![An Artist Finds his Place in the World Through his Portraits](https://millertonnews.com/media-library/portrait-and-figurative-artist-christopher-pouler-makes-paintings-that-showcase-the-human-condition-in-his-charming-shed-and-wo.jpg?id=48210232&width=980&quality=90)
Portrait and figurative artist Christopher Pouler makes paintings that showcase the human condition, in his charming shed and working studio, which sits atop a hill on his 3.5-acre property.
Photo by Anabelle Baum
One of many patches of forest in Lakeville, Conn., featuring a steep hill, is painter Christopher Pouler’s “Little Walden Pond without the pond.”
Three years ago, Pouler and his wife bought the property, which measures 3.5 acres.
Their initial plan was to build a house there, but it was too expensive. Pouler had always wished for a studio outside his home, so he switched gears to fulfill those dreams. A friend, who is a builder, recommended that Pouler buy a custom-made shed, instead of building a small cabin from scratch.
It was an epic challenge to deliver the shed to the “Thoreau-esc” plot. It took two hours for a hydraulic-powered truck to “inchworm” the shed up the steep hill.
After its installation, Pouler furnished the inside. There is no electricity, so he uses a super-charged lithium-ion battery to fuel the lights in the studio, and a woodfired stove to keep warm in winter.
Reflecting on his favorite parts of the studio, Pouler reflected, “I love where I am. It’s in the woods. It’s super secluded.”
But it has its downsides. “It would be nice not to freeze for the first half an hour in the winter,” waiting for his stove to warm up the small room. Still, Pouler feels wiring the shed with electricity is not needed: he’s content with the battery and stove.
Pouler is also a designer, creating sets for broadcast news and television. With COVID-19, that work stopped — which allowed Pouler to focus on painting.
“The good thing is that, since COVID-19, I’ve been in the studio practically every day.”
A portrait and figurative artist, Pouler is interested in “the human condition and how it differs depending on where you find yourself.”
When Pouler became a father 20 years ago, he realized that his children would have privileges that are not available to so many children — refugee children, for example, who are faced with challenging environments all over the world.
“It’s random how you end up in a place — your life could so easily have been completely different.”
He painted pieces that showed his own children and refugee children, to reflect those thoughts.
With these portraits, he hopes to show that, no matter who they are, “this person or that person is a beautiful girl or young man or old guy.”
One of his portraits in progress is a young woman refugee from Iraq, whom Pouler described as a success story: “She’s in a safe place now.”
Pouler has a show coming up at the Berkshire School in Sheffield, Mass., in November; it will include her finished portrait, floating above two panels painted with yellow flowers.
Pouler chooses the word “installation” for his coming show — appropriate, because he hopes to “meld” his designing and painting skills. He also wishes to engage the students fully in the show, by having them write to child refugees in detention centers.
Books that Chris Pouler recommends
• “The Time Traveler’s Wife,” by Audrey Niffenegger
“This is an intelligent, quirky and beautifully written novel. It’s a story of a couple who learn to cope with the arbitrary nature of the husband’s time-traveling ability.”
• Tao Te Ching by Laotzu
“This book, written in the 4th century B.C., has been by my side since my freshman year of college. It contains what I believe to be some of the simplest yet most profound philosophy that I have ever read.”
• “Anselm Kiefer: A Monograph,” by Dominique Baqué
“This is a well-written and spectacularly illustrated monograph of one of the greatest living artists. While his art is completely different than mine, I am nonetheless inspired by it and his creative fearlessness.”
Eric Schnall
On Aug. 9, the White Hart Inn in Salisbury, Connecticut will continue their speaker series with a celebration of Eric Schnall’s debut novel, “I Make Envy on Your Disco.”
Just released in May, Schnall’s novel has already earned praise for its poignant observations and lyrical prose. “Disco” is the second winner of the Barbara DiBernard Prize in Fiction, an annual prize for books published by Zero Street Fiction, part of University of Nebraska Press, committed to LGBTQ+ literary writers with commercial potential. “They publish books very successfully and thoughtfully,” said Schnall. “It’s been a balance to embrace the box while not wanting the box to be exclusive, if that makes sense,” he added in reference to his novel being labeled or branded as a “gay” book. “I’m getting incredible notes from people,” said Schnall.
