On two separate occasions, I met with product designer Sarah Von Dreele and fine artist Nancy Lasar, both graduates of Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and residents of Litchfield Hills. Litchfield Hills graces the Northwest corner of Connecticut in the foothills of the Berkshires.

The area attracts creatives and weekenders due to its proximity to Manhattan and Brooklyn, and Californians come seeking New England charm. The American painter Jasper Johns and actress Meryl Streep live here. Litchfield Hills oozes charm with its natural pastoral beauty, rolling verdant hills, creeks, rivers, and Lake Waramaug. In the autumn, leaf peepers come to see the riot of colors and to pick apples. There’s a thriving art scene and exceptional dining opportunities, with many offering locally grown and raised ingredients.

Product designer Sarah Von Dreele

Von Dreele is an artist and product designer. Ten years ago, she branched out into painting, and one can see her painterly hand in her textile and wallpaper designs. Van Dreele has lived most of her life close to the Atlantic Ocean, from Rhode Island to Boston to Manhattan, and spends her summers out on a barrier reef island in New Jersey. Now, she resides here in the interior of Connecticut. I see the influences of living close to the coast in much of her work, such as in her pattern Allyn, which reminds me of waves, or are they curves of waterways seen from above?

Other themes are Asian-inspired, as in her pattern Joshua, which references bamboo. Other themes include geometrics and contemporary florals. Her color palette consists of blues, neutrals, and pops of color with pinks, yellows, and greens. In her next collection, County, which launched late February, we can see influences of rural Connecticut come into play, and some are named after the towns of the area, such as Cornwall and Goshen. In this collection, she continues to explore her distinctive contemporary take on florals, foliage, and geometric patterns. Some remind me of a field of wildflowers, and her geometric Lincoln recalls Bauhaus, and its name, Lincoln, brings Walter Gropius’s home in Lincoln, Massachusetts, to mind.

Over a hot cup of coffee, we chatted about some of our favorite places in the area that should not be missed, such as Thorncrest Farms, one of about thirty-five dairy farms in the area. In addition to dairy, they are known for their small production of artisanal chocolates. Their chocolates are so good that a family member of mine based in Belgium brings them back as presents for friends. Von Dreele is fond of their vanilla milk, which has no added sugar. Von Dreele also mentioned the not-to-be-missed event, Trade Secrets Garden Tours, Rare Plants, and Garden Antiques Sale, held at the celebrated classic race track, Lime Rock Park, benefiting Project Sage, a non-profit domestic violence agency. The event features garden tours of private homes, including the garden of the acclaimed interior designer Bunny Williams and her husband, the antique dealer John Rosselli.

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Breakfast with fine artist Nancy Lasar

We met at the Garden Dining Room of the Mayflower Inn and Spa in Washington, Connecticut. This room reflects its name with its murals of oversized foliage, a trellis ceiling, and French tiered wire plant stands in a sun-drenched space.

Meet fine artist Nancy Lasar. In addition to graduating from Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), she studied the history of film at Columbia and painting at Yale. Lasar ran a successful home-based framing business before returning to fine art full-time. Lasar filled me in on some of the local artists of the area, such as KK Kozik and Peter Sacks, the late abstract expressionist painter Charles Cajori, and landscape artist and watercolorist Robert Andrew Parker.

Lasar works in mixed media, monotypes, encaustic, acrylics, drawing, and collage on canvas. Her work has been described as organized chaos. She was profoundly influenced by a trip to China, and it is apparent in her work. One can see it notably in her mark-making referencing language, calligraphy, and graffiti.

Lasar’s still lifes of bouquets are filled with a lot of movement, and thus they lend a lyrical air. These still lifes remind me of what Goethe said, that architecture is frozen music. No surprise, her husband is an architect. It is as if the stems of her flowers seem to be having a dialogue amongst themselves, or are they playing music? This is where I see “organized chaos,” and her work also simultaneously reflects gentleness and strength. She has two upcoming shows: 68 Prince St Gallery in Kingston, New York, 21 March - 16 April and The Judy Black Memorial Park and Gardens in Washington Depot, 18 September - 18 October.

Some visitors are also drawn to get a glimpse of the town and its inn that inspired Amy Sherman-Palladino to write Gilmore Girls. Washington, Connecticut, and its environs are far more than Stars Hollow. The series did not share its rural beauty or art scene. The place that has been attracting artists and creatives since the train made it accessible from New York during the Gilded Age, and later, cars. Personally, I hope the train makes a comeback soon — I would take a train any day over the car.

Litchfield Hills is a welcoming place. I have easily made new friends while living here. It has nourished and healed me through the arts, from taking classes through the Washington Arts Association to dining locally, from lunches to picking up fresh, out-of-the-oven baguettes and loaves at The Pantry, and meeting friends over a cup of coffee at Marty’s. I have only touched the surface of what this lovely corner of my home State offers.

There’s so much to do and explore.

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