TAM FEBRUARY 2026

BERKSHIRE’S

TheARTFUL

MONTHLY ARTS MAGAZINE FEATURING LOCAL AND REGIONAL ARTISTS

MIND

IN PRINT & ONLINE SINCE 1994

FEBRUARY 2026

XAVIER LETTERON PHOTOGRAPH BY AURELIEN DE ST ANDRÉ

2 • FEBRUARY 2025 THE ARTFUL MIND

IN PRINT SINCE 1994

The ARTFUL MIND

February 2026

Winter cave dwellers in their paradise

JOANE CORNELL

FINE JEWELRY

Interview with Xavier Letteron Self-Made Artist

Photography on cover by Aurelien De St André... 12

Interview with JoAnne Lobotsky

Visual Artist...22

Artist Update: Interview with Alexandra Rozenman

Visual Artist and Teacher ... 36

Richard Britell | FICTION

Valeria and the Ants Trunk of Coins CHAPTER 9 ... 39

Diaries of Jane Gennaro

Mining My Life The Man I Love ... 40

Custom ID bracelet / SOLD

Publisher Harryet Candee

Copy Editor Elise Francoise

Contributing Photographers

Edward Acker Eric Korenman Bobby Miller

COMMISSION ORDERS WELCOMED

Hand Forged Designs

www.JoaneCornellFineJewelry.com

9 Main St. Chatham, NY

Contributing Writers

Richard Britell Jane Gennaro

Third Eye Jeff Bynack

Distribution Ruby Aver

CALENDAR / ADVERTISING

EDITORIAL / SUBSCRIPTIONS —

413-645-4114

EMAIL: ARTFULMIND@YAHOO.COM

Read every issue online: ISSUU.COM

and YUMPU.COM / instagram

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ARTFUL MIND GALLERY for Artful Minds 23

THE ARTFUL MIND

PO Box 985, Great Barrington, MA 01230

FYI— Disclaimer: : ©Copyright laws in effect throughout The Artful Mind for

logo & all graphics including text material. Copyright laws for photographers

and writers throughout The Artful Mind. Permission to reprint is required in all

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due to unforeseeable circumstances beyond our control, advertisers will be

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Not responsible for photo content /copyright brought into magazine

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THE ARTFUL MIND FEBRUARY 2025 • 3

RICHARD TALBERT

Richard Talbert c. Water Cathedral, Proposal for Architecture Installation, 2026

richtalbert1@gmail.com | Richardtalbertdesign.com


Carolyn M. Abrams

“Slumbering”

Oils and cold wax medium

Atmospheric and Inspirational Art

www.carolynabrams.com

MEMBER GUILD OF BERKSHIRE ARTISTS

Mary Ann Palermo

International Recording Artist, Jazz Vocalist, Performer, Songwriter

Check out the newest album here at Hear Now: https://maryannpalermo.hearnow.com/theres-a-place-beatles-re-imagined

Available for Private events

To hear about upcoming performances and new releases sign up at: https://maryannpalermo.com

Email: howmuchbettercanitget@gmail.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maryannpalermo_averosarecords

Averosa Records label website: https://averosarecords.com/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1P5DDkoBymMyNn52dmMeoL/discography/all


SERGIO DEMO

Demo is an installation artist known for his assemblages

of salvaged materials and strategic use

of light. Based in North Adams Massachusetts,

Demo works primarily with found objects and

rusted metals that reference the industrial past of

his hometown. He incorporates discarded materials

like old scrap metal, and wiring, granting

new purpose to objects that have been weathered

by time.

Strategic lighting transforms Demo's pieces

casting shadows and illuminating surfaces to reveal

new textures and dimensions, drawing focus

to the visual interplay between materials within

the assembled pieces. He embraces qualities like

oxidation, decay and the passage of time in his

artwork, seeing beauty in damage and imperfection.

His work encourages new perspectives and

creates a visual language formed through the synthesis

of light and found objects. Artist quote: "I

resurrect things. Things that have been abandoned,

discarded, left as junk. I believe in the potential

of materials even when it appears they've

lost all possibilities."

Sergio Demo—

instagram.com/sdemo66

sergiodemoart.com

Beautiful colors can be bought in the

shops on the Rialto, but good drawing

can only be bought from the casket of

the artist's talent with patient study

and nights without sleep.

- Tintoretto

TULIPOP

PHOTO: ERIC KORENMAN

MODEL: TRISTENY MORGAN

DEBORAH H. CARTER

Deborah H. Carter is a multi-media artist from

Lenox, MA, who creates upcycled, sustainable

wearable art. Her couture pieces are constructed

from post-consumer waste such as food packaging,

wine corks, cardboard, books, wire, plastic, and

other discarded items and thrifted wares. She manipulates

her materials' color, shape, and texture to

compel us to question our assumptions of beauty

and worth and ultimately reconsider our habits and

attitudes about waste and consumerism.

Since she was eight, Deborah has been a sewing

enthusiast, and she learned her craft by creating

clothing with her mother and grandmothers. Her

passion took hold as she began to design and sew

apparel and accessories. After graduating with a degree

in fashion design from Parsons School of Design

in New York City, she worked as a women's

sportswear designer on Seventh Avenue.

Deborah's art has been exhibited in galleries and

art spaces around the US. She was one of 30 designers

selected to showcase her work at the FS2020

Fashion Show annually at the University of Saint

Andrews, Scotland. She has been featured in the

Spring 2023 What Women Create magazine.

Deborah H. Carter has been featured in The Artful

Mind, Berkshire magazine, and What Women Create

magazine and was a finalist in the World of WearableArt

competition in Wellington, New Zealand,

2023.

Deborah H Carter —

413-441-3220, Clock Tower Artists

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

Pittsfield, Massachusetts

Instagram: @deborah_h_carter

Debhcarter@yahoo.com

“BEYOND THE PINES”

OIL ON WOOD PANEL DATED 2021

GHETTA HIRSCH

This oil painting is hanging on my wall and was

never offered for sale. I had an offer in December

2025 and I refused it! Why?

We complain about the cold in our month of February.

We do not like to drive in the snow or we can

never make definite plans thinking about the unknown

weather or the state of the roads on a particular

day, yet we must love some of it. I look at

this painting as what links me to the Berkshires. I

still stand at the window like a child when the snow

is falling and tell myself how beautiful this white

blanket will transform my view. The quiet snowflakes

allow for a meditative peace and the result

is healing. If by any chance the sun appears the

next day, it is a gift of brillant colors spreading on

this clean surface. As a painter I know that the snow

will not be white on my canvas, yet it looks white

in the landscape until the sun hits it. Our sun will

awaken our color spectrum on the snow like magic.

The blues will connect with purples and pinks; yellows,

mauves and oranges will awaken and my

eyes wonder where these colors came from! Even

the green of the pine trees will appear multicolored!

So if you live in the Berkshires do take the time to

look at the transformative power of our landscape.

It is so ephemeral! Soon that white powder will be

dirty or melt and the magic will be gone! No this

painting is not for sale! It allows me to relive those

snowy days all year! But I have plenty more paintings

to sell in my Williamstown art studio. Come

and browse!

Also I invite you to see some of my paintings at

a group show at the Future Labs Gallery on Eagle

street in North Adams, MA.

Ghetta Hirsch—

Text or call 413-597-1716 to visit my studio.

Ghetta-hirsch.squarespace.com

ARTFULMIND@YAHOO.COM



GUILD OF

BERKSHIRE ARTISTS

The Guild of Berkshire Artists is a non-profit organization

focused on bringing people together

through art. Run entirely by volunteers, we support

artists and art lovers alike by creating welcoming

opportunities to learn, connect, and share creativity.

We host shows in a variety of venues and offer

workshops for all skill levels—from cold wax and

oil painting to many other creative practices.

Right now, we’re busy putting together a show at

the Berkshire Botanical Garden, and our Guild gallery,

Art on Main Gallery, will be open through February

on Saturdays from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

We’d love for you to stop by.

To learn more about upcoming workshops, events,

and membership please visit us at www.berkshireartists.org

MODERN COLLAR NECKLACE. DIAMONDS/18KT/SILVER

JOANE CORNELL

FINE JEWELRY

Welcome to 2026!

My time for rest, and creation!

Typically, between January and May, I’m closed

during the week at my store location, 9 Main St.,

Chatham, NY.

You’ll find me there most Friday’s/Saturday’s, 11-

4, during the mentioned months.

I recommend you calling in advance, just in case.

As we roll into the end of May, I add more days to

my store schedule.

I am available by appointment any day during the

week with a day or two notice.

This is certainly the most opportune time, if you’re

considering any commission/repurposing orders, to

have your ideas come to fruition.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Joane Cornell Fine Jewelry—

917-971-4662

9 Main St., Chatham, NY

www.joanecornellfinejewelry.com

BREAKTHROUGHS

ACRYLIC ON CANVAS, 12”X18”

RUBY AVER

Growing up on the South Side of Chicago in the

60’s was a history, rich and troubled time. As a

youth, my playing in the streets demanded grit.

Teaching Tai Chi for the last 30 years requires a

“Zen state of mind”. My paintings come from this

quiet place that exhibit, the rich grit of my youth

.Movement, shape and color, dominates, spontaneously

combining raw as well as delicate impulses.

I was honored with the exhibition of my abstract

painting (inspired by Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl

Earring) in the Amsterdam Vermeer exhibit 2024 .

Ruby Aver—

Housatonic Studio open by appointment:

413-854-7007 / rdaver2@gmail.com

Instagram: rdaver2

GHETTA HIRSCH

This painting was sold in December 2025

at the Spring Street Market Exhibit in

Williamstown. It now resides in Boston,

MA. All unsold pieces from that show are

now in my Williamstown Studio.

Ask to visit if you wish at 413-597-1716.

