Newtown Keeps Its Date With Tercentennial Calendar Artists

By Larissa Lytwyn

By 11 last Saturday morning, the week before Christmas, Lexington Garden was already tightly packed with holiday shoppers. But the longest lines were not at the registers.

Nearly all of the 13 Newtown artists featured in the 2005 Newtown Tercentennial Calendar were on hand for a special signing marking the calendar’s debut.

Some calendar buyers waited as long as an hour in line for the chance to meet the face behind their favorite month.

The calendar features the work of Paul Attard, Patricia Barkman, Betty Christenson, Robert Cottingham, Dana Fradon, Eleanor Loecher, Dick McEvoy, Michael Morshuk, David Merril, Ruth Newquist, Mae Schmidle, James Travers and Virginia Zic.

Many of the artists consider Newtown’s bustling Main Street, scenic farmlands, and lush forests a creative muse.

In addition, the calendar is distinctively Newtown because each month marks special days in Newtown’s history.

“We had 13 cases of 80 calendars each,” said Ms Schmidle, vice chairman of the Tercentennial Commission and member of the Publication Committee, “and they’re selling amazingly well.”

By just 11:15, four cases had already been sold.

“It’s been wonderful to see such a huge turn out,” declared Mr Morshuk, whose acrylic pencil piece, July’s “Morning on Main Street,” captures the town’s landmark flagpole.

“I think the Newtown Meeting House, particularly the spire with the rooster weathervane, is marvelous!” said Mr Morshuk. “I really appreciate the detail of the structure.”

Well-known local artists Betty Christenson and Ruth Newquist, both of whose work has been featured in prominent locations around town, including the CH Booth Library, also remarked on the turn out.

“It’s always great to talk with the people,” said Ms Christenson, who immortalizes April showers in April’s “Homeward” watercolor. The piece shows a throng of people rushing down a rain-slicked sidewalk; their yellow, red and blue umbrellas almost come to life, bobbing in step above their heads.

Ms Newquist is one of several artists who said they are inspired by the color and excitement of New York City. “I like depicting people in motion,” she said, citing summer as her favorite season.

Her June watercolor, “DG Gallery,” is a summertime scene, depicting a couple walking down a sidewalk while several youths, in shorts and sneakers, lounge nearby.

“I also like painting the General Store,” continued Ms Newquist, “for the same reason I like New York City. There’s always something going on!”

Patricia Barkman’s love of nature, meanwhile, is clear in her vibrant watercolor of an autumn scene, “Al’s Trail,” painted alongside the nine-mile trail that inspired the work.

Ms Barkman has lived in Newtown for 37 years and operates her successful Lakeside Gallery from her home. In addition to the tercentennial calendar, Ms Barkman said she has her own calendar coming out in 2006.

Jim Travers embodies the same unique artistic spirit of his favorite artist, Jackson Pollack. His November “Sunset Moon” is shaped entirely from pieces of metal. While he has worked with a variety of media throughout his multidecade career, Mr Travers said he became inspired by the cool dynamics of metal work about three years ago.

In his calendar description of “Sunset Moon,” Mr Travers writes, “The dynamics of life impart unique character. The fragments I use have a special synergy with each other that yield their Second Destiny.”

Eleanor Loecher also works in a notably distinctive medium: fabrics.

“I’ve always loved working with fabric,” said Ms Loecher, a former editorial contributor to Threads magazine.

Her May “Woman in Blue Dress” frames a partially sewn face with long “locks” of intertwined navy, powder-blue and cream fabrics. A Newtown resident for 35 years, Ms Loecher’s work has been featured in several preeminent tri-state area galleries and shops, including Tiffany’s in Manhattan.

Virginia Zinc, a former art professor at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, loves working with watercolors. Her February “Suncolor” imbues shades of rust, beige, green, and even hints of lavender and peach to depict the sun’s reflection on a pile of almost translucent stones.

“It’s been absolutely lovely to see such enthusiasm from everyone who has come up to us today,” she said. “It’s truly remarkable to see the turnout!”

David Merril, a painter whose pieces “Looking Up Church Hill Road” and “Looking South on Main Street” adorn the calendar’s front cover and month of December, agreed.

“Of course, anything that Mae Schmidle puts together is guaranteed to be a success!” he said warmly. “Today’s signing is further evidence of that.”

Ms Schmidle also contributed artistically to the calendar. Her oil on canvas “Emma” is featured in the calendar’s inside cover.

The 2005 Tercentennial Calendar is featured at several business locations around Newtown, including The Newtown Bee. The calendar is $15, tax included. For more information about the calendar, contact Ms Schmidle at 426-6264 or Joanne Rochman at 426-5922.