The artful mind may issue nina 2014

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Artist NINA LIPKOWITZ PHOTOGRAPHED BY DOMINICK AVELLINO MAY 2014 Monthly Berkshire Artzine Since 1994 THE ARTFUL MIND

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Nina Lipkowitz, featured artist for May 2014, and much more!

Transcript of The artful mind may issue nina 2014

Artist NINA LIPKOWITZPHOTOGRAPHED BY DOMINICK AVELLINO

MAY 2014 Monthly Berkshire Artzine Since 1994

THE ARTFUL MIND

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tHe artFul Mind May 2014 •3

museums & galleries510 Warren Street Galleryhudson, nY • 518-822-0510“My inner universe”, new paintings by doris Simon, May 2May 25, Opening Sat. May 3, 3 - 7pm.

Carrie Haddad Gallery622 Warren Street, hudson, nY • 518-828 1915 / www.carriehaddadgallery.comunder the influence (of the new York School)lionel Gilbert,Judith lindbloom, russell deYoung and William BondWalker thru June 1, 2014

Front Street Galleryfront St., housatonic, MA • 413-274-6607 / 413-528-9546,or cell at 413-429-7141housatonic Gallery for students and artists. featuring water-colors by Kate Knapp (Saturday and Sunday 12-5pm or byappointment)

lauren Clark Fine art25 railroad Street, Great Barrington, MA• 413-528-0432 / www.laurenClarkfineArt.com; [email protected]. Joby Baker will be featured in an exhibit entitled “figures”at the lauren Clark fine Art Gallery May 24 – June 8. A re-ception for the artist will be held on May 24, 4-7 p.m.

laWrenCe Fine art37 newtown lane (in the passageway), east hampton, nYwww.lawrence-fine-arts.com / [email protected] at the Gallery: Suzanne lafleur

MarGuerite Bridenuarts Studios, Studio #9311 north St., Pittsfield, MAmargebride-paintings.com • 413-841-1659Original Watercolors, house portraits, commissions, lessons

no. Six depot roaStery and CaFé 6 depot Street in West Stockbridge, MASirarpi heghinian Walzer, exhibit will run May 16 -June 30.An artists’ reception will be held on June 13, 5 -6:30pm

norMan roCkWell MuSeuMrte 183, Stockbridge, MA .8 413-298-4100highlights from "norman rockwell: Behind the Camera"Thru May 31; Baseball, rodeos, and Automobiles: The Art ofMurray Tinkelman Thru June 15; Wendell Minor's America;Thru May 26; norman rockwell's 323 "Saturday eveningPost" Covers.Open year-round.

SCHantz GallerieS3 elm St, Stockbridge, MA • 413-298-3044 www.schantzgalleries.com A destination for those seeking premier artists working inglass. (11 - 5 daily)

SoHn Fine art Gallery & GiClee printinG6 elm Street, Stockbridge, MA • 413-298-1025 [email protected] / www.sohnfineart.com3rd Annual Juried exhibition Thru May 19, 2013Public reception Saturday, May 17, 4:00 - 7:00. Winners willbe announced during the reception! Public can vote for "Peo-ple's Choice Award" at Sohn fine Art Gallery.

SpenCertoWn aCadeMy artS Center 790 route 203 in Spencertown, n.Y518-392-3693 / www.spencertownacademy.orgKris Gali, one woman show: dreams and digressions, June28 - Aug 10; reception Sat June 28, 4-7pm.

SprinGField MuSeuM21 edwards Street, Springfield, MA • 413-263-6800evocative watercolors by artist Josie Vargas. The exhibit, ti-tled fiesta: flora and fauna from Puerto rico, will be on dis-play at the Michele and donald d’Amour Museum of fineArts from September 10 through May 11

St. FranCiS Galleryrt 102, South lee just 2 miles east from the red lion innreception for the artists on Saturday May 17th from 3-6pm,with light fare wine and music open from 11am to 5pm friday,Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

tHe Gallery oF tHe kinderHook Group15 Main St. Salisbury, CTrobert Blank: Photojournalist exhibit May 1 - May 30, Cock-tail reception May 3, 2014 5-7PM daily, except Thursday,from 11-3 or by appointment

tHe oxBoW Gallery273 Pleasant St., northampton, MA • 413-586-6300 hrs: Thurs-Sun, 12-5 front room: ‘Town & Country’ paintersCyndy Sperry and Katherine Weinstein, May 1-May 25.

music/theatretHe aMiSH proJeCtBerkshire South Community Center15 Crissey rd, Gt. Barrington, MA • [email protected] / 860-435- nWCT (6928)May 16 & 17, 7pm: tHe aMiSH proJeCtis a play in-spired by the killing of five girls in a hostage-taking at anAmish school in lancaster County, Pa., in October 2006, andthe path of tolerance and compassion produced in its wake asit investigates a divided community’s attempts to reconciledevastating loss and profound faith despite a tide of culturaldisparities. Yet beyond a few facts drawn from the incident,the characters are imagined by Ms. dickey.Aglet’s productionfeatures deann halper, one of the tri-state’s most accom-plished actresses; she is directed by Aglet’s artistic di

aSton MaGna MuSiC FeStiVal A Season of romance, War and other human folliesAston Magna Music festival announces its 2014 season of fa-miliar and rarely-heard early music from the 16th-19th cen-turies, on five Saturdays in Great Barrington, June 21-July 19.The programs are also presented Thursdays at Slosberg Au-ditorium, Brandeis university, and friday nights at Bard Col-lege, Annandale-on-hudsonSaturdays at 6 p.m. in GreatBarrington at the daniel Arts Center, Bard College at Simon’srock, and on July 12 at 8 p.m. at the Mahaiwe PerformingArts Center

BarrinGton StaGe Co.Box Office: 58 union Street, Pittsfield:• 413-236-8888 / barringtonstageco.org The Other Place by Sharr White, directed by Christopher in-nvar May 21 – June 14. Performances: Tues-Sat 7:30pm; Sat4pm (excluding May 24); Sun 3pm; Additional matinee Thurs,June 12 at 4pm St. Germain Stage, Sydelle and lee Blatt Per-forming Arts Center 36 linden Street, Pittsfield, MA

CloSe enCounterS WitH MuSiCMahaiwe Performing Arts Centerwww.cewm.org • 800-843-0778Beethoven and the dawn of romanticism, May 17 Sunday,June 15 2 PM at Ozawa hall, TanglewoodThe Many faces of Antonin dvorak: Bohemian idyllA program devoted to dvorak, whose music almost by defi-nition glows with lyricism and melodiousness. With KelleyO’Connor, mezzo-soprano; itamar Zorman and david McCar-roll, violin; Ara Gregorian, viola; Yehuda hanani, cello;roman rabinovich, piano

HelSinki CaFe405 Columbia Street, hudson, new York 12534518.828.4800 / [email protected] Mountain Goats with erin McKeown; May 19 TheVoodoo Orchestra north

MaSS MoCa87 Marshall Street, north Adams, MATo order tickets: 413.662.2111 or www.massmoca.org; May 9: Theater: Andrew dawson: The russian doctor;BeCK in concert, Tuesday, June 24. Tickets available at413.662.2111 x1 or massmoca.org/Beck

MuSiC on Main SerieSSaturday May 10 in Stockbridge, MAMusic on Main presents the fourth and final concert in the sea-son with an A Cappella extravaganza at the first Congrega-tional Church Stockbridge at 3PM on Saturday May 10. Strikea Chord and Tapestry will share the concert presenting a cap-pella music from two distinct traditions.

WHitney Center For tHe artSWhitney Center for the Arts, 42 Wendell Avenue, Pittsfield,MA • 413-442-02892nd Opera notte, titled, "deception and desire"We are proud to bring back live Opera-Music to the Berk-shires, our 2nd event "deception and desire" May 9th, andMay16th @ 7:30 PM

eventsparadiSe City artS FeStiValMay 24, 25 & 26 at the Three County fairgrounds innorthampton, MA. One of America’s top-ranked shows offine crafts, paintings and sculpture, Paradise City features 260outstanding artists in four buildings, sensational cuisine, livemusic, creative activities, demonstrations and an outdoorsculpture garden. www.paradisecityarts.com or 800-511-9725.

workshopsart oMi 1405 County rte 22, Ghent, nYYou Can do A Graphic novel: Saturdays, May 17 - June 1410 AM - 12 PM, ages 11-15

Heroine’S Journey: CreatinG your BraVe, neW World www.amberchand.com / [email protected] workshop series for women seeking to step into their futurewith clarity and confidence. date: Tuesday, April 8-May 13,2014, 7-9:00 pm, lenox. hosted By: The Center for humanemergence north east. Cost: $325 To register call 413-822-0551

SaBine VollMer Von FalkenPhOTOGrAPhiC WOrKShOPS • 413-298-4933 www.sabinephotoart.com, [email protected]

SpenCertoWn aCadeMy artS Center 790 route 203 in Spencertown, n.Y518-392-3693 / www.spencertownacademy.org Presents life Skills Workshop Series. The special workshops,“leading Your life: essential Tools for Professional Successand Personal Growth”, will be led by former disney Broad-way producer Michele Steckler on May 21 and June 25 at theAcademy

Send in your calendar submissions by 10th of the monthprior to publication for the next issue of

the artful Mind artzine!

CALENDAR CALENDAR CALENDAR CALENDAR choice!

FRONT STREET GALLERY

Painting Classes on Monday and Wednesday mornings 10 - 1pm at the Studio and Thursday mornings

10am - 1pm out in the field.Open to all.

413-274-6607 413-429-7141 (cell) 413-528-9546Gallery Hours: Saturday and Sunday 12-5 or by appointmentFRONT STREET, downtown HOUSATONIC, MA

Kate Knapp

KRIS GALLI

krisgallifineart.com

Dreams & DigressionsNew Paintings by Kris Galli

Spencertown Academy, Spencertown, NY

June 28 - August 10

Opening Reception June 28, 4-7 p.m.