Ghetta-hirsch.squarespace.com

@ghettahirschpaintings

“Seaweed Hole” 30”X36” oil on Vintage Linen


SERGIO DEMO

COLLAGE ARTIST | NORTH ADAMS MA

INSTAGRAM.COM/SDEMO66 SERGIODEMOART.COM

artschool99somerville.com

86 joy street studio 37 somerville

Fine Artist and Master Tattooer

Owner and Founder of AR Designs Fine Art & Tattoo

Rosasco's Fine Art Gallery, and Rosasco's Academy of Art & Design

Hornet’s Nest, Alexis Rosasco

Alexis Rosasco

Request a Custom Tattoo Consultation via WWW.ARDESIGNSNORTHADAMS.COM

For Fine Art or Educational Inquiries visit: www.RosascosGallery.com

Business addresses: AR Designs Fine Art &Tattoo, 18 Holden Street, North Adams, MA. 01247

Rosasco's Fine Art Gallery, 12 Holden St, North Adams, MA. 01247

Ongoing studio art classes


MARK MILLSTEIN

LORI BRADLEY

"Old Rhododendrons"

Gouache and inks on cradled wood panels, 30” High x 48” Wide.

Each panel is 1 1/2” thick

Battery Drypoint engraving 11" x 14" 2025

www.markmillstein.com

loribradley@comcast.net

http://www.loribradleyart.com

janet cooper

NEW WORK in PROGRESS

Fabrics, anatomy, stitches, colors

and bricologue are words, imbued

with intense emotionality for me,

a maker, collector and lover of

objects and places.

www.janetcooperdesigns.com



Chrysalis. Photograph by Xavier Letteron

XAVIER LETTERON

SELF-MADE ARTIST

“Life gives you the opportunity to be your own creation. Embrace it, explore it and have fun with it.”—XL

Interview by Harryet Candee Cover photograph by Aurelien De St André Photographs courtesy of the Artist and Jenine Shereos

Growing up in France with artist parents must

have been a good experience. Can you take us

back to your childhood as you remember?

Xavier Letteron: We moved around a lot when I

was a kid, and it definitely influenced me. As a

young child, I lived in the southern suburbs of Paris,

then moved to the Languedoc in the south of

France, then to Brittany (the Celtic western part of

France), back to Paris during my teenage years, then

in the French Alps and in the Loire Valley as a

young adult.

My parents loved the adventure of discovering new

places and creating really unique and interesting

homes in each new town or village we moved to.

We actually lived in seven different houses throughout

my time growing up in France. My parents' passion

for creating and recreating places to live was a

way for them to express their creative visions.

Though neither of my parents went to art school,

they have always been very interested in art. Our

house was always full of interesting avant-garde art

and design magazines. My brother and I grew up

being dragged to museums and galleries and watching

my parents make things. My father was always

scavenging for material to use in his sculpture, col-


lages, and lighting, while my mother created jewelry

from vintage beads, buttons, and trimmings

found in flea markets. For a period, my dad was

into photography, taking pictures of family and random

things. When I was 15, he gave me his camera,

an Olympus OM-1. This was a very significant moment

for me.

You mention feeling compelled to connect to

your surroundings and to yourself—can you describe

a specific moment or experience when this

first revealed itself to you?

When you start taking pictures, you wonder why

you make the choices you make, and you ask yourself

where this comes from- an internal dialogue

quickly sparks.

Also, you see what Robert Doisneau, Henri Cartier-

Bresson, Robert Capa, Sebastião Salgado, and

plenty of other photographers have captured. You

want to be as good as possible, yet do something

different. So you have to dare to be yourself and not

someone else. I spent a lot of time wandering the

streets of Paris, taking pictures of what caught my

eye. What surrounded me then as a teenage punk in

Paris: graffiti and decrepit buildings. Ironically, I

was photographing nature as well while following

my parents in the countryside pretty much every

other weekend. I already loved both worlds.

You’ve mentioned that Andy Goldsworthy’s

work has profoundly touched you, and that

you’ve experienced some of his installations

physically, emotionally, and intuitively at sites

like Chaumont-sur-Loire, Lac de Vassivière, and

the Massif des Monges. Can you walk us through

one of those encounters and describe what

shifted inside you—what did you feel, what did

you understand differently about art and nature,

and how did that experience crystallize your own

artistic direction?

I had been living in the French Alps when I moved

to the Berkshires in my late 20’s. I had always felt

very connected to nature in France, and the Alps are

a very rugged natural place. When I arrived in the

Northeast, I was blown away by the amount of forested

land around me. I loved exploring the area,

and randomly I visited Storm King Art Center in

upstate New York. There, I fell in love with the land

art of Andy Goldsworthy- his installations and other

ephemeral creations really spoke to me.

Live Purple Brambles. In Situ. Berkshires.

Photograph by Xavier Letteron

Xavier Letteron Photograph by Jenine Shereos

As a photographer, I was very sensitive to the curves

and movements of his work, as well as to his use of

color and contrast. That harmony moved me; I

wanted to see more. I later found out that much of

his work was actually in France, so I made a point

of seeking it out. Because I already had a deep relationship

with the landscape and its history, my understanding

and feeling for each of his pieces

resonated even more. It really touched me how an

actual piece of art could have a greater impact when

it fits in a place and time in a natural setting. I felt

touched and inspired to walk my own path in his

footsteps.

I was visiting one of his installations in the Alpesde-Hautes-Provence,

contemplating his work, when

I actually climbed into the piece. Goldsworthy’s

work is often meant to be experienced physically,

and I felt the whole process was transformative.

This playful yet solemn moment made me realize I

wanted to do something more physically engaging

that connected my love of nature with my need to

create.

Was there a pivotal moment that marked your

transition from experimenting with natural materials

to fully committing to this practice?

I must say it was more gradual than that. I first went

back to building a treehouse.

Throughout my life, I always made a point of never

losing my playfulness. As a child, you are more in

touch with what is essential and more likely to be

true to who you are. Building tree houses and playing

in the woods (or anywhere, for that matter) was

always something I cultivated in my life. I built the

treehouse very organically. My goal was that it had

to be solid, durable, and, even more importantly,

aesthetically beautiful.

What matters in all this are two things: the process

of building it and the photographs that will inspire

others to do the same. After successfully building

that treehouse (it still stands after four years), I was

ready to tackle anything… I just felt my creativity

expanding!

In addition, the combination of making time for myself

to create and meeting my partner, who is a lifelong

artist in textiles, natural dyes, and weaving,

made me fully commit to my art. One day, she was

working on a woven basket with natural materials.

I decided to give it a try on my own terms on a much

larger scale, in the woods, working more with my

arms and hands than fingers, meaning a basket as

big as a nest, as big as a human nest. She was in awe

of the piece I’d made, and her support and encouragement

really helped me to cement my commitment

to this specific creative practice.

What brought you from France to the Berkshires,

and how does the landscape here differ

from the environments where you first developed

your artistic vision?

I moved to the US with my previous partner, who

is the mother of my two daughters. We are great

friends, and she is a huge supporter and fan of my

work. But to be frank, I did not have an artistic vision

while in France. An artistic sense, yes!… and

a strong sense of what I didn’t want to do. The rest

is purely organic: going with the flow and letting

things grow.

My parents were very involved in the Botanical garden

in the small village where they lived. On one of

my visits, I learned how to create a living hedge.

Living hedges are what you could see separating

small fields in the countryside of rural France, England,

and even Ireland.

Continued on next page...


XAVIER LETTERON SELF-MADE ARTIST

Into the Woods, Berkshires. Photograph by Xavier Letteron

It is a traditional technique still in use from the Middle

Ages that consists of

creating hedges between fields by bending live

small trees and bushes almost to the ground in order

to have them grow more vertical shoots along their

all length. You keep these bent trees tied by weaving

them with posts along the way. The end result is a

hedge that is growing and naturally thickening into

a barrier that no cows, big animals (nor humans)

will be able to cross for years.

No such tradition exists in the US, but there is an

abundance of luxurious nature in a constant state of

regeneration, especially in the northeast. The oldworld

tradition of weaving living trees, combined

with the abundance of vegetation that surrounds us

here, is a pure invitation to experiment, play, build,

and create with and within nature.

How long have you been actively working on

your art, and how has your practice evolved over

the years?


I’ve been actively rekindling my passion for photography

since reconnecting with the digital world,

which I had not stood for over a decade.

Now, photographs, the weaving of natural materials,

and the creation of books are intertwined. These

passions travel with me everywhere I go, evolving

and feeding each other.

Your work spans photography, weaving natural

materials, and creating books—where did you

learn these skills?

Trial and error. I’m very much empirical in my approach

to things in general. I observe, eventually

read a bit about techniques, but more importantly, I

get inspired (I’m in a perpetual state of wonder!)

and follow my instinct, my gut feeling. I do have a

lot of energy and try to fully engage in what I do

when it feels right, meaning aligned with my beliefs,

my health, and my surroundings (that includes

people, too). It snowballs from there. I trust things

I’m supposed to do will be done, and I let go.

You describe your work as self-taught but inspired

by the land art movement—what specifically

moves you about this artistic sensability?

That the art is outside. We are more and more disconnected

from our natural world. This art invites

us to be outside, contemplating and reflecting while

breathing in and out in the open air. Land art is, in

my opinion, more physically, mentally, and spiritually

engaging.

The pieces could often be seen from multiple angles,

under different weather conditions, and at different

seasons. It feels extremely dynamic! It is also

often way more suitable for kids to visit. That’s important

to me. Kids should experience art… and nature.

I think it helps them to see the world

differently.

Beyond Goldsworthy, who else inspires you?

I love this question! It feels very relevant to learn

what is behind people’s actions as much as what results

from them. My relationship with nature and

Human Nest in Situ, Berkshires. Woven live and cut red osier. Photograph by Xavier Letteron

skepticism of the society we’ve been living in since

the Industrial Revolution drove me to read the writings

of inspiring figures such as John Muir, Henry

David Thoreau (I live in Massachusetts after all),

French anarchist and geographer Élysée Reclus,

amongst others.

