IMAGES AND STORIES
MARCH 25, 2016 – APRIL 20, 2016
CAROL PERRON SOMMERFIELD
THE STORIES BEHIND
THE PAINTINGS
Images and stories copyrighted by Carol Sommerfield. use only with permission.
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IMAGES AND STORIES
“We tell ourselves stories in order to live.” Joan Didion
What attracts me to a subject? I am smitten with mysteries, place, and
humor. My subjects call to me and I willingly oblige their siren call.
Sometimes the story is about the painting itself. Each painting in my world
assumes its own personality, and once it is born and talking I believe it is
my role, like a good parent, to listen and let it be what it wants to be. As any
parent knows, it can be very hard to let go of parental control.
Other times, as in the Abandoned series, I don’t know the story and it is the
mystery that seduces me. Painting doesn’t solve the mystery, but it allows
me to pique the interests of others. Who lived here? Why did they leave?
What will happen next? There is nothing like sharing a good mystery.
Often times I paint places that I return to again and again. Lake Muskoday
and The Methol Swamp are two of these places. When I paint these
landscapes I enter into a very special and intimate relationship with this land
I have known and loved for over half a century.
My tools are always color, light and reflection. My utmost desire is to share
with the viewer what I feel and see in these subjects, and to share their
stories.
This exhibit showcases paintings from many of my series. The subjects are
rendered in oil, acrylic, pastel and watercolor. All have stories. I imagine the
din of conversation in the gallery between them each evening after the lights
are off and they can tell their stories to each other.
This exhibit is dedicated to my life partner, husband, and best friend, Lee. Thank
you for schlepping, hanging, supporting, and encouraging. I couldn’t do it without
you.
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Contents
Abandoned .................................................................................................................................................................5
Fire................................................................................................................................................................................6
Hilton Head and Watercolors ..............................................................................................................................7
Lake Muskoday ........................................................................................................................................................8
Lakebed: The “Big Empty” ..................................................................................................................................9
Northern Lights ...................................................................................................................................................... 10
The Grand Union Series...................................................................................................................................... 11
Where There’s Smoke, There’s Blood ........................................................................................................... 12
Abandoned: The story behind each painting.............................................................................................. 13
Abandoned Farm - Roscoe ............................................................................................................................ 14
Abandoned Interior, Tennanah Lake ......................................................................................................... 15
Abandoned House - 1 ...................................................................................................................................... 15
Abandoned House, Tennanah Lake Road, Roscoe ............................................................................... 16
Abandoned Interior – Tennanah Lodge #1 ............................................................................................. 17
Abandoned Interior – Tennanah Lodge #2 ............................................................................................. 18
Abandoned Store - Parksville ....................................................................................................................... 18
Abandoned Turnip Farm ................................................................................................................................. 19
After The Storm ................................................................................................................................................. 20
Another Time ...................................................................................................................................................... 20
Barn – Eminence Road .................................................................................................................................... 21
Big Willie’s............................................................................................................................................................ 22
Boarded Up – Livingston Manor .................................................................................................................. 22
Broken Glass with Hornet’s Nest ................................................................................................................. 23
Broken Window, Freed Curtain .................................................................................................................... 23
Collapsed Building - Grossingers ................................................................................................................ 24
Condemned ......................................................................................................................................................... 25
Discovered By Accident .................................................................................................................................. 25
Drugs, Coca-Cola, and Cosmetics .............................................................................................................. 26
Forgotten, Tennanah Lake............................................................................................................................. 27
Forsook ................................................................................................................................................................. 28
Ghosts In The Meadow ................................................................................................................................... 28
Haunted ................................................................................................................................................................ 29
Left, Cooks Falls ................................................................................................................................................ 30
Open Door, Abandoned House ..................................................................................................................... 30
No ATVs ................................................................................................................................................................ 31
No Smoking ......................................................................................................................................................... 32
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Nothing Left (for T.J.)...................................................................................................................................... 32
Survived The Winter ........................................................................................................................................ 33
Tapken Lodge ..................................................................................................................................................... 33
The Bulldozer Cometh ..................................................................................................................................... 34
The Porch Bites The Dust ............................................................................................................................... 35
Tyvek House, Lake Muskoday ...................................................................................................................... 36
Waiting .................................................................................................................................................................. 36
Artist Resume ......................................................................................................................................................... 37
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Abandoned
The story behind the pictures
I have always been drawn to abandoned houses. I think it is the mystery. They are like a novel
missing the last chapter; where we find out what happened to the characters. Why are they left?
Who lived there? What memories are etched into the soul of the structure? What hopes are also
abandoned? Why doesn’t anyone claim these structures? Why must they wait, season after
season, until they finally crumble back into the earth?
I began painting abandoned houses in 2011. I often return to the same houses each season to
mark changes as they slowly transition back to the earth. Sometimes they are saved and it
brings me joy to see that someone else saw the merit and beauty of the building. Too often they
continue their decline, tenuously defying the elements and gravity.
Yes, these houses had much better days. Yet they are still strong and vibrant as they slowly
transition to another, final state. Their decline is beautiful to me. I hope I age as gracefully.
I was driven to paint this series. Only after I had completed many of the paintings did I begin to
realize that these paintings of abandoned structures were a metaphor for me. I am a career
consultant and since 2011 I have been helping many older workers who had been laid off. They
had so much to offer, so much value, and so much history. And yet they were overlooked,
rejected, and pushed aside for the new. Just like the structures I was painting. That, I believe,
was the connection that fueled my drive to paint this series.
For the stories of each of the paintings in this series, please refer to “Abandoned: The Stories
behind each painting” in this book.
