My sister-in-law and I have been introducing our children to art and different artists. We were amazed last year at the impact on the children of the little bit of art we gave them, so we knew we needed to continue. The logical place to begin a formal artist study, we concluded, was in our own back yard. My house is 10 minutes from St. Gauden's National Historic Site. How many times have I been there? Well, counting yesterday....two. After introducing the children to Augustus St. Gaudens and his work over the past couple of weeks, and having them try their own hands at sculpting, we visited the National Historic Site in Cornish, NH. This is the only National Historic Site in New Hampshire! On the beautifully manicured grounds were his house, Aspet, the new gallery and atrium (where the kids were fascinated, not by art, but by the frogs in the atrium pool), Augustus St. Gauden's own studio, a visitor's center and the ravine studio, where an artist-in-residence works. She showed us her work and explained the fascinating process of sculpting, molding and casting.
Hedges abounded on the property, creating small outdoor rooms which were adorned with ASG sculptures and beautiful flower beds. My oldest son, who is currently reading The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, found and photographed ASG's bas-relief sculpture of RLS. Apparently, RLS was a friend to Augustus and probably a member of the Cornish Colony, a group of artists, authors,and other "elite" of the period, who gathered and lived in Cornish in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a great field trip, enhanced by the gorgeous surroundings, perfect autumn weather and "peak" foliage as only New Hampshire can provide!