These people had a keen understanding of how necessary

it is to live in, experience, and preserve our

natural world, which we are 100% part of. I’m very

interested in the great philosophers. There is Socrates,

of course, who invites us to continually question

ourselves as well as the philosophical school of

Stoicism. Marcus Aurelius' quotes have wise guidance

to fall back on.

My spirituality was nourished very early on by

Celtic figures and culture from Brittany, the western

part of France. This is where my mother is from…

the Celtic culture that still exists there is a very visceral

influence for me. I’m also very interested in

Buddhist teachings. All mystics are a source of inspiration

to me, the classics Buddha,Confucius,

Jesus, Mahomet, but also Mani, Rumi, Hildegard

von Biden. Hilma af Klint’s colors, forms, and even

her life story resonate with me. I’m interested in

people in general, but my family and the friends I

surround myself with are equally relevant and a

daily source of guidance for me.

How do you select a site for an installation?

What qualities or characteristics draw you to a

particular location?

I look for perspectives. While walking, cycling, or

driving in the Berkshires or anywhere I travel, my

eyes are constantly aware of my surroundings. I

trust my eye. My eye will catch a line, a curve, a

movement, a spark of light that calls me. This is the

same approach when choosing to take a photograph.

The aesthetic of a site as a whole drives me first. For

an installation, the material has to be available in

situ and/or at least easy to bring in. I love a location

slightly off the beaten path but easily accessible to

people. I love my pieces to be happy surprises you

stumble upon.

Do you plan your pieces in advance, or do you

allow the materials and environment you find on

site to guide your creative decisions?

I do both. Again, going with the flow… engaging

in a dialogue. I sometimes hunt for a place, having

a vision in mind. For an installation, what triggers

me is often the material encountered; the nature and

the shape of a tree will often inspire me. Willows

are always the easiest to use. Bright red dogwoods

are super attractive. Bigger trees invite me to climb

and create something up there. I love using gloves

and playing with brambles or any prickly bushes. I

love the challenge.

Your work is deeply tactile and physical—you’re

kneeling in soil, handling stones, weaving

branches with your hands. What does it feel like

in your body and spirit when you’re working so

intimately with natural materials?

I feel present and very much alive! I love working

when it’s cold or rainy. It’s also quieter and more intimate

that way. Bad weather doesn’t exist for me;

there are only bad clothes and bad attitudes. I think

I like getting dirty, like kids playing in mud. They

don’t care, and neither do I.

I don’t do stone as much. I tried, but it’s heavy; it

doesn’t bend. Haha! I don’t want to hurt my back

or my fingers. It’s important to know your physical

limitations. Confronting yourself with reality reminds

you of that. Building something for hours

while being deep in the woods, by a lake or a river,

is pure meditation in motion. It fits my personality

and grounds me.




A SummerIn The Swamp, Berkshires. Photograph by Xavier Letteron

When you’re working in nature, you must encounter

countless creatures—insects on bark,

birds overhead, small animals moving through

the underbrush. How do you relate to these beings

as you create, and has your intimate work

with natural materials deepened your sense of

kinship with all living things, great and small?

Yes!!! Very much. Sometimes I stop and take pictures

of things I encounter to remember what I’ve

seen and to capture a magical moment. Photographs

also work as reminders for me, a record of the creature

or plant I’ve seen that I can later study when

I’m back home.

Working until late in swampy areas, I often encounter

beavers. These little humans, as they are referred

to by the Indigenous People, probably

whisper secrets to me…

Kinship with the natural world! Yes please! It is exactly

what I’m looking for. Be fully part of it, not

pretentiously in the center of it. We all need to embrace

that paradigm, for the sake of our planet, don’t

we?


When you’re not actively making art, do you

find yourself daydreaming about materials,

forms, and future pieces?

I do, but it also depends. It comes in and out. Again,

I’m very much fueled by what I see throughout the

day. If it’s powerful, it stimulates me, and it will

make its way in and out one way or the other. I try

not to over-analyze things. I trust that what is important

will stay in my mind to later serve as inspiration.

How long does it typically take you to complete

an installation from it’s conception?

I could complete an installation from an hour to over

a week, depending on how you count the actual

hours. But some of my in situ installations could

take two or even three seasons (usually late fall,

winter, and early spring). I like to take my time, but

I’m also pretty fast at getting things done.

Because I do appreciate the process, though, I will

document the work with photographs along the way.

I’ve been hiking all my adult life, and I do know that

it is not the final destination that matters but the journey.

What I do is evolving- remaining alive or in a

lingering state of decay. Nothing is finished, everything

is cyclical, spiraling outward.

Which typically comes first in your creative process—the

photographs or the installations?

The visual is what drives me. Chronologically, photography

is my first artistic expression. That said,

we could argue I started making treehouses at a

younger age. You see, it’s always all intertwined.

Still, it goes back and forth. I’m often in and out of

my head and step out to see things from afar ...one

feeds the other. I often take photographs totally independently

of my woven installations. The reverse

doesn’t happen.

Are your photographs primary in black-andwhite?

I do not exclude color. For instance, my book ‘These

Boots are Made for Walking’, inspired by my journey

in New Mexico, focuses on the bright colors I

encountered there. I love diving into my photographs

and distilling what is relevant. If color


Floating Calligraphy, Berkshires.

Photograph by Xavier Letteron

Beauty Is In The Eye Of The Beholder. Photograph by Xavier Letteron

doesn’t add, it’s a distraction. Black-and-white focuses

on what is essential. It pulls you away from

reality, hopefully to gain greater awareness. Again,

a pulse, a breath, in and out to better see intuitively.

When you’re composing a photograph, are you

thinking more about light and shadow, texture,

or the sculptural qualities of your installations?

Good question! Definitely light and shadow, texture

and curves. Composition is primordial. This is true

for every single photograph I produce. I love to primarily

capture the movement and contrast I see and

work to keep the photograph fluid and harmonious.

The installations and woven creations are meant to

have sculptural qualities, of course, but it’s ultimately

about the flow they create. I’m not a perfectionist.

Do you see things in abstract form naturally, or

does that abstraction emerge after you’ve made

a photograph?

Years of observation trained my eye to see abstract

forms in everyday life. As a child, I could find the

faces of creatures in things like pebbles, leaves,

peeling paint on an old door…I still do.

I see forms and lines in the compositions I photograph,

and I often uncover more than the photo's

first impression suggests. This is very much the case

in my series called Floating Calligraphy. The delicate

forms in the photos of bending grasses create

harmonious abstract compositions. Visually, they

depart from what they are to become something else

entirely.

How do you determine when a photograph or installation

is successful? What makes one “good”

in your eyes?

A picture and an installation have to be evocative

and well composed. It could be harmonious, graceful,

moody, punchy, provocative, or funny, or a

combination of all the above.

The picture should stand on its own or, at least, be

part of a narrative. Same for the installation: it needs

to have beauty on its own and becomes more vibrant

when observed in its surroundings. Ultimately,

beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

You mention creating photo books—can you tell

us about these and how they fit into your broader

artistic practice?

The books I’m creating are often the ultimate result

of a narrative process fed by a dialogue I’m having

with my own photographs. They often reflect a

more intimate relationship than you could get by

looking at a single photograph.

They go deeper. When I revisit my pictures, often

multiple images will create a storyline, a flow to the

point I feel inspired to write something. When that

happens, I feel almost possessed. This is when I

know I’ve tapped into something greater than myself.

The end result is usually a printed photo book

with a poem or a few evocative sentences. The advantage

of the book is that it is a tangible piece I can

then keep for myself or share with others.

Do you ever work in collaboration with other

artists or individuals, or is your practice primarily

solitary?



Photo Books. Photograph by Xavier Letteron

Santa Fe, New Mexico. Photograph by Xavier Letteron

Les Oiseaux élèvent L'âme, Berkshires Photograph by Xavier Letteron



Human nest in use. Photograph by Xavier Letteron

I’ve worked with interior designers. Meandering

properties to gather pictures of what seems relevant,

and then creating photographs from them. It is a fun

concept to play with. I’m also very interested in

working with landscape designers to create living

woven pieces that you can interact with or simply

contemplate.

I’m starting to get commissions for custom pieces

for private clients and have already completed a few.

And I’m hoping to one day collaborate on a piece

with my life partner, Jenine Shereos. She is an accomplished

artist who has exhibited her work internationally

and currently runs the Fibers program at

Massachusetts College of Art and Design in Boston.

In April, she will have a solo show locally in Stockbridge

at the Berkshire Botanical Gardens. I do believe

we are complementary to one another, and that

dynamic could fuse into something fun and beautiful.

When someone encounters one of your installations

or photographs, what do you hope they experience?

I hope they experience a sense of wonder, surprise,

and appreciation for the natural world we live in.

And maybe be inspired to find abstract beauty in nature.

As for the woven installations, they are not only

here to be observed but also to interact with.

I want people to climb inside or walk through my

installations. Maybe just sit in them and observe the

wildlife checking you out. Why not add a stick or

two to it… Take pictures and share.

However, people feel the need to interact with it. I

hope my photographs, installations, or books inspire

people.

As you continue this journey of creating ephemeral

works that celebrate a connection to the natural

world, where do you see your practice

evolving?

The world is big, and I will expand myself as much

as I can. I am always curious and adventurous, eager

to discover new horizons and meet new people. For

me, traveling is a way to connect with places,

people, new potential, and myself. It nourishes my

soul. I’ve always been a wanderer and will keep

looking for new paths to discover, even if it’s right

around the corner or in my backyard. I also hope to

delve deeper into my weaving and collaborate on

larger projects.

I’d love to pay tribute to the Indigenous People of

our area who have historically lived in harmony

with the natural world I love. Weaving different, unusual

kinds of living materials and witnessing how

they change over time is something I’ll continue to

explore.