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Fire
The story behind the pictures
During the 2014 lakebed experience at Lake Muskoday we ended that incredible summer with a
huge bonfire on the lakebed. My brother collected stumps, logs, and other debris that was
persevered for 100 years underwater, only to be exposed and dried when the lake was drained.
The fire was 20 feet tall and it was magnificent. I did a painting of that bonfire and I found that
during the process I was most attracted to painting the fire rather than the surrounding
landscape. After painting the Northern Lights I felt it was time to focus on the opposite. A bit of
yin and yang.
And so the abstraction of fire became my interest. Honestly, it may also have had its origins in
our very low thermostat temperature during the winter. Thanks to my budget friendly husband,
the warmth of fire became an obsession.
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Hilton Head and Watercolors
The story behind the pictures
Hilton Head
Hilton Head is a new place for me. Luckily we have dear friends and family who invite us down
every one to two years. Anyone who knows us well knows about the Sommerfield curse. That
curse promises bad weather for every vacation. Sure enough, our visits to Hilton Head supply
ample material for the moody landscape genre. It seems every time we go to the beach, grey
clouds rush there first. Though not good for sunbathing or swimming, I have come to
appreciate the mercurial clouds and the dramatic landscape and light it offers. Yes, I agree, it
is a case of making lemonade out of lemons, but clouds do make an interesting painting.
Watercolors
There is something new in this show – watercolors. I have had an ongoing feud with
watercolors for decades. It was a medium I ignored. Sure, I had all the papers, paints, and
brushes. I had no desire to even try. My experience of watercolor was of one big fight that
ended in frustration (watercolor always won). I admit I am a control freak. I like mediums that
bend to my will. I have no patience for spoiled brat mediums that insist on having their own
way. And that it is how it stood for decades.
Then along came Gina Lombardi Bratter. Gina is the most creative person I have ever met. She
is a whirlwind of creative ideas, passion, and talent all packaged in the most generous, kind,
enthusiastic, and vivacious soul. I cautiously started taking watercolor classes with Gina. Gina
made me fearless! Like a great Zen master, she taught me to follow the lead of the emerging
watercolor. I learned that watercolor is not about control – it is about letting the image evolve,
and then coaxing it to life. In addition to helping me love watercolor, I think Gina also taught
me a huge life lesson.
I now find that watercolor is a process unlike any other and I enjoy letting the painting lead and
getting lost in that process. It is very different for me, and I think some really interesting work
has evolved.
I highly recommend Gina – if you are interested in learning more about her classes, e-mail her
at [email protected] and get ready for a fun and creative journey.
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Lake Muskoday
The story behind the pictures
Can you have an affair with a place? I think you can. Lake Muskoday is my love, and as I tell
Lee, my husband, it could be worse. At least his competition is a place. Rather easy to manage;
less easy to understand.
In 1962 my parents set their sights on a parcel of undeveloped land on Lake Muskoday in
Roscoe, New York. There were no power lines, telephone lines, water service, nor even a road.
My parents built a house with all basic amenities of modern living, and they left the land wild
and untamed.
And that is how the love affair began. I have summered at this magical place for over half a
century. It is truly a part of my soul, and like migrating birds in the spring, I yearn to return
each year. It is a primal and visceral call that I must heed.
This is my renewal place. It is the place that contains my ongoing history. I can mark my time
by the height of the blueberry bushes, by how many docks we’ve had to replace, and by how
many times the beaver has made his hut on the west side of our lakefront. I share these
memories with my brother and now my husband, and with the wonderful friends I have made
along the way.
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Lakebed: The “Big Empty”
The story behind the pictures
In the summer of 2014 Lake Muskoday, in Roscoe, N.Y., went through a transformative
change. It was drained to allow reconstruction of its nearly 100 year old earthen and rock
dam. While many thought it wise to skip the summer of 2014 at the lake, I decided to stay
and paint the transition. Some of those paintings, part of the Lakebed Series, are on
display in this show, Images and Stories.
There were many surprises as the manmade lake was being drained. An old stone bridge
appeared, as did the fence posts of the original pasture, which was flooded in 1923. The
biggest surprise, however, was the landscape. By August the lakebed had dried enough to
allow residents to walk where they use to swim and boat. To me this eerie new landscape
was compelling, and I found myself deeply inspired by this unusual muse. I walked the
lakebed almost every day, witnessing its transformation as the water was drained. It took
me awhile to process it, and it was only in late November when I felt I could do it justice on
canvas; since then I have been obsessed with trying to share the sense of stark beauty in
that revealed landscape.
The dam has now been replaced and the lake has filled to its normal level. Though I love
painting the lake, I will miss the lakebed, which was last seen 100 years ago. I feel
privileged to have witnessed its reappearance.
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Northern Lights
The story behind the pictures
I must confess. I have never seen the Northern Lights. Seeing the Northern Lights is at the top
of my bucket list, and I have tried. I’ve been to Alaska, to Calgary, to Norway. But they elude
me. To rub salt in the wound, my brother has seen the Northern Lights at our summer home on
Lake Muskoday. But not me. They remain a fantasy and a burning desire.
During the summer of 2015, while at Lake Muskoday, I saw a vibrant double rainbow over the
lake. It was quite astonishing and it lasted for more than 30 minutes. I sat in awe watching the
spectacle of pure color. For a fleeting moment I thought about painting it. Oh, how corny! As
beautiful as it was, any rendering of it would diminish its beauty and power in a cliché.
Then I thought about it a bit more. All the colors I saw in that rainbow are the same colors in
the Northern Lights, but only in a different structure. Perhaps I could combine two desires in
one; the wish to paint the essence of that rainbow and my longing to experience the Northern
Lights.
Within a week in the studio I painted multiple interpretations of the Northern Lights, inspired by
the colors of that rainbow. As a representational painter it wasn’t easy to abstract. Now, when I
look at them, I love the colors and intensity. I can’t take credit for that – it was all the
rainbow’s doing.
