Posted onJuly 5, 2025|Comments Off on Online Art Gallery #273
Sure, it’s a holiday weekend.
But our online art gallery is open. In fact, we never close!
Another fact: This feature is open to all. Age, level of experience, subject matter — there are no restrictions. Everyone can contribute.
And as always, no matter what style or subject you choose — and whether you’re a first-timer or old-timer — we welcome your submissions. Watercolors, oils, charcoal, pen-and-ink, acrylics, digital, lithographs, collages, macramé, jewelry, sculpture, decoupage, needlepoint — we want whatever you’ve got.
Please email a JPG to 06880blog@gmail.com. And please include the medium you’re working in — art lovers want to know.
John Fernie drew these New Yorkers arriving at Compo Beach for a vacation in the late 1950s, for what his son Bruce — who sent it to us — calls “a long-forgotten magazine.” The original hangs in Bruce’s home, reminding him of “those great childhood beach days on the Sound.”
Untitled (Duane Cohen; Available for purchase — click here)
“Wonderful Jazz at the Levitt” (Judith Katz)
Untitled (Roseann Spengler)
“Blooming Flowers”– impasto gold leaf on wood (Dorothy Robertshaw; Available for purchase — click here)
“Dragon Flies” — 28 x 22, acrylic foil on canvas (Brian Whelan — Available for purchase; click here)
“Flowerful Thoughts” (Tom Doran — Available for purchase; click here)
“06880” artists are seldom at a loss for ideas. But in case you need any: The first day of summer is Friday. The 4th of July follows soon. Get outside — and then send your work to us, to be admired by all.
No matter what style or subject you choose — and whether you’re a first-timer or old-timer — we welcome your submissions. Watercolors, oils, charcoal, pen-and-ink, acrylics, digital, lithographs, collages, macramé, jewelry, sculpture, decoupage, needlepoint — we want whatever you’ve got.
This feature is open to all. Age, level of experience, subject matter — there are no restrictions. Everyone can contribute.
Please email a JPG to 06880blog@gmail.com. And please include the medium you’re working in — art lovers want to know.
Untitled (Duane Cohen — Available for sale; click here)
“Sally Sells Seashells at the Seashore” — digital painting created with Photoshop (Ken Runkel — Available for sale; click here)
“Joyce’s Wife Nora Barnacle” — Bloomsday is June 16 (Brian Whelan — Available for sale; click here)
Untitled (Tom Doran — Available for sale; click here)
“Flower Abstract” (Ron Henkin)
Untitled (Mary Treschitta — Available for sale; click here)
“The Fence” (Karen Weingarten)
Untitled (Maureen Estony)
Untitled (Joan Micele — Available for purchase; click here)
“Sneak Closer, Tickle the Lioness’ Tummy — And Stay for Lunch” (Mike Hibbard)
“Brendan Wins the Long Drive” — watercolor (Eric Bosch)
“6/14/64 — Still Strolling at Compo, and Always Holding Hands” (Steve Stein)
Untitled (Lawrence Weisman)
(Entrance is free to our online art gallery. But please consider a donation! Just click here — and thank you!)
The Westport Fire Department responded yesterday afternoon to a house fire on Tarone Drive. One resident was injured, and taken to Norwalk Hospital.
The WPD reminds everyone to ensure they have working smoke detectors in their homes.
Dayling Savings Time begins at 2 a.m. Sunday morning. Move your clocks forward one hour! Whenever you change your clocks, remember to change your batteries!
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More than half a century after graduating from Staples High School, I made my Players debut.
I was a guest speller last night in their production of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.”
It was short-lived. I got knocked out on my first word: kumis. As I sure as heck did not know, the fermented milk drink from Central and East Asia is spelled not with a “c,” but with a “k.” (It’s also known as koumis or kumyz, neither of which I would have gotten either.)
Yours truly being given a loser’s prize by Mitch Mahoney (Yusef Abdallah), after failing in the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.
My fellow guest spellers — 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker, Staples principal Stafford Thomas and Bedford Acting Group director Ryan Smith — lasted longer than I did.
