Arts Legacy Lives In Beach Back Yard

Nearly every evening, Andrew Colabella heads to Compo Beach to enjoy the sunset.

Even the drive there is calming. But on Sunday, as he turned onto Bradley Street, he saw something unusual.

There — at the stop sign midway to Compo Beach Road — he noticed a number of large canvases, spread throughout a backyard.

Was someone moving in? Moving out? Was it a private outdoor pop-up art show?

He stopped to see.

A man sat in back by a table, looking at his phone. Andrew stood at the edge of the lawn, mesmerized by the abstract art and abundant colors.

“Hello,” the man said gently.

Andrew asked if he could wander around. He usually saw art like this peering through windows, walking or driving by a home. He’d never seen it spread out across a lawn.

Warmly and eagerly, the man told Andrew about his art.

His name is David Johnson. He spent his life working in advertising, in Chicago.

His friend, a sculptor, had a studio with a little corner for an easel and canvases. David discovered a waye to express his creativity in a form other than advertising.

With a dream and a vision, his images bled on to the canvas from his soaked paintbrush.

His friend and other artists were taken aback by his talent, a gift he had not known he had.

They urged him, “get a gallery! Rent one out, host a show, sell it — show it!”

David asked, “How?”

With a bit of  support from friends, his art was showcased. It is now bought around the country.

David’s wife, Holly Jaffe Johnson — fashionable, warm and energetic — greeted me — invited me into their house.

The Von Castelberg Cottage was once a little brown home. It’s now been restored and revitalized, with Norman Rockwell-esque charm.

They moved here in 2019. Andrew began telling them about Westport’s history — a refuge for the wealthy, but also a home for creative artists from around the world.

David and Holly have a deep appreciation for Westport’s past. Andrew puts them “in the same category as those artists — and more importantly, with those who moved to town with a deep love, passion and understanding of Westport, what it is and what it means.

“They improved and respected its history, but also shared their artistic gift.”

Andrew calls the event “an impromptu, amazing greeting and conversation with an Odysseus sirens-like calling, but through visual stimulation and colorful abstract canvases that called me to trespass into a midsummer night’s dream of bountiful color.”

Andrew realized he must not be the only person who noticed the art.

David and Holly told him that 3 pieces had just sold. They were making their way to fellow Westporter — and artist in his own way — Christian Soriano.

“Always keep your eye out in Westport,” Andrew says.

“The legacy and gifts of our artists could be right behind your fence, down the street — or on your way to the beach.”

(All photos/Andrew Colabella)

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