These live installations are already like old friends

I go visit and reshape as they grow…they deepen

my kinship with the Berkshires and other places

where I have made them. Creating photo books is a

way for me to document my work and journey. I’ll

keep intertwining both and share pieces with others.

I eventually would like to write more. Maybe I’ll

find better ways to convince people to be actively

and truly more kind to our planet.

Xavier, where can people currently see your

work, and do you have any upcoming exhibitions

or projects?

If you hike in the Berkshires, you may stumble upon

some of the human nests, portals, spheres, and

shrines I’ve created here and there. I currently have

some of my work in Germain Interiors Gallery in

Great Barrington, MA.

More projects are coming up. Stay tuned. You could

see my reels on my Instagram account (intertwined_living_)

xavierlatteron.com


JANE GENNARO

Jane Gennaro is an artist, writer, and performer

based in New York City. Jane’s work has been

widely exhibited, performed, and broadcast. She

has been featured in the New York Times, New York

Magazine, and NPR among others. Her illustrated

column, "Mining My Life” appears monthly in The

Artful Mind magazine. Jane’s art studio is in Claverack,

NY.

Jane Gennaro —

www.janegennaro.com

shop.janegennaro.com

https://performingartslegacy.org/

“THE EYE CHAIR”

BRUCE LAIRD

I am an abstract artist whose two and three-dimensional

works in mixed media reveal a fascination

with geometry, color and juxtapositions. For

me it is all about the work which provides surprising

results, both playful and thought provoking.

From BCC to UMASS and later to Vermont College

to earn my MFA Degree. I have taken many

workshops through Art New England, at Bennington

College, Hamilton College and an experimental

workshop on cyanotypes recently at MCLA. Two

international workshops in France and Italy also.

I am pleased to have a studio space with an exciting

group of artists at the Clocktower Building in

Pittsfield.

Bruce Laird —

Clock Tower, #307, 75 South Church Street,

Pittsfield, MA. Instagram: @ecurbart

TORPOR

OILS AND COLD WAX MEDIUM

CAROLYN M. ABRAMS

Thinking about honeybees and their overwintering

inspired me to create a series honoring this annual

ritual and the quiet anticipation of their “waking.”

Unbeknownst to me at first, the bees enter a state of

torpor—not dormancy, but a period of intense, collective

activity as they work continuously to keep

the queen warm and alive.

Working with oils and cold wax medium allows

me to echo this process through layered surfaces,

building and preserving warmth within the paint itself.

These layers become a visual metaphor for resilience,

cooperation, and patience—an offering to

enjoy during our own overwintering as we take one

step closer to spring.

Carolyn m. Abrams—

www.carolynabrams.com

Member Guild of Berkshire Artists


Erika Larskaya

Olivia’s Rain Mixed media on canvas 40” x 40”

"As an abstract artist, I search for ways to represent the invisible, subtle, and unexpressed.

I am driven to lay out fleeting and intangible experiences on physical surfaces.”

Erika Larskaya Studio at 79 Main St. Torrington, CT www.erikalarskaya.art


JOANNE LOBOTSKY

Visual Artist

“I have often thought that the general landscape you grew up in will always resonate most with you. There is a sensory anchoring that takes

place in childhood for your environs. Like Proust’s madeleine, this landscape connects me deeply to the past, allowing me not just to recall

but to re-experience moments I might have forgotten and that I could not explain to anyone else as they exist in the senses, not the intellect.

The angle of the sun, the smell of the air, the sound of the birds, especially crows, all resonate.” —JL

Pink Tree, 2025

Interview by Harryet Candee

Photographs courtesy of the Artist

How did growing up in the Hudson Valley of upstate

New York shape your artistic sensibility and

connection to the natural world?

JoAnne Lobotsky: It was in my childhood that my

feelings about nature formed. Our house was surrounded

by forest, which was my playground. I

often felt there was something magical about nature,

trees especially. Rocks as well. There was a quartz

vein running through the woods on our property,

where I found beautiful crystals. I also found pyrite

rocks on our property. I have sometimes added pyrite

chips to my paintings, in memory of this. The

heavy texture in much of my work invites a multisensory

experience, encouraging viewers to "feel"

the art with their eyes, much as you would “feel”

nature while walking in a forest.

How would you describe your creative process?

I work from both memory and pure invention, but


mainly the latter. I never know what’s going to

happen. That is the way I feel most free and excited.

There is nothing as emotionally and spiritually

deadening as painting from a photograph, in my

opinion. I realized that after years of doing it. I feel

the same way about planning a painting with drawings,

etc. I had been painting from work I had invented

in Photoshop, then printing it out and

painting from that. There was so little joy in that

process that one day I just simply stopped. It had

been all about the end result, you see, not the process.

And that’s not really painting, is it? It’s more

like an illustration. The intuitive process is where I

want to focus. It’s where the engagement and the

experience live.

How do your vivid, 'unnatural' colors both celebrate

the power of nature and address environmental

challenges?

The world is still beautiful, no matter the damage.

The environmental issue takes a back seat to all else

in my work. It is not at the forefront of my impulse

to paint. The colors are simply a nod to the damage,

but also, they are interesting in themselves as part

of a painting without any other baggage. The unnatural

colors are saying, note that there is this damage,

but there is also this beauty.

What do you want viewers to experience when

they engage with your paintings?

It would be through the texture, mainly. It is by adding

the sense of touch with the texture added to the

visual. The image comes toward you into the room

in a way. In this era of digital flat-screen existence,

I feel that the sensory experience of texture is a good

antidote to help slow down and focus on the physical

world. My work is also visceral, so hopefully,

one feels it inside, too.

There Is A Field, 2025

You trained at three different institutions: earning

a BFA cum laude from the School of Visual

Arts (where you studied with Aycock, Pfaff, and

Murray), studying printmaking at the University

of Colorado at Boulder, and painting at the

Art Students League. How did these learning experiences

challenge or change the way you think

about art?

Each experience occurred at a different period of

my life. I think changes in one’s art occur when life

experiences lead you there. I did not do a straight,

consecutive line of education year after year like

most people. Getting a degree was never a goal in

and of itself. Learning was the main thing. I mean,

it was the 1970s, and I was a believer in alternative

lifestyles, rejecting societal norms, etc. It was over

a period of about 9 years, with both US and international

travel, and the need to make money interrupted

the conventional educational progress until I

ended up with a degree. I loved the printmaking I

studied at Boulder because of the step-by-step process:

the drawing or photography, the layered

screening, the registration of the layers, etc. It all

seems pretty foreign to me at this point, but I loved

all that stuff then. It got me into Japanese art, which

influenced me with its flatness. Also, the kind of

mystical nature of Boulder at that time was an influence

– Naropa, the Buddhist university, was

there. And the magnificent mountains. I read a lot

of Eastern philosophy.

SVA was an eye-opener for me. I moved to NYC in

1979 and started at SVA in January of the following

year. I was exposed to so much at that time because

of SVA and by just being in the city. PS1 in Queens

was a big influence (before it became part of

MOMA) - home of site-specific works and experimental

art forms. I learned about Arte Povera there,

which really excited me. That questioning of art's

traditional forms really spoke to me. At SVA, we

were given the option to create according to a

prompt from the instructor or to go our own way. I

always went my own way. I created site-specific

works and assemblages from that time and for a

number of years after.

The mid to late 1980’s became challenging to me

as an artist. I was living in Dumbo (in Brooklyn) in

a series of illegal loft spaces. I was reading poststructural

critical theory, as one did then. It was very

interesting, but it did not make me want to make art

– quite the opposite! That, plus the difficulty of getting

shown and the relative poverty I was living in,

made me quit art for seven years. Anyway, I moved

out of there into an apartment in Park Slope and was

just done with all that, except that I did make some

art just for myself using encaustic and was creative

in other ways. I had the idea that when I was old, I

would pick up a paintbrush and paint little landscapes

just for myself. One day, I realized I wasn’t

getting any younger, and it was time to learn to

paint. I took a couple of oil painting classes at the

ASL and immediately began painting large composite

landscapes. From there, I invented aerial views

of earth that I called Terradaptions and then abstract

acrylic paintings that had earthy texture that I called

Dystopolises after the invented word Atopolis by

Jack Whitten. Atopolis means 'without place,'

whereas my invented word, Dystopolis, means 'dystopian

place.' I was thinking about environmental

destruction.

What was the most important lesson you learned

from your teachers, Aycock, Pfaff, and Murray?

Why did you decide to stay within the traditional

boundaries of painting?

That’s a good question. I think from those artists I

learned that there is no need to be afraid to maybe

even ruin something to see if that is where the path

lies – the path where there might be something to

take you out of your ordinary way of thinking. Take

things apart. You can always put them back together.

Also, any material you want to work with is fair

game. They all really jumped over the boundaries

in their work. Yes, I do feel that painting is a tradi-



JOANNE LOBOTSKY VISUAL ARTIST

Fault Lines 2006 from Terradaptions

Deep Dive 2011 from Terradaptions

Esprit De l’Escalier 1980s

Blackbird II, 2018, mixed media phase



Dryad, 2020, Paper series

Early World, 2022, Paper series

tional medium, especially within the bounds of a

rectangle, and perhaps it’s seen as an obsolete practice

by some (truly, as I did all those years ago), and

I would never have suspected I would go there. But

I didn’t have a lot of space, and the installation work

had to be dismantled or destroyed, so it was for

practical reasons. And as the Italian sculptor, painter,

and poet, Fausto Melotti said: “Once he has found

his language, the artist finds himself free of the

drudgery of the avant-garde.” Which is not to say

one stops experimenting! I do still experiment with

paint and find ways to keep it fresh for me. There is

a lot that painting has to offer, actually. A lot of exploring.