Neither of them won, either. (Spoiler alert: No guest speller has ever won, in the history of the Broadway show. It’s rigged!)
“Older” spellers (from left) Stafford Thomas, Dan Woog, Jen Tooker and Ryan Smith, on stage with the Staples cast, who are much better spellers (and actors).
But boy, did we have fun. Thank you, Players directors David Roth and Kerry Long, for the invitation. And great job Players, making us all feel welcome!
The show continues today (Saturday, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.) and tomorrow (Sunday, March 9, 2 p.m.). Click here for tickets, and more information.
Leaf Coneybear (Cooper Gusick, center) entertains Staples principal Stafford Thomas and 1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker. (All photos/Kerry Long)
Chef Brian Lewis — whose OKO and The Cottage are Westport favorites — was recently named a semifinalist for the James Beard Award (“Best Chef Northeast” category).
Now he’s introducing a new dining experience.
The OKO-KASE menu includes Popcorn Dashi Lions Mane, Hokkaido Uni, Osetra Caviar, Bread and Butter Lobster, Passion Fruit and Stracciatella
Black Truffle Chawanmushi.
That’s followed by a selection of nigiri sushi, hand rolls, and flavorful dishes like Chili-Lime King Crab Hand Roll, St. Canut Pork Belly with Walnut Miso and Fermented Apple Butter, and Yuzu White Chocolate Huckleberry Kiss.
The price is $200 per guest; $75 sake pairing per guest. Reservations (203-557-8404) require 48-hour notice, and a $50 deposit per guest.
Westport escaped major damage in yesterday’s high winds.
Residents of Hickory Drive were not as lucky, however. Power went out when a tree took down live wires.
(Photo/Ron Poserina)
Winds continue today, 20 to 30 mph, with occasional gusts over 40. The temperature will be in the mid 40s.
The week ahead looks good. Tuesday could see 60 degrees.
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Last year, Rach’s Hope Walk the Extra Mile raised more than $20,000. The funds helped the non-profit that supports families with critically ill children in the ICU with an additional 100 nights of hotel stays, so parents can rest and recharge while staying close to their kids.
Rach’s Hope — which honors Rachel Doran, the Staples High School graduate and rising Cornell University senior, who died after developin a rare reaction to common medications — is getting ready for their 6th annual Rach’s Hope PJ Gala.
(Rachel was a talented Staples Players costume designer, and founded a pajama company.)
The date is Saturday, March 29 (7 to 11 p.m., FTC, Fairfield). Click here for tickets.
Festivities include an open bar with Tito’s cocktails, beer, wine and prosecco; heavy appetizers and desserts by AMG Catering; live music kicked off by Westport’s own Michael Cantor and Frog Salon, plus Rach’s Hope’s signature band, Ellis Island — and live and silent auctions too.
The Staples High School freshman was the only 9th grader in the entire country to win the Sandra Day O’Connor Institute for American Democracy annual Civics Challenge His entry was Crafting Change: The Art of Lawmaking in Congress.
The Civics Challenge is a very competitive national contest open to students in grades 6 through 12. Participants demonstrate civics knowledge through essays, short videos or original songs.
Tucker — one of just 10 winners nationwide — earned a $500 prize.
And the admiration of everyone who mourns the loss of civics education in America today.
Speaking of education: Adam Shapiro recently spent 2 days at Greens Farms Academy.
The noted actor (“The Bear,” “Never Have I Ever,” “Waitress”)was the school’s 2025 Hartwell Visiting Artist.
Shapiro presented at student assemblies, delivered a keynote to parents on “Cultivating Creativity,” coached the Middle School cast of “Frozen Jr.,” and shared his stories and advice about building a career in the arts.
Click here to read more about Shapiro’s visit. Click below for a highlight reel:
Speaking of school: Congratulations too to Weston High School’s robotics team!
They won the engineering design Innovate Champion Award at the state robotics championship recently.