“Some are from gay men who are seeing a version of themselves through this character but, you know, the book has resonated with women as much as men which is really interesting and amazing.”
Set in 2003, the novel follows Sam Singer, a 37-year-old art advisor who leaves a boyfriend and dog back in New York to travel to Berlin, a city with its own identity crisis. Amidst graffiti-stained streets and techno clubs, Sam’s isolation transforms into deep connections with Jeremy, a lonely wannabe DJ; Kaspar, an East Berlin artist; and Magda, the enigmatic hotel manager. It’s a story of longing, connection, and self-discovery, capturing the spirit of Berlin and the essence of midlife transformation.
Schnall began writing the novel 20 years ago after a trip to Berlin with his partner, Architectural Digest Executive Editor, Shax Riegler. Since then, the journey to publication has been long and at times, emotionally taxing, but Schnall believes, “the moment for it is really now.” His narrative captures the pulse of Berlin with a steady backbeat of nostalgia and longing. “My feeling as a reader, and I read constantly, is we all project onto a novel. I like the idea of that. There is a lot of specificity to the story and to Sam, but I wanted to leave what I call ‘empty space’ so that readers can project onto it.”
Readers will indeed project onto it, exploring the cobblestoned alleys and streets of Berlin before social media and cell phones, when around every corner was a new universe. Born and raised in New York City, there is a grit to the Berlin of 2003 that spoke to Schnall. “It’s not easy, if you grow up in New York, to have a city surprise you and also confound you. There is just something about it.” Schnall also has deep ties to this area¬ — his parents bought a home in Salisbury in the ’80’s and Schnall and his partner bought their home around the corner ten years ago. Both of Schnall’s parents passed away recently; his mother in April 2023 and his father in February, 2024. So, while there has been a lot of excitement and momentum around the book, Schnall is taking it slowly. “I’ve been really trying to pace myself,” he said. “Also, I’ve been following the book. It’s had a nice life so far and it’s really resonating with readers, and to me that’s just thrilling.”
The launch event at The White Hart will feature a conversation between Schnall and Jenny Jackson, author of the acclaimed novel “Pineapple Street” and VP executive editor at Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. Their meeting through a mutual friend at The White Hart Inn exactly a year ago sparked a friendship, making this event a full-circle moment of literary camaraderie.
Eric Schnall has had a multifaceted career in theater that spans over 25 years. His first job on Broadway was as an assistant to the producers of “Rent.” He then went on to work as producer and marketing director on such megahits as “The Vagina Monologues,” “Fleabag,” and “Hedwig and The Angry Inch,” for which he won a Tony Award as co-producer of the Broadway revival. “When your first shows are “Rent” and “The Vagina Monologues,” you realize Broadway is a business,” Schnall explained. “I was excited by culturally and politically interesting work that was also commercially successful.” Broadway’s intense demands made it hard to find time to write, however, so Schnall had to learn to do both simultaneously, often writing in hotel lobbies or kitchen tables at 4 or 5 a.m.
“I’m a morning person, so I wrote most of the book in the wee hours,” Schnall said.
Schnall has a few projects that he’s currently developing but said, “There’s a lot of good work being produced on Broadway right now, but financially, it’s challenging. So, for now, I’m glad I also have the book to concentrate on.”
Come and be a part of this special evening at The White Hart Inn where you’ll meet a wonderful local author while immersed in the world Berlin, and discover the heart, humor, and depth of “I Make Envy on Your Disco.”
For tickets, visit https://www.oblongbooks.com/event/white-hart-eric-schnall.
Clear skies over the Dalmatian Islands in Adriatic Sea, off the coast of Croatia.
Island hopping, usually done by boat, can also be accomplished with a little more exertion.
