The Old Mill

It being Mom's birthday today, thought I should post something to her art blog. Shame I haven't posted anything in awhile and now Uncle Bruce has passed on in 2016, so on more person with a memory of mom is gone.

In honor of Uncle Bruce, who loved history, let's post "The Old Mill".  One of Mom's earlier landscape   oils depicting the Old Mill in Saddle Brook, NJ. I believe this mill has been around since the 1700's and supposedly Washington marched his troops by it as they escaped from the battle of Fort Lee on his way to the Delaware River and eventually the battle of Trenton. This painting always seemed to move around our house and I can't remember a time it didn't occupy some wall. I have very fond memories of it and always liked it.

The Old Mill  oil  1970's

The Old Mill detail. It is crude for sure, naive, she is still developing herself as an artist. Mom always worked on her skills and never gave up. Maybe that's why I like this painting. 

detail of the two foot bridges - I like the graphic simplicity 

of these 

detail - Mom always excelled with nature and the foreground 

foliage is definitely the strongest aspect of the painting 

detail - 

still signing Capobianco - placing this painting in the 1970's

Oranges

Mom painted a lot of still-lifes throughout her life as an artist. None I find as wonderful as these oranges. It might be the simplicity of the subject or the graphic geometry of the oranges. The choice of the orange against that wonderful teal / blue -green background that they just float on, their shadows oddly off just slightly. Or maybe it is because my family has had such a history with fruit - Grandpa Jim selling fruits and vegetables off of a green bus and door to door. Incidentally he lived in West Orange one of the Oranges of New Jersey.  I don't know, I just love these Oranges. 

detail

detail

still signing "Capobianco" putting this in the early 70's most likey 1974 or 75.

oil on canvas - nice frame too

First Communion - 1949

Barbara Sisko smiling in the middle at a first communion party - 1949. 

The Angel

Another early school work, this painting - a pastel - always hung in our basement, tucked away, part of the wallpaper, part of my childhood. I had always thought of the figure in the painting as a girl with a hat on and found it beguiling if not for some reason a little unsettling. Then of course one day I realized the hat was a halo and that this was either the boy Christ or an angel and having never given it much thought as to who painted it I realized my mom had painted it very early on. Unfortunately, like so many things, I never asked my mom about it. Thinking it was a girl I always thought she looked like my mom and I was always captivated by the image. All of which is fitting since my mom was an angel put on this earth after all. 

My mom's signature obviously BmS for Barbara Mary Sisko and the date 1959. So mom painted it when she was 17

Where was Barbara Mary and what she was doing:

Helen and I put our heads together and came up with this , work in progress so if you think of anything, questions etc. just let us know!

 Eliz

Where was Barbara Mary and what she was doing:

1942..April 6  - born Perth Amboy Hospital, NJ

1942. May 5  -   War Ration Book - Age 1 month 23 lbs 8 ozs blue eyes

.................Living rented a house at Dow Ave, Iselin which is just off Lincoln Hwy, Iselin

.................house was sold, family moved in with Grandmother at farm in Barry Ave, Perth Amboy

1947. Sept.  - Started Kintergarden at Schell School ( while living in Perth Amboy)

1948. Spring - Family moved to Wilson Ave, Iselin

1948 Spring  -  Started 1st grade at PS 15 , Pershing Ave Iselin (school in our backyard)

.................continued thru sixth grade 1954

1951 - Joined abt age 9   - Brownies Troop #31- leader Mrs. Magnani Warwick St

1952 - Joined abt age 10 - Girl Scouts Troop # 1 - leader Freda Rapacioli, 711 Dow ave

1954 .Sept     -  Started 7th grade at St Cecelia School, Iselin

1955. Jun 14 -   Graduated 8th grade - First Graduating Class of St Cecelia's,

.......................class trip to Washington, DC

1955 - Sept - start High School , St Mary's Perth Amboy.

.......................Joined basketball team, school paper, art club, honor society.

1956-60 -Joined  4H Group - Freda Rapacioli, 711 Dow ave

1956 - Junior Sodality - St Cecelia's

1957 - Jul - Aug Trip out west with Joan Pegos gr daughter of scout leader.

1959 - Jun Graduated St Mary's Perth Amboy

1959 -1962 St Michaels Hospital School of Nursing

1962 .- Staff Nusre At Rahway Hospital

1962 Nov 8 - Engagement to James Capobianco

1963 Dec 28 -Marriage at St Cecelia's Church, Iselin, NJ

Activities:

....Scouts every week, annual trips to Washington, New York, Richmond VA

....Ice skating on Freemans Pond in winter

....Sled Riding down the hill behind the public school #15 in winter

....Quounset hut center by the church - Roller Skating, Sodality, Movies, Art Shows, Summer 

....Bike riding to Menlo Park Shopping Center.

....Going on the Cooper's Dairy truck with dad during the summertime

....Iselin Fair  every July - Dad ran the birch beer stand .

....Iselin Movie House - Saturday matinees .20 cents & 5 cent candy

....Trips to Belmar, to aunt Clara's house - down old route 35 in grandmom's car 1939 plymouth?

...............which took abt 2 hrs then.

....Baking - took turns and learned how to bake/cook

....Summertime , played in the school yard, baseball, basketball, handball

....................... hop scotch, simon says on school lawn.

....Basketball Team - Lionettes in high school