PAINTING a new reel feat. Catherine LaPointe Vollmer: "THE GUNKS"
CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE MUSIC VIDEO.
CONCERT ANNOUNCEMENT!
OCTOBER 22, Pickens Hall, Heuvelton, NY
Traditional Arts in Upstate New York [TAUNY] presents Gretchen Koehler's "Fiddling With Traditions" - a new fiddle suite of handcrafted tunes inspired by North Country artists at the historic Pickens Hall, Heuvelton, NY on October 22, 7PM, $15. The concert will feature fiddler Gretchen Koehler & pianist Daniel Kelly. "Fiddling with Traditions" is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
Catherine LaPointe Vollmer, Lionheart Graphics. St. Amand Photography
“The Pastellist.” A self portrait by Catherine LaPointe Vollmer, Lionheart Graphics, used with permission
CATHERINE LAPOINTE VOLLMER, artist
I met artist Catherine LaPointe Vollmer • Lionheart Graphics • in her home studio in Potsdam, NY, though we could have just as easily bumped into each other while hiking in our region, something that we both love. In her modern impressionist style, she captures landscapes, cloudscapes, architecture, people, trees, you name it. She is also a graphic designer, pastel painter, and poster artist. She has a keen eye for beauty and especially savors moments that are often overlooked in a fast paced world. Her work is popular throughout our region here in the North Country of Northern New York, especially her graphics, as seen on storefront posters, business logos and more. I had been a fan of hers for years, and though she only lives a few miles from my home, we had never met.
FIDDLING WITH TRADITIONS
The plan for 2022 was that I compose fiddle tunes, write articles, and produce music videos inspired by conversations with North Country artists. I would learn about their art form, creative process, watch how they used their hands and talk about our traditions. Once I got to know them, I would consider what type of tune to write (waltz, jig, reel, etc) and match the artist’s work with a genre that was historically played in my region (Old Time, Celtic, Bluegrass, etc). Once the tune was written, I would score a musical arrangement that best captured their unique “essence.”
PANDEMIC
Fiddler Gretchen Koehler & artist Catherine LaPointe Vollmer.
The idea for the project came as a response to the pandemic. After two years, I found my “creative drive” was dwindling. I entered into this project with the support of Traditional Arts in Upstate New York [TAUNY] in hopes of tapping into “something new" musically by focusing on a variety of mediums. Isolated for so long, I was looking forward to making connections with my talented North Country neighbors and so glad TAUNY recommended Catherine.
PASTELS
Though specialized in many mediums, Catherine finds much of her time spent pastel painting. Her paints come in the form of blocks of pigment. In simple terms, the blocks are the ingredients of paint in “chalk form,” without the “fillers” found in everyday chalk. As I dove into Catherine's pastel work, I found her images incredibly inviting. Her paintings inspired me to want to visit each and every place she captured. As a composer, I wanted to highlight the great transportational quality she possessed.
Pastels at Lionheart Graphics, Potsdam, NY. (Koehler photo)
Soft pastels by Catherine LaPointe Vollmer, “Winter Walk” 12x24, “Wild” 12x16 (plein air), “Autumn Flame” 12x36. Available at Lionheart Graphics.
“Her paintings inspired me to want to visit each and every place she captured. I wanted to highlight the great transportational quality she possessed.”
Pastel by Catherine LaPointe Vollmer. “King’s Canyon” 16x20, Kings Canyon National Park. Available at Lionheart Graphics.
FROM START TO FINISH
I asked her about her process, from concept to finished art. Her pieces often begin by taking many “reference” photographs. From a few of her favorites, she will make many small black and white sketches. From those, she again picks a winner and paints several 5x7 “color studies” where she experiments and fine tunes her color palette. The day I visited, she had just prepared her final 16x20 canvas with the base color green. I was surprised by the feel, rough like a cat’s tongue, which makes sense as it has a strong texture to catch the pastels. She does many versions of a painting, improving each time. By the time she stands in front of the final blank canvas, she has a very clear idea of how the finished painting will look. She gets into a groove, and completes the final piece in several hours. As I thought about a fiddle genre to match her skiled fine art, the virtuosity and finesse of Bluegrass fiddling rose to the top of my list.
“As I thought about a fiddle genre to match her skilled fine art, the virtuosity and finesse of Bluegrass fiddling rose to the top of my list.”
Catherine LaPointe Vollmer’s process from a photograph to sketches to color studies to canvas. Lionheart Graphics (Koehler photo)
“The Knitter” by Catherine LaPointe Vollmer, Lionheart Graphics. Used with permission
“I immediately recognized my very similar process as a composer. I enjoyed discovering this connection between her painting and my fiddling.”
COMPOSING MUSIC
Though I hadn’t realized how many incarnations there were before she stood in front of her final canvas, I immediately recognized my very similar process as a composer. I start with an idea for a tune. I then try out many note combinations in my manuscript sketchbook, edit, then string them together. Next, I do my own version of a “color study” by adding chords to set the harmonic structure. With a pretty good sketch and color palette, I present these ideas to my partner, pianist Daniel Kelly for some opinions/editing, and rhythm/groove details. By the time the final arrangement makes it to the listeners’ ears, there have been countless drafts that the audience may never realize went into the final arrangement. I enjoyed discovering this connection between her painting and my fiddling.
A river scene by Catherine LaPointe Vollmer in St. Regis Falls, NY during the 2021 Adirondack Plein Air Festival. Lionheart Graphics. Used with permission.
