Westport in Brief!
EverythingWestport.com
Monday, April 26, 2010
Quick Article Index . . .
Artists
pursue pet perfection in WAG’s Fur & Feathers show.
Learning
about the birds and the bees, and pollination!
|
Artists pursue pet perfection in
WAG’s Fur & Feathers show. EverythingWestport.com Sunday,
April 25, 2010 View high resolution photos for this
article now 28 photos |
Broadband/DSL
speed |
But man’s best friend took the
spotlight and top honors as Sue Prideaux’s “Don’t Forget Me” was awarded
first prize. In a sentimental favorite, the pastel
“Smell the Flowers” by Mary Lou Murphy was selected as Most Expressive Animal
Painting. Left: Sue Prideaux’s “Don’t Forget Me” was awarded 1st prize.
Harrington - “A nice up front
composition, great color and handling of the medium.” Fine-feathered friends of all
varieties were represented as well with Paul Vien’s “Chickadee and
Rhododendron” (honorable mention), and Dorothy Wall’s “Chickadee.” As for the cat lovers, Margaret-Ann
Rice’s “Tale of the Tail” was awarded 2nd prize, and “Smell
the Flowers” by Mary Lou Murphy won Most
Expressive Animal Painting. There were 58 entries in the juried
show. As with all WAG exhibitions, ”Fur & Feathers was free and open to
the public. Call (508) 636-2114 for more information, or visit their website
at www.westportartgroup.com
Juror Richard
Harrington, a Rhode Island native, earned a BS degree in Industrial Arts
Education and a MEd in Special Education from Rhode Island College. He is an
award winning artist, and a juried member of several local art organizations.
A skilled teacher, he offers instruction and workshops in watercolor, acrylic
and monotype painting. As a believer in lifelong learning, he continues to
participate in numerous drawing and painting classes, including courses at
the Rhode Island School of Design and workshops throughout New England. His paintings cover a wide range of subjects: landscapes, flowers,
architecture, and still lifes. He paints what he sees, at times improvising
on the subject matter or inventing elements to enhance the image. Using
strong composition and saturated color, he paints in a realistic,
representational manner to capture the unique and quiet beauty around us.
Flowers from the garden, objects from around the house, family heirlooms and
yard sale treasures find their way into Richard’s colorful and expressive
paintings. Serene and quiet landscapes are often local scenes a short
distance away from home or from the familiar paths of Cape Cod. He maintains
studios in Barrington and Providence, Rhode Island. “I look for a unified and
accomplished body of skills, techniques, subject matter and/or style,”
Harrington said. “Work should have some original “content,” a message for the
viewers, a story to tell or an emotion to evoke.”
Left: second prize went to
Margret-Ann Rice’s “Tale of the Tail.” “A
creative use of the medium, wonderful presentation and an interesting story”
- Harrington. Right: another entry by Phyllis Adams, “Piping Plover.” Her
painting, “Misty Morning” (not shown) won third prize. Harrington: “An atmospheric rendering of a common
sight. Simple and direct composition. Good handling of the medium.”
Honorable Mentions. Left: “The Visitor” by Heide Hallemeier. Harrington -
“Handling of the watercolor paint is
quite good. Color, composition and the ‘look’ of the subject is pleasing.”
Center: Paul Vien’s “Chickadee and Rhododendren” was said by Harrington to
have “A very unified use of color,
composition and the medium.” Right: “Under the Moon” by Sharon Andrade.
Harrington - “Expressive use of the
medium. A great story.”
The Most
Expressive Animal Painting, “Smell the Flowers” by Mary Lou Murphy was
chosen by Kim Dennis (above), office manager of Acoaxet Veterinary Clinic of
Westport, with the competent assistance of daughter Emma. “I’m not an artist,” Dennis said. “I picked
the painting that most appealed to me.”
She faced the same dilemma as Bayside restaurateur Bob Carroll did
last year when he picked “Don’t Cry For Me” as the 2009 art show’s “most
appealing culinary painting.” “It was the onions,” Mr. Carroll had said.
“We use so many in the restaurant they just called out to me.” WAG President Heide Hallemeier announced
the winners and presented certificates and prizes, and reminded those in
attendance that the show would be moved to The Gallery at Westport Rivers
Vineyard and Winery to be exhibited from June 9 to 22. Awards were: First Prize
$100, Second Prize $75, Third Prize $50; plus a special prize of $100 in art
supplies donated by Acoaxet Veterinary Clinic of Westport awarded for the Most
Expressive Animal Painting. The awards were presented at the Reception and
Awards Ceremony on Sunday from 3 to 5 p.m. Clickhereget a list of winners and all participants. PDF View high resolution photos for this
article now 28 photos |
Broadband/DSL
speed |
WAG public relations mogul, Mary
Sexton (left), sharing a laugh with third prize winner Phyllis Adams
(center).
