The farmers are employing the new technology of silos in this continued recollection of life along Colebrook River, written by Helen Seymour in the 1950s:“Mr. Northway, Mr. Bourquin, Mr. Verchot, Mr. Hurd and Father furnished teams with hay rigs on the wagons to use in bringing the long corn stalks to the cutter. “The day before the machine came, the extra men arrived with hand corn knives and cut some of the corn, laying the long stalks so they could be easily picked up and placed on the wagons. “Seven o’clock next morning, the engine was started and the man on the first wagon loaded with corn handed Mr. Betts an armful of corn, which he fed to the chopper and up the blower went the first fodder for the cows next winter.“The men were paid a certain wage plus dinners (and what dinners!). Mother was fortunate, as Aunt Rocelia hired Mrs. Hurd to help her each year in preparing the food. “When I was 11, I, too, helped out. Dinner and two lunches were some work to prepare. Mother often had a large chicken pie, three vegetables, jelly, pickles, pie and coffee the first day and baked ham, vegetables, pineapple salad, hot rolls and cottage pudding with coffee the next.“The day the machine went to work, at seven o’clock, Mrs. Hurd started making delicious sugar cookies, while Mother fried a double recipe of her famous fried cakes. Then Mrs. Hurd and I began making sandwiches. Mother made hot coffee in the morning and a cold drink for the afternoon lunch. “About 10 o’clock, carrying baskets of sandwiches and cookies, and Father carrying the can of hot coffee and cups, we went to the fields to give the men lunch and a few minutes of rest. They had to work fast and steadily to keep the corn cutting machine busy.“Promptly at noon the men came in to wash for dinner. How busy we were serving them and how glad to rest and eat when they finished. At 3 o’clock it was lunch time again. Mother was always glad to see the last wagon leave after dinner the second day. “If we had rain, what a time! The men were wet if they tried to work and the cut corn spoiled if left on the ground, so they usually finished what was cut, then waited for a pleasant day.“Corn-cutting time was fun and exciting. Mr. Bourquin Sr., who spoke broken French, always took time to catch a few bull frogs and dress the legs for frying. He’d bring them to Mother and say, ‘For de leddle lady,’ meaning Doris, who was about 4 years old. They were good — just like chicken.“When the silo became nearly filled, a shorter man than Mr. Hurd was needed, so Felix often took his place. “One day after Felix had been tramping about an hour, Father climbed the ladder to check on things and found a heap of silage under the blower, and Felix either asleep or unconscious. “He called for help; the engine stopped and Felix wakened or aroused. He was so white and ill-looking that the men helped him down the ladder and rolled him in a blanket in the shade. “It was a rule, ‘No hard liquor,’ when cutting corn, as it was dangerous work around the machine, belts and those wicked sharp corn knives. No liquor could be found. It was a mystery what made Felix ill. He couldn’t or wouldn’t say; he just kept repeating, ‘Me dizzy, oh so dizzy.’ “About two months later, when Father was forking out silage, his fork caught in a stout cord fastened to a support in the side of the silo. Pushing the silage away, the cord came in sight, and tied to it was a small empty jug. Its contents had caused Felix to be ‘ill.’ He had smuggled in some ‘home brew,’ and no wonder he was ‘oh so dizzy’!“The Larkin Co. catalogue played as big a part in our young lives as did the Sears Roebuck catalogue in the lives of other youngsters. We’d look at the pictures of the premiums and long for so many things, but we set our hearts on a lawn swing and croquet set and talked of nothing else. “Money wasn’t plentiful in farm families, and we were delighted when Father said to the four of us, ‘If you will pick up those small stones on the lower half of the upper field, I’ll pay you money to use for a lawn swing, and if you clear the entire field, I’ll add a croquet set.’ We were to use Charles’ little wagon and empty it on the stone boat for the horse to draw away later.“We went to work as soon as the field was dry, and by vacation time we had the entire field cleared. We worked after school, Saturdays and spring vacations; we were sick of the sight of stones. The thought of the prizes, though, kept us at the task with never a complaint. “Mother sent in the order, and we could hardly wait to receive the prizes. The day finally arrived when Father took the farm wagon and went to the Winsted freight office and brought home the swing and croquet set. The entire family enjoyed both immensely, and so did our friends. “During our growing up time, the croquet set was replaced twice and the lawn swing three times. The new ones we also earned by ‘getting up a Larkin order.’ All our neighbors bought from the fine list of supplies: soap, coffee, tea, cocoa, perfume, etc., and we earned the swing or croquet set for doing the work.“The Farmington River, which flowed past our farm, abounded in muskrats, and their skins brought in quite a little income if you were willing to work. “Charles bought a few traps and learned how to set them and fasten them securely so that a trapped muskrat, accidently caught by one foot, wouldn’t carry the trap off and himself slowly die. It meant early visits to the traps on nippy, frosty mornings before school, but Charles faithfully did this.“Father taught him to skin the muskrats and stretch the skins inside out on special shaped boards to dry. When they were ready to be sold, Charles sent for Al Simons, who came and judged their value, and Charles proudly added the money to his bank account. “For several winters he carried on his business quite profitably. One winter he caught an otter. He tried to trap the beavers, who had a den in our pond, but they were too smart to get caught. “We liked to visit the pond and catch a glimpse of those beavers. We often did see them, but they would catch our scent and we’d hear the slap of a flat tail on the water. They were gone like a flash; gone to their den until we left.” Bob Grigg is the town historian in Colebrook.