P.S. I am still searching for the Northern Light experience. Until then I am content to paint my
fantasy of them.
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The Grand Union Series
The story behind the pictures
Between 1976 and 1978 I started a series of large still life paintings which I humorously
called the Grand Union Series, after the now defunct food chain. I had a great deal of fun
with this series. Much of it was done tongue in cheek. The sexual innuendoes in the
combinations of fruits were deliberate. The names of the canned and wrapped fruits and
vegetables were too good to be true. Imagine my joy when I found a label that said
“Thoroughly Modern Mushrooms”. A journey to the supermarket yielded unending subject
matter. I was thankful to marketing departments for so conveniently putting the fruits and
food into packaging that complemented the color and texture of the food. This was a
painter’s dream come true. I saw saran wrap, plastic bags, aluminum foil and cellophane as
important parts of the still life – for they are now a permanent part of our food shopping,
preparation, and storage experience.
I’ve lost track of many of the 20 paintings from this series, as most are in private collections.
I still smile when I see one. They are like old, bold friends. In the end they were my talisman,
sending me forward boldly into life.
Shortly after 1978 I stopped painting and took a 32 year break from art as I pursued a career
as a corporate executive. I returned to painting again in the summer of 2010.
Now, more than 36 years later, I have reopened this still life series to see what happens. I
discovered that I can’t just pick up the Grand Union series where I left off. I’ve changed too
much for that. What is emerging is a different style, with a much different feel.
My interest in the sex life of vegetables remains intact, and it is in this series where I have
the most fun and play. The Vegetable Striptease and Spilled Seed series continue that
tongue-in-cheek theme. The paintings are now more vibrant, optimistic, fun, bold, and
colorful. I find that I get lost in these simple, but sensuous, fruits and vegetables. Perhaps
more than any other series this one is the one that is closest to my inner being.
I’m not sure where this is headed, but I’ll let it evolve and go along for the ride.
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Where There’s Smoke, There’s Blood
The story behind the pictures
During the summer of 2015 I wanted to push myself into abstraction. Not personally, just in
painting. I know, most people think it is so much easier than representational painting. But,
contrary to what you may think, it is not. It is really, really hard. I found myself lost, struggling,
overthinking, and often ruining some nice canvases. Things just weren’t working out. What I’ve
learned about painting is that if you are fighting the canvas it is best to stop and rethink –
something is wrong. I was in a boxing match with my canvases. I stopped, disappointed, and
returned to representational work.
In the fall of 2015 we were vacationing with our good friends Trish and Mike Wagner. During a
long and boring car ride through the Keys Trish said, “You know, where there’s smoke, there’s
blood.” Well we all howled with laughter at her mistake and, as a fellow blonde, I could
appreciate the ‘blondism’ of the moment.
And then that expression just wouldn’t leave me alone. I thought it was much more profound
than “where there’s smoke, there’s fire”. There were a lot of layers to this new crazy
expression. I felt compelled to paint it. Inspired by the work of Eric Aho, I moved forward into
trying to capture the feel of a thing rather than the thing itself.
The series Where There’s Smoke, There’s Blood originated in a funny twist of words, but I
soon realized it was much more. There was the funny side, and then there was the profound
side; the reality that bombards us every day. Yes, it is sadly true, where there’s smoke, there’s
blood.
There is still more to paint in this series. I find that all of a sudden I have a strong desire to
create a painting in this series. Perhaps it is my subconscious reaction to world events.
Whatever it is, the series is emerging and seems to have a life of its own.
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Abandoned: The story behind each painting
These are the stories of the houses in the series. Only some of the
paintings are in this show. All paintings not part of a collection are
available for sale. Enjoy their stories!
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Abandoned Farm - Roscoe
2015
Oil on Canvas
24X30
Collection of Dina and Paul Monte
I've know this farm since I was seven years old. For over 50 years I have passed it
on my trips up and down to Roscoe, NY from Lake Muskoday. In its prime it was a
working farm, with a large barn and hay fields that were cut three times a season.
The fields had a stunning view of the valley in which Roscoe sits. I suspect the
farmer had many a moment when he just stopped working to take in that view.
About 15 years ago the place began to decline, primarily because the farmer couple
who owned and cared for the house, barn, and fields got old. The first to go was the
barn, which was taken down by snow load one winter. Then the house and gardens
began to look ragged. Though still inhabited, the couple could no longer maintain
the farm or the house.
Seven years ago it was abandoned. I don't know what happened to the couple who
lived there, but they departed one way or another. Soon plywood went up over
broken windows, the fields went wild, and the gardens were freed. It sits alone,
looking over that view, unable to share it with its owners.
In June of 2014 I saw that it was truly abandoned and beginning to decline quickly.
I took many pictures, wondering how I would pay tribute to this old friend of five
decades. During the harsh winter of 2015 I decided it was time to remember that
day and approach the subject in the studio. The painting just popped out - clearly
having patiently waited for me to give it a voice.
In early May of 2015 I visited this farm again. The winter of 2015 was not kind to
it. Several holes now appear in its roof - not a good sign for this house. I expect it
will only last another winter or two. But for now it still stands proudly, surveying its
fields and that incredible view to Roscoe in the valley below.
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Abandoned Interior, Tennanah Lake
2013
Oil on Canvas
20X24
Collection of Mimi Sommerfield
This house has a special draw for me. It was abandoned long ago and I have
passed it on my way to town for decades. Each year I watch it become frailer, and
yet more and more intriguing. One morning, at 6 am, I passed the house to find
the light strangely illuminating the old chair in the room. It was absolutely glowing,
as if the soul of the house had been freed of its timbers for a moment. It was a
moment I couldn’t let pass.