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The ArTful Mind MAY 2014 •5

MuSiC Storein the era of superstores, internet and catalog shopping, an

old fashioned, boutique-style music store nonetheless nestlesin the heart of the Berkshires. located at the end of GreatBarrington, Massachusetts’ railroad Street, The Music Storewelcomes the delights of making music in the SPrinG!

Specializing in fine handmade guitars and one of thewidest selections of ukuleles in the northeast, The MusicStore offers fine, folk, orchestral and unusual instruments,both new and used, along with a wide array of music motifgifts and musical accessories including possibly the widestrange of professional level strings, and reeds in the Berk-shires.

A large assortment of traditional and international percus-sion, including African djembes, is available. And unusualinstruments including locally made walking stick bambooflutes and dr. easy’s Sonic Boxes (extraordinary acousticelectric Cigar Box Guitars), the amazing and almost inde-

structible Composite Acoustic Cargo Guitars (made entirelyfrom Carbon Graphite), Catania Cat’s Paws and Kalimbas,Serenity Bamboo and high Spirit hardwood flutes, and thenew Steel Singing drums nestle happily next to their moretraditional cousins.

Student violins from $179 to $2800 share the stage withguitars for all ages and abilities including locally and inter-nationally luthier handmade guitars. Best of all, The MusicStore also offers lifetime service - set-ups, adjustment, string-ing and maintenance on all new stringed instruments we sell!in addition, our workshop provides expert set-up, mainte-nance, repair and restoration on Guitars, Mandolins, Banjosand much, much more.

While many of our prices meet or beat Musician’s friendor Guitar Center and our other super-seller competitors, thepersonal service, expertise, kindness and availability of ourfine family of staff offers priceless service to the already mag-ical musical experience waiting for everyone at The MusicStore.

for musicians and music lovers seeking gift ideas, ourarray of clothing, housewares, stationary, jewelry, mousepads, clocks, key chains and knick-knacks will interest andamuse, as will a full line of harmonicas, tuners, stands, sticksand even an odd Washboard Tie!. Visit our wickedly won-derful ClOSeOuT COrner for the best bargains. experi-ence our 2 for $5.00 guitar strings and name brand guitars.Add some sheet music and the marvelous, magical, musicalexperience of The Music Store awaits.

The Music Store, 87 Railroad Street, Great Barrington,MA, 413-528-2460. Open Wednesday through Sunday.Closed Monday and Tuesday.

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richard Britell: ViValdi part ii.....12

planet Waves for May Eric Francis.....14

Simply Sasha Sasha Seymour......15

Contributing writers and Monthly Columnists Eunice AgarJohn Lawson

Richard Britell Stephen Gerard Dietemann

Eric Francis Sasha Seymour

photographers Jane Feldman

Sabine Vollmer von Falken Cassandra Sohn

publisherHarryet Candee

Copy EditorMarguerite Bride

advertising and Graphic Design Harryet Candee

Box 985, Great Barrington, Ma [email protected]

http://issuu.com/theartfulmindartzine/docs

413 854 4400

all Material due the 10th of the month prior to publication

FYI: ©Copyright laws in effect throughout The Artful Mind for logo & all graph-ics including text material. Copyright laws for photographers and writersthroughout 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 unfore-seeable circumstances beyond our control, advertisers will be compensated ona one to one basis. Disclaimer rights available upon request. Serving the Artcommunity with the intention of enhancing communication and sharing positivecreativity in all aspects of our lives.

May 2014

Artist NiNa LipkowitzCover by dominick Avellino

Interview by Harryet ...16

“The sun will come out tomorrrow!”

tHe artFul Mindartzine

20 YEARS! ANNIVERSARY ISSuE! The ArTful Mind MAY 2014 • 7

kriS GallidreAMS And diGreSSiOnS

With only a few breaks now and then to reassess her life,Kris Galli has been painting since she was a teenager. “it wasmy way of making sense of the world,” she says. “for years iwould wonder what to do with my life, and then i’d go paintfor a while, then get back to wondering what to do with mylife. it took years for me to figure out i was already doing it!”

now a woman fully committed to her vocation, Kris paintsall day, nearly every day. her work has sold to collectors acrossthe country and as far off as london, Australia and Panama.And if you’re ever having dinner at Alta restaurant in lenox,you’ll find yourself surrounded by her quirky paintings ofwomen - women balancing watermelons on their fingertips,women holding onto their pigtails in what looks to be a dream-like trance. her work consists largely of these women, but thereare also landscapes and still lifes, all with that same slightlyoff-beat feel of her figures.

In June, Kris will open her one-woman show, Dreams andDigressions, at Spencertown Academy in Spencertown, NY.The show will be up from June 28 through August 10th, withan opening reception on Saturday, June 28 from 4-7 p.m. Therewill wine and snacks, and chocolate provided by ChocolateSprings of Lenox - worth coming just for that alone!It promises to be a wonderful show!Kris Galli – krisgallifineart.com

9th annual BerkSHire international FilM FeStiVal

The 9th Annual Berkshire international film festival(Biff) will host a packed weekend line-up of films markedby robust international programming and continuing dedi-cation to programming the best in documentary film.

The festival, which takes place from May 29 – June 1 inGreat Barrington and May 31 – June 1 in Pittsfield, MA,brings films, filmmakers, industry professionals and filmfans together for a four-day festival celebrating independentfilm. Countries represented this year include Jordan,Afghanistan, Philippines, india, Chile, Brazil, Germany,italy, iceland, Morocco, iceland, israel and france, with arecord 41 filmmakers in attendance with their films.

The program features the latest from Steve Coogan, JennySlate, Bill Pullman, Juliette Binoche, Jesse eisenberg, ToniCollette, Mathieu Amalric and roman Polanski.

included also are Q&A’s with directors, producers, andactors and a great lineup of festivities.

Biff has become the festival of choice for filmmakersand film lovers who are seeking a unique Berkshire experi-ence and a place to indulge their passion for film.

BIFF - Check http://www.biffma.org/ for dates andscreening times of all films. For more information, to joinas a sponsor, volunteers, become a REEL Friend or make acontribution to BIFF, please contact [email protected] [email protected]

ann Marie SCottplein air paintinG CourSeS

Ann Scott has a passion for nature…she grew up sur-rounded by wolves and bears in Campbellford Ontario,Canada and later moved to new York while in grammarschool. Scott has lived up and down the east Coast, and hastraveled extensively in the uS and europe. Besides paintingshe has been in TV pilots and by happy accident got a role ina movie called “everybody Wants to be an italian”. Scott alsohad an “extremely brief” career as a Sea Shanty singer/streetperformer where she learned what stage fright really meant,hence running right back to her studio; she has stuck to paint-ing and singing only in the shower ever since.

Scott has exhibited widely over the uS and in Canada.She has been a recipient of grants from the rochester ArtsCouncil, new York State Council on the Arts and Massachu-setts Cultural Council, enjoyed artist-in-residencies at theAmerican Academy in rome, Pouch Cove, newfoundlandand in the dune Shacks at the Cape Cod national Seashore.She is represented by the lyman-eyer Gallery in Province-town, MA and an exhibiting member of the Provincetown ArtAssociation Museum and Salmagundi Club in new YorkCity.

Scott will be offering one and two day plein air paintingand drawing workshops starting May 1 running into autumn.These workshops are for everyone beginner and advancedalike. Contact the artist for more information and/or to signup. Ann Marie Scott - www.annscottpainting.com / [email protected]

Ann MArie SCOTT, rOMe #1, Oil On PAPer, 8 x 10”

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no. Six depot Gallery

May 16 – June 30Sirarpi heghinian Walzer’s work is in many collections

nationally and internationally and has received awards andexhibited in galleries throughout europe and the uS. She at-tended the Academy for fine Arts “die etage” andhochschule der Kunste in Berlin, Germany and has workedwith artists Andrej Woron, Timothy harney and Ati Gropius.

“My poetic abstractions spring from meditations on natureand from memories that are distilled into single dramatic mo-ments. The energetic surfaces imply an ongoing tension be-tween freedom and containment, edging the viewer closer tothat place where chaos can erupt into clarity.”

Siri Smedvig is an award-winning professional violinistand fine artist.  Graduating from harvard university,Siri won the McCord Prize for Artistic excellence and “Artistof the Year” by the Cambridge Art Association this year. Asa violinist, Siri has performed with the Seattle Symphony,Boston Pops, Boston Ballet Orchestra, harvard Chamber Or-chestra, American Symphony Orchestra (nYC) and manymore. 

“i love the magical world created by the abstracted formof music.  My inner source found a new means of expressionby making pictures with paint and collage. When i work giv-

ing form to the formless and visibility to theinvisible i feel an alchemist’s joy.”

The exhibit will run May 16 throughJune 30. An artists’ reception will be heldon June 13, 5 -6:30pm @ Join us for anartists’ reception. No. Six Depot Gallery is located in historictrain station in West Stockbridge, adjoiningNo. Six Depot Roastery & Café, servinghouse-roasted coffee, breakfast, lunch andFriday dinners. www.sixdepot.com

CloSe enCounterSWitH MuSiC

The May 17 Close encounters concert followsBeethoven, perhaps the most lionized of Western artists, inhis pathway from disciple of haydn, from whom he inher-ited his audacity and humor, to prophet and hero of the ro-mantic Movement. his music stands as a glorious bridgebetween two eras—Classical and romantic—and the se-lected works cover a good distance of this journey.

Starting as a young artist working within the forms of hisday, Beethoven’s transitional moment comes with the rarelyheard String quintet Opus 29 (poking fun at rossini, amongother antics) as it points the way to his middle period. Thesonata for piano and violin, known as the Kreutzer, Opus 47,further breaks with convention in a powerful duet of torridemotion. The piece was dedicated to violin virtuosorudolphe Kreutzer who deemed it unplayable and in factnever performed it. The Archduke Trio, Opus 97 representsthe pinnacle of his writing in that genre, perhaps in this lateperiod.

distinguished performers for this program—which re-veals Beethoven as both bridge and boundary breaker—areYehonatan Berick and Joana Genova, violin; Amadi Azikiweand Ariel rudiakov, viola; Yehuda hanani, cello; and JeffreySwann, piano.

