OK, we’re spending June in Maine. Our route to get there takes us down Main Street in Bethlehem, NH – literally right past Doug’s brother Roland’s place, so we’re stopping. We’ve already got plans for a Shick family get-together in July, so we were all ok with just a quick visit. And that’s what we did.
Roland is an artist of many talents. His current medium is light. He builds custom designed, one-of-a-kind architectural lighting fixtures of welded metal and a variety of other materials. They’re delightful! He also consults on lighting solutions for specific purposes and ambiance, and he is the lighting technician at the Colonial Theatre, a not-for-profit cultural center and performing arts venue (and former movie theater) conveniently next door to his studio. As he was preparing for a concert in the evening, he provided us with a tour of his high tech lighting equipment.
We got to visit with Roland’s son Lars, as well. Lars, our sole nephew, is an artist of another sort. He creates beautiful gardens and landscape features with plants, stone, earth, and water. He has been creating landscapes as well as collecting and cultivating plants for 20 years. He most recently established and runs the Yonder Mountain Nursery & Gardens, behind Roland’s studio on Main Street, to sell plants and showcase his work. He specializes in varieties that are a little out of the ordinary yet well suited to the local area. For those interested, he also has a selection of rare and exotic plants that with care can be grown inside during our harsh New England winters.
See you in July, Roland and Lars!