Abandoned House - 1
2013
Oil on Canvas
20X24
Who knew that junk on a roof could be an artist's delight? Whatever this debris
was, it was reflecting the clear blue sky above. The windows were boarded up with
plywood so I have no idea about the state of the house. I loved the structure, color,
and pattern of decay.
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Abandoned House, Tennanah Lake Road, Roscoe
2014
Oil on Canvas
18X24
Collection of Nancy and Ed Fox
My parents bought land on Lake Muskoday in Roscoe, NY in 1962. Since that time I
have taken Tennanah Lake Road to our lake house every summer. This house sat
directly down the mountain from the Campbell Inn, which you can see vaguely in
this painting on the hill. For over three decades I passed this house, and for most of
those years it was a beautiful farmhouse, not much different from the other proud
farmhouses that dotted the landscape. It was my beacon. When I saw that house I
was almost at my soul place.
Because it never changed from year to year I never gave it much thought. It was
an icon, a permanent piece of the landscape that welcomed us every spring and
said goodbye to us every fall. I never knew who lived there, but at one point there
must have been a lot of people. The house was as long as it was wide.
I finally did begin to pay attention to the house when it changed. It began to look
shabby and unkempt. I began to notice an elderly woman, stooped and slow, who
walked the grounds. It seemed that the house and its lone resident were declining
in tandem.
One February we took a trip to see the lake in winter and as we passed this house
it was empty. I assume the owner died and the house was on a fast decent to its
own death. I think of this story as a love story - once the house lost its life partner
it had no reason to live much longer. And that was its fate. It was torn down
shortly thereafter.
The land has since healed and the only clues that a family and a house lived here
are the lilac trees that bloom in the spring, and the apples that drop from the trees
in the fall. It is gone, but not forgotten by those of us who knew of it. I miss the
house, but its spirit lives on.
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Abandoned Interior – Tennanah Lodge #1
2015
Oil on Canvas
24X30
This one is special to me. During the 70’s I worked a few of my summers in the
Borscht Belt. Specifically I worked as a waitress at the Tennanah Lake Shore Lodge.
I wasn’t a very good waitress, but I enjoyed the elderly clients immensely. I lived
at the hotel and reveled in the fun of being with other college age peers from
around the world as we tried to make a buck during the summer.
The story of the Tennanah Lake Shore Lodge parallels the decline of the resort
industry in the Catskills. Like so many others, the Tennanah Lake Shore Lodge
closed and went through a few short-lived reincarnations. It has been abandoned
since the late 90’s and, as is true with these old hotels, vandalized and abused.
During a summer evening in 2014 I, along with some friends who also had worked
at the lodge during their college summers, broke in to see what the place looked
like. We hadn’t been back for over 40 years. A flood of memories came back to us
as we found the dining room, the kitchen, and the lone phone booth were we were
permitted to make emergency calls.
We began to explore the guest rooms, always off limits to the staff. But now no one
was looking except the ghosts. Unfortunately, the place was in utter disarray
thanks to the vandals. I happened upon this room, which I found particularly
beautiful. The colors were a dream come true, and a vandal had conveniently left
his (or her?) coke bottle on the window sill to catch the evening light. The old
plywood boards on the floor had aged to a gentle patina. I was smitten.
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Abandoned Interior – Tennanah Lodge #2
2015
Oil on Canvas
24X30
This is the second painting in my ‘break-in series’ and it is from that same evening
when I was exploring the old Tennanah Lake Shore Lodge. As warm as the first
painting is, this one wanted to be as cool as a cucumber. I don’t know why. They
want to be what they want to be. This room is so lonely. It’s also so 1980’s – frozen
in time. Someone took the time and effort to roll up the moldy carpets. Perhaps the
chair perched against the wall was for resting during that dirty job. Now the room is
still and slent season after season, awaiting its fate.
Abandoned Store - Parksville
2014
Oil on Canvas
20X24
Collection of Mohammad Nejad and Kathy Javid
Imagine my delight when I entered Parksville, NY to find an abandoned town.
Route 17 (the Quickway) recently passed the town by, leading to its further decline.
There are many abandoned houses on its main street, much to my glee. This one
caught my eye. An old store with plastic tarps for its curtains. Fabulous!
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Abandoned Turnip Farm
2015
Oil on Canvas
16X16
O.K. – I must fess up about the source of this painting. During the summer of
2015 I started a still life of turnips in plastic. I had the bright idea of trying to make
a square canvas work with a linear composition. Though the turnips looked good,
the composition was a disaster. I worked and worked to try to fix the structural
problem, only to realize it was the painting’s fatal flaw. I was disgusted and put the
canvas away.
Four months later I found the canvas again and decided to destroy the painting.
Being frugal, destroy in my world means to paint over it. This painting just popped
out and what I find so amusing is that it retains the colors of the turnip still life –
only now the composition works.
I called it the Abandoned Turnip Farm because that turnip still life was fertile
ground for this later abandoned painting. Nothing is every wasted.
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After The Storm
2012
Pastel on Paper
8.5X11.5
1st Place, Pastel, 2012 Westchester Beaux Arts, Bronxville, NY
There is nothing like a thunderstorm in the mountains. It is loud, it can be
terrifying, and it seems as if electricity is everywhere. And then there is the rush of
air as the storm leaves and the sun shines again. It was after one of those storms
that I saw one of my favorite abandoned houses framed by the transition from
storm to sun. I tried to capture the energy of that transition in this pastel.
Another Time
2011
Oil on Canvas
24X30
1st Place, Oil/Acrylic, 2011 Westchester Beaux Arts Exhibition, Dobbs Ferry, NY
Collection of Dolly Cheser
I love this painting for many reasons. I think it is one of my best paintings. It also
holds stories that mean a great deal to me. And the stories span my lifetime.
