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Mom and Painting

I knew when my mom was a young mother with three young children living in North Windham CT, she took classes—I think at the local high school—learning to paint on tin ware as well as tinsel paintings—two crafts popular in the late 40’s. (I remember my Dad watching us children while she was in class, having us play endless games such as “Who can keep quiet the longest” and “52 Pickup”.) Years later, in the 1990’s she studied portrait painting, continuing until her death last year.

Young mom

I’d forgotten about the earlier classes until going through her things, I came across her earlier paints and studies she had kept stored away all these years. Her later paints were stored in a typical art bin and jars and boxes of brushes stood on her table beside her easel, but this early paint box had been made by my Dad. It was outfitted with pockets to hold her tubes of oils and had a compartment for brushes.

Samples and Paint Box

She worked from patterns, painting samples on black board in preparation for the real thing. (I don’t know what happened to the trays but I think Kristina has a tinsel painting.) In reading her notes I realized this was when she learned to mix colors using oils. I think of that as I struggle getting a desired blue or green—knowing color theory is NOT the same as mixing color with paints!

Learning to mix color and paint

She gave her later paints and brushes to my sister hoping she finds time and peace to continue her own art work. (I helped Mom go through her things, getting rid of this, giving that to someone special and the only time she had a hard time was giving up her brushes. It was only a moment but a very hard one.)

The early paint box is on a high shelf in my studio and the samples in a folder. I also found her early painting shirt which she had made and I gave it to Kristina.

Trip south part one

Road trip, spring 2013 was great. Our main destination was my brother’s new home in TN but we took some extra time to drive through the mountains and add to our portfolios on the way. We had never been in that part of the country. This was a terrific time to go—the mountains were still turning to spring and the base was summer, next stage up was all spring greens, further up was pastels of flowering trees and spring buds and the top was bare trees—we drove in and out of spring for days.

You can see spring creeping up the mountain!

We stayed in B&B’s (not a doily in sight, thank you) and Inns where we met very interesting people. The first was the Dutch Haus in Montebello, VA. Two Appalachian Trail hikers were also staying there, a man who was doing the whole trail in one shot and the other, a woman who was doing a part each year. We ate dinner there (family style) as it is up and up and up the mountain and far from anything—good food and great conversation.
The next night was spent in Boone NC as I wanted to go to Cheap Joe’s. We stayed at the Lovill House Inn (great southern hospitality), and had dinner at Char. Being a University town (Appalachian State University) and County seat, Boone and neighboring, Blowing Rock have lots of restaurants and shops. It is still high in the mountains and has great mountain air.
The last evening before hitting TN we stayed at the Hemlock Inn in a room with a private deck looking over the forest. Again up and up and up so meals come with the room, All meals were served family style so once again we met interesting people. (My reading of the area since has shown this family style eating was historically typical of remote mountain lodging.) The talk at breakfast was of the black bear who got into the trash the night before. From all our hiking etc, we slept through this adventure!
Then over the Smokies to TN. A tail for another post.

ps: Don’t expect much cell or internet service in the mountains—in fact on the parkways—NONE!

Only in America…#2

(Transcriptions of 7 news paper articles dated March 1940)

Plans Complete for Parade Tomorrow

Identity of Local “Movie Queen” Will be disclosed

Mrs. Frank Marschat announced today that all arrangements have been made for the American Legion Auxiliary parade tomorrow afternoon in honor of the leading lady who plays the title role in the “Movie Queen” in the stage and movie production of that name to be given March 28th and 29th. The identity of the queen has been kept in secret so far. She has been chosen for beauty, popularity and acting ability and is a local girl. In the stage show “Miss Movie Queen” plays the part of a small town girl who wins a free trip to Hollywood for writing an essay on her petunia garden for a magazine. The three act stage show reveals her trials and tribulations as she skyrocketed to movie fame and glory by over-zealous producers and press agents. At the end of the stage show she decides to bring her new found friends back to her home town, Willimantic, for a vacation. The plot of the 50 minute movie reel, all of which will be shot locally, is wound around the various events which happen during the vacation. The first of the movie will be shots taken of the parade tomorrow.

Over 50 entries have already been received for the parade. All entries are to assemble at the railroad station at 2 p.m. The queen will arrive on the 2:21 bus and greeted by an official committee headed by Mayor P. J. Laramee. At the depot she will be presented with a large bouquet of flowers. The parade will then proceed to the steps of the town building where the mayor is to present her with the key to the city. Legion Post Commander, Levi G. Gross is to serve as marshal for the parade. The entries will consist of the American Legion bugle and drum corps, Boy Scouts, drill team, official cars, trucks and floats representing the various business firms in the city.

