Auntie Von’s Creamer – The inspiration for this piece comes from one of my favorite aunts who I spent a lot of time with as a child, learning to sew from her.  She owned one piece of Watt Pottery, a creamer just like this one.  Unfortunately, I do not know where the pitcher came from, but she used it often when she served coffee and dessert.  She was also a wonderful baker, so dessert time at Auntie Von’s was always special.  Why did she love the apple-decorated pitcher so?  Is it possibly because she had several Baldwin apple trees on her property, and made apple pies almost every week in the fall?  I’ll never know, but I do know that my love of this creamer is wrapped up in the memory of her love of sewing, baking and sharing time with me!
Cape Cod Beauties – I have a sister-in-law, (who is more like a real sister to me,) who is an avid gardener, and her passion is hydrangeas!  She happens to love spring more; I happen to love fall more.  But I have gained an appreciation from time spent with her over the years, of her enjoyment of that time of year when trees and plants bud out and begin to display their hidden beauty.  She has taught me to enjoy the colors of floral blooms almost as much as I love the fall display of colorful leaves.  Whenever we travel down to the Cape, we go in search of beautiful hydrangea blooms; they just are magnificent!  While we both appreciate the variety of colors available in hydrangeas, we both agree that the blue is the best!  We have also learned to anticipate the changes within the blooms, as summer moves on, and even as fall approaches; we watch, and enjoy, as the blues transition to shades of purple, the whites blush to deep rose and the pinks deepen to magenta.  So, to my wonderful family and friend, these Cape Cod beauties celebrate Brenda and her green thumb!
Autumn’s Perch – When I think of fall in New England, I always think of searching out the farm stands for “the perfect pumpkin!”  Some years that pumpkin is bright orange; other years it is butter cream white!  On one annual fall trip back to New England, I stopped at a farm stand just to take in the enormous pile of “all things pumpkin!”  I had never before seen that quantity or height of pumpkins piled one on top of another; it took my breath away – and of course, it required a picture of me in front of the display.  Not long after that, I was traveling past that same stand in the evening, just as the autumn moon was peaking over the horizon, and over the pumpkin mound.  Amazing to see the warm hues of moon lit pumpkins… I just had to imagine that somewhere out there a crow was perched peacefully enjoying the glorious display as well!
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and are owned by Meetinghouse Hill Designs, LLC.

Nessy Visits Nauset – Nessy the seagull saw Nauset Lighthouse in the distance, as he drifted along a wind current enjoying the glorious view of the Cape Cod shoreline.  The tall red and white tower beckoned Nessy to come in for a landing and take a closer look.  He toured the lighthouse and its outbuildings and concluded it was a fine structure, a sound beacon of light built as a source of peace and safety for those at sea watching closely for the rocky shore.   After his excursion Nessy decided he was hungry and went in search of a tasty treat of clams and scallops.  As he enjoys his ocean feast, over his shoulder he can see his fellow feathered friends soaring high above in the distance.  He wonders if they too will stop a while and enjoy the majesty of the lighthouse as he did.  As soon as he finishes eating, Nessy will find another current to catch and sail on to explore another place!

The inspiration for “Nessy Visits Nauset” comes from a very special person in my life, my very own “Uncle Nessy.”  Over the past many years, I have returned to New England to enjoy the beauty of the place I once called home. During those visits, Uncle Nessy and I have made many sojourns up and down the coast searching for lighthouses to discover.  My uncle taught me many things in life, and one of those is a deep appreciation and love for all things in nature, both on land and sea.  We have delighted in walking the beaches of New England together drinking in the breath-taking beauty of the ocean, and watching the seagulls rise and descend on waves of air as they enjoy the view from above. 

