The Packer Mansion

My grandmother painted this image of the Packer Mansion.  It was built in Sayre, PA by the industrialist Robert Asa Packer.  After his death it was used as a hospital and later the building was razed for the construction of the current Robert Packer Hospital.  She sold the painting in November 1067 to the Hospital Ladies Auxiliary.  It is currently on display in the hospital cafeteria.

"I sold that Packer Mansion to the Hospital Lades Auxiliary for $100-. This was not snapped up by some doctor as I thought it might be – and it seems that now, there are no more old doctors around any more with sentiment about it." - Mary Wands Campbell

 My brother Philip, took several videos of Janice and Norm in and around their Maine home.  I had no idea that these existed until he mentioned it to me last week.  He has edited the videos and uploaded it to youtube for all to see.

As Jonathan Manheim described it:  What a beautiful video! Really, a wonderful document about what Janice and Norm’s lives were like in Port Clyde. It was a very sensitive portrait of two creative people. I could sense Janice’s shyness, and Norm’s humor. I even remembered the scenes of PC, and they reminded me of what a beautiful place it is. Please tell Phil how much I enjoyed this.

Follow the link below to watch the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JLl_3Jl-K0

A painting by Janice of the Jeep that they owned for a year.  They bought it from a friend and were not pleased with it.  They sold it back to him a year later for what they paid for it and everyone was happy.

Happy Birthday Ma!

Today would have been my mother's 88th birthday.  There is no way to adequately thank her for all she did for us on our birthdays over the years, but I thought, I'd post some birthday cards that she created, starting with one she did for her own mother.

Apparently my mother and her brother Harrison called their mother Moon even at an early age as evidenced by the card below.

For her Aunt Hazel's 90th birthday she created a large, elaborate card.  Hazel Irene Campbell Boyd, had been a school teacher and principal, much beloved by former students, hence the apple theme.  Each slice lifts to reveal a memory:

Memories...

Great trips through the countryside..Bumptown revisited

Your kitchen smelling of warm baby chicks or Grandma's famous "Eggs on Pancakes"

Crocheted caps at S.U.  Quilts for my kids.  Our bears (they still look good)  etc., etc., etc., etc.

Eggs Benedict and more for the hungry travelers.  And the jokes!  I wish I could remember them all!

1932 - Rescued!  Over-town to a real teacher.

That treasure box upstairs - Rosalie

His + Hers - Smokey and Clem

Bed and Board for us kids whenever needed.

In the days before Pizza Hut and other chains, Ma used to make pizza using Chef Boyardee's Pizza mix.  One year she planned a pizza party for my birthday and made the invitation below.  Thanks Ma!








This card may have been for me.


For my birthday while I was living in San Francisco, the card below arrived with a gift.



 A birthday party invitation for one of their Maine friends:


 For little Jackson, she created this banana themed card.  With her busy schedule, it is surprising there were not more belated cards.





The card for my builder husband, Michael Morley, below, folded out from bottom to top., and included our dog Merlin holding the ladder.

Another card for Michael:


 She missed Jackson's birthday once again,  but a handmade card is never too late.





 During the Mutant Ninja turtle craze she made this jumping-jack card for Jackson's May birthday.




 Hazel's birthday comes during the snowy month of February, so her cards often had a snow theme, like this card filled with snowmen in animal shapes.

Clinton L. Frank

Clinton L. Frank portrait ca. 1964  Oil in brush and pallet knife on 9x12 canvas board

Clint says, "Your Mom always took the opportunity to paint a face, whether it was a portrait or a peoplescape.  See seemed to see faces others never thought about.  Her calm and even way probably allowed her the inner eye that the creatively challenged seldom use.  I was very fortunate to have had the opportunity to have enjoyed her talent and life for a time." 

 As I have said, everyone was fair game for my mother's artistic eye.  I had completely forgotten that she did this portrait of one of my DFHS boyfriends, Clinton Frank.  But as soon as I saw it, the memory of it came back.  Many thanks to Clint for providing these images of the painting!

Clint holding the painting

Clint and me, in the car, before his 1964 graduation, taken at 11Secor Drive

Clint 1969

Judith Stern Levine

I was pleasantly surprised recently, to hear from Judith Stern Levine, a fellow Dobbs Ferry High School graduate who had her portrait painted by my mother.

 

Oil portrait size approx. 16x20"

Judith says: 

Back in late 1971, both Esther Schapira Bryant  and I were about to turn 21 and we wanted to do something special FOR our parents.  We went to Mrs. Candela and she painted portraits of both of us to give as birthday presents to our parents.  I don't know what happened to Essie's, but mine still hangs in my mother's apartment where it has hung since 1972.  When she first saw it, she thought it looked more like Bobbi Ivers (DFHS Class of '64) than me.  I think it looks exactly like I looked at 21.  Charlotte, however, still says it looks like Bobbi Ivers.  Someday it will hang in my home, a reminder of days of old -- an original Candela.

Judi Stern Levine "69

"Eenie and Patty" Jackman

Through the amazing social network, Facebook, I recently became reacquainted with Barbara Jackman, who lived down the hill with us in Dobbs Ferry when I was a kid.  My sister Nancy played with her sisters, Eenie (Maureen) and Patty.  I remember climbing the dirt piles at the house that was being built next to theirs on Luzern Road.  I knew that my mother had painted Eenie and Patty, and that she won a prize at the Dobbs Ferry Women’s Club show with the painting, but was not aware of the details of how the painting came to be, 

Barbaram Jackman Lillo said, “Every member of the Jackman family has a photo of this painting.  It remains everyone’s favorite. Your Mom was a talented artist whom I remember well.”

My sister Nancy remembers back to that night in 1965,” We had a sleep over at the house and Eenie and Patty were dressed in matching pink PJ's... “

 Can you imagine, as a child going to a sleepover and having your portrait painted in oil, that evening by your friend's mother?  When inspiration struck, Janice was not one to let the occasion pass her by!  I am beginning to see why my friends say that there was something different about the Candela household.

And Patty herself says, "I remember the day this was done. I tried sooooo hard to sit still.  I also remember every room in the Candela house so vividly as well as the backyard-how nice and flat it was with green grass and the stairs leading down to it and Mr. Candela working on cars all the time in the garage. I'm surprised I'm remembering this so clearly considering I thought I forgot so much of my childhood.  It's all coming back to me now. Isn't that a song???"

Below the article from the Herald Statesman announcing the winners of the Women's Club show.  Eenie and Patty took first prize in the portrait category: