In time for spring training, Sally Cook of Cornwall and Jim Charlton of Lakeville have published a new illustrated book, called, “How To Speak Baseball.”The delightful, nearly pocket-sized book is a collection of about 200 examples (in alphabetical order) of terms from the oldest American sport’s very colorful language. The authors also collaborated on the children’s book, “Hey Batta Batta Swing: The Wild Old Days of Baseball.” Their illustrator and former collaborator, Ross MacDonald, joined the team again, producing dozens of illustrations to clarify terms — or at least throw humorous curve balls into the mix.The terms they found, for the most part, go beyond the words a superficial fan of the sport might know. Glove Man, for example, is a good fielder. A flamethrower is a good fastball pitcher (the book illustrates it with a drawing of a batter ducking a flaming baseball). For a looper, a softly hit single, MacDonald replaced the bat with a teddy bear. For grand salami — a nickname for a grand slam homerun — MacDonald drew a large salami sausage flying over the New York City skyline. Cook is a huge baseball fan (she roots for the Yankees). When not in Cornwall, she lives in New York City and works for Project Sunshine. One of her tasks is to bring children’s authors to hospitals to read to seriously ill young people. Charlton, a retired editor, publisher and agent, former publisher of the Society for American Baseball Research and a part-time Lakeville resident was the font of knowledge for the terms. “They just sort of bubbled to the surface,” he said.There are also dictionaries and one major reference book that have attempted a comprehensive look at baseball slang, that were credible sources.“They, understandably come off as very dry. We weren’t trying to do that here. I grew up steeped in baseball and bubble-gum cards and we went with terms that struck our fancy,” he said.As noted in the new book’s introduction, there are more than 5,000 terms out there coined by players, coaches, fans and commentators. As with any language, it is always changing.“It’s slang, and slang is somewhat ephemeral,” Charlton said. “Some of the terms in the book are not really in use anymore, and there are terms that if someone used to a ballplayer 30 years ago, he’d just scratch his head.”As for the drawings, Charlton said MacDonald was given no direction. He overheard him say at the book launch that he chose to illustrate terms he could do a “gag” on, or that appealed to him. “I think it really adds to the fun of the book,” Charlton said.Asked for some of their favorites, Charlton came up with “can of corn,” which describes an easy fly ball. “Hard cheese” is a newish term for a fastball that strikes his funny bone. He remains intrigued by “bull pen,” which is so commonly used it would seem to be — but is not — the official name for the pitchers’ warm-up area. He has not been able to determine the term’s origin.Cook is particularly fond of “Tools of Ignorance,” referring to catchers’ equipment. She has always admired those who play a difficult position that is not given the credit it deserves. Its book entry is one of the longest, explaining that it is an ironic term, and that more catchers become team managers than any other field position.“It’s as if the catcher,” the authors wrote, “after being hit with foul tips and flung bats and runners barreling into him, looks at himself and says, ‘Man, I must be an idiot to play this position.’”Cook is now working on a deal for a graphic novel based on the 2012 “Yankee Miracles” book that she co-authored with Ray Negron. The story of Negron’s career, from batboy and clubhouse lackey to community advisor for the team, and his interaction with some of baseball’s legends, will play out in a graphic novel for young readers, tentatively titled, “The Boss and the Bat Boy.”“The story is so perfect,” she said. “It may turn some kids around.” Gerry Bliss, a cover artist for The New Yorker magazine, is doing the illustrations.“I’ve seen some of his panels and I’m very excited about the project,” Cook said. “It’s a totally different way of writing. I have to think much more visually.”Actor Richard Gere has been reportedly shopping “Yankee Miracles” around Hollywood as a screenplay he wants to direct.Booksignings for “How To Speak Baseball” are coming up at the Wish House in Cornwall on May 20, 11 a.m. to noon, and at the Hickory Stick Bookshop in Washington on May 24, at 2 p.m.Spring trainingIf you want to get in mental shape for the 2014 baseball season, take this quiz featuring baseball terms from the new book, “How To Speak Baseball,” by Sally Cook and Jim Charlton, with illustrations by Ross MacDonald.1. Baltimore ChopA. A batted ball that takes a high bounce after hitting the ground in front of the plate.B. What to order at Camden Yards if you don’t like crab cakes.C. A Texas Leaguer.D. A hit to the opposite field.2. Banjo HitterA. Opposite of a piccolo hitter.B. An on-deck hitter.C. A leadoff batter.D. A hitter with no power.3. Can of CornA. An easy fly ball to catch.B. A healthy alternative to chewing tobacco.C. Hazing ritual where rookies carry cans of vegetables in their uniforms.D. Catch made, but almost dropped, by an outfielder.4. Cup of CoffeeA. Another name for the seventh-inning stretch.B. A minor league player who makes a brief appearance in the majors.C. Comes from the Cricket term for tea break, when a batter calls time out.D. When a pitcher is removed from the game.5. Dying QuailA. Texas Leaguer.B. Little Looper.C. Duck Snort.D. A Flare.6. Hit It on the ScrewsA. 19th-century term when a batter got a hit with a repaired bat.B. Hitting the ball on the bat’s trademark.C. When a batter connects solidly with a pitch.D. For one season, stitches on a ball were replaced by tiny screws.7. Move ’Em OverA. A signal to the outfield to shift positions.B. Advice to a hitter when runners are on first, or first and second, with fewer than two outs.C. Manager’s signal to a pitcher to intentionally walk a batter.D. When a star motions to a bench player to make room for him to sit.8. PortsiderA. Name of the Mariners’ mascot.B. Red Sox fan.C. A left handed batter.D. A left handed pitcher.9. RhubarbA. Also known as a can of corn or peas.B. When a pitch breaks a hitter’s bat.C. A painful bruise incurred when sliding. A strawberry.D. An argument, usually between a player or manager and an umpire.10. Right Down BroadwayA. Where the Yankees hold their victory parades. “The Canyon of Champions.”B. A pitch down the middle of the plate.C. A ball hit over second base.D. A fastball.11. Sawed Off His BatA. A trick played on rookies.B. Cheating. Also known as “corking a bat.”C. When a hitter breaks his bat swinging at an inside pitch.D. When a bat is too long.12. PhenomA. A rarely seen occurrence, such as a triple play.B. An exceptionally talented prospect.C. Also a fee-nom, a player signed for 30 days.D. A player shorter than 5 feet 7 inches.Answers1. A, 2. D, 3. A, 4. B, 5. All are correct, 6. C, 7. B, 8. D, 9. D, 10. B, 11. C, 12. B
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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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