Maple Syrup is Created after 25 Years of Neglect!

The summer of 2009 was a busy one for us here at Morningside Farm.  After 25 years of neglect, our excavator genius, Jeremy Bogie began thinning out our overgrown sugar woods, harvesting almost anything not Maple, leaving a few species behind.  November 2009 was a gift from God as we were blessed with shirt sleeve weather enabling us to string our sap lines under the tutelage of Glen Goodrich, retired engineer professor from the Goodrich's Maple Farm of Cabot, Vermont.

2010 brought everyone a very early start to sugaring in Vermont.  The sap started flowing late in February catching nearly everyone off guard since a typical sugaring season runs from March thru April.  But Jeremy teaming up with his uncle Jeff Stewart hopped right to it getting the taps drilled and hooked up to the sap lines as sap poured into the sugar house and the boiling began.  The first syrup was made March 3rd!  The sugar house was originally built by the Fiske family who kept a year by year,  day by day diary recorded on the walls inside the sugar house.  This was by far the earliest recording and as it turned out, the longest run, too.  The Fiske family had eventually drilled 760 taps with the most syrup made recorded at 210 gallons.  Jeremy and Jeff finished up March 31st with a total of 265 gallons from 673 taps.  Pretty good for their first year!

Jeff Stewart (left) and Jeremy Bogie

Glen Goodrich gave several weekend lectures on the topic of producing maple syrup.  It was there that we learned about using a vacuum pump to help gravity increase the flow of sap to the bulk storage tanks before being drawn into the boiling pans within the sugar house.  Jeremy used his skill as an excavator to prepare roads within the maple orchard and carefully graded the land to house the stainless steel bulk storage tanks.

This was my first experience sugaring.  I had never even watched maple syrup being boiled, except once for 5 minutes at Rob Zambon's newly built sugar house last winter in South Rygate.  This was a thrill for my husband, John and me to watch  as these  two very capable gentlemen and their families gave life once again to the gifts of nature.  It is a fact that tapping a tree is like a mother breast feeding her baby.  The more the baby needs, the more the mother makes.  And so it is with making maple syrup.  Mr. Goodrich's family farm has been making maple syrup since the mid 1830's from the same maple orchard and many of the trees are incredibly old and healthy.

We had many visitors.  There was Betty, Jeff's wife, Amanda, Jeremy's wife, Kevin, Danny and Abbey, John in the red hat.  Eric, Jeff's son worked diligently connecting the power from a newly strung power line from 150 feet away!  How many old time sugar houses have their own electric stove to heat water and cook meals?  Betty never tired of making us sugar on snow!  And then there was the day that Jeremy showed the children how maple trees were tapped the old fashion way as he hung a few buckets from the untapped maple trees surrounding the sugar house.

Abbey, Danny, Amanda, Jeremy, Kelsey and Libby

Jeremy taps a tap as Kelsey and Libby look on

Kelsey samples a drip of sap

The bucket is hung. Amanda records it with a photo.

My Atelier: MIMICKING CHARDIN

Jean-Babtiste-Simeon Chardin, the French painter born in Paris, 1699, again at the end of a century,  is unquestionably the greatest master of still life in the 18th century.  He has been called the painter of the French petite bourgeiousie.  His works are simple, depicting humble occupations. They are executed in a highly individual style all the while portraying Chardin's immense talent as a painter. Click on link to see some of Chardin's work:

Chardin's Glass of Water and Coffee Pot (oil on Canvas, 1760)

Diderot, French philosopher and art critic, was among the admirers of Chardin's still lifes at the Salon of 1763 wrote, "It is difficult to comprehend this kind of magic.  Thick layers of color are applied one upon the other and seem to melt together.  At other times one would draw near, and everything flattens out and disappears; step back and all the forms are re-created."  Chardin's technique at first glance seems simple.  His colors are sober and without much variation, but he sought to render form by means of light creating a soft glow while softening the contrasts.  His is a technique often copied.  


I thought I should try my hand at it.

I set up a still life arrangement of a blue glazed ceramic pitcher, mortar and pestle, and garlic cloves.  Sketched in colored pencil, then in pastel.


After, deciding upon oil painting palette, I transferred my drawing to a primed panel, and laid in the underpainting, by using Maimeri Puro artist's burnt umber and wiped out the highlights using a soft cotton rag.

Building the painting developed like so:

I think that I will continue to develop the shadows of this painting.

Copying Velazquez

Continuing the atelier approach, but accelerating the pace, I jumped right into color.  Who could wait to squeeze out all that luscious pigment from unopened tubes?  And besides, I needed to refresh my mixing skills.  I started with the primary color wheel using Maimeri Puro primary blue and yellow, Maimeri Classico vermilion light and  Gamblin's Flake White Replacement from which I created the following palette sample on the left.  The color samples on the right in the photo came straight from the tube with the addition of white.   Maimeri colors are in the left column and Gamblin's in the right.  

