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Red Horse Studio

Close your eyes and think of Vermont. What comes to mind? The scenery? Cows? Mountains? Ben & Jerry? Yes, Vermont is well known for many things but to me the most exciting thing about Vermont is the people who live here. Diverse in interests, rich in talents, it is the people who make this state uniquely Vermont. And today, I’m pleased to introduce you to a very talented artist from Burke, Vermont; Joan Harlowe of Red Horse Studio.

I can never look at a work of art without wondering about the person who created it. I want to know about their life and their motivations; that which inspires them and in the case of Vermont artists, I always wonder why they chose to live in Vermont. If you’re as curious as I am, grab a cup of tea or a mug of coffee and discover more about the talented woman behind Red Horse Studio.

Joan and her husband, a retired English professor who taught at Lyndon State College, live on a small farm, with horses, dogs, cats and chickens. Because of her husband’s interest in goats, they recently acquired two Oberhasli female (Swiss dairy goats) aptly named Emily and Lavinia for Emily Dickinson and her sister.

Joan’s studio is named for her horse, Gaddy, a wonderful horse who really does look red in certain lights. (She’s a sorrel, to give her color the correct equine name.)

Joan met her husband, Brian, through horses. Here, in her words, is her story.

I rented two of Brian’s horses, one summer when my daughter was 10, and I remembered what wonderful animals these are. And in time, Brian and I married and I found, when I moved to Vermont, that I was meant to live in the country. The simple joys of birdsong, of toad song in the spring, the surprise of finding hepatica blooming on a steep slope in the woods, the night skies filled with stars – as you know, these are just a few of the delights we enjoy with no effort. Looking out a window at fields and mountains restores the soul, in a way that city life, with views of other buildings and cars, does not.

Besides painting, which I greatly enjoy, I am a justice of the peace and a member of the Burke Conservation Commission. As a JP, I have the pleasure of officiating at weddings (and the less enjoyable task of hearing tax grievances.) The conservation commission works with the Planning Board to try to keep the rural character of our town — the wildlife corridors, the woodlands and wetlands — thriving. Like everywhere, Burke feels the pressure of development.

I came to full-time painting late, but I have had the pleasure and benefit of three excellent teachers: Frank Webb, Charles Reid, and Barbara Nechis. From them I learned many valuable approaches and have incorporated the ones that fit into my own style. I aim to draw accurately, paint freely, and to bring energy ,light and rich color into my work. Although the paintings are of places and people, the real subjects are my responses to light and color.

Now that you have met Joan and learned about her inspirations, browse Red Horse Studio website and enjoy her work that so beautifully reflects Vermont.

And, if you’d like to be entered into a drawing for 6 of Joan’s lovely note cards, please leave your name in the comments. The lucky winner will be chosen on October 22, 2011.

Vermont is an incredible place thanks to people like Joan Harlowe who gain their inspiration from the land and who work hard to preserve it as well.

Thank you Joan for allowing me to share your story and your work with my readers.

A Vermont Icon; Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream

Vermont has many legacies from beautiful mountains to covered bridges but I have to say Vermont has also produced one of my favorite foods; Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.

When my son and daughter in law visited, they wanted to take a tour of the Ben and Jerry’s factory located in Waterbury, Vermont.

As you might expect of any Vermont factory, it is located in a gorgeous setting with fantastic grounds surrounding it. Picnic areas abound alongside playgrounds and after you’ve finished your ice cream, you can head off for a hike on their trails.

We weren’t allowed to take pictures on the tour so here’s a description. The tour starts in the Cow Over the Moon Theater where we watched a video describing how two childhood friends, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, changed the course of ice cream history by taking a $5.00 correspondence course in ice cream making.

Next stop was a glassed in area where we got to see the factory operations and learn more about the making of ice cream. Then, for me, came the highlight of the tour; a visit to the Flavoroom where we got to have a generous scoop of the flavor of the day. Ohhh, it was so wonderful. Rich and chocolately and decadent.

Our tour guide deposited us at the gift shop chock full of items for Ben & Jerry lovers. T-shirts, sweatshirts, ice cream bowls in the shape of Holstein cows, the list of unique items to purchase goes on and on. There was also a freezer full of all the current flavors of ice cream and of course, I couldn’t pass that by. I decided to try Cake Batter ice cream which didn’t survive the ride home.

Here’s some pictures of the outside of the factory:

The entrance to Ben and Jerry’s.

Even the restrooms are adorable.

The vats outside the building.

They have 3 cows on the property. All of the dairy products for Ben and Jerry’s comes from Vermont Holstein cows.

The old Ben & Jerry’s bus. They used to travel around the country making many stops to scoop ice cream in order to promote their products.

There’s also a “Flavor Graveyard.” I decided to post quite a few pictures of the “gravestones” because I thought you might enjoy reading them.

The entrance to the graveyard.

Graves are everywhere.

A close up.

This one sounds wonderful!  Veggies and ice cream at the same time.

More gravestones.

This one was missing part of the headstone.

I think this one should be revived.

And, before you leave, make sure you get a picture of yourself inside a pint of ice cream. That’s my son saying “Just hurry up Mom, take the picture and let me out of here!”

Ben & Jerry’s is open all year round but if you plan to be in Vermont any time soon, they are having a special snowshoe tour of the grounds.

Ben and Jerry have created so much more than ice cream.  Through their vision and their generosity and commitment to philanthropic ventures, they have truly made an impact not only on Vermont but also on the world.

And it all started with a 5.00 correspondence course.

For more information, you can visit Ben and Jerry’s.