And who says this is where I stay? I have

made art with fabric, mixed media, built structures

with heavy paper, and built installations from wood

and other things. I am an explorer. Painting is what

I am exploring now.

While studying, what medium became most natural

to you?

Sculpture expanded my thinking the most and was

the most natural for me, I think. Because it could be

anything, incorporate anything. But painting is

pretty good, too. There is much to discover, no

matter the medium.

Which award or recognition from a group exhibition

has been most meaningful to you?

Well, I was very gratified to be chosen from my

graduating class at SVA to represent the class at the

OIA sculpture garden. It was a big sign that I had

something to offer. Each time, really, that you get

chosen for a prize is just that – a vote of confidence

- on a road with not so many signs. It was also nice

to win a solo show at the Atlantic Gallery in NYC.

What excites you most about having your work

held in private collections across the US and Europe?

I love that someone has connected with a painting I

did. I cannot know exactly what that connection is,

and that is interesting. Perhaps a different way of

seeing and recognition enters there that I know nothing

about, or perhaps they connect in a similar way

that I do. Their knowledge and experience may be

similar to mine. It is the same question as whether

we all see color the same way. Something has occurred

to connect us, that’s all I can say, and that’s

great.

How do you know when a painting is complete?

I have recently slowed down more in the contemplation

of my work. So, it will take some days or

weeks before I decide something is done. I feel like

I have to be careful not to “improve” a painting into

conventionality. In other words, I think it’s done

when I’ve gone far enough, but not too far that I

have “explained” too much or lost immediacy. I

would rather put down the brush sooner than later.

The answer about the feeling of it is contained

within the question – it’s a feeling of recognition, as

in this is good, this is it.

Tell us about the premise of the artshow you are

in at the Millbrook Library. The title is “The

Color of Growth”.

There are three painters and one sculptor in the exhibition.

‘The Color of Growth’ brings together four

artists whose work reimagines vegetation and landscape

as dynamic sites of transformation. “The artists

in this exhibition approach plant life not as passive

scenery but as an active carrier of meaning and

experience” says curator Sharon Bates, “color functions

as both subject and strategy—expressive, intuitive,

and often deliberately unnatural.” Together,

the works in ‘The Color of Growth” challenge romantic

notions of nature and renewal. They remind

us that growth is rarely linear or benign—it is tangled,

contested, and deeply colored by the conditions

of the worlds we inhabit.

What differences do you notice when viewing

your artwork in a grouping compared to viewing

individual pieces?

I see how there is commonality amongst most of

them in feeling and expression. And the ways in

which that expression manifests.

You’re planning to move into a larger studio

space. During the move, you might come across

early works you’ve stored away and haven’t seen

in a while. What feelings arise when you see these

early works?

My style has changed quite a bit over the years, but

it was almost always about the land, the earth. At

one point, I was an abstract artist all about texture

and color. I tried to go back there at one time fairly

recently, but found that you cannot put your foot in

the same river twice. I have also come across paintings

that inspire me and paintings that I want to

paint over. Some paintings I thought weren’t very

good at the time now sometimes look good.




River and Mountains, 2024

I did a lot of mixed media, which I think I may want

to revisit in my current work. It’s kind of a road that

is not flat and straight but more of a spiral, returning

to old territory in new ways.

What are you most excited to explore in your

new studio space?

I am most excited about working bigger. That and

having specific areas – tables – dedicated for certain

things to take place, like a really clean table for

wrapping or framing that just stays that way. We’ll

see.

What’s the most important lesson you learned

from working in a small studio?

That art is possible anywhere.

Do you think that returning to the Hudson Valley

has influenced your art in any way?

I did start painting landscapes before moving here,

but I think that has deepened since being here. I

make notes in my mind when I see something interesting,

as in, oh that’s a strange idea for a tree. I

think there is a kind of self-limiting thing about how

I paint a tree, for example, that gets broadened by

having so many other ideas sparked around here.

What is it about the sky that feeds your artistic

vision?


It is the astonishing variety and beauty of the sky. I

was mostly deprived of sky during my 30+ years in

NYC. I think any type of cloud in any color you

can imagine has been done by the sky already. Although

I notice the way something looks, I don’t directly

use that in my work. I’m not interested in

getting it “right”. But the actual variety feeds my

imagination.

I understand that you want your paintings to be

like objects, can you explain.

It goes back to my experience with sculpture.

I wanted them to be objects because I wanted them

to exist in the same 3D space that we are in.

I wanted them to be “real” and part of the environment

rather than like a window onto some imaginary

place. The texture speaks to that desire. That’s

also why I prefer not to frame my paintings (unless

they are on paper). And now that I seem to be moving

toward more illusionistic space, I will still use

texture to reach out into 3D space.

This direction of using illusionistic space, what

new possibilities are you seeing?

I view this direction with some trepidation and questioning

since it redefines what my goals are as a

painter and where my loyalty, in a way, lies. I don’t

know how far I will go in that direction; it’s too soon

to answer.

After four decades of practice, what do you want

your work to say?

My work often showcases a visible journey of

growth and transformation. One might trace a clear

evolution in my style and subject matter over time,

rather than a consistent, static signature style. I contain

multitudes; why shouldn’t my work?

JoAnne, what question about your art do you

have that continues to be inspirational and a motivating

force?

“What would happen if….”

Z

The Color of Growth

Millbrook Library

3 Friendly Lane, Millbrook, NY

Through February 28, 2026

Artist Talk: February 21, 2:00PM

Email: Jlobotsky@gmail.com

Instagram: @jlobotsky

Website: www.joannelobotsky.com

BELIEF IN THE POSSIBILITIES OF SPRING

COLLAGE, CRADLED WOODEN BOARD, 12”X12”X2”

FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT

COLLAGE, CRADLED WOODEN BOARD, 10”X10”X2”

JAYE ALISON

"I was really anxious because we were pretty

much snowbound in our homes, being in a particularly

cold 2025 winter. I had moved many of my art

supplies to my studio in Southfield, and had begun

organizing works. The idea of playing with them,

cutting some of the ones to which I felt drawn to do

so, this had been playing around in my mind for a

looooooong time, but this weather allowed me to

take advantage of the opportunity- I couldn't go

anywhere, so I could just focus and play."

Jaye Alison harnesses water-based mediums like

acrylic and watercolor, influenced by a creative upbringing

and artistic journey. Through abstraction

and intuitive color selection, she captures the interplay

between forms with lines that articulate deepseated

emotions. Her art resonates with joy and

upliftment, transforming personal and worldly

complexities into visual harmony.

The artist is passionate about creating art, painting

on flat, smooth surfaces, and using environmentally

friendly materials.

Alison’s work has been exhibited nationally and

internationally and has appeared in print, film, television,

the web, and Off Off Broadway.

Preparing for a blockbuster

2026 Season

beginning with

The Palm Beach Show in February!

Jaye Alison —

310-970-4517

Studio visits by appointment only:

Pond Shed (behind the Buggy Whip Factory)

208 Norfolk Road, Southfield, Massachusetts

jayealison.com

jaye.alison.art@gmail.com

MARY ANN PALERMO

As a vocalist, my bedrock is jazz tradition, the

blues, and the Great American Songbook. I consider

my voice an instrument for boundary-breaking exploration,

blurring the lines between genres to create

a soundscape that is both familiar and excitingly

new.

I thrive on challenging the conventional limits of

a “jazz singer,” weaving elements of pop, soul, and

cinematic sound design into my work, and this

blending is evident across my diverse catalog on

Spotify and other streaming platforms. Traditional

arrangements sit alongside adventurous and out-ofthe-box

compositions, but the goal is always to generate

an immersive listening experience that defies

easy categorization.

Performing, my core intention is to foster genuine

and visceral connection with the audience. I believe

music is a shared and immediate dialogue that transcends

the stage. Whether through intimate, traditional

ballads or expansive, cinematic soundscapes,

I build moments of emotional resonance and shared

discovery. My art is about versatility and connection

using my wide-ranging musical palette to express

an authentic modern voice that honors the past

while creating the future.

Mary Ann Palermo—

Available for private events:

Email: howmuchbettercanitget@gmail.com

Website : https://maryannpalermo.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maryannpalermo_averosarecords

Record label website:

https://averosarecords.com/#section0

Hear Now website : https://maryannpalermo.hearnow.com/theres-a-place-beatles-re-imagined

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1P5DDko-

BymMyNn52dmMeoL

NOVEMBER MOON

DRYPOINT ENGRAVING, 2024, 12” X 15”

MARK MILLSTEIN

I make drypoint intaglio prints because I love the

quality and permanence of lines obtained. The variations

in each printed line reveal the pressure, angle,

and intention of my hand as it yields to the resistance

of the plate’s surface.

My work explores both real and imagined objects

and spaces. The images emerge through a constructive

process that begins with a simple drawn framework

and evolves by building and distorting

perspective, and merging technological elements

with natural forms. I am influenced by Brutalist architecture

with its precise lines, solids and textures.

I find that the drypoint technique evokes similar

qualities to poured concrete: precise volumes rich

in surface imperfections that challenge and mimic

nature.

Mark Millstein—

mmillstein@umassd.edu

www.markmillstein.com


"OLD RHODODENDRONS"

GOUACHE AND INKS ON CRADLED WOOD PANELS,

30” HIGH X 48” WIDE. EACH PANEL IS 1 1/2” THICK

LORI BRADLEY

Lori Bradley is a contemporary painter working

primarily in oil and water media on canvas and

wood panels. This series of paintings in gouache

and ink on board is inspired by stories and film,

with mysterious settings that suggest distant memories.

She explores plants and trees acting as characters

in natural settings. Much of Lori’s work is

firmly rooted in nature, while this series reflects her

fascination with the mysterious connections between

human artifacts and the landscape.

