!2-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 26, 2003
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“Waiting for Spring” is captured in oils at the Miller and Davis Farm, Richmond Town
ship.
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“Kermit Schlegel Farm” captures this almost obsolete scene of cows crossing the
road.
“Hey, Dave,” is the title of one Joyce Floreen’s paintings of neighboring dairy farmer
Dave Bitler with his herd crossing the road at Vista Grande Farm, Fleetwood.
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Joyce Floreen works on a painting of the farm owned
by Luther and Theresa David.
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LOU ANN GOOD
Food And Family
Features Editor
FLEETWOOD (Berks Co.)
Joyce Floreen isn’t trying to be a
word snob when she says that she
paints landscapes for the “cow
gnoscenti.”
“It’s a pun,” the artist is quick
to point out. “The form of the
word gnoscenti is a common Ital
ian word used by those who think
they are cultured,” she explained.
“Cowgnoscenti means a person
who is in the know about cows.”
People who are in the know
about cows find her paintings
capture fascinating views of ev
eryday living in the life of cows.
Floreen’s Fleetwood home is
surrounded by cows owned by
numerous dairy farmers.
Nothing brings Floreen more
pleasure than sketching the anti
cs of the pastoral bo vines.
“Those cows won’t pose for
me,” she complained good natu
redly. But Floreen is patient. She
views them with a practiced eye
and patience.
Floreen believes her artwork
captures farm life in an interest
ing way and shows how farming
methods are changing. In partic
ular, her scenes of cows crossing
the road are fast becoming obso
lete to the average motorist.
“I got started painting late in
life,” Floreen said after a career
in advertising. In the beginning
she was self taught and often
For ideas on celebrating National Ice Cream
Month, turn to page B 6 and 88.
took photos and painted a com
posite of several. Since then she
has studied painting with Jack
Coggins at the Wyomissing Insti
tute of Fine Art and with various
art professors.
Her late start has not hindered
her artistic success. Floreen’s
work has been chosen for exhibit
at numerous juried shows and in
vitational shows.
In 1990, Floreen began paint
ing full time after restoring a
mural on a bam owned by Bren
dle and Raydell Stufflet on Bal
thaser Road.
Floreen conducted her first art
show in 1994. Recently Reading
Area Community College
(RACC) was the site for a recep
tion for “Landscapes for the i
Cowgnoscenti.” RACC sponsors
Meet the Artist invitational series
to enhance the cultural atmosi,
phere of the college for students
and for regional visual artists to
exhibit.
Sketching neighbors’ herds en
ables Floreen to strike up conver
sations with farmers. She said, _
“It’s a great pleasure to get to'
know people who devote them
selves to this arduous life.”
Floreen also believes her paint
ings captures the beauty of rural
areas that people want to pre-
serve,
Floreen’s Studio, 79 Keller
Rd., Fleetwood, is open weekends
in July and by appointment. Call
(610)987-6511.