Performances are supported in part by a grant from theMassachusetts Cultural Council.

The Close encounters With Music concerts are broadcaston WMhT and on www.wmht.org and weekly segments of“Classical Music According to Yehuda” are broadcast onWAMC northeast radio and at www.wamc.org each fridaymorning.

Ticket information for “Beethoven and the dawn of ro-manticism”: $45 (Orchestra and Mezzanine) and $25 (Bal-cony) are available at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Centerbox office, 413-528-0100; or through Close encountersWith Music.

Close Encounters with Music - For more informationabout tickets and the current concert schedule, visitwww.cewm.org or call 800-843-0778.

A most wonderful place

to meet, eat and drink!

R T E 2 0 , N E W L E B A N O N , N E W Y O R K

Phot

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Front Street Gallerykate knapp

Pastels, oils, acrylics and watercolors…..abstract and repre-sentational…..landscapes, still lifes and portraits….a unique va-riety of painting technique and styles….you will be transportedto another world and see things in a way you never have be-fore…. join us and experience something different.

Painting classes continue on Monday and Wednesday morn-ings 10-1:30pm at the studio and Thursday mornings out in thefield. These classes are open to all...come to one or come againif it works for you. All levels and materials welcome.

Classes at front Street are for those wishing to learn, thosewho just want to be involved in the pure enjoyment of art,and/or those who have some experience under their belt.

A teacher for many years, Kate Knapp has a keen sense ofeach student’s artistic needs to take a step beyond. Perfect set-ting for setting up still lifes; lighting and space are excellent.

Kate Knapp’s paintings are also on display at 510 WarrenSt. Gallery in hudson, nY. Please stop by to see all the manyworks of art by exceptional artists.

Front Street Gallery – Front Street, Housatonic, MA.Gallery open by appointment or chance. 413-528-9546 or 413-429-7141 (cell).

KATe KnAPP

JeffreY SWAn, PiAniST

SirArPi heGhiniAn WAlZer Siri SMedViG

The ArTful Mind MAY 2014 • 9

Northampton is a splendid day trip from the Berkshires, with its city pleasures and countrycharm. There’s no better time to visit than Memorial Day Weekend, for the spring ParadiseCity Arts Festival. It’s a world-class arts festival right in the cultural heart of New England.A carefully selected collection of 260 artists and fine craft makers descend upon four buildingsand the grounds of the historic Three County Fairgrounds for three days of astounding visualarts, scrumptious food, fabulous live music and great fun. Stroll through flowering sculpturegardens filled with artful delights, enjoy special exhibits, demonstrations and activities... allcompelling reasons to come on down to Paradise City for the long holiday weekend. “A truly inspired festival showing innovative art, craft and design, Paradise City is known

for introducing new, frequently offbeat artists,” wrote AmericanStyle Magazine upon announc-ing the Northampton show the #1 arts fair in America.“The food soars beyond expectations,” writes Boston Magazine. The Festival Dining Tent

is a microcosm of Northampton’s vibrant restaurant scene, with recipes that span the globe.Expect lots of tasty surprises from the region’s restaurants at this spring’s show, using locallygrown foods straight from the Valley’s farms. Restaurants include Local Burger, Sierra Grille,Spoleto, Amber Waves, India House, Pizzeria Paradiso, Bart’s Homemade Ice Cream, Mama

Iguana’s and the Great Wall. While dining, enjoy the Art Steele Blues Band on Saturday; TheValley jazz Divas on Sunday; and Viva Quetzal on Memorial Day.Fine and functional art are usually taken quite seriously. Why are Paradise City’s artists up

to some serious funny business this spring? “Laughing Matters!”, the special exhibit in theArena Building, explores the visual lexicon of all that makes us smile. From visual puns andexaggeration to satire and whimsy, this year’s exhibitors prove that a little levity can go a verylong way. Laughter is the best medicine, and the Cancer Connection helps cancer patients and their

families cope with a variety of tools, including humor. This wonderful organization is the ben-eficiary of Paradise City’s Silent Art Auction. Hundreds of beautiful works have been donatedby the exhibiting artists, and 100% of the proceeds benefit Cancer Connection.

At Northampton’s 3 County Fairgrounds, 54 Old Ferry Road off Rt. 9. From the Mass Pike,take exit 4 to I-91 North to Exit 19. For complete show and travel information, and discountadmission coupons, visit www.paradisecityarts.com or call 800-511-9725.

PARADISE CITY ARTS FESTIVALMay 24-26, Northampton

BERMAN, PATTERNED RINGS

DAHLKE - CuNNINGHAM, A FLY CABIN

WILLIAMS, GIRAFFE

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MarGuerite BrideWaterColorS

Marguerite Bride is getting ready for summer shows,stretching her scope of subjects and venturing from her com-fort zone a bit. Mostly known for house portraits and sceneswith multiple structures, Bride has also been painting naturescenes, swamps and wetlands, and seascapes. These newpaintings will be “officially” displayed at summer shows andgalleries in lenox, Wickford ri, Marblehead, MA and Pom-fret CT, but you can always catch a sneak preview in her stu-dio.

locally, a new assortment of fine art reproductions of someof her newer paintings can now be purchased at Phdesigns at141 north Street in Pittsfield, and lenox Print and Merchan-tile, 11 housatonic Street in lenox, plus the red lion inn GiftShop and always directly from the artist.

A series of new paintings were recently delivered to Cele-brations Gallery in Pomfret, Connecticut for their spring ex-hibit. included are sunlit country lanes, old grist mills, somedowntown village scenes and some musical subjects.

Bride is always happy to consider commission work. Asubject she particularly enjoys is painting house portraits, andhas now done nearly 150 homes locally, nationally and somein europe. Commissioning a piece is much easier than mostpeople imagine. Check out Bride’s website for more informa-tion, or contact the artist directly.

Bride invites visitors to her studio during “open studios”on each first friday of the month, held in conjunction withPittsfield’s first fridays Artswalk from 5-8 pm. At the nuArts Studios you will see up to 18 different artists who wel-come the public to see their working spaces and meet with theartists. Marguerite Bride, Nuarts Studios, 311 North Street, Pittsfield,Studio #5, by appointment only. Call 413-442-7718, or 413-841-1659 (cell); website: margebride-paintings.com, email:[email protected] Facebook: Marguerite Bride Watercol-ors

CollinS/editionSformerly

BerkSHire diGitalAfter seven years of working for artists and photographers

as Berkshire digital, we have changed our name tocollins|editions. We are a fine art reproduction service thatoffers the highest quality digital photography & reproductionof paintings as well as Giclée printing on archival papers andcanvas with sizes up to 42” x 90”. Artists & photographersuse us to create limited editions of their images. Private col-lectors and galleries use us to document their collections.Whether the reproduction needs are for archiving, printing,books, magazines, postcards or internet use, Bd adheres tovery strict color controls along with delivering stunning detailby using either a large format camera with a Better light™digital scanning back for making giclee prints as well as thebest dSlr cameras for publication & internet uses.

in addition to the photography and printing services,collins|editions also offers graphic design, enabling clients tocreate show announcements, post cards and brochures. Thewebsite, www.Collinseditions.com has a complete overview,lots of information and pricing.

The owner, fred Collins, has been a commercial photog-rapher for over 30 years having had studios in Boston andStamford. he offers 20 years of experience with Photoshop™enabling retouching, restoration and enhancement. The studiois located in Mt Washington but dropoff and Pu can bearranged at other locations.Collins|editions studio, 220 East St, Mt Washington, Massa-chusetts; 413-644-9663, www.Collinseditions.com

St. FranCiS GalleryThe 2014 season commenced with a joyful and spirited

show full of creative energy generated by a wonderful groupof artists from the Becket Arts Center along with more newworks from local talent. May promises to continue with a boldselection of works from what appears to be a never endingsupply of area artists. There seems to be rich soil that bothgrows and attracts talented work. Breaking free from the ex-pected and explosive in ideas and color, this new collectionwill intrigue the viewer.

As always the creative projects supported by the gallery inKenya revitalize and energize each year. This year the galleryhas an African shop dedicated to the work of several womencooperatives from poor areas in Kenya. There is a dazzlingdisplay of jewelry and fabrics for sale to support these ven-tures and continuing the gallery mission of giving back to oth-ers in need.

new and old gallery artists will join in presenting their ex-citing and varied works. intriguing creations by Bobrosegarten, the firework displays of color in Paul Solovay’sphotos, and Susan Powers unique oils are just a few of thenew additions. Continued new works from Jurek, SharonVidal , Beverly Bourassa, linda Baker Cimini, rick Costelloand robert houghton along with other selected works will beon display as well. from realism to abstraction this new dis-play of art will continue to challenge reality as we experienceit. As collective works they deconstruct and enrich our abilityto see more.

You are invited to this rich experience. Support local artistswhere you live and visit and see what is alive in the Berk-shires. There will be a reception for the artists on SaturdayMay 17th from 3-6pm, with light fare wine and music.

St. Francis Gallery - Rt 102, South Lee just 2 miles eastfrom the Red Lion Inn, open from 11am to 5pm Friday, Sat-urday, Sunday and Monday.

MArGueriTe Bride, COAST GuArd hOuSe

BOB SOlOVAY

“The main thing is to bemoved, to love, to hope, to

tremble, to live.”

~Auguste Rodin

The ArTful Mind MAY 2014 • 11

SaBine pHoto artA master of the subtleties of lighting and the nuance of

background, sabine’s eye for detail provides imagery to betreasured for a lifetime. Assignments are tailored to meet herclient’s needs- a remembrance for a special occasion or a logoimage, which creates an authentic professional online pres-ence. it is to no surprise that she is a sought-after publisheddocumentary and editorial photographer with the talent ofboth: interviewer, provoker and image-maker.