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In the late summer of 1978, at the age of 22, I threw two canvases into our 1967
station wagon. My goal was to travel the dirt roads at sunrise to see what I could
find. At the top of a mountain I found this house and its barn, both abandoned.
I loved how the September light warmed the house, revealing beautiful colors on its
white exterior. The fields were untamed and the old apple tree freed from annual
pruning. It was a glorious moment, and the house seemed to revel in its sudden
clothing of light.
I set up my easel and quickly painted the house and barn, intending to finish both
paintings in the studio. What I didn't know then was that it would take me 35 years
to finish this painting. After leaving college I had to make a living, and soon found
that my corporate career consumed all of my time and energy. Like a flower bulb in
the winter, my art waited patiently for a creative spring.
In 2011 I was rummaging through my old canvases and art supplies when I
unearthed this canvas. I decided that it was now time to turn the fast sketch made
on a beautiful summer morning in 1978 into a painting.
The name, Another Time, refers to this painting's beginning. Through this painting I
was able to meet my former self and create something wonderful.
Barn – Eminence Road
2011
Oil on Canvas
24X30
This painting and I have a history. On an early August morning in 1978 I found this
barn and did a very fast sketch on canvas. It is the barn associated with the house
in Waiting. After I stopped painting for 34 years I found this canvas again as I was
rummaging through my old art supplies in 2011. It was time to finish the painting,
which I completed in the winter of 2011. During the following summer I went in
search of the barn. Did it still exist? What happened to it? Alas, I never found it
again and assume it rotted back to the earth. But I did come across the Eminence
Road Winery during my search. Something lost, but something gained.
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Big Willie’s
2014
Oil on Canvas
24X30
Here is another structure from one of my favorite sources for abandoned buildings
– Parksville, NY. Why did Big Willie’s close? Was it the food? Perhaps it wasn’t The
Best BBQ North of The Mason Dixon Line as boldly advertised above the front door.
More probably there weren’t enough customers to keep it afloat. All that remains is
a rather sad structure, overgrown by bushes and weeds. Something called to me
about Big Willie’s, and so I heeded its call.
Boarded Up – Livingston Manor
3rd
2015
Oil on Canvas
16X20
Place, oil, 2015 Westchester Beaux Arts Exhibition, White Plains, NY
This is the same house in Discovered By Accident. Did I mention the view in that
story? Perched up on a hill, the house overlooks the Beaverkill Valley and the
mountains around Livingston Manor. There is no one here to appreciate the view.
The house has been abandoned. I loved the shadows on the house, and I
particularly liked the piece of plywood on the window catching the morning sun.
One of these days I’ll get around to painting the associated boarding house, now in
ruins. But for now, I am content to paint this bungalow, with its warm brown
exterior, taking in a view that no human has enjoyed for a long time.
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Broken Glass with Hornet’s Nest
2013
Oil on Canvas
18X24
No matter how you look at it, something in this scene is going to hurt. This house is
starting its decline back to the earth. The window has been broken by birds flying
into the glass. Soon the wind and weather will dislodge the remaining glass.
The house might be abandoned by humans, but a large colony of hornets knew
good real estate when they saw it. I was glad I was a safe distance away from
them as I sketched this house.
Broken Window, Freed Curtain
2013
Oil on Canvas
22X28
I’ve learned the progression of decline. First, the windows break. This allows for
new occupants, like birds, racoons, snakes, and bats to take up residence. It also
allows water to freely enter the house. Water is the enemy. After the windows go,
then the roof starts to rot and leak. More water. Soon strong wood transforms into
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spongy pulp. The sills of the house become food for termites, and the house sags.
The floors begin to crumble. It's end is soon after that. Often a heavy snow is all it
takes to bring down a once mighty house.
This painting is of an abandoned house in the early stage of decline. Someone had
made curtains long ago for this window, and now the glass in the window is gone.
The curtains are free to billow outside, to follow the wind wherever it goes.
Collapsed Building - Grossingers
2014
Oil on Canvas
16X20
I remember Grossingers. It was glamorous. They had celebrities. Important people
went there. At age 14 I remember that a group of us planned a visit from Lake
Muskoday to see all the elegant ladies in their evening gowns.
Flash forward to the summer of 2013. A friend and I went to take pictures of the
once great Grossingers. We found a dilapidated, depressing wreck left to decay
because demolition is too expensive. Though I thought I'd be excited by all the
abandoned buildings at the site, I found that the whole experience left me so empty
and sad. I couldn't paint anything about Grossingers for almost a year. The winter
of 2014 helped me along - a perfect winter for approaching a depressing subject!
You see, there is always hope and beauty, even in the worst situation. Look at that
window. There was truly an other-worldy peachy orange light illuminating that
window. There is always hope. And beauty. Always.
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Condemned
2013
Oil on Canvas
24X30
1st Place, Oil and Best In Show. 2013 Westchester Beaux Arts Exhibition, Bronxville, NY
1st Place, Oil, 2013 Westchester County Beaux Arts Finale
Juried Selection, 2014
1st Place, Oil/Acrylic, NRAA 2014
Artist's Collection
I loved this house. It is now long gone. An elderly lady lived there, and each year
she and the house declined in tandem. Then one year she was gone and the house
lost its life partner. Slowly it began to crumble until it was torn down. Condemned.
.
Discovered By Accident
2015
Oil on Canvas
16X20
During the summer, when I am at the lake, getting supplies is a weekly event. The
closest supermarket is 15 miles away, and so shopping demands a planned trip. On
Tuesdays I dedicate my mornings to 1) having an egg breakfast in town; 2) doing
the laundry at the laundromat; 3) going to the dump (oops, excuse me, the
Rockland Waste Transfer Station); and 4) going food shopping for the next week.