Lori Bradley—

loribradley@comcast.net

http://www.loribradleyart.com

WAKING UP TO A NEW DAY

FROM BREAKAWAY SERIES

MIXED MEDIA ON CANVAS, 36"X48"

ERIKA LARSKAYA

Confinement and Breakaway examine the mental

state of struggle to make sense of our environment,

both physical and psychological. I incorporate

childlike drawing to represent nonconformity; the

unadulterated state before we get confined by rules,

commitment, insecurities, and other “add-ons.”

“I distress and repair parts of the painting, as we

do within ourselves. The drawings of floor plans

and elevations, which I use as a starting point, create

a sense of enclosure, which I expand by continuing

the lines outward, breaking the structural pattern.

This alters the sense of confinement, breaking away

from the [rigid, static] norm”.

Erika Larskaya —

https://www.erikalarskaya.art

STEPHAN MARC KLEIN, ME IN BOXES

STEPHAN MARC KLEIN

Me In Boxes, a self-portrait, of multiple configurations

to be assembled by the viewer, consists of a

plaster of Paris life mask taken of the artist which

was then produced in white and clear vacuumformed

plastic multiples.

Each mask is set in a double-cube rectangular,

modular box, 15 ½” x 7 ¾” x 7 ¾”.

Stephan Marc Klein is an award-winning retired

architect and professor emeritus of interior and exhibition

design.

He holds a doctorate in Environmental Psychology.

He has been making art since childhood, and

at age 87 continues to experience the joy of creating.

He now lives in Great Barrington with his wife, fellow

artist and writer Anna Oliver.

Stephan Marc Klein—

stephanmarcklein.com / smk8378@gmail.com

Member 510 Warren Street Gallery, Hudson, NY

KATE KNAPP

NEW WORK

February 6 - March 1, 2026

Opening Reception

Saturday, Valentine’s Day

February 14, 2026

2 - 6pm

All welcome!

510 WARREN STREET GALLERY

HUDSON, NEW YORK

28 • THE ARTFUL MIND — ARTFULMIND@YAHOO.COM FEBRUARY 2026

COMING OFF THE SURFACE 24” x 30”

BRUCE LAIRD

Clock Tower Artists

Business Center Studio #307 75 South Church Street, Pittsfield, MA Instagram- ecurbart


Artist Update

ALEXANDRA ROZENMAN

VISUAL ARTIST AND TEACHER

Photograph by Mari Saxon, 2024

Interview by Harryet Candee

Photographs courtesy of the Artist

“Art will always be a significant part of the human story, so people will always be hungry for it.” —AR

Alexandra, can you tell us a little about your

family history growing up in Moscow?

Alexandra Rozenman: My great-grandfather was

killed under Stalin when my grandfather was eight.

Anti-Semitism limited my father's education and career,

even denying him a promised Gold medal at

school. My aunt emigrated to America in 1976, and

our family was always waiting for the right time to

leave, surrounded by dissident friends.


You trained with underground Soviet artists who

became acclaimed émigrés. What is one lesson

from that time that most shapes your current

work?

The main thing I remember from that time is Grisha

Bruskin telling me that I should be able to draw as

well with my left hand as with my right. He also

gave me Russian translations of Van Gogh’s diary

to read. Experiencing his original work and seeing

him create his pieces had a great influence on me.

At that time, Grisha was working on his Alphabet

Series—watching this process gave me a new perspective

on symbolism and has become foundational

to my current approach.

Here in the United States, people learn special

things from artists who work outside of the

academy. In this respect, there is no change in freedom.

The main thing my teachers taught me was to

be myself.

Did you want to leave Russia?

I didn’t want to leave Russia because I couldn’t

speak English. However, after immigrating, my

mindset changed—I thought artists should live in

New York City and did all I could to become an abstract

painter there. If I had stayed in Russia, given

the changes it underwent and how young I was, I

would have become a more conceptual or performance

artist.

After your BFA and MFA, you moved from New

York to Boston. What prompted your move?

Love.

When you settled in Boston, your paintings became

theatrical stages for storytelling. Can you

recall the first painting in which you recognized

this new direction?

When I moved to Boston, I experienced a white

period with foggy paintings that served as a bridge

from my abstractions to narratives. Very few survived,

but I still have “Russian Fog.” These “Fogs”

were abstract, and later I focused on creating beautiful,

dark light, beginning to include text in the

paintings. I recall a painting called “5AM and Red

Curtains,” which resembled a theater set or a window

view at 5AM. This painting marked the transition

toward narrative works, signaling the beginning

of my shift to storytelling in my art.

Since 2016, you have been a core member of

Fountain Street Gallery in Boston. How has this

community influenced you over the years?

After returning to Boston in 2010, I aimed to join a

cooperative artists’ group. Fountain Street, first in

Framingham and later in SOWA after a fire, needed

Alexandra Rozenman, Re-thinking Malevich in Moscow, 2010, 40”x 40”

more members. Marie Craig’s system of two-person

shows and curated themes helped push me creatively

and fostered growth.

In 2018, you had a solo show titled Blind Dates

at Hudson Gallery. What inspired that title, and

who were the participants in these 'blind dates'?

They were dates with famous artists. This series followed

the “moving in” series and marked a playful

new phase. I am appropriating the work of famous

artists with a Jewish sense of humor. In each case, I

insert my story and my taste. Some would say it’s

artistic necrophilia, but I hope people don’t take it

too seriously. There is obviously a tradition of parodying

famous works of art. It’s not everything I do,

but it’s like a game of commentary that artists might

engage in. The whole idea of masterpieces chokes

creativity because the best art is the art you haven’t

seen, so at least you can laugh a little about it.

The first artist I “moved in” with was Matisse. I’m

sure I’m reflecting on both influence and my personal

journey. I discovered Modernism at age five.

I had two series of these before in the 90s. One was

called “People Taking Showers,” and one was called

the “Rethinking” series. Maybe I will come back to

them at some point in my life. I still like the idea.

You had two-person shows with Nora Valdez

(2020) and Lior Neiger (2022). Why do you enjoy

collaborating?

Collaboration began for me at Fountain Street,

under Marie Craig's encouragement. With Nora and

Lior, we connected through our shared immigrant

experiences. I created pieces specifically for these

shows, especially after 2021, blending my collages

with Nora’s 3D work.

Tell us something about Art School 99. How do

your students influence your work?

I founded Art School 99 in Allston, MA, in 2009,

after moving from the Midwest. Its philosophy:

“Where Paint and Ideas Mix Well.”

Lately, I have developed some pieces based on my

students' work. Two specific pieces come to mind.

“Where Are You Now?” And “Maine, The Way My

Student Told Me”.

I really enjoy teaching talented teenagers these days.

They are full of energy and really listen, and it's exciting

to watch them progress.

I had a dream for many years to have a school, and

now I really enjoy unfolding it. It’s a real business,

and I work at the school almost every day of the

week. As it has grown, it’s become a part of me.

The school is mainly for adults, but I recently added

a children’s after-school program. On Saturdays

from 11 - 1pm, I have a mixed group of teenagers

and adults.

My purpose in founding the school is to help students

discover their talents. Sometimes they feel

they cannot paint, but I am here to provide a structure

and work with each student, helping them develop

their skills in the visual arts.

I want to help find their self-expression through visual

language. I feel positive about the connections

and the future in science, computers, and the visual

arts.

Your art explores both ‘continuity’ and ‘discontinuity’

in contemporary art. What has been

broken or lost in contemporary art that concerns

you?

Modernism was not legal in the Soviet Union until

1987 under Gorbachev. This was the first time I saw

the painting “Black Square” by Malevich. A lot of

art was rediscovered from 1985 onward. In this

sense, ‘continuity’ and ‘discontinuity’ collide. Although

the reasons here are political. One might say

that ‘discontinuity’ is going against an idea after it’s

served its social and artistic purpose. ‘Continuity’

suggests that many of the old ideas about drawing

and color remain valid. Continued on next page...


ALEXANDRA ROZENMAN VISUAL ARTIST AND TEACHER

Blind Date with Edward Hopper On A Red Square, 60”x36”

One of Alexandra’s collages after the music sketches

I worked on a conceptual work called “Black

Square. This was the beginning of my “rethinking”

series. This would be a kind of continuity. Nothing

in contemporary art was abandoned, so there is

“continuity”.

When I was in art school, people tried to say that

painting was dead and tried to entice us to move to

video or performance art. Maybe this is one example

of discontinuity. The discontinuity of movements

in art has raised questions, and in response, I

remain committed to painting.

You've shown work in group exhibitions in cities

like New York, Boston, and Moscow. What impact

have these international experiences had on

your development as an artist?

Let’s add Paris, Minneapolis, Rome, Chicago, and

Los Angeles to that list. These international experiences

made me less provincial and more aware of

the wider community of people committed to making

art. However, I don’t think I have a broad view;


like many artists, I am self-oriented and aware of

my own limitations.

What are the creatures you call Kind Monsters

in your art?

Kind Monsters began in 2016, when my writer

friend and I came up with the idea for a book blending

sci-fi and fairy tales. The story, inspired by both

literary ambition and current events, is set in a small

Eastern European village during a war following an

apocalyptic explosion. It follows a couple who survive

and discover they no longer have their original

faces or heads, yet still love each other. The Kind

Monsters series was also sparked by the war in Ukraine;

much of my family is from Ukraine, though

I have never visited.

How has your art practice evolved since the lockdown?

After lockdown began, I started a collage project

that lasted from 2020 to 2022. Since then, I have

continued making collages in many forms, including

printmaking. My recent direction is the first set

of handmade collage books (three completed, with

a fourth in progress). These were purchased by my

old friends and a collector as a gift for their 45th

wedding anniversary. Writers, musicians, and artists

are often drawn to these books, perhaps because you

can flip through them like any book.

At this time, I am working in three different mediums;

Collage books are part of my life. I continue

painting, and then there are my drawings.

And what else can you tell us about your life

lately?