The Artful Mind has showcased sabine’s work since 1994,the very beginning of the monthly Berkshire Artzine. Stillyoung at 20 something, sabine’s studio has become a brandfor contemporary, unobtrusive, relaxed photography in theeuropean style.   did you have a “Sabine” experience? itmight be just the time for you to book your first sitting.

Photographic workshops are scheduled for this summer: VieW liGhT WiTh A CriTiCAl eYe explore the beautiful light of the Berkshires by taking a week-end photography workshop. in this workshop participantslearn how natural light can create drama and subtlety. de-signed for serious learners who are interested in improvingtheir artistic eye. All participants are asked to bring a digitalSlr camera. event dates: May 24 and 25.

Photo Art and signed books by appointment: “WOOd-lAnd STYle” and “ Shell ChiC “, published by StoreyPublishing, author Marlene h. Marshall, all photography bysabine can be purchased from your nearby book stores.Signed fine art prints are directly available through sabine’sstudio.

Sabine is a member of The American Society of MediaPhotographers asmp. The international Center of Photogra-phy iCP and the Wedding Photojournalist Association, WPJA.Sabine Vollmer von Falken Photography Studio -www.sabinephotoart.com, [email protected] / 413-298-4933.

JoBy Bakerlauren Clark Fine art

Joby Baker will be featured in an exhibit entitled “figures”at the lauren Clark fine Art Gallery May 24 – June 8. A re-ception for the artist will be held on May 24, 4-7 p.m.

i first met Joby Baker at Tokonoma Gallery close to 20years ago. he and his late wife, dory Previn, visited on sev-eral occasions to look around and just chat. On one occasionJoby came with two copies, one for me, one for my businesspartner at the time, robin Schmitt, of a book Salander-O’reilly Galleries had published of his latest work. Jobydoesn’t even remember this event but i never forgot it. eventhough it is a small book, printed in black and white but forthe frontispiece, for me, it was love at first sight. When Jobyvisited me recently it was in the early days of my tenure inmy new location at 25 railroad Street. he entered the grandnew space and declared “i love this place! i want to have ashow here!” how could i resist?

This exhibit of figures bears some small resemblance tothose figures from long ago-minus the fools caps and chairs.included are paintings, mono prints based on words by dory,and a smattering of giclee prints-all in the dark, lovely andethereal style that is Joby Baker.

dory once wrote of his work, “paintings are sometimescapable of expressing the inexpressible. Joby Baker’s workreaches and digs for that which words are unable to say…heworks in that chartless region of the mute soul.”

The art historian and writer hellmut Wohl said once thatBaker has an “infallible sense of the right tone and color…heis the master of the eloquent brushstroke that simultaneouslyregisters form and complex feelings.” Wohl went on to notethat “the figures in Joby’s paintings and prints are depicted insituations of anguish, disfigurement or isolation.

Joby is a Canadian-born actor and painter, sculptor, andjewelry artisan.

Lauren Clark Fine Art - 25 Railroad Street, Great Bar-rington, Massachusetts; 413-528-0432; www.laurenClarkfineArt.com / [email protected]

aSton MaGna MuSiC FeStiVal 2014

a SeaSon oF roManCe, War and otHer HuMan FollieSAston Magna Music festival announces its 2014 season

of familiar and rarely-heard early music from the 16th-19thcenturies, on five Saturdays in Great Barrington, June 21-July19. The programs are also presented Thursdays at SlosbergAuditorium, Brandeis university, and friday nights at BardCollege, Annandale-on-hudson.

The festival, now in its 42nd season, is celebrated for itsperformances of early music on period instruments, presentedby some of the world’s most gifted musicians on baroquestrings, winds, and instruments such as the lute and theorbo,bass recorder and gamba. in a departure, the festival willpresent the world premiere of a new work - “Aston Magna”- by the acclaimed young composer nico Muhly, commis-sioned by lee elman, a founder of the Aston Magna foun-dation.

Artistic director and renowned violinist daniel Stepneragain leads the nation’s longest running music festival dedi-cated exclusively to early music. This year he presents earlygreats such as Bach, Corelli, Vivaldi, Purcell and Blow, plusearly Brahms and Mendelssohn wind masterpieces, amongothers.

Aston Magna performs Saturdays at 6 p.m. in Great Bar-rington at the daniel Arts Center, Bard College at Simon’srock, and on July 12 at 8 p.m. at the Mahaiwe PerformingArts Center.

This year, Aston Magna is reaching out to younger patronswith the new ArT/SMArT ticket price of $15 for patronsunder age 30.

“This is the year for younger audiences to dis-cover us, and we they will be captivated by AstonMagna’s dynamic young musicians such as violinistJoan Plana and baritone Jesse Blumberg,” saidSusan Obel, executive director of the Aston MagnaMusic festival. “The extreme talent of dan Stepnerand the Aston Magna ensemble will thrill all of ourguests who are enchanted by early music.”

Aston Magna - Tickets and information: astonmagna.org

JOBY BAKer, TO JuST Be

GuY fiShMAn, CellO

Artisteleanor

lordOne of

many at...

510 Warren Street, Hudson, NYwww.510warrenstreetgallery.com

518-822-0510

“Art washes awayfrom the soul the

dust of everyday life.”

~Pablo Picasso

ViValdiPArT 2

Richard Britell

he was all day in the music library but he could find no traceof it of Monteverdi’s opera. he remembered a solo by iphigenia,the daughter of Agamemnon, in which she pleads for her life, andbegs not to be sacrificed. This solo was followed by a chorus ofyoung girls of the town reproaching the king for his plan to sacri-fice his daughter to the gods.

After the chorus of young girls reproaching Agamemnon,Agamemnon’s wife, in a solo, calls all the women of Argos to wit-ness the crime Agamemnon is about to commit with the words,“We mothers of Argos, we recoil in horror, your plan we abhor,your war should not destroy the child we adore.” But search as hemight, he could find not a single page of this piece by Monteverdi,and even today music scholars only know of it because it was men-tioned in a letter that Pope Clement xi sent to Cardinal rivera inSpain asking about a certain sort of grapes.

Vivaldi gave up the search but he did not give up on the idea ofa work for young girls in which the girls plead for the life of oneof their own. for some reason he felt that such a subject wouldappeal emotionally to the girls. What he hoped to do was to minetheir deep feeling of resentment since they were orphans, addedto the fact they were all aware of the social standing of their un-known parents.

Vivaldi was a very prolific composer, and after many hours inthe music library trying to find the composition by Monteverdi, itstruck him that he could compose a work himself on the sametheme, and it would take him less time than his search for the man-

uscript had taken.Vivaldi composed an oratorio rather than on opera. An oratorio

was more appropriate to his resources than an opera. it was a shortwork consisting of a solo by iphigenia, Agamemnon’s daughter inwhich she pleads for her life. The solo was followed by a chorusof the girls of the town singing in unison. After that came a quartetof mothers, reproaching Agamemnon for his plan to sacrifice hisdaughter in order to make possible his war on Troy.

Antonio had to restrict himself to simple passages, and he hadto stay within the narrow vocal range of the girls. The work heproduced is in many ways very similar to that prelude Marie An-toinette was trying to learn by Bach in that even though it was ba-sically simple, it was relentless in its pathos. it was, as you know,baroque music, and so its pathos was logical, it was the logicalpathos of the baroque period.

My father told me that he copied this work out in parts for thegirls but Vivaldi said it would not be necessary to prepare it forthe engravers. he did not consider it a thing of any importance.for this reason no copy of the work exists, and if my father hadnot told me about what happened concerning this work, this entireepisode in Vivaldi’s life would be unknown.

Vivaldi presented the work for the first time to his girl studentsand they sang it in their usual way, with no interest or emotion,mumbling the words, looking at the floor, fidgeting, anxious forthe lesson to end so they could leave to do something else. it wasa typical choir lesson.

The ideas in Vivaldi’s oratorio acted on the girls in the choirexactly the same way as yeast in bread dough; it was an uncon-scious sort of fermentation. They were not really aware of it. intheir usual way, late at night they performed parts of the workagain for each other. Since they were alone they sang with gusto,subjecting the various lines to their usual ridicule.The ideas Vivaldi implanted in their heads with this piece of musictook root, bore fruit, and they sang the piece with interest. heasked them to go through it again, and they sang it with passion,then a third time in anger and desperation. Vivaldi was able to stopconducting, the work took over, and the girls sang it without anyhelp from him. in the performance there was not a hint of mockery.When they were done in some girls’ eyes tears glistened, but inothers he saw that angry proud look of injured innocence.

Vivaldi realized he had stumbled on to a masterpiece; it was acombination of perfect material, circumstance, and ability. he wasso impressed with what he heard that he thought he should give apresentation of the work to a larger audience. it was not his habitto involve his work at the orphanage in the larger work in his pro-fessional career, but this was an exception. But before he couldproceed he needed to get permission of the father Superior andthe elders of the orphanage.But the girls, and especially netochka and Simmona, did not re-alize how important the performance was to Vivaldi. They contin-ued to make fun of him and the oratorio, even though at the sametime, they were moved by the work when they were singing it.There is only one word to describe the feelings of the girls in the

choir, and that word wasambivalent.

Simmona now cameup with another trick tofurther torment Vivaldiand they tried it out intheir evening mock per-formances and it workedperfectly. Meanwhile Vi-valdi arranged for the or-phanage elders to bepresent at his next re-hearsal. he wanted tosurprise them. he wassure they would be as im-pressed as he was. he didnot want to inhibit thegirls or make them nerv-ous so he had his audi-ence file into the choirroom at the back en-trance, and take seatswhere the girls would notsee them.