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The dump and food shopping take me to Livingston Manor. I am pretty much on
autopilot when I drive to the ‘Manor’, but one day I was surprised to notice an
abandoned house and boarding house along the route. I stopped to investigate. I
was amazed that this abandoned building had escaped my clutches for many years.
I don’t know the history of the place, but I loved the colors.
Drugs, Coca-Cola, and Cosmetics
2013
Oil on Canvas
30X40
Juried Selection, 2014
People’s Choice Award, 2015 Westchester Beaux Arts Exhibition, Bronxville, NY
I love this old drug store I found in Parksville, NY. Or, more appropriately, it found
me. A peek in the windows revealed an old Shortline bus schedule from the 1960's,
Coppertone sunscreen ads from the early 1970's, and an odd poster painted in blue
and orange. The inside was a mess, with debris everywhere.
I found someone who lived in the town and he explained that the drug store has
been abandoned since the 1970's. The nearby river has overflowed its banks many
times since then, flooding the store. The family holds onto the building because it
has been part of their history for so long, and they don't want to let it go. It holds
their memories. They have loyalty. And so it remains, suspended in time.
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Forgotten, Tennanah Lake
2012
Oil on Canvas
20X30
Honorable Mention, Oil/Acrylic, 2012 Westchester Beaux Arts Exhibition, Katonah, NY
I have found that certain places and houses are my muses. I have two houses that
speak to me, and this is one. I return year after year to paint its different moods.
And its decline. The porch stairs are gone, the porch is going, and this little summer
cottage is starting its return to the earth.
Very early one June morning I went to visit this house. The sun had just risen,
casting a bright and cheerful light on my old friend. Her peeling white walls took on
pastel hues cast from the surrounding landscape and light. I silently asked this
house about its story. Why was it left? Who lived here? Who bounded up the stairs
to this porch each summer? Who is this house stoically waiting for? What memories
are found in its walls? There were no answers to my questions, so I honored it by
painting this carefree little house, long abandoned by its owners, and free to do
whatever it wants.
The gardens were wildly liberated. I had to wade through thigh high grasses and
flowers to approach the house. The experience felt like being within the gypsy soul
of this place. Its structure was too unstable to allow me to go inside, so an exterior
appreciation was all that could be accomplished. Nevertheless, the light was
brilliant and the house patiently stood to have its portrait painted.
I can only hope that the painting captures that intimate and joyful morning with my
muse.
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Forsook
2012
Oil on Canvas
20X24
This lakeside cottage served as a lake bungalow and boathouse. It has not been
used in decades and waits for someone to return. I suspect it will fall before that
happens. One afternoon I decided to heed the house's call and rowed up to its
shore to visit. I loved how the pinks and greens played off of each other. After I
studied it awhile it was time to go, leaving it to wait patiently for someone to
remember it existed.
Ghosts In The Meadow
2012
Oil on Canvas
24X18
6 am. The mist was still dancing in the neglected field. Only a few minutes left
before the sun would find it and burn it off. For a second I thought I was seeing
ghosts twirling, embracing, and gliding. Who would they be? Who lived here and
worked these fields? We'll never know.
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Haunted
2011
Oil on Canvas
24X30
1st Place, Oil/Acrylic, 2012 Westchester Beaux Arts Exhibition, Katonah, NY
Collection of Sandy Forster
This house has a personal story and a very happy ending. My parents, Frank and
Harriet Perron, found this abandoned historic house on Merritt Island, Florida. It
was going to be torn down. Within two hours they bought it and made a promise to
the house to restore it.
They spent four years of sweat equity restoring it to its former glory. The previous
owners had abandoned it, and as they walked away they said “…it is haunted and
the house has turned against us.” I loved the mystery of that departing statement.
I eagerly awaited my first ghost sighting, but none came. If there were ghosts they
must have approved of my parent’s efforts, since nary a complaint was ever issued
from the other side.
I had the honor of seeing it at the very beginning and helping in the restoration
efforts. I also had the heartbreak of selling the house after my father died. I
recently returned to look at my old friend and was delighted to see children
laughing and running across the meadow. It is in good hands.
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Left, Cooks Falls
2012
Oil on Canvas
24X30
One of my favorite activities is hunting for abandoned houses near our summer
home in Roscoe, New York. One afternoon, on my way to a little forgotten town
called Cooks Falls, I stumbled across this old house, long abandoned and stoically
waiting for its owners to return. I suspect they returned to earth well in advance of
this house. I loved how it sat on a slope, making me look up, appearing as if it was
rising out of the tangled forgotten garden at its feet.
Open Door, Abandoned House
2013
Oil on Canvas
24X30
I am smitten with the layers of history revealed in peeling paint. Battered by the
elements, the decades slowly reveal themselves, eventually returning to the primal
state of exposed wood.
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This cottage called to me and the colors were a delight. The pinks and greens from
the 1920’s merged with some purple and orange from the 1960’s. What a
wonderful jumble of color.
The door was open and I was tempted. But the floorboards looked unsteady.
Admiring this one from the outside was best.
No ATVs
2nd
2012
Oil on Canvas
20X30
Place, Oil/Acrylic, 2013 Westchester Beaux Arts Exhibition, Dobbs Ferry, NY
I found this boarded up house on a late August day. I loved the cold, crisp light,
which brought out the strength of the house. The only sign that someone has
visited in the past decade was an old sign that read “NO ATVs”. As I painted in the
stillness, out of the woods came someone on an ATV (All-Terrain Vehicle), ruining a
magical afternoon alone with this house. Well, after that, there was no question
about the title of the painting!
