Barstow’s is a small family owned business and we are committed to supporting other local farmers, local crafters, and local artists. Our walls are reserved for the art of local painters, sketchers, and photographers – giving us a beautiful and unique perspective on the area that we live and love. Visit us to enjoy lunch, soak in the rural views, and enjoy the local art of your creative neighbors!
Are you interested in becoming our Featured Artist? Contact us!
Our current Featured Artist is Susan Linnéa Kallander
June 15 - August 1
When Susan Kallander was five her family moved to a farm in Southborough, Massachusetts where she lived until she finished Massachusetts College of Art in Boston. Growing up with 85 acres of field and forest to roam inspired her to explore the outdoors and her curiosity drove her to poke into and peel away layers of the natural world. It developed her balance between the artistic and the logical mind. Painting landscapes and still lifes in watercolor, pastels or oils seemed a natural result. She does enjoy doing pet and people portraits. Loving the illustrations in children’s books since she was a tot inspired her to illustrate children’s books herself with the added interest in writing and passing on her knowledge of her world.
She conveys her happy attitude in her subject matter. It looks full of life and vibrant with color such as plump vegetables, babbling brooks. The opposite is true in her architectural paintings because she prefers buildings that show the character of age and use.
Ms. Kallander also studied at The DeCordova Museum School in Lincoln, MA accumulating credits toward a Master's Degree. Artists who have influenced her style: Winslow Homer, John Singer Sergeant, the American Impressionists like Childe Hassam, Mary Cassatt and the painters of the American West such as Frank Tenney Johnson. A short list of favorite illustrators: Jessie Willcox Smith, Howard Pyle, the phantasmagorical Gustav Doré, Maxfield Parrish, N. C. Wyeth, Arthur Rackham and presently Gary Lippincott who lives in Central Mass.
In a past life she and her husband, Larry owned Pleasant Street Bed and Breakfast and ZsaZsa’s Tea Room. From there, she and Larry traveled the U.S. in a 37 ft. motor home full time, for seven years until Larry passed away. During her travels she painted, of course, but also taught pastel painting in parks where they were staying.
Ms. Kallander lives in West Brookfield, MA and paints with the Hitchcock Artists in Brimfield and the East Quabbin Artists in Gilbertville. Her ‘crafty stuff’, the veg and fruit cards are each hand painted and sold at the Boston Public Market, in Boston and local Hardwick Farmers Market, as are her earrings and the children’s books she has written and illustrated, namely: Up In Smoke and Godfrey Finds a Home.