The Sound

Water color study done from a deck fifty feet above The Sound, facing Connecticut.

Water color study

Water color study of the Fire Boat docked in Northport Harbor

Northport Arts Coalition ArtWalk event at the Firefly Gallery

This year I was very pleased to show some of my work at the new Firefly Gallery location on Main St. in Northport. It was an exciting day, with 7 bands playing at different locations along Main Street and numerous sites for artists to exhibit their work. The Firefly Gallery is a co-operative representation of local artists. In addition to paintings and note cards, I presented my new "Fish of The Sound" silver pendants.

2014 Arden Fair Exhibitor

I was proud to continue my participation in the Arden Fair in Arden, DE for the seventh year. The event has occurred annually for over 106 years, with Arden artists and artisans presenting their most recent work. Held on the last Saturday of August, the tiny village is swarmed with over 10,000 people who come to buy art, books, antiques, and have fun with children's games. Music plays all day in the Beer Garden beneath the trees of the Shady Grove. Most astounding of all, the entire event is managed by volunteers, who clear the whole area the next day. Like Brigadoon, there is no hint of the great festivities held the day before.

Poster  designed by Joe Del Tufo

I am participating in the annual Arden Artists Open Studio Tour. Join the artists for a reception at the Buzz Ware Village Center in Arden on Friday, December 7, 6-9 pm. Conveniently located just off the Harvey Road exit of I-95 in the utopian community of Arden. Maps are available at the Buzz Ware Village Center, and at artist's studios.

Studio Tour Hours: 

Saturday, December 8, 10 am – 5 pm,  

Sunday, December 9, 12 noon – 5 pm

The promotional poster shown above, created with some of the participating artists will be for sale. And there’s more, each artist has donated a piece of art for a raffle.  All proceeds will be used to finance future art events showcasing the talents of the many artists who live, work, and thrive in our villages. Tickets may be purchased at the Buzz Ware Village Center as well as all participating studios throughout the weekend.  The prize drawing will be Sunday afternoon, December 9, at 5 p.m. Winners will be contacted by the artists.

Rhys McClure D'Arensbourg

An article written about one of my paintings.Years pass by and suddenly you are "discovered".

Welch: Art is where you find it

By Hanaba Welch

Monday, January 2, 2012

In front of our house at the farm is an old John Deere tractor. All other yard ornaments pale in comparison. It looks really good when it snows.

Be careful where you park a tractor in case it never starts again.

By any other name, the tractor is an "objet trouvé," that famous French art term for a "found object."

Of course, it's not like we found the tractor somewhere. But when it comes to calling something a found object, the term means finding the object to be art rather than finding the object.

The longer you neglect a tractor, the more picturesque it gets, and the more it lends itself to being an objet trouvé. Still, much depends on who's looking at it and the going price for scrap.

Meanwhile, here's a story with an objet trouvé theme: In New Orleans in the 1970s I baby-sat once for an artist who let dirty dishes stack up in and by the sink. Then she painted them, and I don't mean she painted them instead of washing them, except that's exactly what she did. For still life compositions, dirty dishes trumped fruit and flowers.(She could've changed later, but she was in her dirty dishes period back then.) Whether her stuff sold or not, as long as she had a kitchen clutter painting in progress on her easel, who could fault her for letting the housework go? Art first.

I remember only her last name. Did she ever become famous?

INTERNET PAUSE TO SEARCH FOR AN ARTIST NAMED D'ARENSBOURG

Believe it or not, I just found a New York artist named Jane D'Arensbourg, who designs jewelry. One of her Facebook entries indicates she made the November 2010 issue of Martha Stewart Living Magazine. Somehow I don't think it's the same D'Arensbourg.

ANOTHER INTERNET PAUSE

Wow. A little more research, and I've unearthed two salient facts: Jane D'Arensbourg was born in, of all places, New Orleans, and she puts a torch to Pyrex to make jewelry! There you have it. Another way to turn dirty dishes into art. Use a torch.

Looking at her picture I think she is at best a descendant of the artsy D'Arensbourg I met, perhaps a younger sister of the little boy I baby-sat in that rather quaint apartment off St. Charles Avenue. I like to think so.

It's enough to make me want to do a quick pen and ink study of our kitchen counter and then add calculated dashes of color. My artist's eye is looking at dishes to be washed, a bowl of fruit worthy of a Dutch master and some objets trouvés — Folgers coffee containers, a potato atop a Dannon yogurt container, a jar lid, a cellphone case, a tractor bushing, a pill bottle and the potholder I made in the first grade.

Did I mention the fruit bowl is Pyrex? And me without a torch.

Better I go take a picture of the tractor.

I know right where to find it.

Artist Statement

For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by nature in all its patterns and colors, just as it is and just as I discover it. This fascination has led me through acrylic paintings, pastels, colored pencil studies, watercolors, mono-prints and photographs. I let my discovery determine which medium I choose.

The images on the right are examples of my work in each medium. Originals are available for purchase. I also have high quality notecard reproductions of many of my paintings, drawings and photographs that are available for purchase. Please email me for more information.

"Chadds Ford Farm" is a photo taken of a striking Sycamore tree not far from the Wyeth farms in Pennsylvania.

"Seckel Pear Leaves" is a Prismacolor study of leaves found beneath a Seckel pear tree in my back yard in Arden, DE.

I was moved to paint “Zucchini Pattern” when I looked over my porch rail at the zucchini plant spreading out below in my small garden in Arden.

"Green Bottle" is a watercolor study of Sweet Peas done in Lagunitas, CA.

“The Danish Barn, Winter” is part of series based upon a dilapidated dairy barn owned by the Petersen family who were originally from Denmark. I walked down Petersen road almost every day and loved the faded reds of the barn and the rain soaked pastures in Sonoma County, CA.

I have also written and illustrated a children's book, "Wylee Whitesquirrel of Arden" which is now available on Amazon. The white squirrels of Arden inspired the book, after I noticed the flat colors and boring illustrations of so many children's books that are published these days.

I came to Arden after Katrina kicked me out of my beloved New Orleans and thoroughly enjoy living in this long standing Utopian community of creative people and scientists from DuPont.

In 2013 the needs of my daughter and grandson made it clear that I needed to move closer to Brooklyn. Fortunately, I discovered the village of Northport, LI, a charming harbor town filled with galleries, theater groups, great restaurants and wonderful people. The harbor and Long Island Sound have inspired a whole new series of work.