The first two move-ments went off withoutany difficulty, but in thethird section, the section

involving the quartet of the mothers, Simona and netochka beganto sing slightly out of tune. Simmona sang slightly sharp, and ne-tochka sang a little flat. They did this very skillfully so that at firstit seemed accidental, but in the slower sections it became morepronounced.

it is very easy to describe what Simmona and netochkasounded like in the quartet. have you ever been awakened in themiddle of the night by cats confronting each other and preparingfor a fight? if you have heard that sound then you know exactlytheir sound.

Poor Vivaldi. he knew he was being made a fool of by the girls,but what could he do? he was accustomed to sitting back and let-ting the girls direct themselves because they had been doing thepiece with such inspiration, so when the caterwauling began hewas not even paying attention to what was going on.

But things were even worse than that. The orphanage fathersbelieved that it was all intentional, and that what they had heardis what Vivaldi had intended for them to hear, and they were livid.Poor Vivaldi. if the orphanage fathers had not been in the choirroom he would have found the caterwauling of the girls just asfunny as the girls did even if he would have pretended to be angry,but under the circumstances he had to demand their punishment.

As usually happens in these situations it was decided to punishthe ringleaders, that is netochka, and Simmona. even though allthe girls had joined in, it was those two who were singled out forpunishment. The girls were beaten with a leather strap, a punish-ment administered by a nun and witnessed by a committee of sixof the elder nuns. i know you are expecting to hear terrible detailsof a severe punishment but that was not the case. The fact wasmany of the nuns of the orphanage had been inmates of the sameinstitution when they were young. The old leather strap about tobe used on netochka and Simmona was the same strap that hadbeen used on them when they were children.

Over the years an elaborate scheme had been worked out be-tween the elder nuns and the young girls about how to deal withthese punishments. The girls to be punished first had to be lockedup in a small room where they were to pray for forgiveness for afull hour on their knees.

in the room, the girls found several pairs of cotton tights aswell as gauze pads to be placed in vulnerable places. Once the lay-ers of stockings and padding were in place the girls were takenone at a time to be whipped. They felt nothing but knew they weresupposed to scream bloody murder. The leather strap was wieldedwith terrible cruelty, but did no harm. everyone was happy withthe outcome except for Vivaldi, who, completely taken in by thecharade, suffered terrible pangs of guilt.

Many months went by before netochka and Simmona were al-lowed returned to choir practice again. When they returned theyseemed to Vivaldi to have completely grown up, their voices hadmatured, especially netochka, and Vivaldi was able to give herdifficult solo parts which she executed with confidence.

during this time Vivaldi had also changed. he no longer feltthat the teaching of the orphan girls was a waste of his time. Thememory of their rendering of his little oratorio about Agamemnonremained in his mind, and he began to compose vocal works ofgreat majesty, especially for the girls’ choir.he was especially motivated to create works featuring netochka.What was netochka’s voice like? Sometimes one hears a hugechoir singing in some concert hall and among those voices in thecrowd of singers one detects one individual voice that has strange-ness about it, perhaps it is a reedy quality, or an inexplicable dark-ness.

One’s eye searches the faces to combine the sound with thefeatures amidst the crowd. finally the eye and the ear make theconnection, and the face somehow explains everything. After themusic is over, many people will search out that singer and ask foran autograph, but they really just want a closer look, because theyare recognizing a future prima donna.

Such was netochka’s voice, and she did go on to become aprima donna. When she was older, her performances were in de-mand all over europe, and even after she married and raised fivechildren, still she continued her successful singing career.The nuns of the orphanage were not surprised about netochka’ssuccess as they suspected it would happen. it was not just all theattention Vivaldi lavished on the girl; they suspected somethingelse. it was her flaming red hair and her freckles, which were ex-actly, like Vivaldi’s. They were quite certain that netochka wasVivaldi’s daughter.

~richard Britell

SHARON TRUE, M.A., C.M.A., R.S.M.T.Somatic Movement Therapist and

Certified Pilates and Pfilates TM (Pelvic Floor Pilates) Instructor

Private, Conscious Exercise Workouts for all ages and abilities featuring fully-equipped Pilates studio

in a quiet, country setting in Great Barrington

Classes at Kilpatrick Athletic Center (KAC) at Simon’s Rock College

Pilates Mat Class Beg/Int. Tuesdays 5-6:00 PMPelvic Floor Fitness Class Beg/Int. Wednesdays 6-7:00 PM

[email protected]

Somatic Movement Therapist andCertified Pilates and PFilatesTM Instructor

Pilates Mat Class Beg/Int. Tuesdays 5-6:00 PMWorkshop for PFilatesTM - contact Sharon for current schedule

12 • MAY 2014 The ArTful Mind

WHoleperSon MoVeMent

Floor oF tHe Core pilateSSharon True, a certified Pilates and Pfilates™ (Pelvic floor

Pilates) instructor and owner of WholePerson Movement inGreat Barrington, is now offering personal and group trainingin pelvic floor muscle conditioning called floor of the Core Pi-lates. The pelvic floor muscles are among the core muscles thatsupport the spine and are key to good posture, body ease, andconfident movement. While pelvic floor muscles are typicallyrecruited naturally when doing regular Pilates workouts, whenthere has been trauma to the pelvic floor due to pregnancy, child-birth, surgery, or other sources, studies have shown that trainingthe pelvic floor muscles in a targeted way is even more benefi-cial.

The pelvic floor is actually shaped more like a bowl or a ham-mock than a flat floor. The muscles connect the tailbone, pubicbone and the two “sitbones,” and they provide support for thepelvic organs. Pelvic floor muscles have a big impact on qualityof life. When they are functioning well, life is good! When theyare damaged, weak, or not well-coordinated there can be em-barrassing problems with incontinence, unsatisfying sex, and afeeling that one’s insides are falling out (organ prolapse). Thesein turn negatively impact important aspects of life such as work,travel, intimate relationships, the ability to lead an activelifestyle – and creating art!

Sharon True’s floor of the Core Pilates can help to get de-conditioned pelvic floor muscles back on track. Based on Pfi-lates™ (pronounced fih-lah-tees), an approach to pelvic floormuscle conditioning developed by a urogynocologist in conjunc-tion with Pilates, yoga, and fitness professionals, her floor ofthe Core Pilates is a three-part program. first, she offersan introductory workshop that provides an orientationto the pelvic floor and the Pfilates™ exercises. This isfollowed by home practice with internet support alongwith a few private sessions to discover an individual’s“best three” exercises. finally, there is another work-shop on strategies for incorporating pelvic floor exer-cise into daily life. The entire program can be learnedprivately if preferred.

Sharon True - for a free consultation via email, con-tact at [email protected] or phone 413-528-2465, 9am-9 pm.

The ArTful Mind MAY 2014 • 13

ShArOn True On PilATeS APPArATuS

Mary CaMpBell WeddinGS

A wedding is one of the most sacred and important daysof anyone’s life. The ceremony is the heart of the wedding,and when well crafted, holds the potential to truly reflect acouple’s distinctive personality and love.

rev. Mary Campbell takes special delight in helpingcouples celebrate their unique love as they create a weddingceremony that honors the people and things that are mostimportant to them and their families. Mary is an ordainedinterfaith/interspiritual minister and couples counselor. Shehas lived in the Berkshires for over 20 years, leading trans-formational workshops for women and creating ceremoniescelebrating love and connection.

As a couple explores the myriad choices involved incrafting a truly beautiful and meaningful wedding cere-mony, whether traditional or more contemporary, Mary isable to offer passages and rituals from ceremonies practicedin a wealth of traditions as well as share her extensive col-lection of poetry and prose.

And as couples naturally deepen their commitment toone another during the planning of their wedding, theyoften look toward the future and are enriched by guidance.Mary’s compassion and skill, shared through her excep-tional Marriage Mentoring counseling, can provide themwith a strengthened foundation upon which to build a lifeof joy and ever-deepening intimacy.

Create the wedding of your dreams and the love thatcan last a lifetime.

Rev. Mary Campbell – 413-528-6633; [email protected] / diviningWeddings.com

aMBer CHandViSionary CoaCHinGFor unCertain tiMeS

This is a time of the great unraveling. A time of profounduncertainty as each of us navigates the uncharted waters ofour lives.

This is a terrifying time as we are each called to releasean old, weary story based on limitation, scarcity and lack. itis also a liberating time when we are called to show up fullyto our lives, to sow the seeds of possibility, and to envisiona world that offers a new, compelling story based on suste-nance, abundance and authenticity.

To step into our futures from a place of enlivened possi-bility requires fearless imagination, a deep commitment toembracing uncertainty and courageous intention to fullyshow up for ourselves and our world.

This is the call of this evolutionary time. My Visionary Coaching Programs are designed to sup-

port you on this journey, whether you are in a time of deeptransition and seeking clarity around your envisioned future,whether you are ready to take the next bold steps in yourpurpose-driven business, or whether you simply need aboost to clarify your unfolding mission and work in theworld.

“At a crossroads in my life and career, I turned to Amberfor coaching. I did not anticipate the depth and richness ofthe journey or the profound impact it would have on me. Ihave come away with a strong sense of inner purpose and ajoyful vision for my future life and work.  I am most gratefulto have connected with this wise woman”   Karen C, RN,CN.

Amber is currently performing her one woman show,“The heroine’s Journey: Tales of love, despair, faith andforgiveness” and working on her book, The heroine’s Jour-ney: Creating Your Brave, new Story. She brings a uniqueand powerful perspective to her work as a global entrepre-neur, transformational coach and mentor, and visionary sto-ryteller.

Amber is leading a specialguided journey for women tothe foothills of the himalayasin india October, 12-25, 2014entitled “Marigolds, Mystics,and Mountains”.

Amber Chand - VisionaryLife/Business Coach, Perform-ing Artist, Global Entrepre-neur, 413-822-0551; [email protected] orvisit amberchand.com

Great, Comfortable Sandals for all occasions!