That earned them a spot at the VEX Robotics World Championships in Dallas in May. Good luck to the squad: Emily Arias, Angela Zhao, Joshua Miranda and Cooper Schleef.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong — an early opponent, with counterparts across the country, of some of President Trump’s first funding cuts — is the guest at the Democratic Women of Westport’s annual Souper Luncheon.
The event is March 28 (11:30 a.m.). The DWW invites the public to join the AG, and learn more about his work on behalf of state residents. To RSVP, email dww06880@gmail.com.
On April 22, the Democratic Women sponsor a forum with Yale Law School professor Paul Kahn, author of Democracy in Our America: Can We Still Govern Ourselves? He’ll be joined in conversation by the Representative Town Meeting’s current and former moderators, Jeff Wieser and Velma Heller.
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong.
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Saugatuck Congregational Church host’s Connecticut’s first “Music for Food” concert (March 16, 3 p.m.), with classical pianist Emma Tahmizian.
The Bulgarian musician debuted internationally at age 11, at a concert series in Moscow. She has performed and recorded regularly, since winning the 1977 Robert Schumann Competition.
The event is free, but donations are accepted. All proceeds benefit Homes with Hope, to support area residents facing food insecurity.
Emma Tahmizian
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The Gallery @ Green’s Farms Church welcomes photographer Sally Harris, and her latest work: “The Colors and Culture of Oaxaca.”
The show runs from March 14 to May 14. An opening reception is March 14 (6 to 8 p.m.). For more information, click here.
Speaking of art: Brian Whelan’s work is always a highlight of our “06880” online gallery.
Now it’s on view at Trinity Church Wall Street, in New York.
“Holy City” is a series inspired by medieval artwork, contemporary expressionism, and Whelan’s Catholic roots. blending the temporal and the spiritual.
The 9-panel painting at the center of the exhibit depicts Christianity, Islam and Judaism existing in harmony, with houses of worship supporting and uplifting one another.
The exhibit is open through March 18. Click here for more information.
Speaking still of the arts: A large crowd learned a lot at Thursday’s Malloy Fund for the Arts’ presentation “Reimagined: Westport as an Arts Town, Past, Present and Future.”
Actor James Naughton moderated a panel, with Miggs Burroughs, Melissa Newman and Meloday James.
Ann Sheffer — a passionate arts advocate and philanthropist (and donor Susan Malloy’s niece), whose family’s contributions helped shape Westport’s cultural fabric — also spoke.
If you missed it: no worries. Just click below, to see the entire event.
The Westport Astronomical Society will be open from 1 a.m. to 3:40 a.m. (weather permitting) on March 14, to observe the total lunar eclipse.
In other WAS news, the next free online lecture features Sarah Elizabeth McCandless. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory navigation engineer discusses “Exploring an Icy World with Europa Clipper.”
This week, several newcomers join our online art gallery. Welcome!
A reminder: This Saturday feature is open to all. Age, level of experience, subject matter — there are no restrictions. Everyone is invited to contribute.
No matter what style or subject you choose — and whether you’re a first-timer or old-timer — we welcome your submissions. Watercolors, oils, charcoal, pen-and-ink, acrylics, digital, lithographs, collages, macramé, jewelry, sculpture, decoupage, needlepoint — we want whatever you’ve got.
Email a jpeg to 06880blog@gmail.com. And remember: Please include the medium you’re working in — art lovers want to know.
“Adoration of the Magi” — mixed media on canvas (Brian Whelan)
“Pure Joy” — acrylic pouring embellished with handwork (Dorothy Robertshaw)
Untitled (Valerie Fischel)
Untitled (Tom Doran)
“Fallen Maple Leaf on Maple Board” (David Fales)
Photographer Mike Hibbard asks, “Which of these vegetables and fruits have you eaten?”
“Egret at the Dimes Marina” (Matt Murray)
Untitled — acrylic (Missy Greenberg)
“Big Brother” (Martin Ripchick)
“Seahors: Not for Use in Water Polo” — watercolor and charcoal (Steve Stein)
“Random Sketches from a Walk Downtown” (Lawrence Weisman)
(Entrance is free to our online art gallery. But please consider a donation! Just click here — and thank you!)
