Of course it figures that the one type of mint I really, really want to grow is possibly the only type of mint that is really, really fussy. I’m not talking about your garden-variety spearmint/peppermint/ chocolate mint plants, the kind that can overpower almost any of the weeds in a flowerbed (I use mint as groundcover under my peonies). I’m talking about a distant cousin called perilla, known to fans of Japanese food as the shiso or plum leaf. I’m not clear on why it’s called plum leaf when it’s actually a type of mint. And I’m not sure why it’s a type of mint if it’s so hard to grow.Most types of mint are so vigorous that even I can grow them from a cutting (and that’s saying something). Shiso has proved more difficult. I’ve tried to grow it from seeds and have failed several times (which isn’t all that surprising, since I usually don’t have much success with seeds). This year, I enlisted some help, in the form of my friend and former neighbor, Jimmy Lipton. Jimmy took one look at the seeds I ordered from the Internet and politely filed them away in the trash. He ordered some sturdier seeds from Johnny’s Selected Seeds and, with grow lights, peat pots and lots of tender loving care, he coaxed a dozen little plants to come to life from as many little seeds. I put them in my garden today, and am hoping they will turn into big, healthy plants that will provide me with a sharp-edged green that can enliven my salads (they’re especially good when paired with tomatoes), pep up platters full of asparagus and of course add bite to the wonderful Japanese sushi roll known as umejisho (rice, pickled Japanese plums, soy-sauce enhanced dried Bonito fish and shiso leaf, all wrapped in a nice crisp sheet of black nori seaweed). I love shiso for its flavor, which is almost indescribable, and for the cats-tongue rasp of the surface of the leaves. Shiso also has medicinal qualities and is used in ancient Chinese medicine to stimulate the immune system.Unfortunately, no shiso leaves were available for the photo for this week’s column; and since no one up here sells shiso leaves, it seems unfair to devote the whole column to them. All the other types of mint are now super-abundant, in backyard gardens and at farmstands and markets. Buy a bunch of it to throw in cold drinks. A simple club soda is way better with even a single sprig of mint. If you live in Japan, or are planning a visit there soon, you can sample a shiso-flavored Pepsi. And then of course there are mojitos, which can help you ingest loads and loads of mint (along with a big dose of rum and a fair amount of sugar). Mint has surprisingly significant health benefits, although probably not enough to offset the impact of a sugar-laced cocktail. It is believed to help your digestion. It’s supposed to be a really good antiseptic; not sure if that means you can crush leaves on an open wound when you’re out in the woods, to avoid infection. I think that’s one of the questions whose answer changes depending on whom you ask.Mint is also a diuretic, and can help reduce water retention. But if you do have multiple mojitos over the Memorial Day weekend, be sure to replenish the fluids in your body. Speaking of gardens, as we were, most serious backyard farmers of my acquaintance have planted their peas and are seeing sprouts. Whether or not you’ve planted some peas, do go out and buy some mint plants. By the time peas are at farmstands and markets, or by the time your peas have reached the edible stage, you should have more than enough mint to complete this recipe.Mint, pea and leek soupAdapted from Ina Garten’s “Barefoot Contessa at Home”Serves six2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts; 1 cup chopped shallots; 4 cups chicken stock; 5 cups freshly shelled peas or two (10-ounce) packages frozen peas; 2/3 cup chopped fresh mint leaves, loosely packed; 2 teaspoons coarse salt; 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 1/2 cup Greek yogurt Heat the butter in a large saucepan, add the leeks and shallot, and cook over medium-low heat for a few minutes, until the shallots are tender. Add the chicken stock, increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Add the peas and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until the peas are tender. (Frozen peas will take only 3 minutes.) Remove from the heat and add the mint, salt and pepper.Place a cup of soup in a blender, secure the lid on top and purée on low speed. With the blender still running, open the venthole in the lid and slowly add more soup until the blender is three-quarters full. Pour the soup into a large bowl. Repeat the blending process until all the soup is puréed. Whisk in the Greek yogurt and taste for seasoning. Serve hot.
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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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