A selection of my original artwork is available for purchase at Kindreds Antiques and Folk Art in Osterville, Massachusetts.  Please contact the gallery directly for pricing information.
Autumn Splendor – To me, this piece is, “Quintessential New England in the Fall!”  On my annual fall trip back home to New England last year, two friends joined me for their first exposure to New England. One beautiful October day, we found ourselves wandering the streets of a lovely Vermont town and came upon this towering stack of pumpkins and gourds.  My friends were quite taken back and amazed at the display of colorful and oddly shaped fruits of the field.  On the other hand, I, of course, smiled broadly and insisted on a picture beside the stack, which was nearly twice my height!  I knew that these rich and sometimes splashy hues were an echo of the vibrant changing colors of the trees and leaves all around us.   As the colors of fall danced their way up to the top, I knew that this was the artistry of a New Englander who loved the simple beauty of nature that surrounded them; one last tribute to fall before the more somber colors of winter blanketed this part of the country. 
In my interpretation I made the addition of bittersweet vine, that invasive yet most gorgeous weed that displays its own powerful beauty in autumn as well.  Oh, and my addition of the crows?  Well, I love the birds – all strutting about big and tall, sleek and shiny, commanding attention to their presence wherever they may land.  My mom however, does not enjoy their loud squawking and sometimes destructive nature, but we like to laugh about our differences.   And, we always point them out to each other, whether they are the real birds or someone’s artful interpretation – so they had to be included in my design of “all things New England!”
Just Picked - Dad's Favorite Apples
Fall will soon be upon us, and for me that means “apple picking time!”  One of my most enjoyable autumn experiences is to travel back to my home town and visit its apple orchard, Sholan Farm.  The city of Leominster purchased the farm almost a decade ago and the volunteers who work the farm make it a most delightful place for young and old.  My folks usually join me for at least one excursion to the orchard; my dad especially loves the Macoun apple variety and I love the McIntosh. 
We walk the paths between the apple trees together, taking in the aroma of ripe apples, the sounds of bees drinking from the fallen fruit, listening to the laughter of families enjoying a day outside, all the while absorbing the pleasures and privileges of being together.   I hope this fall you visit a local apple orchard in your area and take the time to go pick apples with someone you love!  Then go home and think of all the possibilities… apple pie, apple butter, apple crisp, baked apples, apple strudel, apple cake (are you hungry yet?)… or just a simple perfect apple plucked from the tree and eaten on the spot!    Happy Fall!
The Stories Behind The Artwork
Here are several of my art pieces and what, and who, inspired me to create them!
Table Salts & Birdie Batter CrockI have always had a great admiration for pottery, especially the grayish-tan stoneware referred to as “salt-glazed” that is so often elaborately decorated with deep blue “slip-trailed” designs.  I have seen a few of them in the homes of friends, and at antique stores and markets, but I had never seen a large collection of them in person.
Well, I decided to keep my eye out for a real Norton crock for my brother.  I eventually found one at an antique store – but it was a very simple jug, plain and undecorated except for the stamped and slightly blued lettering that read, “F.B. Norton & CO, Worcester, Mass.”  I was extremely excited to have found this gift, and pleased that I could purchase it for my brother.  Though I had hoped to find an elaborately decorated piece at a roadside yard sale that no one save me knew the value of, I settled on the fact that I at least had found a real antique jug with the company name and location on it! 
Well, a few years ago my brother, sister-in-law and I had the opportunity to attend the “Brimfield Outdoor Antique and Flea Market Show” in Brimfield, Massachusetts.  This event is an antique collector’s dream come true!  Actually, it’s a living history lesson in what’s collectible for anyone who loves old things.  Acres and acres of antique dealers come from all across the country, to set up in open fields that at any other time of the year look like typical grassy open spaces along a country road that you would normally just drive past and think nothing about.   But three times a year this event transforms the gentle New England landscape into a sea of every type of antique imaginable; tables and tents explode with furniture, artwork, textiles, dishware, garden décor, pottery and almost anything that a person can think of to collect. 
We were walking along the main roadside and out of the corner of my eye I caught a dimly-lit tent filled with tables covered in rows and rows of aged-looking pottery decorated with these marvelous cobalt-blue birds and flowers and non-descript brush strokes.  I turned on my heel (pulling my family behind me!) and entered the tent to find a kindly gentleman watching over his wares.   The antique dealer remained quiet but smiled at me when I looked his way and gave him a huge grin and said how I had never before seen that large a collection of salt-glazed crocks.  I asked him if he would mind if I looked around at his offerings, noting that I knew I could not afford these valuable pieces of clay history but that I could appreciate their artistry and usefulness.  As I scanned the tent and began to walk around what I saw surrounding me were beautiful pieces of artistry.  What once had been simple stoneware thrown on a potter’s wheel for utilitarian purposes now posed as a reminder of the heart of the real artists who fashioned these simple clay pots into vessels of beauty. Their “signatures” were emblazoned in deep blue brush strokes shaped into all manner of birds, flowers, animals, leaves, trees, feathers, simple numbers denoting the volume of the crock, and others with names and places both painted and stamped into the clay.  And believe me, there were plenty of crocks with the name, “Norton, Worcester, MA” stamped on them!
There were pottery pieces in all shapes and sizes; jars and jugs, various gallon-sized straight-sided crocks, squatty handled crocks with lids, bulbous shaped ovoid crocks that looked too heavy on top to stand, and butter churns with and without their lids and churning sticks.  Within these obvious shapes were even more variations of all kinds – short and wide, tall and slender, wide mouthed and narrow, handles and none!  The range of color in the clay was amazing as well, from the fairest light gray to warm tan to the darkest rust; colors mellowed with age and use.  And the blues used in decorating these wares ranged from the darkest navy to the most brilliant cobalt. 
I tried to take it all in, wondering what caused these useful but beautiful pieces of stoneware to become old-fashioned and outdated, replaced by other means.  I was quickly reminded that at least some people still considered them valuable as collectibles from another time, another era.  I finally had to say goodbye to my cool and silent friends and my family and I walked away discussing the simple Norton jug that I had found for my brother a few years back.  I had just witnessed that there certainly were many more elaborately decorated pieces available to be purchased, but I was thankful for the plain, undecorated piece that I had purchased for him.  I knew he appreciated my modest find for its sentiment more than its worth.  We continued that day on our journey throughout the fields of antiques enjoying the treasures of the past, and each other’s company.  
My brother used to work for the Norton Company located in Worcester, Massachusetts.  The company had been started by a group of ceramists and apparently some of the products the company produced were salt-glazed pottery pieces with their name on them.  When my brother left the company he received a miniature-sized reproduction of this “Norton Jug” as part of his departure gift – not one of those antique pieces of Norton pottery that have become so collectible!