Two “eyes” — one literal, the other metaphorical — lead off this week’s edition of our online art gallery.
Other submissions are a bit more seasonal. Some pay homage to autumn; others, to the Jewish New Year.
But no matter what subject you choose — and whether you’re a first-timer or old-timer — we welcome your submissions. Watercolors, oils, charcoal, pen-and-ink, acrylics, digital, lithographs, collages, macramé, jewelry, sculpture, decoupage, needlepoint — we want whatever you’ve got.
Age, level of experience, subject matter — there are no restrictions. Everyone is invited to contribute.
Email a jpeg to 06880blog@gmail.com. And remember: Please include the medium you’re working in — art lovers want to know.
“The Eye” (Dorothy Robertshaw)
“Three Corners of a Coin” — compounding of photos by Teslariu Mihai (Tom Doran)
“Harvest Commons” — watercolor (Jo Ann Davidson)
“A Lone Rose” (Ellen Wentworth)
“Fallen Branches” (Karen Weingarten)
“Wolf with Crescent Moon and Violin” (Brian Whelan)
“Quattro Amici” (Patricia McMahon)
“Dunes Behind Jennings Beach, Fairfield” (Kathleen Burke)
“Beach View” (Duane Cohen)
“Hauling Time — Sloop SAWA” (Peter Barlow)
“Prayer at the Kotel (Wailing/Western Wall) — Yom Kippur in Jerusalem” — collage and watercolor. Artist Steve Stein says: “Thisis all that remains of the first Hebrew Temple (built in 10th century BCE, later destroyed by the Babylonians) and second Hebrew Temple (built in 6th centruy BCE, destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE). The largest stones are 44 feet long and weigh over 570 tons. It remains a place of prayer and pilgrimage.”
“To the New Year” — pastel (Werner Liepolt)
Untitled (Lawrence Weisman)
(Entrance is free to our online art gallery. But please consider a donation! Just click here — and thank you!)
Talented and popular 12-year-old Aerin Lichtman is joined today by an even younger artist: 10-year-old Ben Gionfriddo.
We welcome too a couple of full-time, gallery-showing professionals: Brian Whelan, and newcomer Dorie.
That’s the whole point of “06880”‘s online art feature: No matter what your theme or medium — and whether you’re a first-timer or old-timer — we welcome your submissions. Watercolors, oils, charcoal, pen-and-ink, acrylics, digital, lithographs, collages, macramé, jewelry, sculpture, decoupage, needlepoint — we want whatever you’ve got.
Age, level of experience, subject matter — there are no restrictions. Everyone is invited to contribute.
Email it to 06880blog@gmail.com. Please include the medium you’re working in — art lovers want to know.
“‘The Aviana’: Luxury Bird Condos” — oil on cavas. Mary Madelyn Attanasio explains: “A friend of mine created several birdhouses for the Birdhouse Fundraiser. This painting was sold at a juried show.”
“Green Heron” — watercolor (Kathleen Burke)
“The Raven” — encaustic wax (Dorothy Robertshaw)
“Textured Art on Wood Panels” — Anne Bernier
“Alien” — watercolors, ink, colored pencils and oil pastels on paper (Ben Gionfriddo, 10 years old)
Untitled (Tom Doran)
“Beached” — pastels (Werner Liepolt)
“Compo Beach” (Cohl Katz)
“Moving Upstream” — Lynn Wilson says, “Herring are running at Stoney Brook Mill in Brewster, Massachusetts.”
“Lavender Field Retreat, Provence” — oil on canvas. Artist Dorie is showing this now at Westport River Gallery.
“Autumn Blaze Red Maple” (Aerin Lichtman, 12 years old)
“Ornament at Eleven O’Clock” — Photographer Peter Barlow explains: “The title refers to when the shadow is straight. Most of the time there is no shadow.“
“POP! No muscles moved?” — Maasai warrior jump dancing, Tanzania — Mike Hibbard
“The Tribe of Dan” — Artist Steve Stein says: “One of Chagall’s 12 windows representing the sons of Jacob. ‘Dan’ in Hebrew means’ judge.’ The tribe is associated with law, order, the scales of justice and its most famous member, Samson.”
