THE 36TH ANNUAL "OCTOBER EVENINGS" JURIED EXHIBIT....

Last night was the opening of this event and Roy and I went in our "fancy pants" clothes to see art, drink wine and eat tiny tasty things. I was so fortunate to have one of my pieces juried in, "Abigail". You can see her below.

The gallery is small and there were about 100 people there so it was quite crowded. I tried to get photographs of the art but it was difficult! There were 36 pieces selected and I have to say I had no idea how many different mediums there were. In fact, There are some I have never heard of. For example, "reductive relief". Or, "type C print". I guess I better do my homework, huh.

This Terra Cotta sculpture was particularly nice, In fact, I noticed a red dot (sale) on the card. Notice the gallon glass jar with stuff in it? It is an interactive piece where the viewer is instructed to pick it up and turn it around and over to redistribute the contents. OK....it was fun, but it was also listed for sale at $500.

There were seven prizes, each one a check for $200 donated by the arts council as well as local businesses. It is gratifying and encouraging to see businesses getting involved with the arts.

Here is a photograph of "Abigail" and you can also see Roy in the background, inspecting a beautiful and fabulously made chair that was one of the prize winners. It really looked like a museum piece!

After the opening we went to our favorite Italian restaurant for coffee and dessert. What a fun evening!

A BONFIRE, CHESTNUTS AND THE MOON....

Toward the end of our week at Snow Farm , Mark the wood working instructor initiated a bonfire event. He collected the firewood (there is some logic there, right?) and had a huge stack ready for flame as we all gathered on the benches to watch. How do you ignite a bonfire at Snow Farm? Ha! Easy! Mark went into the glass blowing studio, picked out a long hollow pipe with a big red-orange glob of molten glass on the end, brought it out to the pile of wood and walked around it , touching the glass to the wood, which ignited immediately. After several parts were burning well, he returned the glass and pipe to the studio. It looked like a giant match! On her way to the bonfire, one of the ladies who was in the welding class had picked up a large handful of chestnuts that had fallen from trees near the dormitories. She suggested we try to roast them. But, what to use for a pan? The light bulb went on over her head, she said she would be right back and went off to the welding studio. In a matter of minutes she was back with a fabulous chestnut roasting pan! She selected an old wok from their scrap pile, welded a long metal handle on it, and then attached a wood handle to the metal one. She put it in the fire to clean it off and get it very hot, then popped in the chestnuts. They roasted quickly and as soon as the skins began to split she dumped them in bowls and passed them around. My very first "chestnut roasted on an open fire" ! I didn't get a photograph of the bonfire and the group but did catch this shot on the way back to the dorm. It was a beautiful evening.......

OUR ACCOMODATIONS AT SNOW FARM.....

The four dorm buildings were labeled L. I. F. and E. We were assigned to room A in building E, and this was the sign on our door (with apologies to all Canadians)!

The dorm had two bathrooms, male and female. I love this sign! Our bathroom had two shower stalls, two toilet stalls, and a counter with three sinks. There never seemed to be a crowd and it all work quite smoothly.

This was our bedroom, sparse but everything needed was close at hand.

This was our "dresser".......

...and this was our closet.

It is amazing how little you need to be comfortable.....

THE PEOPLE AT SNOW FARM....

Here you can see the participants enjoying lunch between classes. That would be Roy in front chatting up the ladies (grin). The back row in this photograph includes the three ladies from Canada. Seated in front of them is the kiln glass instructor and that bearded wonder is the woodworking instructor. (more about him later)

Here you will see again the kiln glass instructor and a lovely gentleman from Brooklyn.

After the lunch and dinner meals many of us returned outside to sit on the patio and talk about the day's activities.

And of course, Roy and I had the most wonderful time!

OUR FIRST "ROAD SCHOLAR" ADVENTURE!

Roy and I have just returned from a week long study program at Snow Farm in Williamsburg MA!

This was our dormitory (of which there were four) that had bedrooms on both sides with an open air covered boardwalk in the middle. You have to go out into the hall to get to the shared bathrooms.This is the building that has the drawing studio.

The Road Scholar Program is the new name for what was formerly known as the Elder Hostel Program, Adventures in Lifelong Learning. The Road Scholar Program is worldwide and offers learning opportunities for people from age 50 upward. The programs are designed for those who share common interests and a love of learning new things. There were 35 participants in the programs last week. Roy was enrolled in a Kiln Glass course and I enrolled in a Figure and Portraits drawing course. The entire week was just wonderful! We met people from all over the country and Roy has three new best friends from Canada.

We met a sweet older gentleman from Brooklyn who was so impressed with the piece of artwork I had brought with me, ("Bridget".) He felt compelled to give me advice by telling me to not take ANY art courses and to not let ANYONE tell me how to do my art. He was drawn to the primitive nature of my work, found it refreshing and light and honest, etc. So, this guy who seems to know a LOT about the art world, was really good for MY ego!

Because the entire experience was so intense, and we did so many things, I will put up several posts to cover the week. This one will include photographs of Snow Farm, the landscape and the buildings where all this wonderful creating took place. In addition to our courses, there were also classes going on in Felting, Woodworking, Welding, and Glass Bead Making.

For more information on this fabulous program, you can check out their web site at http://www.roadscholar.org/. There is also a Facebook page at www.facebook.com/rsadventures.

This is the main building with a large central meeting room and a very long dining room.

Tomorrow I will share with you some interior photographs of the studios. Right now I am trying to get all the laundry done! Stay tuned!

JUST TRY TO KEEP FROM SMILIN' ....

MOTHER'S BARN QUILT.....

This is the "barn quilt" Mother has been working on this summer. In actuality, she does not have a barn. Her quilt is part of the detached garage. In this part of the country, you can find quilt designs painted on barns and various outbuildings. This quilt is not "painted" on the garage though. It is made up of 20 distinct pieces of painted wood, 12 inches square. They are secured to the wall and surrounded by a red frame "border".

In the morning the sunshine illuminates it and the colors glow. At night, the exterior light picks up the lighter colors and they shine.

Well done Mother! It was a vision you had and it came together with the help of family members. We are all proud of it!

THE OTHER SIDE OF MY PAINT BOX !

I sealed this with a satin finish polyurethane which then caused a glare. Note to self: always photograph before putting down the sealer.

This lady has short wispy brown hair and a suggestion of a hat. Love her!