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Textile designer Justine Valla sits in her father’s chair, which she painted, alongside her husband, illustrator and muralist Victor Valla, in their Atelier Valla studio.
“I was always drawing as a child,” Justine recalled. Victor dreamed of illustrating magazine covers like those of the “Saturday Evening Post.”
Victor studied design and illustration at Rochester Institute of Technology, then received a fellowship to study painting and printmaking at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaigne. He graduated in 1967. The following year, he received a grant from the Tiffany Foundation to study printmaking in Paris at Atelier 17, an experimental graphic arts workshop founded in 1927.
“What a great experience that was!” he recalled.
Returning home after the Paris uprisings of 1968, he discovered that the magazine covers he’d hoped to paint had largely given way to photography. His agent suggested trying record covers, which he pursued along with illustration and graphic design.
He also began teaching at Kean University in New Jersey.
“Kean had a wonderful graphic design and illustration department. I loved teaching Graphic Design, even though I never thought I would.”
He later taught at Syracuse University and Pennsylvania College of Art and Design.
In the late 1980s, he decided to stop teaching and concentrate on his own art. He moved to Falls Village, to a house on the corner of Minor and Prospect Streets.
“I used to call the studio ‘Minor Prospects Atelier,’” he said.
He continued working in illustration and graphic design, creating book covers for stories by H.P. Lovecraft and other authors, along with magazine covers, logos, advertising and murals.
Justine and Victor Valla in their studio with a painting of Victor’s,”Jonah and the Whale.” Robin Roraback
His local commissions include the green and gold Noble Horizons signage and wall murals for the Stockbridge Inn, the Spa at Norwich Inn, Orchards Hotel in Williamstown and the David M. Hunt Library’s children’s section.
Justine grew up in the Bronx and studied at the Fashion Institute of Technology. After graduating, she took on whatever work she could find, including designing toys and novelty items for Russ Berrie. But her true calling was textile design.
She moved to Los Angeles to pursue that calling, where she learned silkscreen printing from 1960s design icon Corita Kent.
“I was in her program at Immaculate Heart College. All fabric design at that time was silk screen. My first job in textile design was in L.A., creating wallpaper for Bob Mitchell Design.”
Justine returned to New York City, where the advent of computers required her to learn new design techniques. She enrolled at Parsons School of Design, studying Photoshop, Illustrator, Lectra U4ia and Kaledo.
Around this time, she met Victor online and moved to Falls Village.
A recruiter found her a job in Arkansas at Dillard’s, a department store chain operating in 30 states and known for its exclusive designer collections.
“They had the best equipment I’d ever seen,” she said.
She became a senior computer-aided design designer there, designing fabric and preparing purchased designs for production.
The Vallas left Falls Village for Little Rock.
“It was a big move,” she said. “It was a different culture, but Little Rock was very progressive.”
The originally planned to stay in Arkansas for five years but ended up remaining for nearly 10.
Then Justine was hit by a car. She suffered injuries to her leg and head and required four years of rehabilitation.
“I lost the ability to paint after the accident. I struggled to paint again.”
The Vallas returned to Connecticut, this time settling in Salisbury, where they’ve lived since 2013.
After leaving Dillard’s, Justine had planned to sell her work through Printsource in New York City, an international showcase for surface and textile design. But after the accident, she no longer had the mobility or energy to travel back and forth to the city.
Instead, she began selling her work locally at craft shows, including clothing, hand-printed tea towels and floorcloths.