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No Smoking
2013
Oil on Canvas
20X24
Sometimes you just have to laugh. This abandoned structure is tucked away in the
woods near a stream. I stopped the car to investigate, only to find the 'No Smoking'
sign on the front door. Really? I think the house has more to worry about than a
cigarette! The windows are broken and the bridge over the river risky. But that 'No
Smoking' sign was such an act of defiance I had to paint this portrait.
Nothing Left (for T.J.)
2013
Oil on Canvas
24X24
Early in the summer of 2013 I learned that a dear friend was diagnosed with late
stage pancreatic cancer. The news was devastating and I needed to express my
emotions in a painting. I returned to one of my favorite abandoned houses and
somehow this view of the room seemed right. I don’t know what it all means, but I
know that painting this scene helped me express what words could not.
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Survived The Winter
2012
Pastel on Paper
Unframed
1st Place, Pastel, 2014 Westchester Beaux Arts Exhibition, Bronxville, NY
1st Place, Pastel, 2015 Westchester County Beaux Arts Finale
Collection of Sandy Forster
This little cottage has been left and forgotten for more than two decades. It is a
strange situation, since it is a lakefront house. Who lived here in the summers?
How many children laughed with delight on this yard as they chased fireflies and
frogs? Do the heirs know they have a summer cottage on Tennanah Lake? Why do
they pass up summers filled with swimming, boating and relaxing? This one is
about to return to the earth and each spring I eagerly look for it, hoping it has
survived the winter.
Tapken Lodge
2013
Oil on Canvas
24X30 Unframed
Collection of Claire and Jim Gordon
I have admired this log cabin on the shores of Lake Muskoday for decades. Luckily,
I was introduced to the owners in 2012 and given a tour of this 1925 gem. It has
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been left for a new structure, built higher on the hill. The roof is leaking, the stairs
treacherous, and the porch boards spongy. But she still stands, looking out over
the lake, as she has done for almost a hundred years.
I entered the cabin carefully to find that nothing has changed since the 1950's. I
felt as if I was temporarily transported in time, to the heyday of this house. The
greatest gift of this cabin is the close friendship I formed with the owners, Claire
and Jim Gordon. All because I wanted to paint this abandoned house.
The Bulldozer Cometh
2015
Oil on Canvas
24X24
Soon this house will be no more. A bulldozer has started to turn the earth near the
house. A large yellow excavator sits, waiting on the property, for the finale. It
perches like a giant praying mantis, waiting to devour its prey. The house is
doomed.
Perhaps it is beyond repair. Tattered blue drop cloths hint at an attempt to keep
water from seeping in from the roof. The windows are askew; a result of frost
heaving that wasn’t corrected. The house is abandoned and it is lost.
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The Porch Bites The Dust
2015
Oil on Canvas
24X30
“Did you know they are going to tear down the Fern Den cottage?” asked my friend
Claire Gordon. “You better get up there and take some pictures before it’s a goner”,
she urged.
The Fern Den cottage is one of the original cottages on Lake Muskoday, probably
from the 1920’s. It sits perched up on a hill, overlooking the lake. I had never
visited it before, but would catch a glimpse of it through the woods. Its imminent
destruction made me hike through the woods in May, followed by hungry, blood
sucking black flies. What I do for an image!
I was saddened to see that her destruction had already begun, thanks to the
elements. The porch roof had collapsed, providing a crazy zig zag architectural
feature to the house. Though the house has seen better days it seemed defiant,
perhaps even cheery, in that bright spring sun of May.
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Tyvek House, Lake Muskoday
2013
Pastel on Paper
19X14
I got a good laugh over this house. Is it really worth all the fuss? The Tyvek coating
does not address what I would consider to be bigger problems. Take a look at the
piers.
On a beautiful July afternoon I put my pastels in the rowboat and docked in front of
this house. It was a wonderful excuse to be on the lake in the sun and wind. The
house still stands and not a thing has changed. It waits patiently in its Tyvek attire.
Waiting
2011
Oil on Canvas
Unframed
1st Place, Oil, 2012 Westchester Beaux Arts Exhibition, Bronxville, NY
Juried Selection 2014
Artist's Collection
This farmhouse sits, season after season, waiting for its family to return. Each
season it sags a little more, and someone comes to board up the windows that
have broken. I don’t know the story of this house, but it and the land surrounding it
are my muses. One late August morning, at 6 am, I packed up my paints to spend
time with my muse as the sun rose behind her, casting a warm light on my old
friend.
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Artist Resume
CAROL PERRON SOMMERFIELD
EDUCATION
2006
California
2002
1995
1978
Ph.D.
Human & Organizational Systems. Fielding Graduate University, Santa Barbara,
M.A.
M.B.A.
B.A.
Organizational Development. Fielding Graduate University, Santa Barbara, California
Management. University of New Haven, New Haven, Connecticut
Fine Arts. Ramapo College, Mahwah, New Jersey
Art courses and workshops:
Art Students League, New York, NY
Katonah Art Center, Katonah, NY
Center for the Arts, Westchester Community College, Valhalla, NY
HONORS AND AWARDS
First Place Awards:
2015
2015
2015
2014
2014
2013
2013
2013
2013
2012
2012
2012
2012
2011
Oil, Beaux Arts Exhibition, White Plains, NY
Pastel, Westchester County, NY, Beaux Finale, Bronxville, NY
People's Choice Award, Beaux Arts Exhibition, Bronxville, NY
Oil/Acrylic, New Rochelle Art Association, New Rochelle, NY
Pastel, Beaux Arts Exhibition, Bronxville, NY
Best in Show, Beaux Arts Exhibition, Bronxville, NY
Oil, Beaux Arts Exhibition, Bronxville, NY
Oil, Westchester County, NY, Beaux Arts Finale
Pastel, Beaux Arts Exhibition, Bronxville, NY
Oil/Acrylic, Beaux Arts Exhibition, Katonah, NY
Pastel, Beaux Arts Exhibition, Bronxville, NY
Oil, Beaux Arts Exhibition, Bronxville, NY
Oil, Beaux Arts Exhibition, Dobbs Ferry, NY
Oil/Acrylic, Beaux Arts Exhibition, Dobbs Ferry, NY
Second Place Awards:
2013
2013
2012
Oil/Acrylic, Beaux Arts Exhibition, Dobbs Ferry, NY
Acrylic, Beaux Arts Exhibition, Bronxville, NY
Pastel, Beaux Arts Exhibition, Dobbs Ferry, NY
Third Place Awards:
2015
2015
2014
2013
2013
2012
2012
2012
2011
Oil, Beaux Arts Exhibition, White Plains, NY
Oil, Beaux Arts Exhibition, Bronxville, NY
Pastel, Beaux Arts Exhibition, Bronxville, NY
Pastel, Beaux Arts Exhibition, Dobbs Ferry, NY
Oil/Acrylic, Beaux Arts Exhibition, Dobbs Ferry, NY
Oil, Westchester County, NY, Beaux Arts Finale
Pastel, Westchester County, NY, Beaux Arts Finale
Oil, Beaux Arts Exhibition, Bronxville, NY
Oil/Acrylic, Beaux Arts Exhibition, Katonah, NY
Honorable Mention Awards:
2015
2012
Pastel, Beaux Arts Exhibition, White Plains, NY
Oil/Acrylic, Beaux Arts Exhibition, Katonah, NY
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SOLO SHOWS
2016
2015
2014
2013
1978
The Howard and Ruth Jacobs Gallery, Greenburgh Library, Elmsford, NY
The Loggia Gallery, Bronxville Women's Club, Bronxville, NY.
The Donald Gallery, Dobbs Ferry, NY
Harrison Council for the Arts, Harrison, NY (Result of a Juried Competition).
Ramapo Gallery, Mahwah, NJ
ALTERNATIVE SPACES
2015
2014
2013
RiverArts Studio Tour, Westchester County, NY
RiverArts Studio Tour, Westchester County, NY
RiverArts Studio Tour, Westchester County, NY
JURIED EXHIBITIONS
2016
2016
2016
2016
2015
2015
2014
2014
2014
2014
2013
2013
2013
2013
2012
2012
EV(e)OLUTON VI-BOLD! NAWA, New York, NY
In-VISIBLE Exhibition, NAWA, Point Park University, Pittsburgh, PA
Women Gazing Inward, Women's Caucus for Art, Ceres Gallery, New York, NY
BDAA Annual Juried Show, Blue Door Gallery, Yonkers, NY
New Perspectives Juried Show, New Century Artists Gallery, New York, NY
Westchester Beaux Arts Finale, Bronxville, NY
New Members Exhibition, NAWA Gallery, New York, NY
Home is Where The Art Is, Lazarus Gallery, New Rochelle, NY
New Rochelle Art Association Annual Juried Show, New Rochelle, NY
Artists Untamed, Catskill Art Society, Livingston Manor, NY
Glorious Food Exhibit, Blue Hill Art and Cultural Center, Pearl River, NY
Westchester Beaux Arts Finale, Katonah, NY
Annual Juried Small Works Show, Upstream Gallery, Dobbs Ferry, NY
BDAA Annual Juried Show, Blue Door Gallery, Yonkers, NY
Westchester Beaux Arts Finale, Bronxville, NY
Cheers! Rotunda Gallery, The New Rochelle Council on the Arts, New Rochelle, NY
2015
2015
2014
2013
2013
2013
2012
2012
2012
2011
2011
Artistic Endeavor Gallery, Irvington NY
Beaux Arts Exhibition, Westchester County,
Beaux Arts Exhibition, Westchester County,
Katonah Museum of Art, Katonah, NY
Beaux Arts Exhibition, Westchester County,
Beaux Arts Exhibition, Westchester County,
Beaux Arts Exhibition, Westchester County,
Beaux Arts Exhibition, Westchester County,
Beaux Arts Exhibition, Westchester County,
Beaux Arts Exhibition, Westchester County,
Beaux Arts Exhibition, Westchester County,
EXHIBITIONS
Bronxville, NY
Bronxville, NY
Dobbs Ferry, NY
Bronxville, NY
Bronxville, NY
Dobbs Ferry, NY
Katonah, NY
Dobbs Ferry, NY
Katonah, NY
JURIED ADMISSIONS
2014
2014
2014
New York Society of Women Artists
National Association of Women Artists
New Rochelle Art Association
COLLECTIONS
Private collections in the US, Canada, and Europe
BIBLIOGRAPHY
"Sullivan County Is Her Muse". The Sullivan County Democrat, Monticello, NY, March 1, 2015. Online edition.
Lupo, Jackie, “Artist Coaxes Beauty From Empty Buildings”. The Rivertowns Enterprise, Hastings-on-Hudson,
NY, May 30, 2014. pp 8, 16, 17.
The New York Times, exhibition announcement with photograph, New York, NY, Dec. 29, 2013. p. 9.
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ARTIST RESIDENCIES
2016
2015
Awarded an Artist Residency (March, 2016); Drop, Forge and Tool, Hudson, NY
Awarded a Studio Residency (November, 2015); Arts, Letters and Numbers, Averill Park, NY
RELATED EXPERIENCE
2014- Present
Chair, The Beaux Arts Exhibition, Dobbs Ferry, NY
ART AFFILIATIONS
ArtsWestchester
Catskill Art Society
Katonah Museum of Art Artist Association
New Rochelle Council on the Arts
New Rochelle Art Association
RiverArts
The Blue Door Artist Association
Women's Caucus for Art
WEBSITE
www.frogsleapgallery.com
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