82-Uncaster Farming, Saturday, December 29,1984
farm scenes on slate
BY BARBARA RADER
Staff Correspondent
ELWOOD CITY - Three days a
week Sandy Clyde and Grace
Hufnagel change out of their blue
jeans, leave their farm chores
behind and head to town.
A year ago these two cousins
from Foihbell formed a part
nership and opened an art gallery,
where they sell their work.
These two very country gals call
their business “The Countryside
Gallery.” The name suits the
business well since Sandy and
Grace bring the country at
mosphere along with them to share
with their customers.
Using a paint brush and a few
colors of paint, Sandy and Grace
create warm country scenes on
canvas, slate, or almost any other
material that a customer requests.
Both agree that slate is the most
popular and cheapest medium,
ranging in price from $5 to $3O.
“The customer m our area,
because of the economy and not
much work, just doesn’t have the
money,” Sandy says.
Since both Sandy and Grace
have farm backgrounds, they most
Grace Hufnagel works on a painting of a customer's home.
Working from a photograph, Grace has spent well over a
week on this project and has much more work to do on it.
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is eye-cat
Gallery.
Cousins share
enjoy creating art that has plenty
of country style.
Sandy has been lived on a farm
all her life. She is married to Bill
Clyde and they have two sons and a
daughter. The eldest son is
married and has blessed his
mother with the official title of
“grandma.”
All of the Clyde’s children have
been in 4-H and enjoy showing
game horses and ponies.
Sandy and Bill raise market
steers and grade Holstein heifers
to sell later as bred heifers. In the
past, they had a dairy milking
operation, but Bill wanted to try
construction work. While working
in construction Bill was in an
accident that forced him back
home to the farm.
Having 120 acres keeps them
busy and Sandy readily admits
that they really do enjoy the farm
most.
Grace is responsible for milking
27 Holsteins in the morning and
evening. "My husband, Jim, does
all the feeding of approximately 70
head and the field work, while I do
all the milking, even before I come
in here,” Grace says.
Jim and Grace have two married
, «
t V
ing window display is sure to attract attention to the Countryside
Grace, left, and Sandy display some of their special dairy paintings that Grace did of
her own animals from her farm.
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sons who grew up on the family ’s
200-acre farm. They also were
active in 4-H and showed pleasure
horses.
Grace admitted that she paints
most scenes with dairy animals
while Sandy does most of the horse
scenes, but they both can and do
paint horses and cows.
As young girls, Grace and Sandy
enjoyed painting and about 20
years ago worked together either
at Grace’s home or at an art
gallery. Three to five times a week
they took their paintings to art and
craft shows.
They enter only a few shows
now; most of their time is spent
working on commissioned pain
tings. Customers’ homes hnd
animals are the most common
requests. These projects take a lot
of time since Grace and Sandy
make sure each detail is done
correctly
Because canvas paintings are
much more costly, most customers
perfer slate. Gray slate is easier to
work on since the black slate tends
to peel. However, both can be used.
At one time Grace and Sandy
bought most of the slate, but now
people just stop in and ask them if
they want some slate.
Their most popular commodity
right now is "Welcome” signs
Orders have been especially heavy
during the holidays.
The artists make the ■signs to
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Grace, right, and Sandy, left, pose in front of an attractive
display in their gallery.
Sandy Clyde transforms a piece of gray slate into a
Welcome sign. Welcome signs which feature flowers, a small
animal such as a mouse, and a mailbox bearing the
customer's name, are big sellers.
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