I have been in a relationship with an artist, improviser,

and performance artist, Eric Zinman. One of

the things that interests him is live painting in collaboration

with music. He has worked with painters

Linda Clave and others.

Maine, The Way My Student Told Me, Oil on canvas, 2024, 60”x20”

All good! Photograph by Mari Saxon

How are you continuing to collaborate with

other creative people?

In October 2023, I made live drawings with

FMRJE, featured on YouTube. Parts of this work

appeared in recent collages at the Lichtundfire gallery

in New York.

Collaborating across disciplines continues to inspire

my practice and open new possibilities in my art. I

look forward to deepening these connections and

exploring the ways in which creative relationships

continue to shape my journey as an artist.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_kaeOq55C89uHgEWjiq-Y1E4K0VRtIzB&si=DXN3x6BX8n3um_Ib

This experience was challenging and fun at the

same time because there were artists trying to paint

the music, the musicians, or ignore both and just

paint the energy. I had to figure out which way to

go.... My direction ended up going in all three directions.

It was very inspiring. I did this twice in

2023 and again in February 2024, and it is still in

progress. I have been surrounded by all these musicians,

each playing a different instrument, with

video cameras set up all over the room. I did not

have an easel; I had a table, and worked on 11’’ x

14” paper. I had to work fast because the music was

fast. I would start a lot of pieces and not finish them,

and go to the next page. At the end, I would have a

pile of unfinished pieces. The reworked pieces came

out pretty great and were included in the Lichtundfire

gallery show in New York City, summer 2024.

Currently, I am working with photographer Mari

Saxon on several proposals. We work together as

fairy-tale/surrealist artists and have included Kind

Monsters in our new proposal for the Mosesian

Center for the Arts in Watertown, MA.

What galleries are now representing you?

Three galleries currently represent me: Kingston

Gallery in Boston, Foundry Street, and Gallery 360

in Minneapolis (collage work). As of November, I

was accepted as a core member at Kingston Gallery—one

of five new members. It's a strong group

of artists, and I hope to have a really wonderful

show there this summer.

Alexandra, how does it feel to be an artist and a

art teacher in 2026?

Not sure, but maybe it’s the same as always. Art hasn’t

been a serious topic of discussion since the 80s,

but as we are increasingly technological, we know

that art is the most reliable evidence of who or what

a human being is, their thoughts and feelings, that

one human differs from another. Art will always be

a significant part of the human story, so people will

always be hungry for it.

Z

artschool99somerville.com

www.alexandrarozenman.com

alexandra.rozenman@gmail.com


BERKSHIRE DIGITAL

Since opening in 2005, Berkshire Digital has done

fine art printing and digital scanning for artists and

photographers. Archival Inkjet/Giclée prints can be

made in many different sizes from 5”x7” to 42”x

80” on a variety of archival paper choices. Berkshire

Digital was featured in Photo District News (PDN)

magazine in an article about fine art printing. See

the entire article on the BerkshireDigital.com website.

Berkshire Digital does accurate digital scans of

paintings, illustrations and old photographs that can

be used for archival prints, books, magazines, brochures,

cards and websites.

Berkshire Digital also designs and produces books

printed by Blurb.com

“Fred Collins couldn’t have been more professional

or more enjoyable to work with. He did a

beautiful job in photographing paintings carefully,

efficiently, and so accurately. It’s such a great feeling

to know I have these beautiful, useful files on

hand anytime I need them. I wish I’d called Fred

years ago.” ---- Ann Getsinger

We offer restoration and repair of damaged or

faded photographs. A complete overview of services

offered, along with pricing, can be seen on the

web at BerkshireDigital.com

The owner, Fred Collins, has been a commercial

and fine art photographer for over 30 years having

had studios in Boston, Stamford and the Berkshires.

He offers over 25 years of experience with Photoshop,

enabling retouching, restoration and enhancement

to prints and digital files. The studio is located

in Mt Washington but drop-off and pick-up is available

through Frames On Wheels, 84 Railroad Street

in Great Barrington, MA. 413-528-0997 and

Gilded Moon Framing, 17 John Street in Millerton,

NY, 518-789-3428.

Berkshire Digital -

413-644-9663

www.BerkshireDigital.com

ARTFULMIND@YAHOO.COM


SCENES FROM THE NATURAL WORLD

SALLY TISKA RICE

BERKSHIRE ROLLING HILLS

Born and raised in the captivating Berkshires,

Sally Tiska Rice possesses artistic prowess that

breathes life into her canvases. As a versatile multimedia

artist, Sally seamlessly employs a tapestry

of techniques, working in acrylics, watercolors, oil

paints, pastels, collages containing botanicals, and

mixed media elements. Her creative spirit draws

inspiration from the idyllic surroundings of her

rural hometown, where she resides with her husband,

Mark, and cherished pets.

Sally's artistic process is a dance of spontaneity

and intention. With each brush stroke, she composes

artwork that reflects her unique perspective.

Beyond her creations, Sally also welcomes commissioned

projects, turning heartfelt visions into

tangible realities. Whether it's capturing the essence

of individuals, beloved pets, cherished homes, or

sacred churches, she pours her soul into each personalized

masterpiece.

SallyTiska Rice—

SallyTiskaRice@gmail.com

www.sallytiskarice.com

https://www.facebook.com/artistsallytiskarice

Fine Art Prints (Pixels), Twitter, LinkedIn

Instagram, YouTube, TikTok

PORTRAIT OF BRUCE BY BOBBY MILLER

BRUCE PANOCK

I am a visual artist using photography as the platform

to begin a journey of exploration. My journey

began in earnest almost 14 years ago when I retired

due to health issues and began devoting myself to

the informal study of art, artists and particularly

photography. Before retiring I had begun studying

photography as a hobby. After my retirement, the

effort took on a greater intensity.

My world had changed for reasons outside of

my control and I looked for something different in

my work. I wanted to do more than document what

was around me. I wanted to create something that

the viewers might join with me and experience.

Due to my health issues, I found myself confined

with my activities generally restricted. For the first

time I began looking inward, to the world that I experienced,

though not always through physical interaction.

It is a world where I spend more time

trying to understand what I previously took for

granted and did not think about enough. The ideas

ranged from pleasure and beauty to pain and loss;

from isolation to abandonment; to walking past

what is uncomfortable to see. During this period of

isolation, I began thinking about what is isolation,

how it can transition to abandonment and then into

being forgotten. The simplest display of this idea is

abandoned buildings. They were once beautiful,

then allowed to run down and abandoned, soon to

be forgotten. After a while they disappear. Either

mankind knocks down these forgotten once beautiful

structures, or remediates them, or Nature reclaims

the space. Doesn’t mankind do the same

with its own?

My work employs references to other photographers,

painters, as well as sculptors. The brushwork

of Chinese and Japanese artists is appealing for

both its simplicity and beauty. Abstract art has its

own ways of sharing ideas which are jarring and

beautiful at the same time. Black and white and

color works each add their own dynamic. My work

is influenced by these art forms, often using many

of them in a single composited image.

Bruce Panock—

Panockphotography.com

bruce@panockphotography.com

Instagram @brucepanock

RICHARD NELSON

ALPHABET LETTER “U”

&

Ai

ART

Digital Art

nojrevned@hotmail.com

Rick Nelson on FB


Sally Tiska Rice

BERKSHIRE ROLLING HILLS ART

CLOCK TOWER ARTISTS

Studio 302, 3rd floor

75 South Church St, Pittsfield, MA (413)-446-8469

www.sallytiskarice.com sallytiskarice@gmail.com

434 Columbia St, Hudson, New York

518-822-8100


ART & CRAFT SUPPLIES FOR

BEGINNERS AND PROFESSIONALS

NEW AT JWS

ART CLASSES

All skill levels welcome!

For more details about our upcoming events

Please check out our social media pages

Facebook - JWS Art Supplies

Instagram - @jwsartsupplies

291 MAIN STREET GREAT BARRINGTON

413-644-9838 INFO@JWSARTSUPPLIES.COM

SERVING THE BERKSHIRES & BEYOND FOR OVER 25 YEARS


DIGITAL ART BY RICHARD NELSON

RICHARD NELSON

As of late, my creative energy is devoted to playing

the guitar. Ultimately, I want to perform, but that

doesn’t come easily to me. It frustrates me immensely.

My drawing has become more sporadic.

Initially, I was drawing five or six hours every day,

mostly to fill the empty hours of health-induced retirement.

But I think I have taken the iPad as far as

I can. Too many glitches, too many drawings disappearing

before I can finish (especially when I’ve

invested two hours or more in a drawing only to

have it suddenly delete itself). It’s almost Kafkaesque!

I’m lazy in my old age and find my time is

occupied, more and more, by Backgammon and

cryptograms. Perhaps my fifteen minutes have

come and gone; it remains to be seen. Never expected

to get this far, this late in my life. I feel I’ve

been blessed. Think I’ll play my guitar. Cheers.

Richard Nelson —

nojrevned@hotmail.com

RUBY AVER

Monks Hood in the Studio

Oil on canvas, 24”x 36” (cropped here)

FRONT ST. GALLERY

Pastels, oils, acrylics and watercolors, abstract

and representational, landscapes, still lifes and portraits,

a unique variety of painting technique and

styles you will be transported to another world and

see things in a way you never have before join us

and experience something different.

Painting classes continue on Monday and Wednesday

mornings 10-1:30pm at the studio and

Thursday mornings out in the field. These classes

are open to all...come to one or come again if it

works for you. All levels and materials welcome.

Private critiques available. Classes at Front Street

are for those wishing to learn, those who just want

to be involved in the pure enjoyment of art, and/or

those who have some experience under their belt.

