Festivities begin in the morning of Saturday, April 28th, , and will last throughout the day. Hope to see you all at the Maple Syrup Festival!

Sonya Porter Weaver

To welcome the grace and beauty of spring with an emphasis of the newest of new begins, this month’s Featured Artist is one who finds inspiration in our youth. Children, captured through the lens of Sonya Porter Weaver’s camera, are artfully conveyed in their day to day liveliness. In her own words she says, “As a photographer and artist, I believe that capturing the simplicity of our future is essential. Earning a child’s trust and learning their personality helps me to embrace their glory and wonder.

Photography began for me as a child. For whatever reason, it always lingered within. When I entered high school the mystery began to unfold. I could explore with a camera the most mundane of objects and the various personalities of subjects. I could set the mood however I wanted with lighting and composition. I could bring forth the endless idiosyncrasies of our world. As time went on and I worked my way through college, photography was not only an outlet but became a second language. I find inspiration for portraiture in my childhood memories, my daily life, and most of all I find it in my children.”

Come check out Sonya’s some of work at Divani throughout the month of April. Also check out her website at www.sonyaporterphotography.com

The short of it is that the tradition of exchanging chocolates and other sweets at Easter began to flourish in France and Germany during the 19th century. Symbols associated with springtime, such as the ever popular egg, date back to pagan times and were considered universal symbols of rebirth, rejuvenation and immortality. Another “famous” symbol is the Easter Bunny. The earliest mention of the mythical humanoid rabbit who brings baskets of colored eggs and goodies to children, dates to the 1600s in Alsace and southwestern Germany. Like the history of the Easter egg, the concept of rabbits and hares as symbols of springtime, rebirth and fertility goes back to pagan times. Germans also were those responsible for starting the tradition of hiding Easter eggs, and were the first to create edible Easter Bunnies in the early 1800s.

Hmmm, interesting. Now let’s change the emphasis here just a tad… So, why do we eat chocolate at Easter time? I don’t know about you all, but I myself sure do have a lot of German ancestry, for a start. (Maybe that’s also why I make chocolate!)Yet the most basic and forthright answer just might be that we love it so much!

Oh, and if you’re looking for something fun to do the day before Easter, we will be hosting a good old fashioned Easter egg hunt in the garden behind Divani Chocolatier and Barista, our chocolate shop in Foxburg. Kids 10 years old and younger are invited. Toddlers of walking age may be accompanied by a parent. The hunt will begin at 11 am and end when all the eggs are found! There will be prizes inside the eggs, so be sure to find them all!

I have had no formal education. I am self-taught, still learning as I go. I find I paint and see things differently everyday. In my world I see things in layers and sections. Then putting them all together on my canvas, which might be a slate, ironing board, a screen, spoon, ice skates, or anything else that will hold my paint. I love taking old items and turning them into future heirlooms. You know, one man’s trash, another man’s treasure. I like acrylics because I don’t like to wait for the finished product, instant gratification.

Since most of my shows are the latter part of the year, I tend to focus on fall and winter art. These are also my favorite subjects to paint. Sometimes I use children’s books, vintage, and retro art for references. I try to give you a feeling of nostalgia and stir up child-like excitement. You remember that feeling of anticipation for Santa to come. I do paint other subjects as well, such as, wild life, scenery, portraits of people, pets, homes, etc. I tell customers I will paint anything on just about everything.
I hope you enjoy my art and it gives you the inspiration to make this a jolly season. Merry Christmas!

You can contact me at (814) 797-2489, Email: yourpersonalizedpainting@yahoo.com, or find me on Facebook under Personalized Painting by Lori Hartzell.

I paint to understand and fully experience my surroundings. I am an impatient observer and never truly see anything until I interpret it onto a two-dimensional surface. I am curious to know how things are constructed and am more intrigued by how something came to be, rather than the final outcome. As a painter I am compelled to study the human figure, attracted to its elements and fascinated by how shapes, colors and planes interact. I see the figure as a construction not unlike that of a building. Using a broad range of paint application, such as thin layers that drip down the surface of the canvas to thicker strokes applied with the palette knife helps reinforce this comparison. We are structures built with many facets and subtleties. The interaction of these components with each other and with their surroundings is something I will always want to explore.
I am a 2011 graduate of Edinboro University, obtaining my Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting and minor in art history. I reside in my hometown of Oil City, PA where I have been an artist tenant in the National Transit Studios since July of this year. I sell original work as well as prints in my studio and online through Society6. Eventually, I would like to get into the illustration field, particularly editorial or children’s book illustration. If you are interested in purchasing a print or have an idea for a commission, you can contact me at:
aebunnell@gmail.com
http://www.abbybunnell.com
http://www.society6/AbbyBunnell

Abbey Bunnell

Divani of Foxburg will be featuring a painting exhibition entitled SCENES OF FOXBURG. These Foxburg landscapes and landmarks are painted on slate by Emlenton artist Andor Paposi Jobb. The show is scheduled to open on Thursday, August 18th . (Divani Chocolatier and Barista – Old Foxburg Bank Building – 9 Main Street – Foxburg/ DivaniChocolate.com. Phone: 888.763.4826).