WAG president Heide Hallemeier
(center, standing) announced the awards. Learning about the birds and the
bees, and pollination! EverythingWestport.com Saturday,
April 24, 2010
“Hived honeybees are not native to
America,” Russ Hopping explained to the gathering that came to Westport’s
picturesque Town Farm to hear him speak about native pollinators such as bees
and butterflies and ways that you can attract them to your yard or garden. “Honeybees have done a good job at
pollinating, but have only been successful because they are so numerous,”
Hopping said. “We need to rebuild our native populations of pollinators like
the Mason Bee and others because the honey bees are in crisis”. What Hopping says
rings of the truth. According to “Native Pollinators in Agriculture,” pollinators,
which include bees, insects, birds, and other animals, are vital to
production agriculture. Approximately 30 percent of the food and fiber crops
grown throughout the world depend upon pollinators for reproduction. Recent
significant declines in populations of managed and native bees and other
pollinators pose a real threat to production agriculture that could result in
billions of dollars of economic losses to the sector and the national
economy. A number of initiatives and programs have been designed to rebuild
populations of native pollinators and enhance the pollination services that
they provide; however, leadership for most of these efforts has come largely
from outside the agricultural community. Hopping agrees. Hopping, joined by Lauren Miller of
Mass Audubon’s Allen’s Pond Wildlife Sanctuary, said that “For unknown
reasons, many native pollinators have been disappearing, but there are many things
you can do to bring them back from building bee houses and planting flowers
to adopting organic gardening and lawn care techniques.” He and Miller took guests on a tour of
the Town Farm, talking about the various methods of attracting native
pollinators to your garden and property, and how you can encourage them to
nest in the area by what you plant in your yard. “We’re losing large tracts of land
through development and damage,” Hopping said, “thereby creating a hostile
and barren community for honey bees. By being proactive on a yard by yard
basis we can start to undo this trend with native pollinators.” According to ThinkQuest: “In the early part of the 16th century, the Spanish
brought over the first honey bee colonies. English colonists did the same and
soon honey bees had escaped into the wild and were buzzing all over North
America. In some cases, the honey bees travelled in advance of the European
settlers and came in contact with Native American tribes, who dubbed them
"white man's flies." By the time the frontier had been settled,
late in the 19th century, honey bees were regarded as a natural part of the
insect world in North America.” “Beekeepers often use their bees for pollination of crops rather than
for honey production. In fact, one third of our food production is the direct
result of pollination by insects. So, although we will have to be more
cautious of honey bees in the future, they will remain an important part of
our environment.” Experts who have been tracking the declining populations of honey bees
don’t always agree as to the why they are shrinking. One writer, Sally Odum has said that
“The last three months of 2006,
beekeepers up and down the East Coast of the US were quietly reporting large
bee losses. Alarm bells were ringing in the “beekeeper world.” By January of
2007, it had spread beyond the Eastern US and Western states were also
reporting bee losses. As beekeepers in colder regions start reporting their
bee colony status in spring, the figures are expected to rise even higher.” Hopping and Miller demonstrated
nest-building methods, and distributed information to those who share their
mission to increase native pollinators. “There are about 4000 species of bees
in America,” Hopping said, “400 in New England alone. Bumble bees, mason
bees, carpenter and digger bees are a few that come to mind.”
Left: Ecologist Russ Hopping holds
bee tubes that can be place around your property to encourage nesting. Right:
A fine example of a bumble bee nesting box. Native Pollinator Web Sites
Additional information on the role native
pollinators can play in enhancing agricultural productivity and profitability
can be accessed at the following web sites: Natural Resources Conservation Service
(NRCS) ftp://ftp-fc.sc.egov.usda.gov/NH/WWW/New%20England_NRCS_Pollinator_Tech_Note_FINAL.pdf
Xerces Society http://www.xerces.org/pollinators-northeast-region/ Ecological Sciences of America (ESA) The Pollinator Partnership (PP) North American Pollinator Protection
Campaign (NAPPC) Carl Hayden ARS Research Center National Biological Information
Infrastructure pollinator site http://nbii-info.blogspot.com/2010/03/very-handy-manual-how-to-catch-and.html Forest Service "Celebrating
Wildflowers" site The National Agroforestry Center's
Agroforestry Notes features several articles on pollinators Field Conservation Management of
Native Leafcutting and Mason Osmia Bees: Fact Sheet No. 301, UMaine Extension
No. 2420 http://www.wildblueberries.maine.edu/PDF/Production/301.pdf home made mason bee paper liners that
work by Randy Person http://snohomish.wsu.edu/mg/ombblock/paper%20liners%20that%20work.pdf
PowerPoint version of above (must
have PowerPoint installed on your computer) http://www.slideworld.com/slideshows.aspx/Home-Made-Mason-Bee-Paper-Liners-That-Work-ppt-789512 - - - - - End - - - - - © 2010 Community Events
of Westport All rights reserved. EverythingWestport.com |
