Art, Earnest and Likable At New Show in Sharon

Karen Kellogg’s paintings remind me of a picture I inherited from my mother. It is a Texas scene of yellowish hills, low mesquite trees, fields of bluebonnets and cactus. Nothing is quite right: the perspective is off, the trees unnatural, the cactus out of shape. Yet I keep it for the memories of my grandmother and mother and Texas, and I like it. Kellogg’s 54 pictures hanging in Sharon’s Hotchkiss Library vary in size and quality. A charming winter scape hangs next to an awful waterfall, a terrible painting of stripes next to a nice depiction of a gray day. But many of the works are likable, for Kellogg’s earnestness and honesty; and many have been sold. The artist is very good at skies: “A Grey Day,” “Clearing Sky” and “The View, Winter” are mainly about clouds and sky in blues and whites or various shades of white and gray. They hang above sometimes unnatural landscapes with billowing authority. One problem is that Kellogg, owner of the busy Garuda Gallery framing shop, paints in so many styles. (There is a painting in the show called “Wassaic ala Cezanne.”) Another is that some works are realistic, some abstract. Often canvas is not entirely covered, as if the artist ran out of ideas. Yet thick layering of paint in others gives them a tactile depth. Kellogg does not paint from life nor from photographs. She paints from memory, feeling. The work is intensely personal. “Choate Island III” is clearly a happy trip remembered cheerfully. But “Choate Island I” is a messy mix of blues and greens that communicates little. Still lifes pop up here and there. “Garden Still Life” and “Cherry Tomatoes” are colorful, realistic. “Max’s Bouquet” is alive with the freshness of flowers. But it is the landscapes, the outdoor paintings that dominate, and I think the smaller the better: Two little pictures, “Along the Brook” and “Pond at Dusk,” are both atmospheric and charming. They are gentle, modest reminders of our amazing Northwest Corner environment. Both are sold, and both will be easy to live with. Karen Kellogg’s paintings will hang in the Hotchkiss Library of Sharon through March 31. The library is open every day. Call 860-364-5041 or go to www.hotchkisslibrary.org.

Latest News

Water main cleaning in North Canaan

NORTH CANAAN – Aquarion Water Company today announced a water main cleaning project in the company’s North Canaan system. The project is scheduled to take place from Monday, April 1 through Tuesday, April 16, and is being undertaken to ensure customers in North Canaan continue to receive the highest quality water.

The cleaning for April 1 and April 4 (subject to change) will take place on the following streets:

Keep ReadingShow less
Tuning up two passions under one roof

The Webb Family in the workshop. From left: Phyllis, Dale, Ben and Josh Webb, and project manager Hannah Schiffer.

Natalia Zukerman

Magic Fluke Ukulele Shop and True Wheels Bicycle Shop are not only under the same roof in a beautiful solar powered building on Route 7 in Sheffield, but they are also both run by the Webb family, telling a tale of familial passion, innovation and a steadfast commitment to sustainability.

In the late ‘90s, Dale Webb was working in engineering and product design at a corporate job. “I took up instrument manufacturing as a fun challenge,” said Dale. After an exhibit at The National Association of Music Merchants in Anaheim, California, in 1999, The Magic Fluke company was born. “We were casting finger boards and gluing these things together in our basement in New Hartford and it just took off,” Dale explained. “It was really a wild ride, it kind of had a life of its own.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Robert Cray’s soulful blues coming to Infinity Hall

Robert Cray

Photo provided

Blues legend Robert Cray will be bringing his stinging, funky guitar and soulful singing to Infinity Hall Norfolk on Friday, March 29.

A five-time Grammy winner, Cray has been inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame and earned The Americana Music Awards Lifetime Achievement for Performance. He has played with blues and rock icons including Albert Collins, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, The Rolling Stones, Tina Turner, Eric Clapton and many more.

Keep ReadingShow less