14 • MAY 2014 The ArTful Mind

Planet Waves Eric Francis MAy 2014arieS (March 20-April 19)in every area of your life, especially relationships, proceedwith caution. Caution does not mean fear; it means awarenessand proceeding with a commitment to having accurate infor-mation. Because you must direct your own life based on yourfeelings, you are the most significant source of intelligence.Your primary mission in life is to define who you are on yourown terms, meaning it’s crucial that you actually listen toyourself. Others will give you vital feedback about what theywant and what they intend to do, though you may need to askdirectly and boldly. Observe whether your environment is sup-porting you or not. What are the complexities and wrinkles?Who else is involved or is influencing events? Where are you,and do you feel like you belong there? The more sincere yourinquiries, the more sincere the answers will be.

tauruS (April 19-May 20)in order to think outside a container, it’s necessary to know itsshape and its dimensions. Then it will be clear when you’rewithin a previously defined boundary, and when you’re out-side. Once you’re in a larger space, you have the challenge ofdefining something that is essentially infinite. At that point,you don’t need constraints; you need workable definitions andapproaches to living, including flexibility – starting with yourimagination. You are accustomed to working with limits onwhat you think you’re capable of and what you’re willing tobelieve. if you start with the premise that anything is possible,you will go light years toward accessing your deeper talentand sense of purpose. The intelligence source you are tappinginto might feel like something ‘other than yourself’. That’snot really true, but if you have that feeling, you’re accessinga source of vital information you can trust.

GeMini (May 20-June 21)You currently have the ability to see around corners and deepinto yourself; look in all directions. Travel home by a differentroute. Make conscious decisions to alter your routines and tokeep your perspective moving. if you can, go to a high placelike a hilltop or a tall building and look down on your com-munity. extraordinary astrology is encouraging you to reeval-uate your goals in a radical way. it’s easy to consider what youwant based on what you think is the right thing, or what youplanned on doing in the past. now you can take the chance ofconsidering what you really want to accomplish. That involvesa risk of some kind, engaging with the unknown and unpre-dictable. When you see the potential to fail as well as to suc-ceed, you know you’re in the right place.

CanCer (June 21-July 22)So many factors now are working in your favor, it’s difficultto list them all, but they include abundant creativity, passionand curiosity. Yet you need to keep a handle on your emotions,because your feelings may deceive you. Your first priority issidestepping conflict: recognizing what does not matter, andremoving all emphasis from it. if others try to engage you onthat level, move on. recognize what matters to you now, notpast attachments, and prioritize on that basis. Your own pref-erence and immediate significance are vital to you now. Theyalways were, but one fact of civilization involves all the effortsat conning people out of their true needs and desires. Also,focus on quality work. in this world, you can do just aboutanything you want, as long as you do it well.

leo (July 22-Aug. 23)You seem to be facing the ongoing challenge of mental clarityand organizing what may feel like an overwhelming workload.The key to simplifying is systems design: simpler, more effi-

cient, more effective ways to do things. The methods you usedwhen you were less successful (or had more modest plans)need rethinking and revision. Begin with a blank template;make an inventory of all you want to get done, all that’s de-manded of you, and your resources — including assets youdon’t have available yet. flexibility and the prerogative of cre-ating options are crucial. if a system is to be flexible, it has tobe designed as such from the beginning. Perceived limits needto be accounted for, and addressed directly as variables — notas mandates. it’s time to bring everyone and everything elseup to the same standard of flexibility you embody.

VirGo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22)The question, “What next?” is second only in importance to“What now?” You get to the next place from where you arenow. So start by evaluating your exact location and status atthis moment. Then figure out how you got here. use achronology, lists of prior and current goals, and who you aretrying to please. Analyze your financial assets and liabilities,where your money comes from and where it goes. What couldyou or would you do if you had more money or less debt?When people say to me, “i would go to therapy but i can’t af-ford it,” i suggest they go to the first session and say they wantto work on why they don’t have enough money for what theyneed. if this moment in your life comes with one turning point,it’s about taking a no-bullshit approach to your finances.

liBra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23)Confidence is the issue. Ask what you would do, if only youhad the confidence. notice when you are reacting, whenyou’re responding and when you’re provoking. The differencemay be subtle; for example, you may be reacting to someonea certain way in order to provoke a response. You may resortto manipulation. You have to know what you’re doing. Youmust understand the politics of any situation, including themost intimate, and proceed appropriately. That will involvebeing real and choosing your words carefully, which will com-pel you to know your own mind, and to practice stating yourdesires and your intentions to others. You have to stop bull-shitting people about who you are and what you want. With-holding your true feelings is not getting you anywhere, andyou know how many setbacks it’s been responsible for. it’stime to be real and only real.

SCorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22)You may feel lost or powerless when the exact opposite is true— a perfect example of the distinction between perception andreality. if you feel lost, you’re likely to act that way, and thatwill be real to you. The main challenge you face is twofold.You have an overwhelming sense of responsibility, to some-one or something; direct it toward yourself. The other is de-nial. it’s easy for you to pretend that what is, is not. Over thenext 10 days, a number of orientation points will emerge thatwill help you determine where you stand with yourself, somein moments of conflict or feeling triggered. You will be ableto see clearly what your opinion about anyone or anything re-ally is. That is the thing you want to navigate by. All emotions,negative, positive and seemingly neutral, will be useful — andmust go to productive use.

SaGittariuS (nov. 22-dec. 22)This is not the time to make or break contracts — you’re undertoo much pressure, there are variables you don’t know about,and it’s essential that you figure out what you want before youcommit to anything new. hold to your current course as the

grand cross and solar eclipse do their work. if you encountersomething interesting to do, do it, just don’t sign away morethan a future evening or weekend. You must see your optionsbeyond the trivial. This is a time of authentic, deep decisionsfor you, meaning you need some idea of what is available. Youlike to jump into things headlong without considering whatmight develop. But your current astrology says you need tobe a clear thinker, an analyst and a visionary to make the mostof options you’re not yet aware of.

CapriCorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20)You know who you are and where you’re going — but don’ttell anyone else. rather, begin to slip into the life you’re em-barking on like a hand gently wiggling into a well-fitted glove.Your astrology seems to be pushing you into making radicaldecisions, particularly where your career or business is con-cerned. i suggest you make subtle decisions, smaller than youmay think matter, involving people and how you relate tothem. everything you do in your business life now comesdown to intricate human contacts, and the conscious cultiva-tion of trust. Appearances are involved, yet you must be care-ful about using appearance to deceive. rather, use the magicand power of presentation to convey the underlying truth ofwho you are. Present your real talents elegantly, right fromyour soul. Most success is not built on this — yours will be.

aquariuS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19)You can feel everything that’s happening, and it’s essentialthat you do. Others may have no idea the extent of your sen-sitivity or how tuned in you are to your personal world or theworld around you. information is entering your awareness fora reason. don’t unnecessarily leap into the center of the actionor involve yourself in anything that is only peripheral to yourlife; avoid distractions. What you’re observing and learninginvolves a deeper, ongoing project in leadership training. Onekey to leadership is knowing when to get involved in a situa-tion and when to back off. You’re in a grooming process for avery specific purpose, which calls on you to have solid knowl-edge and many contacts. it will make itself known when thetime is right. Pay attention because the timing will be signifi-cant.

piSCeS (Feb. 19-March 20)if i had to tell you one thing, i would say: Chiron is in yoursign. embody the healer. Be the place of sanctuary, the mindthat is open to wisdom; participate in the eternal chain ofknowledge passed from teacher to student. Tune your mind tothe interconnectedness of all things, and have patience withthose who don’t see the connections, or who seem committedto not noticing. You have not chosen the path of sacrifice; ifyou renounce certain circumstances and things, it’s for the pur-pose of being open and available to that which is exponentiallybetter. remember to seek within for what you need — be itknowledge, resources, strength or awareness. You are not thesource, but at this time a deep connection within you is open-ing up to the source. Ask sincerely and be willing to receive.

~Read Eric Francis daily at planetwaves.net

The ArTful Mind MAY 2014 • 15

Simply Sasha by Sasha Seymour

Happy Spring art lovers! i absolutely love researching new recipes for The Artful Mind, because when i come across a beauty of

a dish like this one, i am able to share it with all of you! This recipe was the winner for the month ofMay. Olive oil was the oil of choice in the original list of ingredients, but i wanted to  use coconut oil in-stead (it’s my new theme). if the sauce is thicker than ypu’d like, slowly add more coconut milk until the

correct consistency is reached. This can be a main course or a side dish. it’s up to you!Peace & love to you!

Curry That Chick Pea!~ 2 Tbsp coconut oil

~ 1 medium onion, diced~ 3 garlic cloves, minced

~ 1 25oz can organic chick peas~ 2 Tbsp red curry paste

~ 1 can light coconut milk~ Pinch of salt

~ 1 tsp fish sauceLarge handful of fresh basil, chopped

1. Cook onion and garlic in oil for about 10 minutes2. Add curry paste and coconut milk, whisking them together

3. Bring sauce to a simmer4. Add chick peas, salt, fish sauce and half of the basil

5. Allow to simmer for 15-20 minutes6. Pour over jasmine rice and top with remaining basil

Enjoy yourself!

