there are those people who will not deliberately step on an ant, but will not bother to avoid them either. Then there are those people who will go out of their way to kill the ants. They kill them for no reason whatsoever, and even take pleasure in it.”

“Ants know what people take pleasure in?” I said, interrupting her, but she just shook her head and went on.

“The ants even devote thought to the subject of the patterns on the soles of our shoes, since the tread of a shoe has so often been the difference between an ant's life and death.

Sometimes, when an ant is stepped on, they come out from the experience entirely unscathed, having found themselves to be entirely within a cavity of the shoe tread. There are others for whom death is instantaneous. What instantaneous death of ants is like, what sort of experience it might entail, they have no idea, although they certainly speculate about it.

Lastly are those ants who find themselves caught in the pattern of the sole in such a way, that part of a limb is cut off.”

At this point in Valeria’s explanation, she stopped just for a moment, and for dramatic effect said, “That is the very thing that happened to Syracuse, he was stepped on by a hiking boot, and lost one half of one of his legs.”

When Valeria said this, I could see that she was very affected by the crippling of Syracuse, and even looked at me with reproach in her eyes, as if I was the sort of person who would step on an ant on purpose, as if I was, in her mind, somehow the actual person who had done the deed myself.

Of course, I was simply listening to what she had to say, and I didn’t have an attitude about it one way or another, but my apparent lack of sympathy for her friend Syracuse was not something she could accept. At first I really did not understand the strange predicament I found myself in, since all along I had been listening to her, but in the back of my mind was the assumption that the ants were imaginary, and just a product of the child’s inventive mind. My reactions to what she was saying might even be compared to one's reaction to the death of some fictional character you might be reading about in a book. Your tears over some fictional character cannot be compared to the death of an actual friend, even if the friend is a cat. But the dissonance of emotional reaction to a tragedy between two people is a marker pointing to the end of a relationship, and I suddenly felt myself to be on the outs with little Valeria, a situation I very much did not want to have happen.

“Would you pull all the legs from Syracuse, would you watch him try to crawl away with his single stump of a leg…like you did with the spider that time.”

Now I ask you, how was I supposed to react to that comment, and her accusation, which was simply a logical extension of something factual I implied about myself as a child. She was, at that time, still entirely a stranger to me, having only talked to her once before, and so she could not have any idea how the fact that I tortured and murdered a spider when I was just her very age, had troubled and tormented me ever since. She did not know that I had made a vow to myself to never harm an insect ever again, and to even endure without complaint the bite of the mosquitoes, suffering the itch as a reminder of how evil I had been as a child.

But her remarks about Syracuse painted me as one of those children who torture cats in the back yard for the pleasure of it. I felt it was really necessary to defend myself against her accusation, whether she was serious or not. I pointed out to her that her description of the attitude of the ants toward people was lacking one thing. It did not include any mention of those people, suffering from an excess of moral sensitivity, and with outlandish ideas of the judgmental nature of the universe. I asked her, “Did Mr. Syracuse realize that there were those poor souls who, late for work, would spend their time rescuing an ant from the slippery walls of a toilet bowl, and might even shed tears if they failed, or witnessed some spider, who happened to be floating in the water when the stopper in the sink was opened. The spider rushes frantically about, and then disappears forever into the black watery depths.

And indeed, there are those who, once the spider disappeared down the drain, might continue to torture themselves by picturing in their mind what the spider might be experiencing as they drown in the sink trap. What might it be like to be carried away by the rush of water? Was everything black? Was there any possibility the spider might be able to catch at some bundle of hair on his way down, and then hold on for dear life, waiting out the flood.” Saying all this I became slightly intoxicated with my own eloquence, and began to fear I would start pounding on the picnic table. I felt like I was in

court, defending myself from an accusation of murder, and Valeria was the judge and jury. So I continued. “Consider some person who saw the spider disappear down the drain, they’re late for work, and not even completely dressed, standing there at the sink for several minutes hoping against hope that the spider might, by some miracle, reappear at the opening of the sink drain. And then the spider appears, not the entire spider all at once, but first just a single leg, and the single leg is feeling around this way and that, trying to find a foot hold so as to pull the rest of his body out of the fearsome tunnel he was in. He is soaked to the skin, trembling in fear. Think of how that witness to the resurrection and salvation of the spider, some nameless spider might feel. The spider can't manage to crawl because his feet are wet and the sink is slippery, so that man, understanding the spider's predicament, rushes to his desk to get a piece of paper to use as a ramp to coax the spider to safety. The paper does not work because the spider is afraid of it and will not approach it, so the man finds a piece of cardboard instead, and he fetches a pencil as well, thinking to put the cardboard to the front of the spider, and then with the pencil, nudge and encourage the little thing to just have a little faith and trust, and accommodate his savior and get up on to the cardboard, and then be transported through the air and out the back door of the house and be placed in some snug safe spot in the grass. Then he can resume his life, catching flies or whatever else he was intending to do.

But the spider is refusing to be helped, he wants to save himself all on his own, without any help from some person who wants to play the part of an omnipotent being, who has come, as if an answer to his prayers.

But the spider is not willing, and why should he accept help from the half dressed man with the pencil and the cardboard, seeing as he was the very same person who tried to drown him in the first place just moments ago. No, the spider thinks that the pencil and the paper is just another attempt to separate him from his precious existence, and he sets every nerve of his little being, to escape from the pencil point and the paper, dodging first left and then right, drawing himself in, and leaping from one spot to another in desperation, to avoid being saved, at all costs.”

Valeria, listening intently to my story, (a true story I might add, although I presented it as a fiction.) She had stopped eating her fried dough, and, as the story of the spider progressed I could see that I had her complete attention.

I could see from the expression on her face that I had won an argument with her, and although she said nothing, I could see that she was willing, at perhaps some later date, in granting me a pardon.

“So then,” I said, “tell me why do the ants hate the elephants.”

She leaned forward and held up her hands about twelve inches apart, with her elbows on the picnic table and said, “Picture in your mind the elephant's foot. Now picture in your mind an ant hill,” and saying this, she made a circle with her thumb and her first finger.

Having explained everything with a gesture, she began to elaborate on the feud of the ants and the elephants.

RICHARD BRITELL, SEPTEMBER 2025 CHAPTERS 1 - 4 CAN BE FOUND AT RICHARDBRITELL COM