PLEIN AIR PAINTING
But meticulous editing is not the only way Catherine works. Plein air painting, (French for “fresh air”) is a completely different story. Here, the artist goes outside, looks around, sets up her gear, and paints, quickly before the moment & light changes. For someone who often has the time to edit before the final project, Catherine finds this is a great way to keep her senses sharp. It is not about long planned perfection, but rather, immediate results.
JAZZ
As I listened, I smiled as I thought this reminded me of a certain jazz musician I know. When Daniel improvises, he is totally in the moment. In this way, I would say that jazz musicians are plein air painters. Thinking of improv like a plein air painting was a delight. And this thought gave me an arranging idea- Daniel could offer some plein air painting in the form of a jazz improv.
“Daniel could offer some plein air painting in the form of a jazz improvisation.”
A sample of Catherine LaPointe Vollmer’s collections featuring vintage-style travel posters, National Parks, and the Great Outdoors. Available at Lionheart Graphics.
VINTAGE TRAVEL POSTERS
Catherine is also known around the US for her vintage travel posters and this work is something that ties her into the traditional arts world at TAUNY. I had a great encounter with one of her posters downstate. Daniel and I perform regularly at the Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, NY. On one visit, while I was poking around the gift shop, I noticed a retro travel poster that I immediately recognized as Catherine’s work. I bought it and gave it to Daniel, telling him excitedly that not only was this artist from the North Country (doesn’t everyone from the NoCo manage to work that into conversations!?) but that she had recently ordered our latest CD, LIVE from Hill & Hollow.
DIGITAL PROCESS
To create these gorgeous posters, she works digitally. For those unfamiliar with digital art, think of her canvas and easel as a fancy computer screen on her desk. She has a special stylus with which she can draw directly onto the screen. To add/change color, she touches the tip of the pen on the desired color in the menu —a process that reminded me of dipping an old fashioned quill into an inkwell.
Commissioned travel posters by Catherine LaPointe Vollmer. Available at Lionheart Graphics.
TRADITION
We talked about tradition, and the use of woodblock and silk screens to create these posters in the past. She imagined that there would be some old fashioned printers who would scoff at the new technology, but others who would be glad not to be exposed to potentially harmful raw materials, delighted in how little space the digital equipment takes up, and love the ease at which one could change the colors to create the perfect image.
Travel poster courtesy of Mohonk Mountain House , circa 1940. Used with permission. (Koehler Photo)
CONNECTING WITH THE PAST
On a recent trip to Mohonk Mountain House, I did a double take as I casually walked by a vintage poster of a couple on horseback. Wait. What!? AN ORIGINAL MOHONK TRAVEL POSTER!? I knew horses had been an important part of Mohonk life since the Smiley brothers started building The Mountain House in the late 1800s. I had admired the many images of Daniel Smiley and his horse Sunshine on the walls during my past visits, and have had the pleasure of a modern day trail ride at Mohonk with my own family. Curious to know more, I reached out to Mohonk archivist Nell Boucher who told me this poster is a favorite. Though Mohonk did not have much information about it, she and her colleague felt that this poster was probably produced at the time when the “Mohonk Trail Riders” programs were offered— between 1932 and 1942. What luck to make such a meaningful connection to Catherine’s travel posters, and ultimately, a deep connection to my new tune.
TIME LAPSE
“The Fiddler” by Catherine LaPointe Vollmer, Lionheart Graphics. Used with permission.
When I first reached out to Catherine and asked her if she would be interested in “Fiddling with Traditions,” she surprised me by asking me to be in her project, “Willing Hands” which features hands -rather than faces -to serve as portraits of unique personalities. On her social media sites (Instagram, Facebook) she’d been posting some time-lapse videos - where you see the whole process that takes several hours in one minute. Even for Catherine, who was “there” while she was painting, the time-lapse is magical to watch.
MUSIC VIDEO FOR “THE GUNKS”- CLICK ARROW BELOW TO WATCH!
LISTENING GUIDE:
In the spirit of Catherine's travel posters, Daniel Kelly and I will "take" the North Country audience to New Paltz, NY to the Mohonk Mountain House. We will "paint" a picture of our recent hike through the Labyrinth and Lemon Squeeze- popular rock scrambles in The Shawangunk Mountains, which locals call “The Gunks.”
We open with a piano tremolo revealing my apprehension about my first (and last!!) rock scramble. The climb is difficult and my mood is determined yet, at times, apprehensive. The footing is technical, as you will hear in the melody, and uneven, as you hear in the anticipated rhythms. The wooden ladders are high and scary - as I shift up the fingerboard! In hiking and performing from this height I require lots of encouragement & support from my favorite hiking buddies. Yet, there are moments when my stride relaxes and I can feel great and take in the beauty and enjoy the echo chambers deep in the rocky crevices.
Mid-tune, when we reach the summit, Daniel will set up his easel and do an “in the moment” quick, plein air painting- admiring the gorgeous view from the open rocky top --taking in the sunshine, taking a brief respite from the physical work.
Too soon; the rest is over; we gather our things and head back into the tree line, on weary legs as noted by the accompaniment playing at only half speed. Very thankful for our second wind, we near the trailhead at the bottom and were greeted by the beautiful Mohonk Mountain House awaiting our arrival. Please enjoy this Bluegrass infused reel that we call, “The Gunks.”
To Catherine, thank you so much for this incredible gift of inspiration and for being part of “Fiddling With Traditions.” Words are not enough. Here’s a tune. ~Gretchen
Daniel Kelly & Gretchen Koehler with her family hiking “The Gunks” at Mohonk Mountain House, New Paltz, NY. (Koehler photos)
Mohonk Mountain House, New Paltz, NY (Koehler photo)