Interview with Artist Nina Lipkowitzharryet Candee Photograph on cover dominick Avellino

welcome back to the Berkshires ! i understand you werepainting in paris? please do tell! i so love the photo-graph of you by the pont alexandre iii.John and i just returned. We were celebrating our 45thwedding anniversary. Paris is such a romantic city…. inthe photo we’re waiting at an outdoor café on the Seineto meet up with a friend and i had time to take out my wa-tercolor kit. John snapped the picture of my drawing andthen me painting with the bridge in the background. it’sa gorgeous bridge, named after the father of the last Tsarof russia.

nina, how do you and your husband find ways totravel to such exciting places, like – where was this pen-guin shot taken? it must have something to do withan easier lifestyle you have created sincemoving out of new york City. Canyou tell us briefly how this alltook shape?isn’t that a crazy pic-ture? it’s my favoritefamily photo. That’sour son daniel andhis wife Amy,John and me beinggreeted by a wad-dle  of King Pen-guins on theSub-Antarctic island ofSouth Georgia. John andi have always traveled. Whenwe were younger and didn’t havemuch time or money we tent-camped. Westarted coming to the Berkshires together in 1970 or71. John and i had both spent summers at camp in the areaso we were familiar with it. We would drive from Man-hattan early on a Saturday morning and set up at thecampgrounds at October Mountain State forest and gowandering, ending up at Tanglewood for  Saturdayand Sunday concerts and then drive back to nYC. Some-times we camped up on Mt. Greylock…We both love to

explore and see the world; different countries, wildlife,culture, people.. We’ve been to all 7 continents and in1998 we found ourselves drawn to the magical light, iceand animals found in the polar climes. We’ve been severaltimes to both the arctic (polar bears) and Antarctica (pen-guins).. John takes pictures and i keep a watercolorsketchbook whenever i have the time and i’m inspired. iactually can’t tell you how we do it but we really do sharethis passion. We’ve made it a priority throughout our mar-riage. We even spent parts of 6 summers doing archaeol-ogy and paleontology digs in Montana. One of thereasons we moved out of the City was so we could affordto continue to travel.

What do you think you would be doing if you had notmoved out of the city?

At the time i was a tour-guideat the American Mu-

seum of naturalhistory and prac-

ticing a lot ofyoga and iwould prob-ably still bedoing thosethings. i

had justbegun to

study paintingwith a friend of

mine. John was prac-ticing law, self-employed

and considering consolidating hiswork expenses by moving his office into our

apartment. We had been talking for a while about down-sizing into a smaller place but being squeezed into asmaller place would not have worked for us. We wouldhave been making do but we would not have been thriv-ing. One day i found myself standing in front of a real es-tate agency on Columbus Ave looking at the price ofsmaller apartments and i had an epiphany. i realized that

we needed to leave nYC but where could we go? My nextthought was the Berkshires. This is really how suddenlyit happened. i called John on my cell phone and he said“what?????” it took three days for us to begin to come upwith a workable plan. We could sell our apartment. hewould retire and we would move out of the city. We foundout later that we had friends who were taking bets on howlong it would take us to turn around and move back….Hah!

do you ever visit the city? do you have family there?i’m in the City at least once a month. i need my fix. i take thetrain from Wassaic. i visit friends and stay over (in their apart-ments), go to museums, eat sushi, go to theater and walk in Cen-tral Park. John doesn’t come in as often. he doesn’t seem to needit. We both still have some family there.

nina, you have traveled quiet a bit… What do you think theBerkshires offers that no other place you’ve been to has? isthat possible? i don’t think that there is any other place that has what we haveavailable here. it’s three hours from nYC, three hours fromBoston, breathtakingly beautiful, filled with smart, creative, spir-itually connected people. it offers small family owned organicfarms and gourmet food stores, restaurants, entrepreneurs andculture; art galleries, museums, theater, music, colleges, adulteducation classes, community centers and gyms, organic food,yoga, healers, and good medical care…and we are only an hourand a half from our son and daughter-in-law in Connecticut. it’salso important for us that there is a thriving Jewish community.The Berkshires has an amazing spirit. i think that it’s alwaysbeen a place that has drawn people with deep spiritual connec-tions. Mountains and lakes are an unbeatable combination fordrawing spiritual energy.painting is obviously such a joy for you and you just recentlystarted painting about seven, eight years ago, right?. Canyou tell us briefly what happened that got you to take paint-ing seriously at this point in your life?i’ve been an artist most of my adult life but i shied away frompainting. it’s a long story but it just didn’t feel solid enough forme. i have a degree in Art history with a minor in Sculpture.

16 • The ArTful Mind MAY 2014

Photo

: rola

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liPKOWiTZ fAMilY AndPenGuin fAMilY

for many years i carved stone and then later became a potter. in1990 i totally burned out (anyone who has ever worked as a fulltime potter will understand this) and i took a ten-year break. dur-ing that time John and i began to travel more seriously and he dis-covered his passion for photography. On one of our trips i met awoman who kept a watercolor travel journal. Seeing what she wasdoing inspired me to try it. Of course it never dawned on me thatit might be a handicap that i had never painted with watercolorsor drawn outside from nature.

But being an artist also took shape when you were very young,yes? i painted my first painting in oils when i was fifteen and sold it tothe father of a friend and then didn’t paint again for many years...imajored in Art history and minored in sculpture, studied at thenational Academy and the Art Students league. i carved stoneuntil my son was born in 1975 and when he was three John and itook a pottery class together, just for fun, at the West Side YMCA.You know, we’d get a baby sitter every Monday night and have adate night. The next thing i knew i was teaching in exchange forfree studio space and when the director left i took over as the headof the children’s pottery program, teaching kids from 3-13. i foundmyself out growing the space at the Y and the next logical stepwas moving into my own studio. it was on Mott St on the edge of

SOhO and little italy which in those days was still a bit of theWild West. it was a lot of fun being down there. As my inventoryincreased i began participating in indoor and outdoor craft showswhich lead to me applying to juried wholesale and retail showsin West Springfield and Baltimore, sponsored by American CraftsCouncil. My very first wholesale customer was Stephaniehoadley who bought my work for her new gallery in lenox. i alsoexhibited at Art expo at the Javits Center in nY and became amember of a crafts cooperative in upper West Side called A Showof hands. i saw my pots as canvases for my mostly abstract“paintings”. They were definitely a precursor of my recent iPadpaintings.

i know that for some years now you’ve been painting and thatyou are a founding member of an artist owned gallery in Hud-son ny.  did all this magically unfold for you, or were theresome serious trials and tribulations you had to face to get towhere you are now? How did this come to pass? tell us aboutstudying with kate knapp.nothing in my life has magically unfolded. i’ve struggled and hadtrials and tribulations just like every one else….although some-times i think that my life in the Berkshires is rather magical be-cause it’s such a surprise but my relationship with my art is alwaysevolving often in amazing ways.  At the beginning of 2006 aroundthe time we moved here i met Kate Knapp. She invited me to join

her classes at front Street Gallery and i painted in oil for severalyears there. her classes are very special. it’s more of an atelierthen a regular school. At the end of each class we sit together andcritique and discus our work over lunch. having worked all alonein my pottery studio for years i really appreciate being in rela-tionship with other artists. Kate suggested that i might want toswitch from oil to work in larger pen, ink and watercolor. untilthen i had only used them for my travel journals. She was rightand the medium was a much better fit. i began exhibiting mypaintings in the annual student shows at front Street Gallery andat the housatonic Valley Art league. in the autumn of 2010 Katebecame aware that a gallery in hudson was available and had theaudacity to think of organizing it as an artist owned gallery.

tell us about the Gallery.The gallery was founded in 2010 by about a dozen of us. it’s at510 Warren St, right across the street from Baba louies and thefire station in hudson. We named it 510 Warren St since thats it’saddress. The group shares the expenses and employs a gallerymanager who is there during business hours, fridays & Saturdays,12-6 and Sundays, 12-5. each month we change the exhibits andone artist is featured for that month with an opening reception andshow. ...CONTINUED on next page....

Interview with Artist Nina Lipkowitzharryet Candee Photograph on cover dominick Avellino

The ArTful Mind MAY 2014 • 17

Nina Lipkowitz: Watercolor, pen and ink, Eye - Rooster

iPad painting, Summer Sushi, Nina Lipkowitz

Pont Alexandre III, watercolor, pen and ink, Nina Lipkowitz Kalahari Warrior photo of Nina by John Lipkowitz

510 Gallery is a really great place to have your art on display.you are lucky! now, wondering.....your husband is a supergood photographer. i have seen his work and enjoy it verymuch. do you work together? How do you find ways to sup-port each other’s creative endeavors and undertakings?  We almost always travel together and John has printed most ofmy iPad paintings.   We are both members of 510 Warren StGallery and have always been really supportive of each other’screative work. he has been especially supportive of my work al-though there have been times when we both wished i had a betterearning capacity. i don’t think that i mentioned that he almost quitthe law to become a potter…We had a couple of difficult yearswhen he was handbuilding in wet clay at our dining room tableevery night. The wet gloppy clay and the clay dust was pretty hardto live with, but he had fallen in love with the medium, too. Webriefly considered moving to Santa fe and opening a gallery. nowthat would have taken our lives in a completely different direc-tion!

it is interesting to me that you were not the typical studentduring your school days, and that your way of absorbing in-formation was different than other students.  Can you ex-plain? is there a chance that it was actually more of a positivething, then a negative thing now that you look back?i had learning issues in school. i was a different kind of learner.i’m very visual (as you can imagine) and not very linear. i wasoften quite lost in school. i flunked english in high school andwas pretty demoralized. i ended up going to summer school whichis also when i took my first real art class.. That was an eye openingexperience. i had a wonderful, encouraging and inspirationalteacher. So flunking english turned out to move my life in a di-rection i could not have imagined. Growing up i thought thatartists were romantic and magical people. My home was filledwith art books, conversations about art and beautiful art made byyoung, mostly unknown artists collected by my parents. My dadcollected artist’s letters, degas, Pissarro, renoir, Matisse, Picasso,derain, Bonnard, Cezanne, leger, Gauguin and more. he and iwould go together to buy post cards of their work that he wouldframe with the letters. i grew up seeing these letters and signatureswith the prints in the hallway outside my bedroom. he couldn’tafford their art but wanted to own something that representedthem. i understood how special and precious these artist’s were.he set the stakes pretty high so, no, i didn’t think that i could orwould become an artist…but that also proved to be both a nega-tive and ultimately and ultimately a first hand lesson in art history.

about your watercolors…. describe your style to me. Whatmakes it unique?Painting is a deeply spiritual act. if i don’t fall in love at somepoint while i’m working it’s evident in the finished piece. it justnever comes fully alive. My watercolors are worked with a deli-cate line and then flooded with layers of intense, luscious color. i

often leave the background clean, crisp and white so that the paintglows and jumps off the paper.

Growing flowers around your home must make this a doubleinvested and very enjoyable art for you. is there a two-foldart, you think?living in nYC i never had a chance to have a garden. Planning

and growing a garden has been a completely unexpected giftwhich fills my heart. it’s also a dream for someone with A.d.d..i can do a little work here and a little work there. There is not wayto finish it. it’s all a process. Many of my favorite still lives arepainted either in my garden or from cut flowers that grow there.i can’t make that claim for my poultry. My chickens and roostersare all painted from photographs. i’d love to have my own but wejust travel too much to takecare of them.

Several years ago you beganpainting on your ipad. Whatname have you given to thismedium of making art?(there is a photo of your ipadart a page back, by the way.)i call them iPaintings butPaintings in light would prob-ably be a more accurate de-scription of them.

Can you explain the contrastbetween painting on paperand painting on the touchscreen of an ipad? i knowthat one is with an actualbrush and pen and the otheris with your index finger.They are very similar in someways and very different in oth-ers. either way i begin with ablank piece of paper or a blankiPad screen. The main differ-ence is that the touch screen ofan iPad is back lit and can beused in the dark. it’s great forpainting sunrises. i start fromthe blank paper or screen withlittle or no idea of where i amgoing to end up. in both medi-ums there is a natural dancethat occurs but there is alsothat moment of hesitation.You’re an artist and an actressharryet, i’m sure that youknow how terrifying that mo-

ment is just before you begin to create something from nothing.“……when you see a blank canvas staring you in the face……You don’t know howparalyzing that is, that stare of a blank canvas is, which says to the painter, ‘You

can’t do a thing’…….. Many painters are afraid in front of the blank canvas, but theblank canvas is afraid of the real, passionate painter who dares and who has broken

the spell of `you can’t once and for all.”(leTTer TO hiS BrOTher TheO VAn GOGh, OCTOBer 1884)

When i am working on my iPad i like the immediacy of finger-painting. The marks and strokes i make are an extension of mybody. no matter how art is formed it must come from the heartand by using my finger instead of a stylus or a paintbrush it flowsout directly. i’ve often thought that it’s a bit like eT’s magicalglowing index finger.i had a try-out with working on the ipad at your studio andi’m curious to know when you realized that you were takingthis to a higher level of art?Several years ago i learned that david hockney was using hisiPhone and iPad to paint. i bought an iPad because i was in-trigued. i use the same app that he uses (although as an aside foryour readers, Brushes ii is no longer available). i then send theimages to my computer (on a program that is also no longeravailable) and upsize them and then give the ones i want toprint to my wonderful, supportive, husband. The first time i sawone come out of the printer i began to weep. i couldn’t believehow beautiful they were. Painted in light, printed in pigment.now that’s pretty magical, isn’t it?*

nina, i am wondering what you can share about your per-sonal artistic challenges… is it with technique, selling, venue,you know, what things drive you crazy that you are still seeingas an ever continuing challenge?Challenges? it’s a good news, bad news answer. The good newsis that travel is a wonderful exciting, life affirming experience andat the same time i often find myself either coming or going, pack-ing or unpacking not to mention getting over jet-lag. i often feellike my body flies home while my soul swims. it takes a whilefor all the parts to come back together. When i’m here in the Berk-

18 • MAY 2014 The ArTful Mind

NINA LIPKOWITZ continued

Nina’s Pottery, Three paintings

on Porcelain

photo: Domonick Avellino

Nina and John’s recent trip to France Photo: John Lipkowitz

shires i paint large watercolors, usually indoors and i can workfor many hours or even days on one painting. When i travel iwork outdoors in small sketchbooks and my work is more spon-taneous and made more challenging by the time constraints oftravel. My single biggest challenge is just settling down and paint-ing. On my best day i find a hundred things to distract me.

tell me, how does yoga fit into your creative life style?Yoga fits in exactly right here now. first of all John and i wouldn’tbe living here if it weren’t for yoga and i probably wouldn’t bepainting. About a year before we moved i was at a yoga workshopat Kripalu and writing in my journal. i got a really clear messagethat the way we were living needed to change. We loved living innew York but we were beginning to feel squeezed by the ever in-creasing and out of control costs. We had never seriously consid-ered living any place else. We were both born in nYC andplanned on being there forever. But you remember the message igot standing on Columbus Ave that we needed to move? Thatmessage originated when i wrote in my journal after practicingyoga that day at Kripalu. Shortly after we moved i took the Kri-palu 200 hour teacher training. i was 59. i took it for my ownpractice. i never planned on teaching. By the time i finished i hada vision that i wanted to teach people who were older. People whomight not be comfortable taking most regular yoga classes andwith rabbi debbie Zecher’s encouragement i began teaching agentle, contemplative yoga class at hevreh in Great Barrington.i later graduated from the 500 hour training. Yoga means yokingor union, connecting mind, spirit and body. it helps quiet the mindnoise and open up the channels to a clear mind. like so many tal-ented and brilliant artists i know i have A.d.d.. Yoga helps mesettle down and gives me a chance tune into to the the messages,whether they says “move” or “paint” or “teach yoga” or even“take a pottery class” with your husband.

What makes the Berkshires special for you, and would youdare live anywhere else? if so, where might that be and why.The only other place we have considered living is Santa fe (hasn’teveryone?).

do you find the galleries are good to you here? What is yourtake on selling art in the Berkshires, and please, be frank, howhas the art world in the Berkshires changed over the yearssince you starting getting acquainted with how it all works.John and i have both been fortunate to have the opportunity toexhibit our work in various venues and galleries in the Berkshires.i see my work from a completely different perspective when it’sframed and hanging on a wall. i think that it’s a very importantpart of being a working artist. There are many people here whowork really hard to support the arts and help artists show theirwork. There are all sorts art spaces available. But i know frommy experiences when i was a fine arts potter and now as a painter

it’s not easy to sell art anywhere. it actually has very little to dowith how good it is. The last year that i studied pottery i wasasked to make a five-year plan. Mine plan included showing mywork in ACC, juried, wholesale/retail shows and sell and showmy work in galleries and private collections all over the countryand if possible all over the world. everything on the list happenedin six years..which isn’t bad…but i forgot to add “make money”to my list and you can figure out what happened… i’ve never fig-ured out that part. i think that those of us who make art don’t havea choice. We have to make art. if we get to share our work withothers that’s great but trying to figure out the business end of thisbusiness can make an artist really crazy.

every time i see you at Front Street, painting in kate knapp’sclass, you always look so content and happy… i am just won-dering when you paint, what kind of dialogue goes throughyour mind? i think you have an open channel in there thatlets you just paint and “Be”. What if you were to paint some-thing disturbing like a stormy plein aire scene. How wouldthat change for you?i’m not always content or happy when i’m painting so you musthave come in when things were going well. i’ve never reallythought about what i am thinking about. i think that i talk to thepaint. i coax it to move where i want and to make the color i’mlooking for. i don’t really do disturbing do i? i’ve worked reallyhard to find serenity in a world that often doesn’t seem very

serene. i have painted in cemeteries, i’ve painted stormy scenesbut i don’t see that them as disturbing.

What famous artist have you always loved and followed?Can you share with us a quote by this artists?it’s hard to limit it to one. i remember the first time i sawelsworth Kelly’s exquisite line drawings of flowers and fruits ina show at the Whitney in the 1970s i was surprised and reallymoved by the work….until then i only knew his color field ab-stracts and here were these lyrical sensuous line drawings inblack and white, a total surprise. Although i wasn’t paintingthen i kept his work in the back of my mind and when i didbegin to paint i think that i felt his influence. Of course Matisseand Picasso definitely inspired me to draw freely. Miro, Calder,Kandinsky, Van Gogh, the impressionists and the fauves, thewild animals of the 20th C are always an inspiration. i think thatthis quote from the dancer and choreographer Martha Grahampretty much says a lot about the process of being an artist andthe courage it takes to create.

“There is a vitality,a life force,a quickening

that is translated through you into action,and because there is only one of you in all time,

this expression is unique and if you block it, it willnever exist through any other medium and be lost.The world will not have it. It is not your business to

determinehow good it is nor how valuable it is nor how it

compares with other expressions.

It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directlyto keep the channel open.

You do not even have to believe in yourself or yourwork.

You have to keep open and aware directly to the urgesthat motivate YOU.

Keep the channel open...No artist is pleased...

There is no satisfaction whatever at anytime.There is only a queer, divine dissatisfactiona blessed unrest that keeps us marching

and makes “us” MORE alive than the others.”

Martha Graham( - a letter to Agnes De Mille-)

Thank you Nina for sharing this time with us! Enjoy all that youdo and send in a postcard the next time you are travelling some-

where exotic on this amazing planet.

There is a lot more art work of yours to be seen and shared andwe will pay attention to your upcoming shows and pass the word!

The ArTful Mind MAY 2014 • 19Watercolor, pen and ink, Here’s Looking At you, Nina Lipkowitz

John andNina inAfrica

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nrm.org • 413.298.4100 open year-round

9 Rt. 183, Stockbridge, MA

The Gossips are backin town!

I will be offering one and two day plein air painting and drawing workshops starting May 1st into Autumn.

For more information and to sign up contact [email protected]

These workshops are for everyone beginner and advanced alike. Let’s get outside and paint!

WWW.annSCottpaintinG.CoM

Ann Marie Scott, Beach Weeds, 8 x 10, Oil on paper

THE eYeS AND SOULOF AN ARTIST

selected visions and

multiple creations

Saint Francis Gallery1370 Pleasant street. route 102 lee. massachusetts

(next to fire dept.)

may 9 - june 15 ARTISTRECEPTION3-6 may 17

www.saintfrancisgallery.com413.717. 5199 open fri-mon 11-5:30pm

Artist Bob Plant

20 • MAY 2014 The ArTful Mind