Monday, June 23, 2014

Pickle Street

My friend, Joy, is a wonderful artist.  As I sit here facing my computer screen I am looking at one of her water colors hanging on the wall above my desk.
Joy taught school for many years and retired 10 years ago.  What to do, what to do?  She subbed for a while (what the hell was she thinking?) and then just hung around at home eating bon-bons and watching soaps.  I made up that last part.
When Joy was a little girl she went to a one room school house (which was right next door to her home - talk about a long commute) called The Pickle Street School.
I don't believe I've ever heard why they called it Pickle Street because that is not the name of the street.  Although . . . now that I think of it, back in the olden days, it may very well have held that moniker.  I'll have to ask her.
Anyway, Joy had a brilliant idea to turn that old, empty, schoolhouse into a studio for artists.  
She teaches there and has a wide variety of other people from various fields come in to do their thing as well.

A lot of work and elbow grease went into this project but the original look was left untouched.

A nice bit of color greeted me that afternoon.


Check out the great floors.

The big windows let in natural light.

Joy's self portrait along side her artist bio.

Look - the blackboard still works.  Doesn't it make you want to grab the erasers and start clapping?  Wait - you didn't understand that reference?  How the hell old are you anyway?

A flyer filled with info about one of the guest instructors.


Some wonderful pieces coming off the student paint brushes.

Just in case you need a little help in the "color" department.

And here she is - the one with the idea. 
   Check out Pickle Street Studio on Facebook.  You won't be sorry.

5 comments:

  1. I wonder if the school was moved from Pickle Street so that Joy and siblings wouldn't have to take the bus;)

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    Replies
    1. I'm sure that's what happened. They were such pampered little country kids.

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  2. Yep, yep, and yep - wonderful artist and great studio, which makes me wish I had that sort of artistic bent!! Nice article, Ellen.

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  3. I miss going there! I need to get my act back together...maybe it will be a Fall goal. Nice post!

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