Choosing a master artist to copy was not hard for me.  I had always delighted in portraiture.  Even my past botanical watercolors were done from life and treated as if each plant was "sitting" for me.  It was natural that I chose Velazquez's portrait of a Needlewoman to copy.  I had been a fiber artist as well, raising sheep, spinning and weaving wool, creating hand painted silk scarves (again all lost to the fire).


Furthermore, Velazquez represented a true innovator of his day.  The Spanish painter who died in 1660 at the age of 61 was not only the royal court painter at the palace in Madrid for most of his life but traveled extensively through out Italy strengthening his training in classical Venice, Rome and Naples.  As his personal style developed his "brush strokes grew freer...letting each hue stand by itself in individual dots of color."  He was, in fact, discovering impressionism!  What appealed to me about his "Needlewoman" was the rendering of her sewing hands captured as if in motion.  This was truly a revolutionary art form in 1640.


Step One, prepared a value toned pencil study

Step Two, executed underpainting using wash of mineral spirits, burnt sienna and terre verte. 
Step Three, applied more opaque layers experimenting with Gamblin Galkyd Lite and Neo Megilp  medium.

Final copy of "The Needlewoman" by Diego Velazques

My painting Oil on Panel 9"x16"

You can see my little horse head bookend (previous painting see post) to the left on the table and to the right is a still life arranged for my next study as I prepare to examine the technique Chardin used in painting still life.

ATELIER 101 BEGINS

As I've stated before, it was years before I picked up a brush to paint anything other than a wall or floor.  Last year, 2009, I finally changed all that.  I got a book, Classical Painting Atelier by Juliette Aristides.  

Then I got another, Methods and Materials of Painting of the Great Schools and Masters by Sir Charles Lock Eastlake originally written in 1847 under the title of Materials for a History of Oil Painting.  


Then another, Traditional Oil Painting by Virgil Elliot; and another
Rembrandt, the Painter at Work by Ernst Van de Vetering...and so on, 


realizing that I had never fully explored painting in the classical manner.  What better approach to take after such a long time off.

I went back to the principles outlined by the Venetian, Cennini in the 14th century (his Trattato della Pittura), bought oil artist's colors from Gamblin, an American company located in Portland OR whose motto is "the tools of contemporary masters" www.gamblincolors.com and started with a traditional grisaille palette.

My first monochromatic painting using gamblin artist's oil colors, Old Holland classic linen primed and stretched canvas ground, working from a small three dimensional  horse head bookend.  My photography skills didn't accurately render the original painting.  There is no grainy quality to the oil painting. 

Art at the Bee's Knees in Morrisville, Vermont

My son, Dan Primmer, AKA Danny Prime, is currently exhibiting recent photographs at the Bee's Knees (802-888-7889) in Morrisville, Vt.  Bee's Knees is an awesome little cafe at 82 Lower Main Street in downtown Morrisville that specializes in homemade grub from local produce and provides a friendly meeting place to eat, drink and take in local talent.  "Stay as long as you like", the owner says.  Live music is played regularly and, of course, a variety of artists is always on display.

My husband and proud father of Dan stands by his portrait.

A Salute to Riada, a Very Creative Mare

Ancient nomads prized their Arabian mares over stallions or geldings because of their fierce bravery, extraordinary sensativity and willingness to protect their herd at all costs to themselves.  I have witnesses this over and over again in my 22 year old Spanish Arabian mare, Riada.  She is the lead mare ever watchful.  I have seen her in full airs above ground as she arches herself to prove to any unseen but detected threat that she will destroy it if it makes the wrong move.  Her herd is constantly attentive to her.  And she calls all the shots.  Roll here, graze here, come with me NOW!

Riada, born April 23,1988, came to us as a two year old and was a gift to me for my 40th birthday.  I had been away for the day and came home to find my husband and 5 year old son cleaning out the barn of our new village farm.  I'll never forget how pleased they both were with themselves when they announced that my birthday present would be arriving later that day.  She was a beautiful roan colored mare who would many years later be completely snow white.

I thought I knew how to ride, but I had never had an untrained horse before.  What I was about to find out was exactly how little I knew. She has been my longest living pet and mentor, all the while forgiving me as we learned together for the first time preliminary gaits, or in taking our first jumps, or in hitching up to a cart with her in harness and driving, or while she was covered by the first of several stallions and I stood at her head.