“Working Remotely” (Lawrence Weisman)
“Shakespeare” — in honor of his birthday; acrylic and foil on canvas (Brian Whelan)
(Entrance is free to our online art gallery. But please consider a donation! Just click here — and thank you!)
A solar eclipse takes place Monday. Our “06880” artists are ready.
Two submissions explore the rare event, from (of course) different artistic lenses. We’ve got some spring-themed works too, and the usual array of intriguing, exciting works in a variety of styles.
Remember: No matter what your theme or medium — and whether you’re a first-timer or old-timer — we welcome your submissions. Watercolors, oils, charcoal, pen-and-ink, acrylics, digital, lithographs, collages, macramé, jewelry, sculpture, decoupage, needlepoint — we want whatever you’ve got.
Age, level of experience, subject matter — there are no restrictions. Everyone is invited to contribute.
Email it to 06880blog@gmail.com. Please include the medium you’re working in — art lovers want to know.
Untitled – Dorothy Robertshaw says, “This is cyanotype sun printing art, just in time for the eclipse. You put it between glass you out in the sun, almost like a dark room versus light room. Then you bring it in. You wash it with cold water, then hang dry. This one is paper.”
“The Line of Totality” — acrylic on board (Brian Whelan)
“The Butterfly Effect” — digital illustration (Ken Runkel)
Untitled (Tom Doran)
Untitled (Roseann Spengler)
“Cherry Blossoms Along the Potomac” (Wendy Levy)
“Many Homes Here Now — Once a Factory” (Peter Barlow)
“Drifting Snow in Mountain Green, Morgan County, Utah.” Andy Millard says, “the blowing snow in this wintry scene suggests a painting, but it is a photograph.”
“Stream of Prayers” — weathered prayer flags, dripped in wax and stone (Jerry Kuyper)
“Home of the Pit” (Mike Hibbard)
“Dancers Stretching” (Steve Stein)
“Some Days You Just Can’t Get Out of Bed” (Lawrence Weisman)
Untitled (Ellen Wentworth)
(Entrance is free to our online art gallery. But please consider a donation! Just click here — and thank you!)
Two Easter-themed works, and 2 by artists not yet in their teens highlight this week’s online gallery.
Which reminds us: No matter what your theme or medium — and whether you’re a first-timer or old-timer — we welcome your submissions. Watercolors, oils, charcoal, pen-and-ink, acrylics, digital, lithographs, collages, macramé, jewelry, sculpture, decoupage, needlepoint — we want whatever you’ve got.
Age, level of experience, subject matter — there are no restrictions. Everyone is invited to contribute.
Email it to 06880blog@gmail.com. Please include the medium you’re working in — art lovers want to know.
Noli Me Tangere (Brian Whelan)
“Happy Easter” (Dorothy Robertshaw)
“Blue Flame” — spray paint on clipboard (Frazer Benton, age 10)
“You Gotta Have Heart” (Aerin Stein, 12 years old). Aerin’s grandfather Steve Stein writes: “Apropos of the AI digital art discussion in last week’s art gallery, on the left is Aerin’s original pencil sketch on brown paper. On the right is the computer colorization of the heart and background.”
Longtime jUNe Day hospitality chair, poll worker, RTM member, proud Staples High School graduate and avid “06880” reader and commenter Arline Gertzoff is in the hospital.
Let’s show her some blog love, and flood her with cards. Her address is: Arline Gertzoff, c/o St. Vincent’s Medical Center, Room 915, 2800 Main Street, Bridgeport, CT 06606.
Westport kids are under a ton of pressure. Everyone knows that.
On October 19th (7 p.m., Westport Library; reception at 6:30), parents can learn about causes, recognize signs of struggle, discover anxiety-reducing strategies, and hear about family resources.
The Library is partnering with Positive Directions and the Westport Weston Family YMCA, to present “The Cost of Success: What Pressure is Doing to Our Kids.”