The impetus behind Dr. Jobb’s new enthusiasm for painting on slate springs from his wish to create a gift for a friend and became a reality when he hit upon the idea of portraying her farm on a piece of slate. The painting was a success and the idea for creating a series of local images on slate was born.

After a visit to Joseph Jenkins’s trove of slates (Barkeyville, PA based author of THE SLATE ROOF BIBLE ) a number of pieces of various sorts of slate were selected and the painting process started. The slates were a generous gift from Mr. Jenkins.

Dr. Jobb is a professor emeritus of the fine arts, portrait painter and teacher. In pursuit of his art career he attended the prestigious Budapest Art Academy, Kent State University (BA & MA) and continued his studies at Case Western Reserve (MFA). He taught in the Art Department of Clarion University of Pennsylvania until his early retirement in 1991.

He is currently working on various commissions, continuing on with his JUDO GREATS PORTRAIT SERIES (http://www.pajudo.com/judogreats/ – also on facebook) and teaching his art class in Emlenton.

He is available for commission portrait work and rates are available upon request. Recently popular are affordable slate portraits of homes ranging in price from $175 to $300 depending on size.

Dr. Jobb’s painting classes are held at the Emlenton Presbyterian Church and he is available as a private tutor as well. For information about joining his Tuesday and Thursday classes (10 AM – 12 PM) or scheduling private lessons phone him at 412-894-8749 or email to magyarone@embarqmail.com.

Divani Chocolate Boutique opened it’s doors at their former location in 2007 with the sole intention of bringing the best quality chocolate confections to those living in and visiting the Allegheny Clarion Valley. Through the years they have continuously worked toward broadening the scope of their services to include various offerings such as chocolate sauces and syrups fit for food service environments as well as confections specially suited for large receptions.

Divani Chocolatier & Barista

Now that Divani Chocolate has made the move to Main Street, they are offering the full coffee house experience to their customers in addition to their wonderful and unique selection of chocolates. Baked
goods, delicious hot cocoas, coffees, teas, ice cream are among the delectables now being offered, not to mention comfortable seating, invigorating tunes, local arts, gifts, and more!

Be sure to stop by and say “Hello!” during the week of the 20th. Mention this article and receive 10% savings on all your Divani purchases! For general information and updates about unfolding events at new Divani Chocolatier and Barista, check out the Divani website at: DivaniChocolate.com
For more interactive updates and exclusive deals follow them on Facebook at: Facebook.com/DivaniChocolate

Haystacks

The mission of Clarion River Organics is to “Provide certified organic foods striving for the highest in food quality and the lowest in environmental impact.” They distinguish themselves by their commitment to protecting plants from pests by developing healthy, living soils; by using only horse and human power rather than fuel-consuming vehicles for field work, and by marketing only products grown within the watershed of the Clarion River. They are inspired to get into the organic movement by Aaron Schwartz, the lead grower of the cooperative, who started growing organic produce in Canada in the mid-90′s. Schwartz uses a system of holistic soil management that tends to all the micro-nutrients as well as the living micro-organisms vital to soil health in order to produce abundant, healthy, high quality vegetables organically.

Running Amok

In 2011 Clarion River Organics decided to become a CSA, or Community Supported Agriculture program, which is a popular sort of program wherein customers pay a certain amount at the beginning of the season in exchange for a weekly delivery of a share of all the produce that has come in fresh that week. A CSA helps the farms by providing funds early in the season when they need to buy growing supplies, and it benefits customers by ensuring access to the best of what is fresh from the fields at a discounted price, as well as stabilizing their connection to the people who grow their food and the land it comes from.

Warehouse Construction

By being a drop-off point for CRO in the AC Valley area, Divani Chocolate hopes to promote healthy eating among the community members while encouraging the support of local farms. “We feel Clarion River Organics is a wonderful organization that has been put together by the locals for the locals. By bringing their initiatives a step closer to you, our customers, we hope to serve you in one more way.”

If you have already purchased your shares from CRO, you can contact them and specify Divani Chocolate as the drop-off point for your weekly share. If you’re interested in buying a new share, please contact Carla at 814-771-7013. The share distribution begins the first week of June and ends the last week of October. You can purchase shares for fresh produce, meats, eggs and home-made breads. For more information about the CSA program, please check out CRO’s website ClarionRiverOrganics.com. For information about Divani Chocolate, check out their website at DivaniChocolate.com or Facebook.com/DivaniChocolate.