Riada (AHR 447076)

Her first born (June 4, 1993) was a colt, Moniet el Marut, better known as Marut.  Marut became my dressage mentor, carrying me through several years of quadrille team riding.  I would like to describe his breeding, but all of my papers were destroyed in our farm's fire.  I have yet to replace those documents.  I can only report that his sire was of Egyptian bloodlines.

Moniet el Marut (AHR 497538)

4 years old

Marut 5 years old

Marut and Me

having finished dressage training level

2001

Marut, Me and Jane Savoie

2002

Morningside Rasha was Riada's next creation, born on June 1, 1997, and sired by Temptation, a Crabbet Arabian stallion who no longer is alive.  She became the dearest companion of all.  For when it was time to start her under saddle in 2002 I was diagnosed with breast cancer.  She had received 3 months of preliminary training from my coach, Judi Whipple, but was not ready to carry a rider competently.  Winters can be very long in Vermont.  During that winter in amongst chemotherapy and radiation I was able to board Rasha at an indoor riding facility not too far from my home.  It was there that she would permit me to cling to life as I struggled to ride, to not give up, and to not be disappointed.

Morningside Rasha (AHR 556963)

after first 3 months of training with Judi Whipple

2001

Then along came Werbellin, the Hanoverian stallion, who stole my heart and led Riada and Rasha down the star studded path to breeding fame. 

I was determined to see my breeding program expand, and before it could, my lovely ladies would need to be presented before seven judges at a Hanoverian Mare Inspection.  In addition to Hanoverians, the American Hanoverian Society allows the inspection of registered Thoroughbreds and Arabians.  Upon calling the owner of River House Hanoverians in Piermont NH (the closest inspection site to my Vermont farm) I was promptly discouraged from attempting to present Arabian mares being told that site unseen, they would never be accepted. 

The owner of Werbellin, Rachel Ehrlich, (Greengate Farm) was undaunted and assisted me by loaning me her presenter.  Instead, we travelled to a presentation in Rhode Island where we were not disappointed.  Although Riada failed by a fraction of a point to qualify, Rasha was one of two Arabian mares that year to be included in the society's pre-studbook. 

While Rasha failed to settle to Werbellin's artificial insemination, Riada didn't.  We anxiously awaited for the foal to arrive late spring 2004.  Oh, 2004.  My father passed away that April.  Riada's boy-foal, beautifully formed but so very big, was born dead on Memorial Day.  And on November 30 our farm burned to the ground.  Oh, 2004.

Life continues and on another Memorial Day in 2006, Riada could boast a grandson born to Morningside Rasha at our newly rebuilt farm following the great fire of 2004.  Because of the last disasterous attempt at breeding to what very well could have been too large of a stallion for Riada, I did not want to repeat  the experience when it was time to try to breed Rasha again.  Connie Walker came into our lives with her outstanding AngloArabian 100 mile endurance athlete VSF Otis +1 and helped create Morningside Amir.

Morningside Amir

1 month old

Amir with Grandmother Riada in center while

Mother Rasha and Uncle Marut look on

2 weeks old

Amir with Connie and Scot Walker

Riada ever watchful in the rear

4 mos. old

Amir meets Judi for the first time

2 years old

Amir looks for a treat from Kelly Foster

3 year old

Uncle Marut now 15 years old is Amir's Godfather

and is second in command

My Archival Artwork

On November 30, 2004, a fire started in our barn that eventually consumed it and the farmhouse that was attached, including my art studio that contained a lifetime of artwork.  Miraculously, no one was injured.   Equally miraculously, my step son was able to save images from a fire damaged pc hard drive.  My husband and I have rebuilt our farm, not on the same location.  Since the original farm had once before burned down on that spot and was rebuilt there in 1895, we thought it too unlucky to test fate a third time.  Therefore, we built up the hill with a tremendous view of Blue Mountain.

What follows are images of my artwork no longer in existence, but preserved on film downloaded into that poor surviving hard drive, reproduced here to begin a frame of reference.  I had been trained to teach art K-12, but became a potter and a painter, then a weaver.

 I had abandoned my art after the fire while in pursuit of basically rebuilding our lives until last year when I  purchased some brushes and oil paints to begin again by capturing a wintery Blue Mountain.

CERAMICS

"WARRING ANGELS" Oil on Canvas 7'x4'  1972

"MY SISTER DIANE"  Oil on Panel 10"x 16"  2001

"SPRING ORCHARD" Watercolor 2003

"Hibiscus Botanical" Watercolor  2002

Here I am in my studio just months before the fire took everything.  I particularly like this photo because it shows a watercolor portrait that I had done on an easel behind me.  I had been working on copying oil paintings from the Athenaeum's Gallery in St.Johnsbury, Vt.  by painting them in watercolor instead of oils.  I found transposing medium to be challenging and was happy with the results.  Alas, those paintings, too, are gone.