One of the most interesting units of the parade will be that of the auto dealers in which every make and style of new car is displayed. There will be three official cars in which the cast of the show will ride. Moving pictures are to be shot at the railroad station, the entire parade on Main Street will be photographed as well as the ceremonies at the town hall and crowds on the street. Any business firm or children wishing to ride bicycles in the parade or to bring their pets and dolls may enter merely by appearing at the depot at 2 o’clock tomorrow. Everyone there or on the street will be “shot” by the candid camera and have the opportunity to see themselves on the screen as a part of the fourth act of “Movie Queen”. During the following week the movie camera will be on the streets photographing places of interest in the city, shopping scenes, school children, etc. Many people will be photographed unknown to themselves.

An excellent cast has been chosen for the show and rehearsals are being held every afternoon at 4 o’clock for the chorus in the American Legion Home and at 7:30 in the evening for the cast.

Next: Installment 3, Who will be the “Movie Queen”?

Only in America… #1

In March, 1940 the American Legion of Willimantic, CT staged a benefit featuring the town’s businesses and religious and civic organizations. The local paper ran daily articles leading up to the performances advising the public to what was happening and calling for participants. There was a plot and a leading lady and leading man. These 7 entries are transcriptions of those articles found in my Mother’s scrap book. Sorry, but there was no mention of the paper or journalist. [It seems that “the director, young and fetching Miss Showalter” directed a number of “Movie Queens” throughout NE.]

Movie Queen Now getting Under Way

Sponsored by Auxiliary to American Legion Post

Production of Movie Queen a four act presentation in which the first three acts are given over to sprightly dancing, singing, a style show and vaudeville features and the fourth a motion picture of local people, is in the process of getting under way this week.

The mammoth presentation is being sponsored by the auxiliary to James J. Shea Post, No. 19, American Legion and Miss Margaret Showalter of the American Theater Guild of Boston, Mass will direct the efforts of local amateurs.

The director, young and fetching Miss Showalter, is a native of Chattanooga, Tenn. and a graduate of the School of Speech at Louisiana State University. Majors in dancing and dramatics fitted Miss Showalter for her position. She will be in charge of both the stage and movie features of Movie Queen and reports the latter will be centered around a real queen chosen from the local younger set.

The plot of the play deals with the hilarious situation arising when a naive country girl writes an essay on her petunia garden and is awarded a trip to Hollywood. Arriving there she is mistaken for an eccentric Russian actress and plummeted to stardom in scenes that are dizzy burlesque of the film industry.

The heroine of Movie Queen is to be carefully selected and her identity kept secret until Saturday afternoon when she will ostensibly arrive at the local railroad station from Hollywood via Hartford and the 2:21 bus. She is to be greeted by the mayor and a host of other notables, paraded to the town hall and presented the key to the city. Cameras will grind away during all these festivities and the scenes used to provide the fourth act of the drama portraying the country girl’s return to her home town as a star.

Incidentally motion pictures will be taken of everyone on hand for the “welcome home” and parade, so numerous local people will have the opportunity of seeing themselves on the screen when the production is given in St. Mary’s Hall at 8:15 p. m., March 28th and 29th. There will be a special matinee for children on the first day.

next: Installment 2, “Plans Complete for Parade”

Print Class: Last Class

It’s been a week since my last post. There was no class last week and that worked out as I had planned to go to Maine with the Garden Gals and visit the Main Botanical Gardens at that time. That’s a post for another day, but needless to say I didn’t get any print making done while I was there. I did pick up my work from Thurs before I left and here are two scans: one of one printed by hand at home and one on press at school. Still a bit rough but improving.

Two Tone Green, printed on press and Tan, printed by hand.

When I got home from Maine I reworked my design to include the whole image, scanned it and placed it into Illustrator where I redrew it to get clean lines and to delineate where I was to cut and not. I was able to transfer it to my larger block and begin cutting.

Working on my last print for this class.

Didn’t get it cut in time for class but I went anyway to show where I was and to get some feedback. This was my last class. I will finish it and try printing it by hand but now I am at a point where I want to drop back and hone my skills (I do like the design). I purchased some better paper on the way home and have down loaded David Bull‘s e-book on Japanese woodblock printing, Your First Print. So, the adventure continues!

Print Class: Review

Thurs. I printed my new test block. At home I hand printed it using a single brown I mixed and then in class I printed it on the press to see the difference. In class I also experimented with different colors on the same block. Half was a warm light green mixed with a bit of copper and the other half was a darker cool green. On some of the prints I tried making different areas of the block different colors.

Mixed ink showing warms and cools.

Later in class we had a review of our work at this stage. Work was spread out on the table, artist statements were read and progress was discussed. Now we have a week off and then two more sessions of class. One will have a speaker plus some work time and then the final critique.