When friends Marci Grady and Sonja Koppenwallner asked Sherie Berk if she would like to join them for a week-long swim in the Dalmatian Islands, she agreed without a second thought. With an itinerary mapped out by STREL Swimming Adventures, from June 15 to 21, they swam for up to five hours each day.
Berk learned to swim during childhood summers in Sharon, Connecticut, but did not take up the sport competitively until age 55. She went on to become a United States Masters Swimmer with four world rankings, 16 top ten rankings, and an All-American Honor. For Berk, swimming is a total release of tension. “It’s like meditation,” she said.
Her weekly training – three or four sessions at the YMCA in Canaan, Connecticut – did not change in anticipation of the island swim and Berk worried that she had not adequately prepared.
Regardless, she boarded a plane to Split, Croatia, consoling herself that it was not a race.
The Dalmatian Islands are located off the coast of Croatia, in the Adriatic Sea. The crisp, blue waters are some of the cleanest in the Mediterranean. “I can’t even begin to describe how beautiful this place is,” said Berk.
Sherie BerkProvided
Her days in Dalmatia commenced with breakfast spreads of fresh fruit, eggs, and European pastries. After fueling up, Berk, Grady, Koppenwallner, and twelve or so others boarded boats for rides to their morning starting points. They set off swimming around 10 am, boats following to provide water and rest if necessary.
At noon, they stopped for lunch, usually on the boat, with gorgeous buffets assembled by a private chef. Once, the midday interlude included a hike (just in case they cared for some additional exercise). Then back into the water for a few more hours of paddling, to cover a daily distance of approximately four kilometers.
Active travel allowed Berk to fully immerse in her environment. Instead of admiring the glittering sea from afar, she felt the salt soak into her skin. By four pm they returned to the hotel, utterly exhausted, but drenched in awe.
Evenings were time to unwind, dining at restaurants along the water and marveling at the expanse of rocky coastline. A meal of fresh fish and a few glasses of wine repeatedly revived the swimmers and readied them for another day.
Over the course of a week, a multi-generational community formed through mutual struggle and appreciation of natural beauty. The oldest in the group, 70-year-old Berk is not slowing down. She has her eye on an island hop in Greece next year.
"Four Tommys" and more art by Eric Forstmann.
Eric Forstmann’s new show “Perambulate” will open at Eckert Fine Art in Washington Depot, Connecticut on August 10 with a reception from 2 to 6 p.m. The title, derived from the habit of leisurely exploring and observing one’s environment, encapsulates the essence of Forstmann’s work.
“I have had the good fortune to have spent 40 years doing just that. Along the route, I have been able to translate my findings into more than one thousand paintings. And the search continues…” Forstmann stated.
Forstmann, who studied at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston under Barnett Rubenstein and Henry Schwartz, has been celebrated in solo exhibitions at prestigious institutions such as The Butler Institute of American Art, The Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, The Evansville Museum of Arts, History and Science, the Mattatuck Museum and Brenau Galleries. He has also participated in significant exhibitions, including at the Norman Rockwell Museum and the Naples Museum of Art. Forstmann’s art has been featured in prominent publications such as Architectural Digest, ARTnews, and New England Home. “Perambulate” will showcase Forstmann’s dedication to his craft and his profound connection to his surroundings with a balanced mix of landscapes and still lifes.
The artist spoke of his gratitude for his occupation, stating, “I really am very fortunate to love what I do.” It is because of this love and good fortune that he said, “There’s something about the work process and the respect for space, respect for place that I really feel in plein air even though it’s probably not as accurate as a lot of people who use photos.” He went on to describe some of those photo realist images. “You’re like, ‘Wow, that’s amazing. You’ve gotten every leaf!’ And it is incredible, but I get more out of being there and kind of getting stung by bees and having to run from the weather and all that stuff,” he said with a laugh.
Forstmann refers to himself as “a confirmed ‘thingest,’” a term he invented. “I’m not really a hoarder but I’m really fascinated with the things that we’ve come up with as objects of desire in our world and in my world.”