PD’s executive director Vanessa Wilson moderates. Panelists include Staples High School Teen Awareness Group students, plus Val Babich, coordinator of psychological services for Westport Public Schools; Frank Castorina, clinical supervisor at PD, and pediatric hospitalist Alicia Briggs.
Psressures — academic, social and other — are high on teenagers today. (Photo/Dan Woog)
Bob Weingarten offers thanks to Greens Farms drivers. He writes:
“Last week, while adjusting my puppy’s collar at our front door, Misty ‘escaped’ and ran into the street. I ran after her and yelled for her to stop, but she continued running for 20 minutes. She thought that this was a game!
As I ran after her, drivers stopped their cars and waited so she would not get hit. They were all very considerate. Two other dog walkers tried to capture her but she ran from them when she saw me approaching. She finally had enough. When she lay down I put her collar on, and took her home.
“This was not the only time drivers were considerate to me and others while walking our dogs. When they see us, they drive on the other side of the road to provide space and safety. Even construction truck drivers do the same. So Misty and I say ‘thanks to all you driver!'”
The Levitt Pavilion summer season continues into fall.
The outdoor venue added another ticketed event. DAS Trio, featuring Rob Derhak, Vinnie Amico and Al Schnier of moe, appear on Saturday, October 8 (7 p.m.).
Tickets are $15 for members (on sale now), $18 for non-members (beginning tomorrow, Monday, at noon). They’re available at the box office the day of the show too, beginning at 5 p.m.
The terrace bar will be open that night, sponsored by Rizzuto’s. There will be food trucks too. For tickets and more information, click here.
Tickets are on sale for the Staples Lacrosse Association’s great raffle. It’s part of their golf outing, set for October 3 at Longshore.
Prizes include tickets on Avelo Airlines; golf club component fitting from Golftec; one night’s stay at the Inn at Longshore; a personal training session with Drew Accomando, plus much more. There are tons of gift cards too.
Click here for the full list of items, and to purchase tickets. Then scroll down for information on the golf outing.
Staples High School: boys lacrosse state champs — and #1 in the nation!
Westport artist and frequent “06880” online gallery contributor Brian Whelan has been commissioned by the Episcopal Church of Wyoming to produce 13 paintings about the life of Rev. Dr. John Roberts. The Welsh Anglican missionary-priest ministered among Native Americans on the Wind River Reservation.
The series will premiere at the John Roberts Festival in Ft. Washakie, Wyoming next summer. They then embark on an international exhibition tour, at museums throughout Wyoming, then at Episcopal cathedrals in the US, and finally to Wales in partnership with the Anglican Church. The paintings will then be on permanent display in Wyoming.
Beyond commemorating the life and ministry of Rev. Roberts, the exhibition will draw attention to the importance of learning from the spirituality, culture and worldview of Native Americans.
Brian Whelan begins work, on the first of 13 paintings.
We begin our 3rd year of this feature with what may be a first: needlepoint. That’s more proof — not that any was needed — of the versatility and range of our hundreds of contributors.
As always, we appreciate everyone’s submissions. This gallery is open to all readers. Whatever your age and level of experience — professional or amateur, young or old. In every medium. On every topic.
All genres are encouraged. Watercolors, oils, charcoal, pen-and-ink, acrylics, lithographs, macramé, jewelry, sculpture, decoupage and (yes) needlepoint — whatever you’ve got, email it to dwoog@optonline.net. Share your work with the world!
“Rejuvenation” (Brian Whelan)
“Let’s Kiss and Make Up” — needlepoint (Diane Yormark)
“Genders as Seen in the Bible” (Steve Stein)
Untitled (Jo Ann Miller)
“Once More, With Feeling” (Lawrence Weisman)
“New Jersey From the 103rd Floor” (Penny Pearlman)
Click here to help support “06880” via credit card or PayPal. Any amount is welcome, appreciated — and tax-deductible! Reader contributions keep this blog going. (Alternate methods: Please send a check to “06880”: PO Box 744, Westport, CT 06881. Or use Venmo: @blog06880. Or Zelle: dwoog@optonline.net. Thanks!)
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