NEW WORK: Feb 6 - Mar. 1, 2026

Opening Reception: Saturday, Valentine’s Day

February 14, 2026, 2 - 6pm

510 Warren Street Gallery, Hudson, New York

Kate Knapp —

413-528-9546 at home or 413-429-7141 (cell)

Front Street, Housatonic, MA. Gallery open by

appointment or chance anytime.

www.kateknappartist.com

CENTERPOINT

JOHN KRYSKO

I began Berkshire CenterPoint this summer as a

way in our electronic/social media world to connect

and find Community in the Berkshire region. Arts,

music, food, healthy lifestyles, and recreation

abound, but finding them can be challenging. There

are wonderful magazines and websites that provide

partial means as guides, but there is no one central

electronic visual e-zine that helps in our journey.

BCP is providing this connectivity through interviews,

videos and commentary aimed to remind us

we ARE a Community, and to assist in deepening

that experience.

CenterPoint also puts front-and-center the importance

of the Spiritual and Health aspects at the hub

of the experience of Community. This does not

mean traditional religion (although that is a part of

it), but rather it is that broader dimension of our

Lives that helps us find meaning, assists in our discovery

of our Purpose(s)- both as individuals and

collectively.

I have had the privilege of engaging and interviewing

individual artists, musicians, health professionals

(think yoga, nutrition, life coaching), as well

as representatives from institutions such as the Berkshire

Botanical Gardens, Chesterwood, and numerous

representatives from our local Community

Centers.

So, whether you are just a seasonal visitor, a permanent

resident, or an artist passing through, please

look us up, and join the growing Community that

is: CenterPoint. (It is free).

John Krysko --

413-679-3550 at work or 914-391-5095 (cell)

john@berkshirecenterpoint.org

Breakthroughs no. 3 Acrylic on canvas 36 “ x 40”

rdaver2@gmail.com Instagram: rdaver2.

Housatonic Studio open by appointment 413-854-7007

ADVERTISING YOUR ART

Your MESSAGE in

THE ARTFUL MIND Magazine

This March 2026 ...

Call...413-645-4114


Valeria and the Ants

CHAPTER 9

The Trunk of Coins

As Valeria and I were walking back from the library

I asked her about Thomas. She told me that

she knew Thomas, “As long as I can remember,”

and then she said, “He is the smartest person in the

world.”

When we reached the carnival grounds I went first

to the fried dough stand and Valeria sat at the picnic

table, and so began our third conversation.

The subject of the conversation turned out, really

by accident, to be Thomas, who I realized was like

a mentor to her, and the most important person in

her life after the elephant, if you consider the elephant

to be a person.

Her first remark about Thomas was a question,

and the question, as it turned out, was a complete

description of the man and his life. She asked me,

“Do you know that there are people who are very

rich, and yet, at the same time they have hardly any

money at all?” Then, without waiting for me to answer

her question she continued. “His grandfather,

who is dead, a long time ago, left him tons of

money. But even though he gave him the money it

is locked up someplace, in a cave, and he can’t even

ever get to it or see it.

“The money is in a cave in a beautiful trunk which

is locked up with chains. The money is in silver

coins, and the coins have an owl on one side, an owl

with big eyes, and on the other side is a woman,

probably a goddess.

“The coins in the trunk are magical, because if

you take one of them away, after a certain time a

new one appears to replace it. There is an old man

with a crooked beard who is the only person who

knows where the trunk of coins is, and he removes

one each month and sends it to Thomas. Thomas

has to sign papers to receive the coin, and even

though he gets one a month, still the trunk remains

full.

“Thomas is not the only person in the world who

has a special trunk, but some of the other people insisted

on taking ten, and even twenty coins all at

once, and then the total taken out was not replaced,

but instead, the total shrinks down to nothing, not

all at once, but little by little.

“You can’t actually buy anything with the owl

coins but if you put one in a box, the next day the

box can be found to be full of five and ten dollar

bills. The number of five dollar bills is different

each month, sometimes more and sometimes less.

But the silver owl is nowhere to be found.

“At the end of each year, around Christmas or

New Year’s Thomas gets two of the coins as a special

gift, and each year, as long as I have known him

he gives me one of them.”

Having made this admission she suddenly looked

around like people do when they fear they might

have been overheard when talking about their valuable

possessions. I could see that she had been told

not to mention the coins. She had mentioned a thing

she had obviously been forbidden to say, and she

was overcome with embarrassment. But having

committed this transgression she plunged ahead excitedly

and said, “Do you believe me, because I can

show you.” Then, without waiting for an answer

she ran off but came back a few minutes later with

a little coin in her hand and proudly placed it on the

picnic table for me to examine. It was a silver

drachma, an ancient Athenian coin. I had only seen

pictures of them, but never one in actual life. It was

an object that one could never doubt the authenticity

of, there was something about it that was so serious,

and so perfectly correct that it was impossible

to question it. I could see that Valeria thought that

the coin itself might prove everything she had been

saying about magic trunks, and coins that can regenerate

themselves. Obviously she was telling me

the truth, and could not possibly be making up

fables. Satisfied with the proof of the veracity of

her story she continued where she left off.

“Thomas’ grandfather was a king in a far away

country, but when he died his father was not able to

become the king, I don’t know why, but it was not

allowed. Thomas told me but I couldn’t understand

it, and not only was his father not allowed to be

king but he had to run away in fear for his life.

Thomas has a lot of brothers and sisters, I think he

said there are six all together, including himself. He

is the only one of the grandchildren that has the

magic trunk. These brothers and sisters had their

own trunks but they were in the habit of taking out

hundreds of the coins at a time and so after a short

time their fortunes disappeared. As for the father,

he was not given any trunk of coins at all and even

had to run away for his very life and then he was

almost killed somewhere because a lot of people

hated him for some terrible things he had done.

“So there was this situation where Thomas was

rich and had all this money, even though he could

not use any of it except a little bit at a time. It is an

odd situation, because Thomas lives just about in

poverty, and has only enough to get by, but his

brothers and sisters have big beautiful houses and

cars, and even servants, and take long vacations because

of all the things they were able to buy for

themselves before their coin trunks became empty.

It was a remarkable situation where the rich people

had nothing, and the poor person was rich.”

Valeria, seeing that what she was saying was quite

convoluted, stopped for a moment and asked ,”Do

you understand what I am saying?” I assured her

that I did, and indeed I knew of a similar situation.

Then she said, “Do you believe what I am saying?”

“No, not exactly.” I replied.

“I do not believe it either,” she replied, “but it is

what Thomas told me, when he was giving me the

coin. And not only that but I have seen those

brothers and the sisters, who have come to the carnival

and then talked to Thomas and it was a terrible

and a loud argument. It was frightful, and they were

yelling at him as if he had done something wrong

to them. Then they left in their expensive cars, and

Thomas would not talk for a long time. I asked him

what was the matter, and he said, “The Banks are

repossessing their houses, and their cars.”

Having told me in great detail about poor Thomas’

affairs she stopped speaking for a moment and then

she asked me, “Could it be true, about trunks full

of coins that are always full?”

“Yes,” I replied, “but it is a fable and we would

have to interpret the fable to see just how true it is.

Thomas has what is called a trust fund, and I only

happen to know about them because when I graduated

from high school I had a friend who had a trust

fund. A trust fund is a large sum of money that a

person puts in a bank, for another person, like a son

or granddaughter. The person can’t have the money,

but the bank uses the money and pays for it to be in

the bank, so the amount is always increasing and

the increase is sent to the person named in the fund.

Now, that is why Thomas said that the coins are replaced.

Also, people with trust funds get a check

each month, and they cash the check, and that is

how the coins of the fable are turned into five and

ten dollar bills. But what happens sometimes is that

brothers and sisters go to court and try to get each

other's funds, and what they do is to claim that one

of the others is incompetent, or crazy, or not competent

to handle their personal affairs.”

I was not certain that Valeria, who was, at the time

of this conversation, only just turned nine, would

understand me at all, but when I said, “Not competent

to handle their affairs,” her eyes grew wide

and she repeated the words twice, “Not competent,

not competent,” she said, “that is what Thomas is,

he is an incompetent. That’s what I heard him saying

to himself, I’m incompetent, I’m an incompetent,

he said"

“And why are people saying he is incompetent?”

I asked her.

“Because…Obviously…the carnival. His brothers

and sisters say he is obviously insane because for

many years he has been living here, and really

doing nothing at all, except sometimes he had to fix

the bus.” Valeria said this all very excitedly, as if

she was somehow personally involved in his affairs,

but she continued in a matter-of-fact way saying,

“His family says that they would be doing him a

big favor to take away his money, because then he

would have to do something useful with his life, instead

of living with us freaks.”

Just then there was a slight pause in our conversation,

and Valeria just happened to remove the

thimble that was on her index finger, and absentmindedly

put it on her little finger, and as she did

so I looked up at the sky. For me to have looked up

at the sky right then, even for a second, was a very

revealing and stupid thing for me to do and I instantly

regretted it. In that slight, almost imperceptible

movement I revealed to the child that I was

one of those people who was under the impression

that she had some kind of special powers. But, on

the other hand, to have special powers, is to automatically

be classed among the freaks and freaks

was the last word she had uttered. Any other person

I am sure would have never noticed that I happened

to glance at the sky right then, but she was not an

ordinary person, and so I was not at all surprised

when she said, “You too?”

So we began to talk about the thimble, and the

question of if our thoughts can affect the weather,

or anything else for that matter.

RICHARD BRITELL JANUARY, 2026

CHAPTERS 1 - 8

CAN BE FOUND AT RICHARDBRITELL.COM


40 • FEBRUARY 2026 THE ARTFUL MIND CONGRATS JANE! “BIG AGE” AS JILL! COMING FEB 5 - VISIT AUDIBLE.COM/BIGAGE

BRUCE PANOCK

TREE BRANCHES

Panockphotography.com

bruce@panockphotography.com

917-287-8589 | Instagram @brucepanock

Deborah H Carter

Tulipop

Photo: Eric Korenman

Model: Tristeny Morgan

Clock Tower Artists

Represented by The WIT Gallery

TAM FEBRUARY 2026

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