She is currently working on selling her collection of textile designs.
In December, Justine will have a show of her tea-themed watercolors at the NorthEast-Millerton Library.
Victor recently exhibited “The American West: A Pictural History” at the NorthEast-Millerton Library. The series, created in the early 1990s, was part of a commission from the Postal Commemorative Society for which he completed 100 paintings in two years.
He hopes to place the series in a museum and has created books from its images, complete with text. Over the years, he has designed many other books that are ready for publication, including “Looking In, Looking Out,” a cosmic view of the universe.
Reflecting on his career, Victor said, “It’s about doing what you love”.
Justine agreed.
To see, purchase or commission work, contact Justine at justinevalla@gmail.com or Victor at victorvalla@comcast.net, or call 860-596-4282.
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Jane Herold’s beautifully simple dinnerware.
Cornwall ceramicist Jane Herold explained that there’s quite a lot of enthusiasm for Clay Way among the region’s ceramic artists.
“We all need work space, which is hard to find or afford in urban areas. The wood-fire crowd needs lots of wood and outdoor space. This area is great because it’s rural enough for us, but has a wonderfully enthusiastic and supportive population of pottery [patrons].”
While many of the artists are returning from previous years, the loose collection of unofficial organizers likes to keep the event manageable for the public, limiting the number of artists and studios each year. A direct drive from the southernmost point at Ann Heywood’s studio in Wingdale to Herold’s big barn in Cornwall is under 40 minutes. But if you want to catch it all, plan for a full day’s worth of art exploration along some of the most beautiful roads in New England.
Starting at its northernmost point, Herold’s studio will host Matin Malikzada of Afghanistan, whose polished, modern interpretations of traditional forms are instantly recognizable. They’ll be joined by wood-fired ceramicists Steve Johnson, with his raw, organic forms, and Harry Levenstein, whose works relate closely to Johnson’s while making even more direct references to nature.
Herold herself creates work that is both beautiful and utilitarian. Her prolific output of objects is intended to be used by everyday people as part of their daily lives.
Moving south is Todd Piker of Cornwall Bridge Pottery. Piker has been making pots in his giant wood-fired kiln since 1971. The kiln looks more like an ancient blast furnace than something designed to transform clay into ceramics, but over the years, he’s mastered its intricacies and produces an impressive amount of fine work.
A ceramic vase by Kathleen Heidemann.Provided
Piker will host Sanah Peterson, who works at Cornwall Bridge Pottery and draws inspiration from both her time with Piker and her time traveling the globe as a child. They’ll be joined by Stephanie Haines, whose vibrant, eye-catching work features underglaze illustrations of birds, fruit and the bounty of nature.
Further along in Warren, Jessica Dubin’s pieces will be on display at the studio of Christine Owen. Both artists seem to appreciate the chaos and unpredictable nature of clay but find ways to refine it all using their own unique methods.
Heading east to Washington, Conn., Will Talbot’s creates intricate work while allowing for the unpredictable nature of clay to play a role. His studio will house Tom Knox and his wide variety of textures and forms, as well as New York City-based Alex Lebedev, who lets music and the nature of improvisation guide his work.
There will be two studios participating in South Kent. Alison Palmner, whose page on the Clay Way website states she “strives to achieve a lighthearted meld of human forms, animals and the vessel.” Her studio will host Ben Eberle, who trained under the guidance of legendary potter Toshiko Takaezu; James Guggina, whose intricate work can appear both deliberate and whimsical; and Paula Shalan, who blends rough, unrefined surfaces with polished precision in individual pieces.
Joy Brown’s delightful ceramic sculptures.Provided
Nearby is Joy Brown, whose work have become a staple of the area, with her figurative sculptures dotting the Northwest Corner. Brown’s studio will also feature Bonnie Levine, who taps into the beauty of chaos and destruction in her work, and Brendan Moore, whose more utilitarian forms are perfect for everyday use.
Finally, the tour crosses the border into Wingdale, New York, where the studios of Drew Montgomery, Ann Heywood and Amy Brenner will host Jackie Sedlock, Lynn Behrendt,and Kathleen Heidemann.
Brenner creates some of the most colorful and vibrant pieces on the tour, while Behrendt’s work is among the most studied and precise. Heywood creates carefully considered, intuitive forms, while Heidemann moves from simple minimalism to intricate textures. Montgomery and Sedlock both find new ways of playing with traditional forms, producing delightfully distinctive pieces.
To learn more about the artists and download a map of participating studios, visit clayway.net
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